Hi world,
I have been neglecting this form of communication for quite some time but thanks to this module, I’m a blogger again.
The Challenge
Communication is an essential life skill that we cannot do without and developing effective communication skills allows us to be able to convey our messages well and also trains us to be better receivers.
A teacher-to-be, it is important that I equip myself with effective communication skills. Like many other professions, communicating well with superiors, subordinates and colleagues helps in maintaining good relationships and a nice working environment. But what’s challenging, perhaps, would be to reach out to the students and their parents. It is where variety meets quantity. Here, the results of effective communications are reflected in the students’ grades and the partnership with parent.
Taking up the Challenge
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
This quote by George Bernard Shaw suggests that the simple intent to reach out is actually a pretty complex process. I guess it is complex because communication comes in many forms, verbal, nonverbal, electronic, organic, through different mediums and the effectiveness of communication relies on both the sender and receiver. The uniqueness of the senders and receivers and the extent of their input and output add another dimension to the picture.
While we are studying the science of effective communication to appreciate and master the art of it, much of the thinking and developmental processes will definite be useful and can be applied to other aspects in life as well. It would be great if we would be able to apply what we have learnt and learn from what we have applied.
Food for thought
While I was drafting this blog post, a friend of mine commented that communication involves all our five senses: Touch, Sight, Smell, Hearing and Taste. While the sense of sight, touch and hearing is quite easily understood and wearing perfume can be an example of how smell comes into play in communication, how the sense of taste comes into the picture seems a little tricky. Has anyone got any ideas?
Hi TanChing,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that effectiveness of communication relies on both the sender and receiver. Effective communication goes 2 ways, between the speaker and the receiver. Normally, people would think that effective communication meant that one should be able to speak well and often neglect their part of active listening. Active listening allows us the least to pick up whatever one's message and even nonverbal cues. Most people especially during project teams only care about getting their voices heard and tend to forget that they need to listen too.
Hi Tan Ching,
ReplyDeleteI think the topic of communication through the sense of taste is a very interesting topic to think about. With regards to this topic, I think that the type of food or beverage served to clients can be a source of communication through taste. Thinking in terms of the traditional chinese method of entertaining clients by bringing them to karaoke lounges, the type of liqor served to them might serve as a communication tool in indicating your sincerity in "doing business with them". Low quality liqor indicates insincerity while high quality ones indicate sincerity. Well, I thought of this on the spot, so please feel free to comment on what I just wrote.
I suppose our taste in food and drink is a form of non-verbal communication. That is, we may make assumptions about people who like healthy food as opposed to fast food or people who are very catholic in their food tastes or restrictive.
ReplyDeleteA bit off the topic, some expressions to do with communications and taste
eg. her gossip left a bad/bitter taste in my mouth
he was known for his acerbic wit
'sweet mouthed'.
Mrs Richardson
Hi Tan Ching,
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with Hong Quan. However, besides indicating the level of sincerity, I guess that the type of drinks served is also a marketing strategy of the organization. For example, some beauty salons are known to serve hot ginger tea to their customers. As ginger tea can help to stimulate digestion and boosts circulation, respiration and nervous system function, such beverages are seen as being beneficial for health. And this perfectly ties in with a common belief of beauty salon, which is to “achieve beauty in a healthy way”. Imagine if they serve the customers with soft drinks that are deem as less healthy, it will definitely give the customers a very different perception of the salon.
So, is it the taste that you are referring to? =)
Chau
Just some of my two cents' worth on the role of taste in communication... I may be exaggerating, but when we partake in home-cooked meals prepared by our family members or close friends, we can also feel the sincerity and love that comes with their effort and time spent in putting together a meal. Maybe this can be construed as a form of non-verbal communication... :)
ReplyDeleteIn terms of taste,as said by tan chin,taste can be communicated.Like for example,Mc donalds.Since we know that taste of mc donalds is standardized.We can see that the number of people increases day by day.Hence it can also said as taste leads the way of communication...
ReplyDeleteI just want to add on to what meihui has said about home-cooked meals. Despite eating at many so-called five star restaurants which serves expensive dishes like abalone, shark fin soup, lobster and so on, at the end of the day, I still like my mother's cooking the best. I once heard someone said that the reason our mother's cooking taste the best is because of an "extra ingredient" called love. Whenever a mother ( or even a father ) cooks for her ( or his ) child, it is her ( or his ) way of communicating her ( or his )love to her ( or his ) child. I believe that even the simplest of dish, such as a plain bowl of noodles, will taste better when love is communicated through it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the input. I guess there is no doubt that we make use of all our five senses in communication. =)
ReplyDelete