Today’s world runs at lightening speed. There are no borders for work thanks to the internet. Everybody works together in this global village. Added to this are high expectations, different tongues of different people, diametrically opposite work cultures and harsh timelines (‘Unfortunately, time is always against us …’ – Morpheous in ‘The Matrix’). All these tremendously emphasize the ability of effective communication.
What is this ability?
This ability is to listen to the other parties in the conversation, to speak clearly, distinctly and concisely with people of various backgrounds and levels of authority, to successfully communicate one’s thoughts, views and opinions, to stick to the point in addressing all the required issues, to use mannerisms and gestures to complement the vocal effort and to add a pinch of humour to the whole conversation (Optional but preferred).
The above definition is according to me. You may differ with me. And you are most welcome to do that. Only when people argue intelligently, the new ideas and thoughts take birth. I’ve read that Larry and Sergey argue and question a lot. No wonder Google churns out so many ideas.
You may be wondering about the reason for creating this blog about ‘Effective communication skills’ when there are already gazillions of websites, each offering tons of advice. Your thinking is absolutely justified. Here is a short insight into what has led to this initiative of maintaining a blog about communication skills.
Like every individual who craves for fame and reputation, who’d love to hog the lime light and be the one that runs the show, I started off on an ambitious mission. As a Telecom Business Analyst, I got sufficient opportunities to try and test my skills and abilities. I always believed I did exceedingly well within my local group of collegues and friends but when the time came to face the world I knew I was falling short of the desired benchmarks.
I realized effective communication is not just about speaking impeccable English or any other language. But it is about getting your views, opinions and thoughts across to a wide variety of audience, through vocal, behavioural and attitudinal abilities.
Imagine you are asked to present a high-stakes proposal to a large group of audience, in which one in every three is of a different nationality, speaks a different tongue and has his/her own thought process. You have fifteen minutes to present the proposal in a crystal clear manner to the entire group…clarifying their doubts…clearing their apprehensions…leaving them with a satisfactory smile on their face at the end of the presentation. Its hard … believe me… I had a first hand experience of this.
This myth that speaking english alone is sufficient was busted. I realized there is more to it. I have read loads of self-help books and was hooked to the internet. But all I found was heck loads of advice that was theoritical. Then I started speaking to people about their experiences .. what they liked in others … what they would like to work on to improve themselves etc. These people belong to various levels of authority and are significantly exposed to situations that demand high levels of effective communication.
So here I am with my thoughts, my work and my advice . Join me in this journey towards effective communication. Don’t hesitate to contribute and comment.
Good luck !
