Good
communications is not common sense. Through this very module, I’ve learnt that
having effective communication skills require practice (a lot of practice),
patience, confidence and an appropriate dose of self-righteousness.
What I
really appreciate about this module was that the preparations for peer teaching
and the group proposal serve as excellent platforms for us to constantly apply
what we’d learnt. Every discussion or meeting was an opportunity for us to
practice good communications.
The idea of
working with complete strangers was definitely intimidating. While the good
thing was that we could assess each other’s opinions without biasness or prior
judgment, I guess we all had to be more patient so as to break the barrier and
get used to our individual working styles. Each presentation has a different
challenge but one thing consistent was that, good communications form the basis
of good group dynamics.
While
people tend to forget that listening is also another important aspect of
effective communications, I felt that listening to my group members’ thoughts
and opinions was the reason why we managed to complete the given tasks within a
short period of time. This is especially true for my group project. We had to
come up with plausible solutions on the issue of low fertility in Singapore and
thus, there was a need for us to listen to each other’s view carefully so as to
ensure that we are not heading towards too many different directions.
Through
the active process of listening and speaking, my group members (both groups) became
more supportive of each other and I felt more confident of myself. These good
group dynamics would not have been possible without effective communication.
I have
always been a firm believer that what you say and how you speak reflect on who
you are as a person. However, as I watch my classmates gave their
presentations, I realized that it works both ways. Our personalities and the
experiences we accumulated do affect how we communicate as well.
Like many
of my classmates, I signed up for this module alone. I was apprehensive at
first, especially when the assessment for this module is project-based. But,
clearly, my fear was unfounded. I’ve made new friends who gave me new
perspectives. I am glad that I took this module and I really appreciate the
constructive comments that my classmates gave on my performances.
As the
saying goes, “Nothing is ever forgotten even if you don’t remember them,” what I’ve
learnt through this module will remind me, consciously or subconsciously, the
importance of effective communication.
Much thanks and lots of LOVE!
