Final Reflection on Learning

I believe that there is inherent good in others. However, working with people can make this hard to see, especially when disagreements arise. Over the course of this module, it has been a challenge to uphold my belief when required to cooperate with different individuals, all carrying different working styles and viewpoints. I began my first blog-post stating that communication was the solution to many disagreements, and through ES2007S, this stand has developed.

Although we classify communication into professional and personal, its purpose is still unchanged – to build bridges between people. By seeing professional communications as a means to utilise people and achieve optimal functionality, we begin to view people as mere numbers. This is where viewing people’s inherent good is most essential, yet it may be the last thing one considers when the pressure of tasks and deadlines build up. When teammates disagreed with my opinion, it was instinctive to reason that they were against me. Only when benefit of doubt was considered, and effort was taken to clarify, did many of the potential disagreements fade. Hence, it was a humbling process to relearn this counter-intuitive fundamental principle.

Presentation skills were another aspect that ES2007S equipped me thoroughly with. Presentation is ordinary conversations with people, in a formal setting. This concept enabled me to reshape the methods used when presenting. I am naturally comfortable conversing with people in non-formal settings, but self-inflicted pressure has always hindered me during presentations. Viewing presentations as conversations has enabled me to enjoy the process, allowing me to better relate with the audience. To me, presentation needs to be personal. Audiences can differentiate speakers who are convicted, from speakers who go through the motion. There is no perfect method used to deliver. What matters greater would be the message that is spoken. Ultimately, the goal of presentation is to persuade. How then, can the audience be persuaded if the speaker is not convinced himself?

The module may be coming to a close, yet I believe that learning the art of communication is a never-ending journey. Cliché as it might sound; this lesson is one that I feel is of utmost importance. The very moment one believes he has attained perfect communication skills, is when he shuts himself off from the rest of the world. People are a community; and so, i believe that to be people, is to learn how to communicate.

*To Shu Wen, Ankita, Yee Sheng, Isabelle, JJ, Jerry, Yu Mengm Ren Fei, Nigel, Tony, Charlotte, and Mdm Radhika, Thank you for making this module a most memorable one! =)