In this fast pace world, it is common for us to shorten our sentences with acronyms and short forms. The following is an example of how short form can lead to communication breakdown:
A simple short cut of spelling "didn't" led to a series of misunderstandings. Short forms are supposed to make it easier and faster for us to convey messages, yet in this case, it caused misunderstanding and made it more troublesome because someone else has to explain it clearly. This is a not a big problem because it is just casual chatting on Facebook. However, if the setting and context is set in an office or work email, it may cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. Thus, nowadays I avoid using short forms as much as I can to prevent miscommunication.
I believe no matter what kind of jobs you take next time, you have to communicate with people, be it your subordinates, peers or superiors. Therefore, we have to know how to communicate appropriately with the different groups of people using different tone, different channels, etc. Because without good communication skills, I doubt one can climb the social ladder. A degree (i.e. IQ) can only get you the job, but it's the people and communication skills (i.e. EQ) which gets you promoted. :)
I am also a strong believer of having a high EQ is important. thus communication is a very strong and powerful tool to have. without proper interactions with people no one will bother or even have the time for you to have a "ineffective" communication. without interactions comes no contacts. and I'm sure you believe that 'no man is an island'. thus proper communications is very important.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the advent of modern technologies allows us to communicate more conveniently but the idea of being able to understand one another still remains as a problem. I feel that a lot of people still cannot grasp the difference between written and spoken messages.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting post indeed!You've basically expressed that we need to change our style of communication based on context and appropriateness.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that people today have little or no time at all to communicate; a result of globalisation today. However, I think that it shouldn’t be an excuse to use short forms and acronyms. Information can still be communicated using shorter and more “to-the-point” messages. This is where effective communication comes in, because it tests one’s ability to convey a message in as little words and as short a time as possible. Short forms and acronyms can be misunderstood, and misunderstandings can lead to bigger communication problems as i mentioned in my blog post.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your statement “A degree (i.e. IQ) can only get you the job, but it's the people and communication skills (i.e. EQ) which gets you promoted”; I fully agree. In fact, I’ll go a little further and say that the people and communication skills can even ensure you land the job in the first place!
Good use of example and points by the way :)