Communication Course for Mindef
There are many reasons why misunderstandings happen. The chief of them is because there is a miscommunication or breakdown in communication.
Communication is a dynamic process, usually involving two or more people. If it’s me, myself and I, then it’s not communication at all. We call that a soliloquy or monologue. Through this process of communicating with others, we convey a thought or feeling to someone else. How it is received depends on a set of events, stimuli and even past experience of the person. As listeners, we may choose to filter and interpret only parts of the message.
There is a proverb which I particularly like “Don’t curse the darkness, instead light a candle.” Many a times when someone misinterprets our message, we start to blame others and assign fault to them. Have you ever paused to ask yourself if it should have been your responsibility instead? Have you the sender been sending the right message across? And have you the sender asked for feedback from the listener so that a common reality could be established?
Welcome to this month’s edition of the communication course for Mindef. We are at a new venue this time (yes, we are trying out the Concorde Hotel) having class for the participants. Sharing easy banter with them during the entire day, we have perhaps established the most crucial key ingredient in building future relationships – rapport. Without rapport, communication cannot flow. And without flow, there can be no exchange of further information, goodwill and future relationships.
Building rapport is easy. Let me share 5 simple tips on how you can build rapport so as to communicate with impact with anyone, any place and anytime.
You Need Self-Confidence
Nothing is worse than doubting yourself. Start building up your self-confidence first as this intrinsic motivating factor is the key to your future success in life. When you confident, you tend to be able to overcome challenges better.
You Must Understand People
Different people have different needs. As the saying goes “different strokes for different folks”, we need to understand what makes one tick. Different people have different communication styles. Adjust your communication style to suit the other person so there is better rapport.
You Must Be Enthusiastic
Just like how we tend to last longer when we play our favourite sports or games, so too must we be enthusiastic when we communicate. Don’t communicate for the sake of doing so as you won’t last. And the tell-tale signs are enough to turn others off as well.
You Must Make Eye Contact
When you make eye contact with others, you are sending a signal that you are interested in them and what they are saying. It is also a sign of basic respect. The eyes are the windows to your soul. When you connect with the eyes, you are establishing a deep connection with others…one so deep that it touches the soul.
You Must Be Interested In Them
Couples get together because there is some unexplainable chemistry between them. Similarly, people communicate because of common ground, interests or directions. Be genuinely interested. Or at least sound interested.