Effective Communication and Me...

20th Jan 2009 was heralded with a celebratory mood as many citizens across the globe awaited with anticipation, the installation of Mr. Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America. Domestically, millions of Americans turned out at Capitol Hill to witness this occasion, despite having to brave the chilly temperatures of the wintry morning in Washington. The massive public support showered upon Mr. Obama makes one curious as to why so many are attracted to him. The reasons could be many, but one of them could have been the sense of connection, that was evoked amongst the people during the numerous public speeches made by him in his presidential campaign trail. In fact, the press had praised Mr. Obama’s eloquence and reasoned that it was this very ability of his, which enabled him to captivate and inspire audiences. The exemplary communication skills exhibited by Mr. Obama and how it was able to draw scores of people to his ideas, vividly illustrate the reason why developing effective communication skill is pertinent.



In my opinion, the success of Mr. Obama has portrayed the significant benefits that effective communication skills bring on an individual basis. When one is an effective communicator, he or she can efficiently present his or her ideas to others. This enables others to develop a vivid understanding of one’s ideas, a necessary step before others can feel that they are able to relate to you. When the latter is fulfilled, it facilitates the fostering of a sense of bonding between you and others, which is an essential ingredient in one’s personal development, socially and professionally.



Furthermore, given the increasingly cosmopolitan nature our societies are evolving into, it becomes inevitable that we will come across people of different cultures in our daily interactions. Hence, honing of effective communication skills becomes ever more important. When individuals make an effort to equip themselves with effective communication skills, they would be better informed of the verbal and non-verbal taboos of other cultures. With this understanding, it helps to break down barriers of communication between people of different cultures and promotes mutual understanding and cooperation. Moreover, armed with the knowledge of the cultural sensitivities of others, we can make better choices in conveying our intended messages so that ultimately, it would be undistorted and not misinterpreted as offensive and insensitive.



Thus, given the personal advantages that would ensue with effective communication skills, the significance of developing them cannot be overemphasized.