There's still hope!

I have always found that effective communication is something that is very difficult to do. First of all, it not only takes two people to listen to each other, but also for both parties to choose the right words and to say it at the appropriate time.

My mother used to tell me that if you didn’t say something loud enough, it was as good as not saying at all. This to me, is very true. How are you suppose to know what time to meet your friend if he said so in his softest, most inaudible voice.

However, over the weekend, I learnt something else different. There is a great need for one to speak clearly and pronounce his words properly. My elder brother was sharing the other day, of how he had visited Macdonalds. The old lady at the counter had first welcomed him with a bright smile and had taken down his order. Before cashing in the final order, she asked “Your cock want upsize?” My elder brother was shocked for words. Thinking that he could have heard wrongly he had asked her to repeat herself. Again, she went “Your cock want upsize”. After some quick thinking, he realized that she was really asking was “Your coke want upsize?”

It sure takes more time to process what someone is trying to say when the person did not make himself clear isn’t it? For the example above, my brother was really tickled at what the old lady had said even though  she had not intended for it to be so, nor was she aware of what she was saying. After sharing this with my family members, a few of them also pointed out that they had been in similar occasions. Of course, some of them did mention that they could hardly keep their laughter within them when they were caught in that situation. This meant that the old lady, or any other person in her place, was usually embarrassed after the outburst, or for the lucky ones; did not even realize what was wrong.

This really got me thinking over the next few days because I know that I’ve been Ms. Old lady before. I recently completed by 4 year stance of braces wearing, and am currently on retainers. My dentist has instructed me to wear it daily and this does not come without the difficulty of pronouncing words right. When I first started, it took a lot of getting used to and I always fumbled over my letters. But, I always made it a point to repeat myself if I knew that I was unclear. I guess such a practice is a first step to discovering and helping your weak points. Because I was constantly aware of my diction, I became even more conscious, and this I believe, has helped me improved and gotten used to speaking with my retainers on.

As mentioned in my opening line, effective communication is not easy to do. Every day is a chance to practice and perfect this art of communication. It might not be innate for all of us to be able to speak well or fluently or clearly. But it gives me great comfort, that such a skill can be cultivated.