Everyone communicates all the time - even babies communicate with their parents, one way or another. That being said, communication takes many forms: verbal, written, gestures, facial expressions, and so on. While communication seems natural, not everyone can communicate effectively, and much misconception has arisen as a result.
I recall an argument I once had with my girlfriend over the phone, which lasted for hours through the night, only to be finally resolved when we realised it was all a misunderstanding. During the argument, we did everything but active listening (i.e. paying attention, showing that you’re listening, providing feedback, deferring judgement and responding appropriately) [1]. We conjured mental-counter-arguments, interrupted each other, and tried to put each other down, which fuelled the process. On hindsight, if we had practiced active listening, we could have spared much time and pain. This was just one of many incidences when my personal life could have benefited from having better communication skills such as active listening.
Effective communication skills are also important for my aspired career as a doctor. In addition to being sensitive to patients (a terminally ill patient can be very emotional), it is crucial for a doctor to communicate clear and precise information. Failure to do so could potentially put a life in danger, such as when incorrect drug dosage instructions are conveyed. This has in fact happened in 2006, resulting in the death of an innocent four-month-old baby.
A doctor also has to be an active listener, paying attention and picking up bodily cues as patients describe their areas of discomfort. Asking appropriate funnel and probing questions [2], to find out more details, about the patient’s condition can also enhance medical examination.
All in all, in both my personal life and career, mastering effective communication skills is indeed vital for me.
Image:
Horton, Karl. "Feedback." Jan 1986. Online image. Flickr. 21 Jan 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlhorton/1903050006/>
References:
1. "Active Listening: Hear what people are really saying." Mind Tools. Web. 21 Jan 2012. <http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm>
2. "Questioning Techniques: Asking questions effectively." Mind Tools. Web. 21 Jan 2012. <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_88.htm>
