Effective communication is a
neglected life skill that most young adults ignore. I do believe that it not
only carries a certain importance in our future career arena, but also in our
daily activities. Some its benefits that are slightly more pertinent to myself
would be that its globally effective, builds strong relationships in our
personal life and maintains a concrete professional network.
Last summer, I did an
internship at UC Berkeley, in its Biomolecular Nanotechnology Research Centre
(BNC). During my stay at the lab, I got to meet a wide range of professionals
and undergraduates like myself. I soon realized the importance of first
meet-ups and presenting yourself as an individual. At first I was caught off
guard, and did not know how to introduce myself. However, as I worked there, I
learnt to present myself confidently and at the same time lay down a good
network.
One excellent method that I
used remind myself to communicate effectively is to understand that
face-to-face communication involves two people (not one!) influencing each
other in real time and simultaneously. This may seem strange, as we usually
perceive it as a listener and receiver. It is not solely on the words said, but
also non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is an on going process
and usually becomes a source of output for the listener. For example, when I
address my name, it is sometimes difficult for them to pronounce because it is
a Chinese name, I would notice they would frown while trying to repeat myself.
I would then break the awkwardness by smiling and then repeating myself. Simple
gestures like this do go a long way in making an impression.
Hi Yibei!
ReplyDeleteJust curious, how did you present yourself as an individual to the people at BNC when you were caught off guard? How did you manage to improve on it?
I guess the secret is to understand and expect that people from a different culture may have trouble pronouncing your name or understanding some aspect of your culture simply because they are from a different culture.So when you smile as you correct them, you put them at ease and diffuse the tension. It's also a good way to make friends:))
ReplyDelete@May Ee: At first I was surprised by their friendliness towards me, which I soon realised that it was their culture to be approachable during first meet-ups! I just introduced myself, like the basics (name, school, country), but slowly improved to presenting myself not only as a student but an individual. This means your personality, character and maybe sometimes your hobbies. In addition, it is also polite if you asked them back about themselves, this provides a good platform to kick start a quality conversation!
ReplyDelete@Radhika: Yes indeed, I have made a lot of friends just with pronouncing my name itself! (: In fact there are many possibly 'bad' situations where we can turn it around and use it to break the ice!