Blog post 2: The trouble with conflicts

Interpersonal conflict occurs so often, that most of us have acquired a manner of resolving arguments. However, the trouble is that we often employ the same approach to resolving any conflict that arises, and this should not be the case as, more often than not, disagreements are different in nature and thus should be addressed independently.

An example of a conflict that I have once been involved in was during my early university days in 2008. One of my closest junior college friends had tickets for the annual National Day parade rehearsal and she had invited our common group of friends along. However, due to limited tickets available, I was not invited. As a result, I was upset when I found out about it, especially since I was closest to her in that group of friends and I voiced out my unhappiness with the situation and we got into an argument. Back then, I dealt with it in a somewhat childish manner as I just simply stopped talking to the group of them. However, I should have approached the conflict maturely and dealt with it appropriately. The main problem was that she had assumed I was too busy to attend the rehearsal and as such, when on to invite others. While that was the main problem, several other causes made the situation worse such as our distanced friendship as I was the only one posted to NUS with everyone else having gone to NIE. Was the assumption made by my friend the main problem?

Blog post 1

Importance of effective communication skills

Communication is often taken for granted by most of us who simply dismiss it as a tool that we use all the time. Without putting too much thought into it, we actively and passively employ communication skills in everyday life and many of us, unfortunately fail to maximize the advantages of communication. Effective communication allows us to present ourselves in different ways and yet, achieve the same aim; to understand one another effectively. One’s point can be effectively brought across without any misinterpretation or misunderstanding, with any communication channel employed, even e-mails. That is the brilliance and importance of effective communication skills. Being able to master the necessary communication skills, we will be able to translate our point across any channel.

This is especially crucial for dispensing bad news to others to ensure that they understand the point you are making without unnecessary comments on your part. Being able to communicate bad news effectively is a skill that many of us are still learning to grasp, as such conflicts often arise out of such situations.

Concomitantly, effective communication skills enable us to present ourselves appropriately to the people around us, be it our tutors, future employers or simply our friends and family. With the proper skills at hand, conflicts can be minimized, enabling us to extend our social and business networks.