#2 – Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

You are an undergraduate in NUS taking the module ES2007S this semester. In order to complete a class project, you are grouped up with Aaron and Celine, two other students from your class. You got to know them only through this module.

During the first meeting for the project, you realized that Aaron likes to speak with his face close to you and put his arms around your shoulders occasionally. You retreat slightly. You feel uncomfortable since you barely know him, but bore with it and spoke of nothing as you fear that it would embarrass the both of you. Moreover, you sense that he is merely being friendly without any ill intention. In subsequent meetings, he does the same thing to you, but you noticed that he does not behave the same way towards Celine. On one occasion, Celine comes up to you and ask if you and Aaron are dating. You denied but Celine does not seem to believe you. It bothers you a lot and you feel really irritated.

One day, being unable to put up with Aaron’s actions any longer, you shout at him in the presence of Celine, pushing him away at the same time. Aaron and Celine, and even yourself, are shocked at your violent reaction and an awkward silence follows. After this incident, Aaron seems embarrassed whenever he sees you as he does not dare to look at you directly and always try to keep a distance from you.

What is the problem and what should you do?

P.S. For the guys who are responding to this, the roles of Aaron and Celine can be switched such that Celine becomes the one whose behaviour disturbs you.

#1 – The Importance of Effective Communication Skills

Communication is the only way humans interact with each other. By communicating, people are able to exchange their thoughts and achieve an understanding. However, there may be times when the thoughts are not being conveyed or received completely, leading to misunderstandings which can impede work progress and ruin relationships. It is thus crucial that we communicate in an effective manner so that all messages can be fully comprehended.

A key aspect of effective communication is the choice of channel used to transmit the message. I recall many occasions when ideas were misinterpreted when I communicate over MSN. Although it is fast and convenient, it limits the ability to express ourselves by the lack of emotions in the messages. Words of benign nature could be seen as offensive to the other party and create displeasure. I once suffered badly when misunderstandings and unhappiness arose between my project mates and it was difficult to get things done in this situation.

Although I would most probably become a researcher in the future and the job does not require me to be proficient in communicating, it is still important that I receive the correct orders from supervisors and get along well with colleagues in order to complete tasks efficiently – all through effective communication. Since I am in Year Four and will be embarking on my career soon, there is an urgent need for me to brush up on my effective communication skills so that I can achieve a better performance at work.