6/18/2014

The Art of Good Communication


Taking a leaf from Apple, Hsien Loong wrote in his Facebook exhorting his super talented colleagues to use simpler words when talking down to the people or the message may not get through. It is as simple as that. For Hsien Loong to say this, it must be something that his talented colleagues have been doing and resulting in miscommunication or poor communication of govt policies. They would not have so much problems with the CPF if they have said things in simple and clear words.
 

The honour of saying or speaking simply to the people must go to Lim Swee Say. He has coined many fabulous words and phrases that are uniquely Singaporean and very easy to undertand. The more frequent he uses his catchphrases the betterer he communicates.
 

In my view, communication is a very simple process involving two parties. One speaking and one listening. The one speaking must speak the language the listener can understand. But more crucial is the listener. Does he want to understand? Many failures in communication were not that the speakers spoke in bombastic languages or using high falutin words that no one understood. The words could be simple and easy to understand. The problem is that the listener refuses to listen, intentionally.
 

A good example is the phrase, ‘Return My CPF’ or ‘Return My CPF at 55’. Not simple enough? Any school children would also be able to understand. But the message is not getting across simply because the listeners refused to listen.
 

Has anyone heard of the philosophy of the deaf frog? It is not that the frog is deaf. The frog chooses to be deaf. In such a situation, no matter how simple one speaks, how simple the words are, nothing goes in, nothing heard, and no understanding.
 

How to communicate when the listener is not listening?

Kopi Level - Green

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better, betterer, betterest. Simple enough?

Anonymous said...

Haha, I like this one. It makes my day.

agongkia said...

IMHO,Come to talking,Lim Sia Suay appear to be betterer or bestest than many.
However daft are daft,many just do not get the message even one speak to him in his dialect.
My neighbour towkay, besides me just receive a call again from his same usual worker,almost every day and keep repeating on why is her salary being deducted.
Erm See Wa Ai Kai,Cheng Hoo ay Kui Thia,Ai kow Kong Chek Kim....
Teochew dun understand Teochew,use simple English oso no use.
Simple Teochew you understand:-)

Virgo49 said...

Better,betterer, betterest!

Butter, butter, butter- BUTTER YOUR BACKSIDES???

NO???

TCH- What do you think??

Indranee- State your stand- give us the alternatives!

(Soory, we already run out of alternatives- now need your alternatives!- Please lah, don't like that, can or not??

The said...

Simple words for simpletons -cheaperer, betterer and fasterer.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@RB:

>> In my view, communication is a very simple process involving two parties.

Unfortunately "your view" is too simplistic. "Simple process"? Please don't embarrass yourself further and go learn some fucking science.

>> But the message is not getting across simply because the listeners refused to listen.

Can you blame them? Who the fuck wants to be constantly bombarded with the same BUTT STUPID questions over and over again?

"The effectiveness of your communication is in the response you receive" i.e. if you are a lousy communicator, you're going to get a lousy response.

>> How to communicate when the listener is not listening?

Simple. Hire someone like me and pay us exorbitant fees, plus lucrative "performance bonus" upon measurable success of the objective.

Freedom of speech also means freedom to listen or to tune out. So, don't blame the listener -- it it not their fault they don't want to listen to the shit coming from your brain via your mouth.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Well, at least I get my message thru to this dumbass Matilah. And he is enjoying every morsel of it. No?

I need more kopi to stay awake after all the footballs.

Anonymous said...

Helping Singaporeans improve our communications with PAP Ministers.
---------------------------------
Which of the following statements is most easily understood by PAP Ministers?

1. Give me back all my CPF money
2. Give me back all my CPF money when I turn 55.
3. Give me back all my CPF money or I vote you out.

Anonymous said...

are pap mps given special treatment by the state controlled media? tampines grc baey which has half a page to himself in the mypaper chinese section today, he alternates with other mps like dennis phua from the same party to appear in that page.

Put in simple language - 不公平的 not fair

Anonymous said...

Simply put SPH should not be chaired by a former pap minister. We have every reason to look at the state controlled media with a jaundiced eye

Anonymous said...

How can there be an effective 2-way communication if the media of communication is tightly controlled by the government with the print media so skewed towards the PAP ???

Anonymous said...

Like dogs, even the MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh has taken up his cue: “What’s clear to me is people need better communication. There needs to be better explanation on how things work."

It is not a problem of communication. We understand all right, but refuse to accept, for example the Population White Paper. They obviously didn't get the message from the Hong Lim rally. Or they didn't want to listen, or pretend to be deaf. So it's not a communication problem also.

What the PM is telling his people is to spin everything to convince us to accept, like the NatCon. This is their Grand Delusion, always put the blame on communication when people are unhappy with their policies. So failure to sell their snake oil is a failure of communication? Can you trust this bunch of hypocrites?

oldhorse42 said...

Yesterday I received a letter signed by perm sec(Finance)(performance). The letter thanked me for being part of singapore pioneer generation.
It is written in plain simple english that I can understand.
There is even a footnote which said that " we hope that this letter has been written in a way that is clear to you. f not please let us have suggerstions on how to improve this letter.. "
What PM Lee said was not new. Years ago, his father who was the PM then also asked Public Officers to write simple English and use plain words.
We attended courses and read book by Ernest Gowers.Letters to public were checked and critiqued.
The fact that young Lee has to do what senior Lee has done before showed that nothing has changed.
After a while things go back to old way..

Anonymous said...

RB: How to communicate when the listener is not listening?

The PM has found a solution to this lah. Go down to the ground, mix with the heartlanders. For example, spend 30 minutes to queue for chicken wings at Redhill Hawker Centre, show that you are one of us, then people will listen.

Anonymous said...

The Eidelman Trust Barometer says we trust our G. When we do not like the bad policies rammed down our throats, they have to use simpler sound bytes to drivel in through our ears, the shorter pathways to the brains.

Saycheese

Anonymous said...

RB, this article made my day. Matilar please go write your book especially book 1

b said...

The only way to communicate to them is to vote the pigs out. Pigs only cry when they are on the slaughter board.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

If the article made your day, just buy me more kopi will do : )

Anonymous said...

The Prime Minister communicates well with Queens English, Masterful Malay and Excellent Chinese.
Only his actions suck, his deeds hardly matched his words.

A master with words but hollow with promises. However he did apologizes and admits lack of vision.

patriot

theonion said...

RB

Ho seh!

Just thru one word, you change the entire meaning.

The article was on communicating not on talking down to people as per your post.

your screeds are now much better.