Weekend Engagement - Be Yourself

How could you improve your person to person (in person) communication skills and do you think it's important that you do, if so why and if not why not?

Hmm, the first and most logical answer would be yes, and it's important to improve one's communication skills. BUT I would like to approach this prompt from another perspective, and sharing my own experience.

Part 1: Introvert

People who know me would know that I am very introverted and I am very comfortable in my bubble. I can be quiet at times because I don't really see the need to make small talk with people just to break the silence (for the sake of it) and if I talk to people, it's because I genuinely want to engage. To some people, they think I am unapproachable because I am always by myself. And people have labelled me as "anti-social" as well. And in a way, these are linked to my communication skills. Or my lack of communication skills?

Part 2: Break The Ice

Was I affected by the labels or the perception of me? Probably. But of course, I felt misunderstood. But the issue is, it's not that introverts don't talk and are permanently quiet. With the right company, we can be animated and be the most talkative in the group. And with the right subject, for example on topics that we are passionate about, we won't hesitate to share our views too. But all these only happens when the ice is broken, and we reached a level of familiarity with the other party. And that is why I think it might not necessarily be a lack of communication skills, and rather, just the personality of the person, which in this case, I am referring to myself.

Part 3: Be Myself

Did I consider changing myself to be more extroverted or "improving" my communication skills? Probably. But as I age and become more mature, I have gradually learnt to accept who I am as a person, to be comfortable with my personality, and recognise that each and every person is different and have different personalities and behaviours. And at the very moment, I think I understood what it meant to be myself. It's okay if people think I am too quiet or too anti-social, I can't change what people think about me. I am who I am, so if you ask me if I should "improve" my communication skills, I can't really give a clear answer because everyone has their styles. There is no model answer on what good communication skills are, and what works for others might or might not work for yourself too. That said, communicating effectively with people is something that is always work in progress, we subconsciously learn as we grow up and be influenced by our life experiences, but I wouldn't deliberately put attention to improving my own communication skills.

So that's my not-so-straightforward question. Probably a little different from the standard logical yes, but it's based on my life experience. What do you think? Let me know while I return to sip my matcha latte! ;)