Form and Function of Communication

Through the last 13 weeks, communication issues have been discussed in abundance, ranging from the 7Cs to research writing, and rounded up with interview and presentation skills. While each of these topics could have entire blog entries written about that topic, I would instead like to share about a key takeaway of mine from the ES2007S class – the balancing of form and function.

Throughout the course, this has manifested in various forms. Firstly, in terms of interview skills, while one might have a vast arsenal of knowledge and experiences (function), the inability to sell these skill sets effectively (form) would cause the interviewee to not be able to achieve the ultimate goal of landing the job.

Next, in terms of interpersonal communication, it is a balance between what is said (both verbal and nonverbal) and the intentions or thoughts behind it. While one might have intended to express certain thoughts or feelings, the differing social and cultural backgrounds between the parties involved might result in miscommunication and misunderstanding taking place. Finding the ideal point of balance, in this case, is an art form in its own right.

Finally, language and effective communication in itself is a balancing act of form and function. Taking report writing as an example, while one might want to express as many ideas as possible within a report, focusing solely on the content might cause him/her to forget about the importance of the form – the grammar, the formatting of the paper, and the overall impression that the report gives to the reader.

Just like a consumer product being sold, I find that every form of communication that we engage in needs to be presented as a whole product with a balance between the form and the function involved. Only then can we say that we communicate professionally and effectively, and become effective in whatever we set our sights on.

Cultural Norms vs Effective Communication

While preparing to lead the class on the topic of interview skills, it was a pleasant coincidence that I met up with two girls who had just graduated from a top junior college in Singapore and were shortlisted for scholarship interviews in the coming week. With the materials ready for the ES2007S class, I decided that I would offer my services in an attempt to prepare them for their interviews. During this process though, I realised that the girls were faced with several cultural dilemmas that seem to conflict with recommendations made about effective communication during interviews.

Firstly, when dealt with the questions regarding themselves, the girls seemed uncomfortable with explicitly stating their strengths (e.g. analytical, self-motivated). They preferred to talk about their experiences, and hoped that the interviewer could extract implicit personality traits of theirs from the stories being related. Similarly, they too were reluctant to talk about their weaknesses, and attempted to find a “correct” weakness for which the interviewers could not fault them for having.

In addition, when suggestions were made about possible methods to tackle various questions, the mini-workshop that was set-up as a dialog very quickly changed into a lecture, with notes being written down at a rapid pace. Despite repeated attempts at making an impression that interviews are about allowing the parties involved to find out more about each other, the girls seemed more interested in providing “correct answers” to the question.

While these responses might be specific to the two girls involved, these incidental discoveries made me ponder deeper about how one might, in this globalised world, balance one’s cultural norms and the need for effective communication. For example, should one adopt explicit methods to promote oneself just in fear of losing out in an interview to an effervescent speaker? Similarly, should one conform to social norms and provide “standard” answers or attempt at providing unique insights in an attempt to shine among the crowd? Finally, if this is truly a balancing act, what are some of the parameters that one can use to assist in the determination of the “sweet spot” between preserving cultural norms and subscribing to rules of effective communication?

I look forward to responses and thoughts on this issue.

Biodata

Hong Ting is the co-Founder of 2359 Media and a final year Quantitative Finance undergraduate at the National University of Singapore. He has notable experiences in product management, marketing and event management, including being part of an enterprise software company in the Silicon Valley and propelling a Singaporean leadership consultancy to become one of the market leaders in the industry.

An active citizen in entrepreneurship communities, Hong Ting is a founding member of the InCub3, is an active contributor to the NUS Overseas College Alumni Network, and was the President of the Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society (ASES) Singapore Chapter.

Hong Ting is a competitive individual who enjoys learning new skills, adapting to demanding situations, and takes pride in working on challenging projects and assignments. He is also an outgoing individual, with good interpersonal and communication skills.

Currently, other than being a spokesperson on the opportunities that lie in the mobile advertising industry as part of 2359 Media, Hong Ting also actively consults organizations on leveraging technology to increase their efficiency and to better support existing customers while reaching out to new ones.

To finish or not to finish?

“The English believe it is a slur on the hosts if one don’t clear his/her plate.”
“The Chinese believe that their generosity is questioned if, as a host, their guests clears their plate.”

I vaguely remember this situation that I saw of a dinner meeting between a British businessman and a group of Chinese businessmen having dinner in a Cantonese restaurant. Being generous hosts that the Chinese businessmen were, they ordered the most expensive delicacy that was served in that restaurant - smoked eel. While the Englishman did not find the delicacy appealing, he felt obliged to finish his plate of food and went on to clear every last bit of the food served. Not wanting to seem stingy, the Chinese businessmen then ordered another serving of the same for the Englishman, who was petrified by the thought of having to finish another plate of the smoked eel.

In this intercultural situation, we can see how the 2 different cultures might clash when their beliefs are put together. As stated at the beginning of this blog post, the differences in the norms that the English and the Chinese subscribe to are the reasons for the above awkward scenario, with the Englishman forcing himself to clear a plate of what did not appeal to him, and the Chinese businessmen ordering another plate because they’re culturally obliged to do so.

With the world becoming increasingly globalized, it might very well be in our best interests to understand others’ cultures before engaging in any intercultural situation so that awkward situations like the one mentioned above can be avoided.