Communication: Encoder & Decoder
This week I learnt a new word called “Pedagogy”. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is defined as “the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.” However, learning this new word is not the learning outcome that I wish to focus on, it is while I was in the process, I experienced and gained a better understanding of effective communication.
This week, after some preliminary rounds of research and understanding more about the market, my partner and I met up to discuss on what should our “next steps” be, what should we do first and so on. As mentioned briefly in my previous Medium post, one core aspect of our idea was to train aspiring entrepreneurs-to-be into capable entrepreneurs with the required skillsets to take on the world.
As we attempted to share our points with each other, we didn’t seem to align. The discussion went on for an extended period of time. Skipping to the end, we did come to an alignment.
Looking back at the discussion that we had, could we have come to an alignment in a shorter period of time? What was the issue that we had? I thought it came down to effective communication.
In any point in time in a conversation, discussion or sharing, there is an encoder and a decoder. The encoder is the party who is doing the talking and is trying to share his/her idea, information or knowledge. The decoder is the party who is doing the listening and trying to understand the encoder.
In my opinion, I think it is the responsibility of both the encoder and decoder to facilitate an effective communication. While it is the responsibility of the decoder to apply active listening, it is also the responsibility of the encoder to apply empathy to understand where are the gaps the decoder have in understanding what himself/herself is trying to say and attempt to fill those gaps.
Everyone is unique and each of our brains may operate differently from one another. There needs to be teamwork between the encoder and decoder. The learning lesson for me is to play my role effectively, be it an encoder or decoder, while I am in a conversation or discussion with someone or a group.
Knowledge, like water, is vital to life. In this work, a continuous stream of water connects the two figures. The water is symbolic of the passing of knowledge from generation to generation.
Today, while taking a morning walk at Botanic Gardens, I came across this sculpture. I thought:
What if the man is not bothered as to where the boy is while he is pouring the water? What if the boy is not bothered to collect the water while the man is pouring the water? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the water gets passed on, is it only one party or both?
