PEN IS MIGHTER THAN SWORD

The Sword There is one thing that is not taught in any school of journalism and yet, is a subject of vital concern. And that is a certain sensitivity towards the feelings of those who are written about. A reporting career comes with the ability to make or break that of others. Unlike sundry other jobs which revolve around machines or files or travel, journalists are constantly dealing with people and issues (which too touch lives). We hear, we take notes, we click pictures. But do we listen? The power to think, the power to speak, and the power to write have emerged as the 3 electrifying mantras for the managers of the new millennium. So gripped are they by the need to verbalize their ideas, experiences, and understanding that they do not mind spending extra hours and money in different communication workshops, classes and seminars. They are absolutely riveted by the sheer power of words. It’s as though their survival, in a fiercely competitive world, has come to depend on their virtuosity in handling their communication ability through the correct use of verbal skills. Cervantes may have penned his pithy saying in a different set of conditions during the late 16th century Spain. But the veracity of his powerful sentence seems to have acquired a dimension of real importance today. Oral and written expression, two skills that a modern manager needs to possess, so as to be fully effective, can be improved by proper training. And for this, the new entrants to SIMSREE must begin to revise their skills from day one. They should be prepared to unlearn, learn and relearn in classroom and get tested for their knowledge and skills. Communicating in an organization is not an easy task to accomplish. Several factors influence it. The manner of delivering one’s ideas is the communicator’s forte.