Professional Communication

Final Reflection

2008-11-12T23:40:00.011+08:00

Looking back on my first post, the desire to learn the science of communication in the hopes of equipping myself with beneficial skills had motivated me to bid for ES2007S. After 12 weeks of building and honing these skills, I am proud to say that I am now trained with basic competencies required in written and oral communication and job searches. This module has thus certainly served its purpose.

The time invested in the preparation of our survey report has provided me with the opportunity to exercise active listening, a particular skill that I have been lacking in. The awareness of the barriers to communication such as socio-cultural barriers which include gender differences and the approaches to active listening, which consists of paraphrasing the speaker’s thoughts, has indeed aided in minimizing and resolving differences faced during discussions. This creates an amiable environment for us to work in and it also allows the fostering of closer ties.

Another essential skill I have acquired through this module is the ability to construct an effective resume and job application letter. Through this exercise, I am aware of the inadequacy of my resume that was drafted for my previous attempt in applying for an internship. This might shed some light as to why I was rejected by the industrial companies then. I believe with an improved resume in hand, I will have an edge over other applicants who may not have the fortune of receiving such training.

An oral presentation which concluded ES2007S has taught me the importance of simple yet concise information content and the need to structure our presentation in a polite and persuasive fashion, without sounding demanding. These valued pointers will come in useful in the future, where my job task might include the occasional presentation of proposals to superiors.

Before I end my last blogpost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Goh for going the extra mile to vet the various assignments we were required to submit. Recognizing the agony of evaluating our assignments, I am positive other teams like ours are very grateful for her time and effort. I would also like to thank my teammates, Sze Min and Jia Wei, for their support and encouragement. Thanks also go out to the other ES2007Sians for livening up the lessons.This has, perhaps, been the most interactive and beneficial class I have been enrolled in. Despite the heavy workload that ES2007S entails, it has effectively imparted skills that are sure to remain relevant and useful throughout our lifetime.

It's all about me

2008-10-23T13:03:00.010+08:00

My name is Alicia Yap and I am currently a third year student in NUS, majoring in Lifescience. Being an extrovert who enjoys mingling with others, engaging in research work, which my current degree would eventually lead me to, was certainly not the ideal job I thought I would seek. As a science student throughout all my years of formal education, I feared to venture out of my comfort zone and chose a science degree instead. However, through my stint in NUS, it seemed to be a blessing in disguise as I have found a burning passion in microbiology. The many hands-on practical sessions which explore the wonders and damages microorganisms are capable of never fails to intrigue me. I hope to carry this passion over to my Honours Project and eventually secure a job related to this exciting field of study.

My Reflections

2008-10-16T13:43:00.008+08:00

As a science student, laboratory reports is the most frequent form of writing I am exposed to. However, a survey report is different from a laboratory as it demands much more. Besides the need to collect and analyse data, a survey report also requires the drafting of a survey and liaison with relevant parties. Since our survey report required us to seek the opinions of both the students and industrial companies, two different set of questionnaires were disseminated. Despite the heavy workload, we managed to pull through as a team and learned many valuable lessons from the experience.

Through the weeks of consolidating the report, I have learnt the importance of communication. It enables the clear expression of intentions and at the same time, facilitates the interpretation of varying expectations for the report. Moreover, communicating clearly could prevent any last minute changes and ensure that deadlines are met. In the event of any miscommunication, conflicts which are detrimental to the working environment could result.

Besides having clear communication, the building of interpersonal relationships among teammates could also prevent miscommunication. Frequent meetings online and beyond the classroom have allowed us to foster ties and understand each other’s different working styles. As friends we tend to open up to one another. This helped us iron out differing viewpoints and prevented differences from snowballing into disputes. In addition, the jokes shared and friendly bantering made the working environment less stressful and the process of report writing more enjoyable.

The next team project, the oral presentation, involves a different set of rules. There is a need to engage and impress the audience while being mindful of our non-verbal communication cues such as body language and tone. As a person with a rather frank disposition, it is essential for me to be especially cautious in choosing my words and to be more aware of the audience’s reaction by observing their body language during the presentation. Furthermore, while preparing for the oral presentation, it is important that our group continued to practise active listening to ensure continued effective communication among teammates.

Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

2008-09-20T21:56:00.001+08:00

While waiting for a bus which seemed to take eternity to arrive, I was drawn to a loud conversation among three middle-aged women. Not long after the conversation began, a woman in her early fifties came along. Judging from the woman’s accent, it was likely that she was a China national. While the four women were conversing in Mandarin, the China national enquired about the route to a particular furniture store. The three middle-aged women began speaking in Cantonese, each trying to convince the other the fastest route to the furniture store. In the midst of their conversation, the China national’s facial expression changed, and she seemed disturbed and frustrated.

From this short encounter, I have learnt the significance of language. As much as I understand the comforts of speaking in a language with which they are most familiar, it was uncalled for to do so in front of someone who did not understand it. Although this gesture seemed unintentional, the group of women who spoke in Cantonese could have been more sensitive and opted to converse in a common language, that being Mandarin. Hence negative thoughts of them badmouthing her could have been avoided. The frustration shown on her face clearly indicated that she was bothered by her inability to comprehend what was being discussed.

Language is a tool used to express thoughts and ideas and it can either make or break a relationship. The three women’s common fluency in Cantonese served as an aid in building rapport in their friendship. Conversely, language differences, as in the case of the China national and the three Cantonese-speaking women, could result in friction between people and thus have a distancing effect.

To reduce misunderstandings, one possible approach could be interpreting nonverbal communication cues accurately and appropriately. If the “Cantonese-speaking-Clan” senses discomfort from the China national while they were conversing, timely “rescue plans” such as trying to engage her in the conversation and apologizing for getting carried away in their conversation could be carried out. On the other hand, to communicate effectively, the China national could practice active listening. Strategies such as focusing on goals and purpose, and doing support listening via paraphrasing the speaker’s thoughts could be adopted.

P.S. I do not usually eavesdrop on other people’s conversations but they were simply too loud to be ignored.

A STATE OF MIND

2008-09-20T21:05:00.004+08:00

Hi my fellow blogging kakis,

With many CAs just around the corner, I hope this poem which sees me through tough times is able to inspire you like it did for me. :)

A STATE OF MIND

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't;

If you'd like to win but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;

For out in the world you'll find

Success begins with a person's will;

It's all in the state of mind.

Life's battles don't always seem to go

To the strongest or fastest man,

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the one who thinks he can.

Proposal

2008-09-14T19:23:00.017+08:00

Proposed Title

The implementation of Vacation Internship Programme (VIP) and Industrial Attachment (IA) into the Life Sciences Curriculum.

Research Questions

We would like to know:

Whether there are difficulties in securing an internship?
What are the difficulties Life Sciences students are facing?
What Life Sciences students think of the advantages and disadvantages of IA and VIP?
Whether Life Sciences students are interested in doing a VIP/IA?
Whether a collaboration with Life Sciences related companies is possible?

Hypothesis

Life Sciences students are having difficulties sourcing for industrial attachments and are interested in doing Vacation Internship Program (VIP) and Industrial Attachment (IA) if they are given the opportunity to do so.

Problem Statement

The objective of the study is to analyse if the implementation of VIP and IA would solve the difficulties faced by Life Sciences students in their search for an internship.

Audience

The target audiences of the research project are the NUS Science Dean and the Life Sciences Undergraduate planning committee.

Tentative Purpose Statement

The objective of this report is to

Inform the Science Dean and Life Sciences undergraduate curriculum planning committee of the difficulties that Life Sciences students are facing when sourcing for an internship.
Discuss the feasibility of a possible collaboration between the Life Sciences department and industrial companies for a VIP and IA.
Convince the Life Sciences undergraduate curriculum planning committee to provide modular credits for students who undertake VIP and IA.

Methodology
An either-or and scaling online questionnaire using Surveymonkey was used to seek students’ opinion regarding the VIP and IA programme. One hundred finalized forms were each distributed to 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th year Life Science students randomly during the recess week. We provided different links for year 2, 3 and 4 students so as to aid us in our tabulation process. Results automatically tabulated by Surveymonkey were used in our report analysis.

In addition, a different set of questionnaires were handed out to Life Sciences related companies to seek their opinions on the feasibility of a possible collaboration with NUS Life Science department.

All it takes is a bamboo

2008-09-06T10:07:00.004+08:00

This conflict is really fresh as it just happened this morning. I hope workable solutions do come by to solve this issue. :)

Having burnt the midnight oil last night, I have planned to sleep through the entire morning in the hope of replenishing my sleep. However, with windows closed and curtains drawn, I could vividly hear shouting between both parties. As much as I would like to ignore the dispute and carry on with my very much needed rest, the quarrel got even louder and more intimidating. Fearing that it might escalate into a fist-fight, I woke up and head down to find the source of the argument.

Surprisingly, by the time I got down, there was an awkward silence. I found out from my auntie that my grandmother who would occasionally visit us during the weekends has quarreled with my neighbour’s grandmother and the cause of this squabble; bamboo trees. Apparently the bamboo shoots from the neighbour’s has overgrown and “crossed the boundary”. This made my grandmother wield her garden tools and snip those overgrown shoots away. Upon seeing this, my neighbour’s grandmother got really furious and started shouting across the fence in Hokkien. The row probably ended because of my grandmother’s ignorance to my neighbour’s endless shouting.

Though the quarrel has ended, unfortunately, on an unhappy note, I could sense tension building both households. It is as if a Berlin Wall has been built between the fences. Is there anything I could do to ease the tension? What can be done to dissolve the “Berlin Wall”?

Potential Research Project Topics

2008-09-06T03:09:00.003+08:00

My research group has met up a few times to discuss possible research topics we could research on and we have unanimously decided to tackle a problem regarding the readiness of Singaporean graduates for the working world. The decades of education we subject ourselves to have an ultimate goal, and that is to prepare us for an unpredictable future.

Employers have voiced out that Singaporean graduates do have strong intellectual foundations but they seem to lack in interpersonal skills which are deemed as vital skills; yet, they are rarely given sufficient focus within the scope of school. It is also not uncommon for fresh graduates to face the possibility of unemployment. So now with a pertinent problem at hand, how do we better prepare ourselves to stay competent?

A viable and possible solution would be to introduce a module akin to ES2007S in which students could get educated on effective communication skills in the workplace. However, would the content taught be sufficient to equip graduates with relevant capabilities for the working world? In my opinion, besides focusing on aspects such as written and verbal skills, there is an issue of mental preparedness that has not yet been addressed.

I have a senior who has related to me an unpleasant incident with regards to her experience in the working world. As a fresh graduate two years ago, she had managed to secure a high-paying job at a research laboratory. However, within two months she left the position as the pressure was too immense for her to bear and she felt that she had been working alone with no one to turn to. The situation might have been different if, prior to graduation, she had mentally prepared herself and learnt to deal with her emotions. Perhaps an improved version of the ES2007S module could incorporate professional counselling sessions into the programme, and these might be able to aid us in understanding ourselves better. They might also be useful in imparting to us knowledge of how to cope when faced with challenging situations.

Have you ever come across emails regarding programmes offered by the NUS Career Centre? I, for one, admit that I usually only glance at the very top of the circulation before deleting it without taking time to read the information provided. What could be holding me back from exploring the emails and website?

The design of the email is usually the decisive factor that draws my attention and I am confident to say that it is only natural for people to be attracted to things that are pleasant to the eye. Hence, to grasp the attention of students, the layout of the disseminated email should be more eye-catching. In addition, a welcome tea session, preferably with light refreshments served, could be conducted prior to the actual workshops to further promote upcoming events.

A survey with a representative sample size would be able to shed some light on whether ES2007S does aid students in preparing them for the working world. If it does benefit students and is well received in other faculties, we could then suggest offering this module in other faculties such as FASS and Business. In addition, we might discover the underlying reasons as to why students are generally not as keen in the workshops provided by the Career Centre. It is also useful to note that as much as a survey is able to help predict possible trends and relationships, interpretation errors and the use of inaccurate data may threaten the validity and reliability of the study.

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

2008-08-31T11:45:00.009+08:00

Since no two people truly think and act alike, it is inevitable for misunderstandings and conflicts to occur. To complicate matters, expectations such as that of a customer for a salesman are silent benchmarks we subconsciously set and if these “standards” are not met, disappointments, resentment and arguments might set in.

Having a hundred dollars worth of vouchers to spend at X Café, I decided to organize a gathering with some of my friends but unfortunately, the day did not end on a happy note.

After hours of fun and laugher, we decided to foot the bill. Since it was the last day that the vouchers would be valid, it was only logical to make use of it all. However, we were told that we were only entitled to one single ten dollar voucher per table. I was taken aback by what I heard, as I had been previously reassured by the staff that multiple vouchers could be used.

I reasoned with the manager that we were misinformed and it was only fair that they answer for their mistake. However, the manager stood his ground and pointed to a clause which stated, “This voucher should not be used in conjunction with other promotions”. He also emphasized that if he were to make an exception for our situation, it would mean a hundred dollars less in terms of sales.

As much as I empathized with them, from a customer’s point of view, it is senseless to issue vouchers which cannot be used. Furthermore, the vouchers were only applicable to a particular outlet. The clause that was singled out could easily be left unnoticed at the first glance, as it was printed in small print. Sensing that this discussion was going nowhere, I compromised and proposed a possible solution. Since there were six of us, I suggested that the bill be split three-way but my proposal was immediately rejected.

After much bantering, the manager finally relented and separated the bill into two. In addition, the manager offered compensation measures by entitling us to buy two board games each at a ten-dollar discount. His actions certainly turned out to be measures which helped to retain and soothe over customers.

However, with excess vouchers expiring that very day, I decided to hand them over to the next table. To my dismay, I overheard that the vouchers I had given would be deemed invalid. The manager confronted us and we were chided by him as being unethical.

Although this matter fortunately did not escalate into a heated argument, it does reflect negatively on the manager. Despite compensation measures being taken, they were only done so much later. By then, negative impressions had already been formed. He could have provided alternative solutions instead of persistently declining my suggestions. However, on the other hand, there could be a possibility that I had misinterpreted the manager’s intentions and vice versa. Expectations that I had of a manager could also play a major role in the conflict.

If you were the manager, how would you stand firm on your ground while not appearing unreasonable? Similarly, as a customer, how would you prove your point without sounding demanding?

Effective Communication Skills

2008-08-22T19:51:00.025+08:00

Communication takes on many forms; be it verbal, nonverbal or written. Perhaps the earliest nonverbal form of communication could very well be us wriggling our tiny fingers while our mothers are undergoing an ultrasound scan. As we grow a little older, communication extends first to bawling over the slightest discomfort as babies, then to annoying our parents during those rebellious teenage years while trying to convince them that we are capable of being independent (but to no avail). True enough, communication with others enables us to convey our thoughts, ideas and feelings. However, how accurate these messages are expressed, and subsequently interpreted by others, is another problem.

A slight misinterpretation of words could amount to negative feelings such as hurt and anger which could sour relationships and cause unnecessary conflict. Spoken words and nonverbal cues such as body language are not unlike pouring water down a drain – we are not able to undo them once they are done. Hence, it is essential to equip ourselves with effective communication skills in order to be able to deal with issues sensitively and to provide us with direction in solving problems. As an old saying goes, “picture speaks a thousand words”, the comic attached below depicts the consequences of not clearly expressing ourselves and interpreting others.

(click here for a larger image version)*

After decades of studying, we then open another chapter of our lives – the workforce, a foreign and highly competitive environment where every individual is vying to get their share of the pie. As greenhorns in the working society, not only are we pressured to excel in the new environment; we could also get pulled into and get entangled in unnecessary office politics. Hopefully, effective communicative skills might be of great assistance in avoiding such situations.

Although difficult to master and requiring conscious effort, the ability to interpret words precisely, listen actively, write efficiently and portray the appropriate body and facial expressions will be an invaluable skill to keep afloat in this rat race.

*Adams, Scott. "What the consultant saw". Cartoon. From Scott Adams' photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sadams/134931180/ (accessed August 21, 2008).