ES2007S Professional Communication

My Final Reflections

2009-04-16T04:00:00.004+08:00

Truth to be told, I think that there is a part of me that is still in denial that this semester is nearing its end. It seems that the weeks in this semester literally just flew by and now, there are only 2 more days before I reach the end of my third year. Nonetheless, this has been a very enjoyable semester for me and I have to admit that one of the major reasons is due to this quirky little module called Professional Communications. For me, some of the main highlights of this semester came from our weekly four hours tutorial/lecture where all the "serious fun" took place. I especially enjoyed the many mind-stimulating discussions in class and who could ever forget the mock interviews? Haha. Thanks to all the people who was interviewed by Yuka, Evelia and me (you know who you are) for taking my jabs stoically even though I was quite a b*tch during your interviews. :) That aside, I also enjoyed all of our weekly blogging where I got the chance to write my own thoughts and read the blogs of others.

I wrote in my second post about the importance of oral and written communication to me. Throughout the subsequent 12 weeks however, this module made me realize that there is so much more to the term "communication" than just oral and written communication. One such example is the very interesting non-verbal communication where a simple action such as a thumbs-up can have several meanings in different countries. It was certainly a wake-up call to how limited my knowledge was regarding "effective communication" prior to this module.

There is so much more to "communication" than just being a noun

Looking back at all my previous posts, I have definitely matured as a person and I think that this is evident in my writing and more importantly, my thinking. My first post was actually my own personal post and it was about me taking the first step in the journey to be a successful and professional communicator. Have I reached the end of the journey? The answer is an emphatic "no" as I realize that I still have much work to do before being able to reach my goal. Nevertheless, I do believe that I am making good progress in this journey of mine with the knowledge and experience gained from this course.

I still remember that at the start of the semester when I decided to take this module, a few of friends were quite surprised and tried talking me out of it as they think that this would be a boring and very taxing module. They were also quite worried about the workload and tried to get me to change my mind. However, I really am glad that in the end, I went on with my initial decision to take ES2007S. I would not have the chance to learn so much and meet a great group of people if I had not taken this module.

It has really been a pleasure to be part of your class, Brad. And I am glad that I had the chance to share this class with a group of highly fun and amazing individuals too. Great job guys and gals of group 9! It has been an honor getting to know all of you. :) All the best in whatever you do in the future and see you around NUS.

ws

____________________________________________________________________

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

ws's oral presentation

2009-04-14T15:54:00.005+08:00

First of all, let me just say thanks to Sau Yeen and Cher for giving their all during the presentation. I know I am somewhat of a perfectionist and can be quite demanding sometimes and thus, I really am grateful to you girls for bearing with me during the past few weeks or so. Overall, I think we did a pretty decent job even though there were some very minor bumps during our presentation and I am rather satisfied with our effort. However, I still think that we could do better and we should have engaged the audience more so that they would not feel bored or "switch off" during our presentation (gosh, I really am such a perfectionist!).

On my part, I think I did okay but I guess the main issue with my presentation was my talking speed. I tend to speak quite fast and some people might get lost in the flood of words during my presentation. I tried to slow things down but once my mind starts rolling, my mouth starts to speed up to catch up with the words in my mind too. So I think that this is one main issue that I need to rectify in any following presentations. Besides that, somehow I have this feeling that I can be a little too aggressive or pushy when presenting especially during the Q & A session. I guess that I need to tone it down a little next time. I certainly had a great time presenting though and I sincerely hope that all of you gained something from our presentation as we did.

My Biodata

2009-03-22T22:46:00.024+08:00

My name is Chew Wee Siong and I enjoy taking on challenges in this journey called life. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, the desire to excel in everything I do is the main driving force in this journey of mine where mediocrity is just not good enough for me.

I am currently a third year undergraduate in NUS and am proceeding to do my honors this coming semester. In NUS, my major of study is Life Science and I am concentrating in the field of Biomedical Science. Being part of the Life Science program has allowed me to gain valuable research techniques and hands-on experience in the laboratory. Besides that, laboratory work has also instilled a never-say-die attitude within me as it is important that I continue to persevere even when I do not get the expected experiment results.

In NUS, I do not restrict myself by taking science related modules only. As such, I challenged myself to learn a different language outside of my comfort zone and so I took up Vietnamese during my second year of study. Realizing that taking a language module for just one semester would not be good enough, I pushed myself to continue learning Vietnamese and I am now currently taking Vietnamese level 5 this semester. I also took the opportunity to go on an immersion program in Vietnam where I studied Vietnamese intensively at the Vietnamese National University in Ho Chi Minh for about a month. The period in Vietnam was truly an eye-opening experience for me as it not only let me have the chance to improve my Vietnamese but also allowed me to gain valuable insights on how to deal with intercultural differences.

Besides studying, I also took part in several co-curricular activities in the university to improve my soft skills which cannot be learned just by reading lecture notes or books. By participating in co-curricular activities, I would be able to expand my social network and also challenge myself to take on tasks and responsibilities as a leader or just a member of a club or society. Thus, I took up the secretary post of Science Computer-Based Learning Center where I gained valuable experience on how to successfully organize events such as meetings. As the secretary, I also had to liaise with the Science Dean's office over club matters and deal with important club documents. The experience gained from this secretary post enabled me to improve my communication skills which would essential in my working future.

Having a stint as a relief teacher also allowed me to gain the know-how to communicate effectively to a group of people. The experience obtained as a relief teacher has allowed me to control my temperament better in front of people so that I am more confident and would not be easily flustered when talking or presenting in public. Relief teaching has also improved my ability to work under pressure especially the pressure from my superiors.

To me, self belief is of utmost importance when doing anything. The battle is already half won by believing that I have the ability to do something right. It is my creed that "I can, therefore I will". By trusting myself and my capabilities, I believe that I can take on just about anything that comes my way.

Self belief is the key

Movie Review: Departures (おくりびと ,Okuribito)

2009-03-21T22:07:00.004+08:00

I just caught this movie with a few friends at Vivo City and decided to write a short review about this movie that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars (certainly well deserved!).

The Japanese-language film poster

Departures or Okuribito in Japanese is a Japanese film (obviously) and the story is about a cellist in Tokyo who returns to his old hometown in Sagata, Yamagata after his orchestra is disbanded. He then ends up in a job that deals with encoffinment of the deceased (don't worry. It is not as scary or disgusting as you think). This story then shows how he deals with his job and other people's perception of his job. I think this is quite a good and touching movie (can see people sniffling away into their tissue papers) that deals with death and its associated taboo in Japan. I don't want to give too much details away so go watch this movie if you have some time to spare. You wouldn't regret it! :)

P.S. I just love the main soundtrack of this movie. Here is the soundtrack played by a pianist and a cellist. Gosh, I wish I could play the cello! :)

the fine art of advertising - commercials

2009-03-14T21:47:00.017+08:00

Let me start this week's blog with a YouTube video:

Did you enjoyed the video? :) Well, it never fails to humor me personally and it is actually one of my favorite foreign commercials. In this week's post, I decided to write on this intriguing form of communication which is present almost everywhere in our daily lives.

From surfing the internet to watching television, we are constantly bombarded by commercials and product advertising by many different companies. Unable to reach out to each of us personally, these companies resort to commercials in order to persuade us to purchase or consume their products. It really is amazing how effective and creative some commercials can be in promoting a certain product to us consumers. Here is an example of a creative Thai commercial:

Besides that, it is intriguing that there can be several different versions of commercials for the same product in different countries. The product is the same but the way it is advertised is totally different. Take for example this Bridgestone tire commercial:

I am sure that this commercial which contains certain scenes involving the dogs would not be allowed in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. This brings us back to the issue of intercultural differences where a commercial can be accepted in certain countries but not in others. These are just my two cents worth regarding this topic and I can't wait to hear what you all have to say. :) Signing off with another great and funny commercial:

Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

2009-02-28T11:53:00.030+08:00

Having been studying in Singapore for more than three years already, I must say that there are still times where I am amazed or surprised by the similarities and differences between the culture here and the culture of my home nation, Malaysia. The two cultures can be so similar and yet can also be so different at certain times.

Borrowing a common Tinglish/Thainglish phrase: Same same but different?

It was actually during my first week here in NUS that I managed to get a first hand experience of the unique differences between the culture here and Malaysia through a series of intriguing events. I still remember that fateful night when my new Singaporean friend, James, suggested that we go for supper at a nearby famous coffee shop. Being more curious about the coffee shop than hungry, I agreed to his suggestion. The place was quite crowded when we reached there but we luckily managed to get a table beside a couple of Malay aunties who were enjoying their supper. James then went to the toilet leaving me alone at the table. While waiting for James to return, I caught some parts of the conversation between the two Malay aunties sitting beside us. I was surprised when I found out that they were conversing in English instead of Malay. This was because it is almost impossible to hear Malay aunties using English to talk to one another in Malaysia. The Malaysian Malays would normally converse in Malay and yet, there I was listening to the two aunties gossiping merrily in perfect English. I then realized that this trait is truly unique of Singapore where English is the main language used by people across the races unlike in Malaysia where people of the same race prefer to speak to each other in their native mother tongue.

Gossiping or 'Networking" aunties :)

My 'eavesdropping' was interrupted when the person in charge of taking the customers' order approached my table. As James was still in the toilet, I did not know what to order so I just asked for the first thing that came to my mind. The following was more or less the conversation that occurred between me and the person taking my order:

Person taking order: So what would you like to eat?
Me: Er... Can I have a plain roti canai?
Person taking order: Roti canai? What is that? We don't have it here.
Me: But the two Malay aunties beside me are eating roti canai. What do you mean you don't have it here?
Person taking order: Oh. That is not roti canai, that is called roti prata. So you want one plain roti prata?
Me: Er... Yeah.
Person taking order: Ok. Wait 15 minutes.

It was then that I found out that
roti canai (in Malaysia) = roti prata (in Singapore)

After the person taking my order left, I was left to contemplate the events that just happened at the coffee shop. The coffee shop was just like any other coffee shop in Malaysia and yet the events mentioned above would not take place in a typical Malaysian coffee shop. Isn't it amazing that two countries with such a close history can have their own unique culture such as Manglish (Malaysian English) in Malaysia and the usage of colloquial terms such as "mugging" or "stoning" in Singapore? Another example is the fact that even though the roti canai/prata has different names in Malaysia and Singapore, both names are actually referring to the same food. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia may share certain similar cultural traits and yet in the end, each country's culture is distinctive on its own.

In conclusion, we are bound to experience intercultural differences in our lives one way or another. These differences can exist in many forms such as language and even the name of a food. As such, we always need to be sensitive towards the distinctive culture of each different country or place. Thus, only by understanding and being aware of the diverse cultures that we meet could the conflicts caused by intercultural differences be avoided.

Business Correspondence Critique

2009-02-14T23:16:00.026+08:00

I am currently involved in a club in Science Faculty and I actually received the following email earlier this semester. The secretary of the club sent this email and it was regarding the booth duty timeslots of an event being held by the club.

______________________________________________________

Subject: Duty Replacement

Below are timeslots that need replacements permanently. Email me which slots you want to take on (will add on to what you currently have):

Mon
i) 9-10am
ii) 10-11am

Wed
i) 3-4pm
ii) 4-5pm

Fri
i) 9-10am
ii) 10-11am

These changes will take place from effect next week. Please open all of your eyes wide and see the timings properly. Don't take already and I arrange everything already then come and say u cannot blah blah blah.

XXX
______________________________________________________

The main purpose of the email above was to find replacements for the stated booth duty timeslots. However, this email was written rather badly and was found to be lacking several characteristics of effective writing.

First of all, the subject heading of this email should have been more specific. Instead of just writing "Duty Replacement", the writer should have included more information such as the name of the club and the event being held. A more suitable subject heading would be "Recruiting Booth Duty Replacements for Event A by Club B". Thus readers would be able to know the purpose of this email just by reading the subject heading.

Another problem was the lack of salutation at the beginning of this email. This being an email to all club members, a proper salutation such as "Dear all" should have been used. The absence of a salutation in any business correspondence is disrespectful and some readers might be offended.

Besides that, there were problems regarding the courtesy and correctness of the first paragraph in the above email. The two sentences in the paragraph were too blunt and should have been rephrased better using words such as "please". There were several issues with the correctness of the language used in this paragraph too. This was evident in the bracketed sentence at the end of the paragraph. Readers might not understand what the writer meant in the email by the sentence, "will add on to what you currently have". It was not stated clearly what would be added on and it was not mentioned what the writer was referring to as "what you currently have". This email also lacked completeness and did not supply enough information regarding what and where was the duty that needed replacements. It failed to mention anything about the club and event that required replacements for the booth duty. A better way of writing this paragraph would be as follow:
"This is the secretary of Club B, XXX (the secretary's name). As we all know, our club is currently organizing Event A and we have our own booth during this event. However, due to some personnel problems, we need replacements for the booth duty at LT25 during the timeslots stated below. Please take a look and email me the timeslots that you are willing to take over. If you take any of these slots, they will be added on to your current timeslots. The timeslots that need replacements are:"

The last paragraph in the email also lacked courtesy and correctness. The tone used was really inappropriate and crude. It could be seen that the writer was clearly agitated when writing this email. The second sentence was quite sarcastic while the last sentence was plain rude and grammatically incorrect. A more appropriate alternative to this paragraph would be as follow:
"Please take note that the changes in timeslots will take place starting from next week. I really appreciate it if all of you can choose the timeslots that are suitable and convenient for you so that you can make it for the booth duty on time. Thank you for your attention regarding this matter and looking forward to your reply."

The writer also failed to include a complimentary close to this email. A suitable close such as "Regards" should be present at the end of the email. As this is an official club email, the writer should have included his or her position in the club after signing off. The writer should have stated his or her position as secretary of the club.

In conclusion, this was a rather rude and badly written email. Being the secretary, the writer should have been more professional when writing this kind of email to members of the club. Any business correspondence should be revised, edited and proofread before sending it to the recipients. The tone of the correspondence should always be appropriate and a business correspondence must never be written when someone is angry or agitated.

Never send an email when you are as angry as the orang-utan above :)

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be...

2009-02-02T12:18:00.003+08:00

I was surfing the Internet randomly and just happened to stumble upon this classic on Youtube.
Here is a very meaningful song by the Beatles where sometimes it is just better to let it be...

Enjoy :)

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

2009-01-31T14:25:00.030+08:00

Have any of you ever been in a scenario where you find that it is harder to work with a close friend when compared to a total stranger? Sometimes, instead of helping to get the job done, friendship gets in the way especially when problems start to occur during work.

This is actually a real but slightly exaggerated interpersonal conflict situation involving friendship and work that happened last semester in NUS.

Friends? Maybe not...

There was this core module which all of us had to get into groups and research a topic together. We were supposed to hand in a group report at the end of the day after our research is done. Alex (a close friend since secondary school), Sharon (a new friend acquainted in NUS) and I decided to form a group of three where I was then appointed the leader of the group. This was the first time that the three of us were working on a project together.

Our plan of getting the job done was simple. We would meet up and look for information (scientific papers and journals) together before separating the information into three parts. Each of us would be in charge of reading and extracting useful information from his or her share of work. We would then meet up and assimilate all our parts before editing the project as a whole. That was the plan but somehow one thing or another (such as tests and other projects) came up that demanded our immediate attention. It was the final week before the project deadline when we finally managed to gather enough information. We then separated the information and decided to meet up to collate the latest by Friday as the project was due on Sunday evening. This would give us some time to iron out any kinks in our project before handing it in. However, when we met on Friday, Sharon and I had already finished our parts but Alex had not even started to extract information from his share of journals. The reason he gave was that he had been very busy preparing for a test a few days ago and thus did not have time to do anything. As there were still some issues with Sharon's and my part of the project, we decided to collate and edit on the next day (Saturday) instead. This would give Alex some time to finish his work too. However, when we met on Saturday, Alex came late (due to his Taekwondo lessons) and started to apologize for not completing his part yet. Sharon became quite annoyed but I managed to smooth things over by offering to stay overnight at Alex's place in NUS to do the final editing of our project after Alex had finished his part. Thus, Sharon could go home to rest while Alex and I would finish the project in his room together. We were all quite stressed out as it was already quite late into the night.

Working under extreme stress

In Alex's room, he did his part while I started collating the rest of the information. Alex managed to finish his work by midnight and he sent it to me so that I could do the final editing. He then started to watch several Korean dramas online while I try to put all our work together. Unfortunately, I found out that Alex's part was useless and the information he extracted did not match the topic we were researching on. I then became quite frustrated and mentioned the problem to him. His response was that if his part was useless, we should leave it out and just use Sharon's and my part for the project. He then continued to watch his drama without offering to help out in any other way whilst I was trying to piece everything together. I finally blew my top and confronted him for not fulfilling his responsibilities properly. I also resented the fact that he was happily watching his Korean dramas and did not help out while I was struggling with the final editing. It was my opinion that he should have helped me without me asking him because of the close friendship between us. He then shouted back at me that it was not his fault that his part of the journals did not relate much with our topic. He also claimed that if I had asked him to help, he would have gladly helped to collate instead of watching his Korean dramas. The argument quickly progressed downhill between us but thankfully it did not come down to blows. I then packed my things and left without a word to another of my friend's place to complete our work. At my friend's place, I managed to finish the project without Alex's part in it. I complained to Sharon about the whole incident and our relationship with Alex deteriorated soon after.

An avoidable confrontation?

Do you think that this conflict could have been avoided if I had not confronted Alex? What should I do instead of confronting him in the first place and what could I do now to patch up things between us?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts regarding this issue. :)

The Need for Effective Communication Skills

2009-01-25T17:43:00.000+08:00

You know those blogs where the writer starts off by quoting a famous saying from people or philosophers of the past? Well, here is a tongue-in-cheek saying that even Confucius would agree (I think!) by none other than yours truly.

'No sane person can truly live alone'
- Wee Siong :)

Why would I make such an audacious statement? Well, as we all know, humans are essentially social beings. In all of us, there is this basic need to interact with our fellow inhabitants on this little planet called Earth. We have this urge to relate, connect and communicate with each other in our daily lives. Some people may argue that us humans can stay alone and still survive without any problems but I seriously doubt that anyone can live all alone without even a pet for companionship and still keep their sanity with them. Thus, relating to my bold saying above, interaction and communication definitely play an essential and important role in our lives.

The aftermath of being alone?

Anyone can communicate easily but not everyone can communicate efficiently. To master effective communication skills however, is not as easy as reciting the alphabet as some people might think. Communication itself can exist in several different forms ranging from written communication to job search and oral communication just to name a few. Like everyone else, developing effective communication skills is also imperative to me.

Let me get the ball rolling by asking a question: What are the two most common forms of written communication now used by billions of people worldwide? Well, if your answer was e-mail (electronic mail) and short message service (sms) text messaging, give yourself a pat on the back. Nonetheless, even though the usage of e-mail has dominated the scene since the advent of the World Wide Web, letters or snail mail still have a very important role in many aspects of our lives such as during business correspondences. By developing effective written communication skills, I would hopefully be able to further hone my writing abilities and be able to write efficiently whenever it is needed. From composing an e-mail to discuss about a project with my superiors to writing a cover letter when applying for a job, all this could be done superbly by mastering the art or science of effective written communication skills. Why, these skills might even aid me in writing this blog of mine and protecting my jugular veins from those blood-thirsty comments on my posts in the future. :)

By Kit Eaton
A typical blood-thirsty comment? :)

If I were to prioritize the few different forms of communications mentioned above, oral communication will definitely be placed on top of my list. This is due to the fact that I had several harrowing experiences involving very inept oral communication skills (on my part) in the past before. There was this one time when I was delivering a graded PowerPoint presentation to a few of my teachers and my fellow students, I actually forgot one of my teacher's name and ended up addressing him wrongly in front of the whole class. Once I realized my mistake, I started to panic and things deteriorated rather badly soon after. Needless to say, I did not do very well for that particular presentation. I definitely do not want the same thing to happen again in the future and thus the need for improving my oral communication skills. The importance of good oral communication skills must not belittled as oral presentations are now a norm in many workplaces and schools. I might need to present the company's projected growth to the shareholders or deliver a presentation about my thesis in the future. By developing good communication skills, I would then be able to convey my points across confidently in any oral presentations and also react appropriately even when under extreme pressure or distress. This will definitely be of much use to me in my future career.

Truth to be told, I can be awfully sarcastic and snippy at times especially when I am annoyed or just plain frustrated when things are not really going my way. Let's just say that snide remarks are my forte when something is really bugging me. People might say that the pen is mightier than the sword but even the 'mighty' pen would cower under my relentless tongue-lashing when I really get worked up. This unfortunately makes me the least popular guy in the room when my sharp tongue starts stabbing people in their many sensitive places (metaphorically speaking of course!). By developing effective communication skills, I would be able to communicate better with other people and be more tactful when speaking. I also hope to gain the ability to put the lid on my temper and not let my sometimes big mouth get me into any conflicts with my fellow human beings. Besides that, I aim to learn the knack of knowing when to say what and how to say it effectively.

By Luke Chueh
My tongue getting me in trouble

All in all, only by developing these effective communication skills would I be a more proficient communicator and have a more fulfilling relationship with my fellow members of society. Mastering effective communication skills is no walk in the park but I believe that should I endeavor to do my best, I would be able to step up to the plate and deliver when needed the most in due time. Then, scenarios like the one below would hopefully not happen to me in the not so distant future.

_____________________________________________________________________

Well, these are just my two cents worth on the importance of developing effective communication skills. I would like to sign off by wishing a very Happy New Year of the Ox! Enjoy the holidays! :)

By lisa.lam

The First Step

2009-01-20T22:10:00.000+08:00

By Tine Verheyden

A wise man once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." That wise man is none other than the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu himself. This post is in a way the first step of many to come (I hope!) in the journey to learn and master the many effective skills needed to fully communicate with our fellow human beings. Thus, this is to a great semester ahead and all the best to one and all!