Blog 7: Final Reflection

Effective communication not only involves the speaker but also the listener. I recalled that in my first post, I mentioned that listening was equally important as speaking in a conversation. My belief has not changed throughout this course, but only intensified. It was fun during the lesson when we had to form a group, which consisted of a speaker, listener and observer. I was the observer then and had the chance to observe and pick out the non-verbal cues from the speaker and listener’s conscious or sub-conscious actions. It was an interesting lesson for me, because I am usually the listener and observer in a conversation. The signs that I observe in people’s actions intrigue me; the actions reveal something about them, even though no words are spoken.

I used to think that communication only involves the verbal and the non-verbal. Strangely enough, it never crossed my mind to consider all the essays, letters, and e-mails that I have written in the past as a form of communication. Thus, I was a little surprised when this course not only taught verbal and non-verbal skills such as oral presentation, but also how to write effectively using the 7Cs, how to write resumes and application letter, and how to do a full, formal report. The most memorable experience in this course would be completing the group research project with my team members. I have learnt how to be a team player and build interpersonal communication by executing assertiveness, empathy, versatility and affirmation. It was extremely difficult (and agonizing) to practise active listening and contribute to the project discussion after a long day in school. It was really embarrassing during one of my group’s online discussion when I fell asleep halfway. I dozed off while waiting for my members’ reply, only to find myself awake one hour later. Fortunately, my team members were very understanding and did not blame me. It still amazes me today that we were able to accomplish this mission within such a short stipulated period, and still managing our other modules.

The science of effective communication is difficult to comprehend. We need the right formula and the right conditions to achieve success. This course has reinforced the importance of effective communication. We have been taught the theories; we will need to apply the theories to reality and experiment, in order to investigate the true effectiveness of communication.

Blog 6B: Photos!

Just to share some photos!

Blog 6A: Biodata

The most distinctive feature in me would be my height, followed by my smile! I am a cheerful person who likes to bring smiles and happiness to my loved ones.

I have an inquisitive mind with the urge to know and learn about everything (“Jack of all trades, master of none”). My interest for Science developed back in primary school, when I insisted on conducting an outdoor Science experiment, which my teacher wanted to cancel due to the rain.

I like photography and traveling which complement each other for me to know about other cultures and to capture places that one cannot find in the cosmopolitan and fast-paced Singapore.

Blog 5: Reflecting on the Research Project Experience

As the deadline for the submission of our group research report draws near, it is time to reflect on our experience in our project. I have had an enjoyable working relationship with my group members, and I have benefited much from the guidance to writing a formal report in this course.
For the past three years in NUS, I have taken modules that required group projects, and laboratory reports which we had to hand in at least one per week with each report usually being more than ten pages long. However, never have I really looked into the requirements of a research report. Looking back, I have to admit that the project reports I have done were superficial and perhaps sloppy. Nevertheless, I am glad that this course has taught me the steps to complete a formal report, which will be a valuable skill for my final year project. Within a couple of weeks, we started from scratch, from exhausting our brains just to decide on a research topic, to completing a report of 20 pages!

Due to time constraints, each component of the research report had to be completed within a very short stipulated period. Furthermore, our timetable allowed little opportunities to meet up and do the project together. Thus, we usually discuss our ideas in class, divide the tasks into three portions and allocate to each member. Each member would then send his or her completed task to one of the members for compilation. The member in-charged of compilation would then send the compiled report to the rest to revise the report. Despite our hectic schedule, my group always managed to finish our allocated tasks on time, which we marveled at our efficiency.

Being so, communication between members is very important. The portion done by each member had to flow and not overlap in order to facilitate the compilation. Even though group members did each portion of the tasks individually, we were open-minded and were willing to accept comments and changes to our allocated part by others. This made our work progress enjoyable, efficient, and also made us effective team players. My group members are understanding and were willing to accept tasks with heavier workload to help another member if he or she was really too busy.

I hope to extend the assertiveness, empathy, versatility and affirmation attributes in my team to my next team project. Nonetheless, I hope that we would be able to have lots of opportunities to practise as a group for our oral presentation. Practice makes perfect!


I came across this cartoon from www.cartoonstock.com and found it interesting. It might sound mushy, but team spirit is formed when the hearts are connected - the wilingness to put aside all differences to work towards a common goal. What can you infer from the picture?

Blog 4B: Just to share another intercultural experience!

I had a tuition student who is a Sikh. Initially, I did not know much about Sikhism, other than it is one of the several religions in India, which practices cultural pluralism. The day my friend introduced this tuition to me was an exciting day for me, because I have not had much proximate contact with people of other ethnic groups and I was not sure if they had any taboo that I had to look out for when I enter their house.

I had a Tamil classmate and a Sikh teacher in primary school but I cannot recall much about my primary school by now. My secondary school was a SAP school, which only offered Chinese as our Mother Tongue (the only non-Chinese in my school was my Malay classmate who spoke Mandarin and my English Literature teacher whom I did not dare to approach unless necessary). Junior College was slightly better – I had an Indian friend in my CCA but we did not really have much to talk about. This background gave me little chance to interact with people of other ethnic groups.

My first visit to my tutee’s house was greeted by a peculiar scent, which I quickly got used to. However, I still have not mustered enough courage to find out the origin of the scent, in case I asked my question in a rude manner. My tutee’s family did prayers in the evening, or listened to their mantra on the television and she was really nice to ask me if that was all right with me. It showed her sensitivity and respect for my religion despite her young age. Sikhs do not fast, do not have restrictions on their food, but some are vegetarians or do not eat beef. I had an opportunity to see what their maid cooked for dinner and got to see homemade chapati and curry by her maid. Yummy (no tasting though)!

Sikhs are one of the ethnic groups in India, with Hindus making up majority of the Indians. Many people often confuse them with Tamils or Indians. Sikhism is their religion, as compared to Hinduism, which more people are familiar with. Their language is called Punjabi, which has similar words as Hindi, but totally different writing. Sikh men carry the word “Singh” (which means lion) in their names, while Sikh women carry “Kaur” (which means lioness or princess) in their names. Sikhism believes that all persons are equal, especially equality of the sexes. Sikhs can be differentiated from other ethnic groups by the iron (or steel) bangle they wear on their wrist, which they got from the temple. However, such bangles can be bought easily and worn by many people as fashion accessories.

After spending so many lessons with my tutee, I have learnt a lot about Sikhs, and it developed my curiosity in knowing more about other religions and cultures. (I just want to clarify that we chatted about all these during the breaks I gave, not during lessons.)

Each step we take in our lives adds on interesting events to our memories and experiences that enriches our lives.


The following is a video on Sikhism. It introduces the five items that are essential to baptised Sikhs. For more information, check out the website http://www.projectnaad.com/wp-content/uploads/leaflets/five_ks.pdf

Enjoy!

Blog 4A: Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

The Latin etymology of “culture”, cultura, means “cultivation” or grown under human hands. Culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns such as the norms, values, knowledge, language, and symbols that are communicated among people who shared a way of life. It is a living entity, which produces patterns to distinguish one society or group from another.

Compared to the “melting pot”, the United States of America, where different cultures are assimilated into a larger community, Singapore prefers to be a multicultural society, whereby people should preserve their own cultures with the different cultures interacting peacefully. In Singapore, the best way to observe an intercultural scenario would be to visit the ethnic quarters, such as Little India, Kampong Glam, Chinatown, etc.

Little India is the focal point of the Indian community in Singapore along Serangoon Road (or the Little India MRT station along the Northeast Line). I went there once recently and the moment I stepped out of the MRT station, I was greeted (or assaulted) by the scent of the spices. It took me a while to get used to the “aroma”; thereafter the smell boosted my appetite actually. The smell of the spices might be unpleasant, or even overwhelming, for people who go there for the first time. However, spices are essential in Indian cuisines partly due to the hot and humid tropical weather in India. The spices accentuate flavors in the food and have medicinal values that boost our appetite. Many Chinese who adopted the use of spices in their food, as well as parents who want to grind rice to make congee for their babies, patronize the shops that provide grinding machines primarily meant for spices.

I have come across people who commented that Indians have a smell on them. Some feel that “you are what you eat”, so the smell comes from the heavy use of spices in their food. However, I have also learnt that the smell might be that of coconut oil, since Indian ladies use coconut oil as a natural conditioner for their long hair as a traditional hair beauty treatment (I am not sure if Indian men condition their hair or not). After knowing this, I began to accept the smell since I understand the importance of beauty to females. If I knew any effective traditional beauty treatment from my culture, I might use it even if it smells as long as it is proven effective.

On Sundays, numerous migrant workers will gather in Little India to “hang out” and spend time with their friends, since the only people they have here are people from their hometown. Sunday evenings are especially crowded, often making it inconvenient for residents staying there. I have been warned to avoid the place during Sundays if I did not want to dampen my spirits for the trip. I went to Little India on a weekday, although not as crowded as on weekends, the sight was interesting enough. Many workers gathered in an area nicknamed “Little Bangladesh” where they leisurely sat down on the grass patches to chitchat and drink. I even saw one who just lied on an abandoned table and slept there. The scenario was an eye-opener for me because I have never seen Singaporeans “picnicking” just anywhere. The foreign workers seemed so comfortable while I felt like an “alien” there.

Occasionally, cases of drunken fights among the workers are reported in that area, thus security cameras were installed in certain alleys that were more secluded. It serves as deterrence and has been proven useful in crime prevention according to the residents. Furthermore, Little India is filled with men. I have not seen many females walking around in that area, other than my friends and myself. Females who pass by that area might feel threatened, as if they were going to be engulfed by such an astounding population of men (try walking there on Sunday evenings). The installation of security cameras and heavier patrolling by the police thus reassures the safety. However, I feel that installing security cameras would be invading the workers’ privacy and telling them that we do not trust them. We should understand that Indians belong to an ethnic group that loves to celebrate occasions and thus are used to having parties.

Often, we tend to judge other cultures according to standards of our own culture. This behavior is called ethnocentrism. An ethnocentric person assumes that his or her own culture is of a higher status or value and is intrinsically better than other cultures. It thus results in the difficulty of acceptance of and interaction with other cultures. In Singapore’s multicultural society, this is especially important. In dealing with intercultural scenarios, we need to practise sensitivity, self-consciousness, empathy and knowledge about the taboos of other cultures. We need to learn to practise cultural relativism, whereby one’s beliefs and activities should be understood in terms of his or her own culture. We would then be able to accept cultures different from our own better and the different cultures can live in harmony.

The following table was taken from the website, http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/cultural_intelligence.html, which discussed about cultural intelligence and I thought was interesting to share. Cultural intelligence (CQ) is a new domain of intelligence that relates to the workplace and it is one’s capability to grow personally through continuous learning and good understanding of diverse cultural heritage, wisdom and values, and to deal effectively with people from different cultural background and understanding. It is usually in the corporate world where we get to meet more people of different cultures. Take note! =)

Blog 3: Potential Research Project Topic

Description:
Students who have their lunch in Science canteen during lunch hours (around one to two p.m.) often face the problem of overcrowding and the lack of seats. Not only are there insufficient seats, overcrowding also results in long queues in certain stalls. Students or NUS staff members who have limited time for lunch often have to settle for stalls with shorter queues or even buy packed lunch.

I have observed that there are several groups of people who are non-NUS staff coming to Science canteen for their lunch. They are probably staff from NUH who have their own canteen too. They usually come in big groups (four and above) and tend to spend time chatting after finishing their lunch. The seats are thus occupied even after they have finished their lunch while students or NUS staff are scavenging for seats. Students should have the privilege of using canteen facilities since the food is cheaper than that outside of university canteens.

I believe that preventing non-NUS staff from using canteen facilities will solve the problem of overcrowding during lunch peak hours.

Problem Statement:
The objective of this study is to analyze if preventing non-NUS staff from using canteen facilities will solve the problem of overcrowding during lunch peak hours.

Reader (party who is in position to act on my proposal):
Office of Estate and Development, OED

Purpose Statement:
The objective of this report is to inform OED of the crowding of Science canteen by non-NUS staff during lunch peak hours and the inconvenience it has brought to NUS staff and students.
Another objective is to convince OED that preventing non-NUS staff from using canteen facilities will solve the problem of overcrowding during lunch peak hours.

An attitudinal survey will be done to investigate if students do identify the problem of overcrowding during lunch hours. The analysis will determine if non-NUS staff are exploiting canteen facilities and if there is a need to prevent non-NUS staff from using them. Solutions to the problem will also be collated from the survey.

One of the ways to solve the problem is to designate areas for NUS students and staff (there are designated areas for NUS staff already), which are accessible only to staff and students during the peak hours. Since a lot of work has to be done if the proposal is approved, the survey serves as a population analysis of the seriousness of the problem and the urgency to solve the problem.

Blog 2: Interpersonal conflict

A is a fourth year student doing her final year research project which lasts the entire year.
B is a Ph.D student who is also A’s mentor and guides A in her research and final report.
C is a lecturer who is both A and B’s supervisor for their final year project (FYP) and Ph.D studies respectively.

A is supposed to go directly to B when she has anything in doubt and goes to C only when B is not around.
Both B and C will be grading her performance in the laboratory and the grades make up forty percent of her final grade.

Main problem:
B uses hurtful and sarcastic words when guiding A in her experiments and A finds it stressful working with B.

B is temperamental who can be very nice yet turns nasty suddenly, thus A is very stressed since she has got to guess B’s mood when she approaches B.
B always uses hurtful and sarcastic phrases such as “you are very slow” (she nags with that phrase all day long) and “You dare to use this technique? Only experts like the lecturer can use it successfully. Even I dare not use it.”.
B complains that she is very busy, sends A for a break and then takes a break herself. B then tells C that, “A has lessons” or “A is having her lunch”, when C finds A missing.
A is worried that if C sees her around when she was supposed to be “having lessons”, C will think that she is lying and leaves a bad impression in C.
A finds it a toil working with B but does not dare to complain to C since both B and C will be grading her.

What would you do if you were A?

The figure on the right is taken from the blog of a mediator as a profession, ttp://newresolutionmediation.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html, abstracted from an article by Christopher W. Moore.

It summerises the different types of conflicts that we may face in our lives. Did you have any similar experiences?

Blog 1: Developing effective communication skills

The scientific name for human is Homo sapiens, or “wise man” in Latin (Latin homo, man; Latin sapiens, wise). Humans have a highly developed brain capable of reasoning, language, introspection, problem solving and emotion. Being social by nature, humans are able to make use of their mental capability to utilize systems of communication for self-expression and the exchange of ideas. Thus, being social animals, humans cannot escape communicating with others and it is extremely important to be able to communicate effectively. It definitely makes our life easier and more enjoyable.

In the workplace, effective communication allows me to express my ideas accurately and convincingly to my superior, but this has been a problem for me since young. I feel that face-to-face communication provides the most accurate feedback. However, speaking face-to-face to my superior makes me nervous which will tend to “impair” my ability to commute my ideas to him/her. This may interfere with the exchange of ideas between us, resulting in my superior’s doubt in my capabilities.

Recently, I was supposed to speak to my superior on a project. My mentor was not around to guide me and despite being new and lost, I tried my best in preparing the proposal to show my worth. However, due to a breakdown in communication, he did not understand my proposal and thought I was incompetent. My effort was downplayed and it affected my job morale and confidence. Being new, I was in no position to complain and could only swallow the grievances. It is thus crucial to know how to voice one’s discontent and yet protecting one’s interest (Perhaps in a politically correct manner?).

Being born in a conservative family, I have acquired the bad habit of keeping things to myself and not voicing my opinions. I am usually the listener and observer in life. In the workplace, emphasis has been placed on being a good speaker and much less on a good listener. However, I feel that being a good listener is equally essential. A nonverbal cue as insignificant as a nod given to a friend in times of need is an act of great encouragement. Through this course, I hope to learn to become a better listener and speaker. I hope to walk out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in communicating with others.

The following diagram sums up the concepts in communication skills:

Prologue

A module offered in NUS (National University of Singapore),
ES2007S Professional Communication: Principles & Practice...
The main aim of the course is to become an effective communicator in various social settings, but most especially, in the workplace.

This blog serves as a medium to share my ideas that developed in the course with my classmates, and of course to interact with them.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?