The Finale

Wow. The last post. A wonderful journey concluded. And even more memorable as this module is the final chapter of my NUS undergraduate study. I had spent an entire semester with a fantastic bunch of people. Classes were fun and interactive, which is what should be the case for all classes.

I am glad I took this course for various reasons. I came to realize that communication skills play an important role in every aspect of one's life. Throughout this course, I learnt the finer aspects of communication. Through its challenges, I learnt to come to terms with the communication skills I posses and build on those foundations to improve myself. Through the intensive coursework, I worked to improve on my communication skills which, otherwise, I would not have done, ever. Through its assignment, I wrote a resume and an application letter, which indeed proved useful for my job applications. This course has, time and time again, proven its usefulness to me and I must say that the benefits will certainly last a lifetime.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time during the course. All the enthusiasm shown by everyone certainly made the class lively. The laughter and storytelling will be missed. I met new people, made new friends, got closer to those I already know. I wish the good times will last but all things will come to an end.

Lastly, thanks everyone for making the class what it is. I wish you all the best in your future undertakings. Keep in touch!!!

P.S. A special mention of thanks to our dear Brad for all his effort, commitment, understanding and patience. The class wouldn’t be there without you (literary and figuratively).

The aftermath of my oral presentation

Generally I believed that the presentation went well. We had multiple rehearsals beforehand and these has helped me feel more confident in my presentation. I also went through the script for my speech many times which allowed me to present it more smoothly. Being very familiar with the contents I was able to prevent myself from looking at the screen or the projector slide excessively and allowed me to keep eye contact with the audience. I was able to click my slides through without checking if it is correct. About the slides, they were very simple and visually loaded. This I think helped in maintaining my audience's attention on me.

I felt that I was less fluent then during my various rehearsals. This could be attributed to me feeling nervous in front. I stuttered in some places of my speech, sometimes not getting the word which I want to say, throwing me off course. I did notice that I sometime tend to look upwards, above the heads of the audience. However, overall, I believe that I have done the best I could in the situation.

My group had done a tremendous job in coming up with ideas and preparing for the presentation and I really enjoyed working with them.

Methodology Draft 2

To gather information on the communication needs in the MICE industry, our team will be carrying out various primary and secondary research in this project. Our primary research will consist of an interview and a survey. Our secondary research involves web and library searches.

Our planned interview will be with Samantha Lee, Catering and Conference Manager of Marina Bay Sands. Samantha has years of experience in the MICE industry. In her current position, she communicates extensively with clients (organisers of MICE events) and with personnel from the Operations Division. Her input on the communication needs in this industry as well as her experience in working with fresh graduates could provide an insight into the communication skills that should be taught in a module.

A survey will also be conducted to substantiate our research, gather information on a wider scale and form an overall view of the common communication needs throughout the MICE industry. The target groups for this survey are the event organizers and the venue administrators related to the MICE industry. The survey aims to seek opinions on:-

• the communication skills that are important in the industry,
• the effectiveness of the curriculum in various tertiary education institutions in developing useful communication skills
• the activities that has helped in developing relevant communication skills
• the communication skills that can possibly be taught in the tertiary curriculum.

A limitation of the survey would be the incapacity of it to reach and gather views from all quarters. Thus, we hope to gather a representative number that is statistically significant. We hope to seek 200 responses for our survey failing which we will substantiate the information from the survey by interviews.

The team also proposes to conduct secondary research by reviewing the courses offered in other tertiary education institutions to gain more insight into the curriculum structure and communication skills taught. In addition, the information could serve as a guideline to the communication skills that could be offered in a module here in NUS. The research will be done by reviewing the websites of the institutions and also searches in the NUS library and website.

Methodology Draft 1

To gather information on the communication needs in the MICE industry, our team will be carrying out various primary and secondary research in this project. Our primary research will consist of an interview and a survey. Our secondary research involves web and library searches.
Our planned interview will be with Samantha Lee, Catering and Conference Manager of Marina Bay Sands. Samantha has years of experience in the MICE industry. In her current position, she communicates extensively with clients (organisers of MICE events) and with personnel from the Operations Division. Her input on the communication needs in this industry as well as her experience in working with fresh graduates could provide an insight into the communication skills that should be taught in a module.

A survey will also be conducted to substantiate our research, gather information on a wider scale and form an overall view of the common communication needs throughout the MICE industry. The target groups for this survey are the event organizers and the venue administrators related to the MICE industry. The survey aims to seek opinions on:-

• the communication skills that are important in the industry

• the effectiveness of the curriculum in various tertiary education institutions in developing useful communication skills

• the activities that has helped in developing relevant communication skills

• the communication skills that can possibly be taught in the tertiary curriculum.

The team also proposes to conduct secondary research by reviewing the courses offered in other tertiary education institutions to gain more insight into the curriculum structure and communication skills taught. In addition, the information could serve as a guideline to the communication skills that could be offered in a module here in NUS.

My Intercultural Shock!

This incident occurred during my trip to Marseille, France. My friend and I just arrived by train from Spain late at night. As we had not had our dinner, and most eateries were closed at that hour, we headed to the nearest golden arches (aka McD) for a sampling of French-American cuisine. We lined up and my friend’s turn came first so he placed his order in English. I noticed that as soon as she heard English being spoken, the server became irritated and started muttering words in French. She went to get the orders, still muttering away and started ‘throwing’ the food into paper bags before ‘throwing’ the bags onto the counter towards my friend. Then she grabbed the money from my friend’s hands and promptly gave him his change without a single word being spoken.

I was so shocked by rudeness being shown towards us. The server then turned to me and spoke something in a raised tone and sounding very irritated. I gave her a cold stare and walked away, having had enough of her discourteous attitude. I felt very angry as we were paying customers and deserved a polite service although we are not locals and do not speak French. I was also in disbelief as I had always thought that Europeans in general are very friendly people. Coming from an Asian culture where being polite is a must when meeting guest especially those from other countries, this incident came as a rude jolt.

Later I mentioned this incident to a French classmate. She explained that a small group of French people have a preconceived notion that the French is superior to other languages and those that do not speak it are of a lower class. However, this group of people constitutes only a very small minority and most French are very willing to accept foreigners speaking foreign languages. She hoped that I had not had a wrong impression of the country and the people. As it turns out, that incident was the last I had and my future travels in France was very pleasant.

Application Letter - Draft no. 1

JOB ADVERT

International Management Trainee

Interested in working in Singapore for Meltwater News?

About the Meltwater Group

The Meltwater Group is a privately held software company founded in Norway in 2001 committed to challenging existing business models by introducing disruptive technologies and building a powerful, global sales infrastructure. The Meltwater Group delivers B2B solutions based on search engine technology (Meltwater News), cloud computing (Meltwater Drive), talent management software (Meltwater Talent), social media tracking (Meltwater Buzz), press outreach (Meltwater Press) and biometrics (GenKey).

Meltwater News - Join a Winning Team

Meltwater News is the global leader in the field of electronic media monitoring, delivering a cutting edge Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution to more than 15,000 thousand corporate clients in more than 20 countries around the world. Despite a challenging global economic environment in 2009, Meltwater continues to grow aggressively as the need for companies to make sound business decisions based on tailored information from the internet is greater than ever before.
To accommodate our growth we are looking for exceptional candidates for our Singapore office who are eager to pursue an extremely challenging and rewarding career in one of Europe's fastest growing companies.

Your ideal qualifications

• University degree (any discipline)
• Strong academic results
• Passion for consultative sales and business development
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Entrepreneurial spirit and hunger for success
• Track record for meeting goals and deadlines
• Natural leadership qualities
• International experience (academic or professional)
• Ambitious internships or first relevant professional experience

APPLICATION LETTER

Blk 789, #12-34-5,
99 Pasir Panjang Road,
Singapore 123456
U1234567@nus.edu.sg
+65 91122334

5th February 2010

Mr. Jackie Cham
Managing Director
Meltwater Singapore
#99-99/99, 0 Eu Tong Sen Street
Singapore 098765

Dear Mr Cham,

Application for the position of International Management Trainee

With reference to your job advertisement on the Meltwater Asia website, I would like to apply for the position of International Management Trainee.

I am currently a final year Bioengineering major at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and expecting to graduate in May 2010. An engineering background has prepared me to think critically and taught me vital problem solving skills which have been put to the test in my Final Year Project on B----------- ---------- --- ------- ------------. A brief stint in Germany during my Student Exchange Program has exposed me to different worldview thoughts, making me receptive to new ideas.

My past experiences include being a science teacher in a secondary school which allowed me to hone my interpersonal skills and motivational ability, attributes that are important in a management position. In addition, I have also acquired valuable IT skills, such as video and presentation slides production, while working as a Student Editor in the ------ --- ------------- ---------- in NUS. My internship as a Research Assistant in the --------- ----------- ---------- of NUS also serves to expand my skills in planning which will be suitable when managing a company.

As an elected representative to the ------ ------ ----- -------- of -------- ----, holding the portfolio of --------- -- ------ ---------, I have vast experiences in managing groups of people and planning the future direction of an organisation. I was also chairperson of the Archive committee and Vice-chairperson of the IT committee and Video Production committee, providing me with myriad leadership experiences. I joined the Young Entrepreneurs Program for 3 years and rose through the ranks to become the Managing Director. In that program I experienced managing a company at different levels.

The skills and experience gained previously will allow me to competently carry out my responsibilities in this position. I would welcome an opportunity to discuss my qualifications and how I could be of service to the company. I can be reached with confidence at the above contacts.

Yours sincerely,


Jon----- ----

Resolution to the hurtful truth

Thanks for the feedback from everybody.

The fault of the entire matter could rest on both parties. The committee as a whole could have been more diligent in ensuring that the points were given out fairly. We could have demanded frequent reports from him of the progress. We could also have checked the points ourselves periodically to ensure the protocols are being followed to the latter.

On the other hand, being an elected representative, William should also be responsible in ensuring that his conduct is of the highest level. He should not abuse the trust we placed in him.

To give a summary of the suggestions made, one way of resolving this conflict is to talk to William again after a ‘cooling off’ period. Probable getting a closer friend to him from the committee to approach him and talk to him is a good idea. Once we are able to break the ice, we could probable hold a gathering to catch up on things and improve our friendship.

However, I think the best way to resolve the conflict is to invite everyone out for a night of drinks and merry making and let bygones be bygones.

Interpersonal conflict: The truth hurts

Interactions between people do not always occur without a hitch. People defer, not only physically, but in their opinions and mindsets.

I experienced my interpersonal conflict during my term of office in one of the committees I served in Sheares Hall, one of the 6 halls of residence in NUS. The committee’s chief responsibility was to manage the affairs of the Hall.

There is a particular member (lets call him William) William who is well known for his uncompromising attitude and ‘independence’. As a committee, we were supposed to discuss proposals during the meetings and come up with a plan that will benefit all after listening to each other’s views and opinions. At one point, however, William was making decisions on his own without consulting the committee in advance.

This happened during the CCA point allocation exercise. (Points are needed to continue staying in hall.) William was in charge of the points being given out to the residents based on the activities they participated in. Rightly, he would have to communicate his decisions to us for our overall approval. He, however, did not do so as ‘it was too troublesome and inefficient’ (quoting him).

The exercise lasted for a few weeks. Initially, all went well and there were no conflicts or unfairness. However, as time progresses, we started noticing certain people getting more points then they should.

When other members, myself included, got wind of what he had done, we decided to confront him. We sat down and enquired about his actions. However, instead of coming clean and admitting to his dishonesty, he defended his actions by saying that these people deserved to be given the points as they have contributed immensely to the hall and are important for continuity. We, on the other hand, noticed that many of these people are his friends and raised the point. An argument ensued which ended with William slamming the table and storming out of the room.

The problem was rectified in the end and the rightful amount of points deserved by the residents was restored. This incident, however, has created a schism between William and the rest of the committee and this animosity have remained until this day. The lack of communication between William and the rest of us has resulted in a situation where he felt unaccountable for his actions and thus allowed him to make decisions that will benefit him or anybody close to him. Are we partially to be blamed for not being effective communicators as well? What could we do now to alleviate this detestation among us?

I hope to be an effective communicator

I must firstly admit that ES2007S was not my first choice of module to take in NUS. I was gently nudged by my friend to take up this module and ‘feed ourselves to the sharks’ as he put it. So I went to check up on the course description and outline. Some parts of the course immediately struck me as important and will come in useful in the very near future.

First would be the application letter and resume writing part, which I will need to know as this is my graduating semester and it won’t be long before I start to find a job. Another section that I am looking forward to albeit slightly rattled by the idea is the mock job interview. But I guess I have to go through it in the end so I might as well get some practice now.

I feel that the skills of effective communication are important as it allows me to bring across a point clearly and accurately. This will prevent misunderstandings, which could further lead to conflicts if the confusion is serious. I think the skills will come in handy when communicating with my future bosses and colleagues.

Having good communication skills also portrays a better image of you. Being able to articulate your arguments and points exudes an image of confidence and will be able to garner respect from your audience.

One point that I have been pondering about is the correlation between good communication skills and good command of language. Must a person have a good command of the language to be able to have good communication skills and vice versa? Any opinions?

Going live in 3, 2, 1...

Welcome to this newly created blog specially for ES2007S.