It has been 12 weeks and this module is coming to an end. Thinking back, I had learnt so much about written, verbal and non-verbal communication. Communicating in English has been a problem to me; I have to think of what I want to say in Mandarin, translate it into English, and reorganize the content so that it makes sense to others. After the peer teaching and oral presentation, I feel that actually I can do fairly well just like others.
Conducting a survey and writing a proposal to propose a solution is something new to me. Aaron has helped me a lot in editing the proposal as my English is not as good as him. In the process, I had learnt to write using the ‘you’ attitude for the proposal to be more persuasive. The few videos about presentation that Ms. Lim showed in class were very helpful in my learning.
I had learned through the resume writing that when you write using different words, though conveying the same meaning, it can put the reader looking at it in a different perspective and the feeling is totally different. I had found that my blog post is always not as interesting as others because it only generate very few comments. I guess it must be too long and the content is difficult to comment though I spent a lot of time writing one post, trying my very best to write a post with high quality.
Overall, it has been a pleasant experience taking this module but it could have been better if I were to take it in my earlier years of study. Working in a two-person team with Aaron has been a great experience; it is just much easier to schedule a time to meet, either online or face to face, thus increasing our efficiency. It would be great if this module can teach a little about negotiating skills and a bit of psychology as I think it will be helpful in a business deal.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Reflection on Oral Presentation
Preparation work including designing our slides, outlining the content, logical sequencing, progressive of each points, etc. started one week before the actual presentation date and the first draft only came out two days thereafter. I keep in mind a principle which I learned somewhere that for each slide I present to my audience, there must be a central idea I wish to sell to them. Due to my weak command of English language, I wrote a complete speech text verbatim. The speech was crafted in a way that as much as possible engaging the audience by using questioning techniques. I also tried to think in terms of them and therefore to my best understanding, anticipating and addressing their concerns before being voiced out. Aaron and I did not get to rehearse our presentation until one day before due to some other commitments on both sides. We did a few test run and commented on each other for improvement. On that day itself before class, we rehearsed in a seminar room which I think help me visualize myself presenting to the NUSSU.
In terms of delivery, my voice is clear though my pitch is slightly high, causing me to sound a little fierce but overall I have a pretty good pronunciation. It will be good if I can vary my tone a bit more and adding some element of humour during the course of my presentation. I went smooth at first but do not perform as well toward the end due to the time and problems flipping the script. I stand still in the almost the same posture throughout with some hand gestures. Probably I should have use more hand gestures to emphasize my point. I believe if I was able to present without a script, which will be better as I am able to utilize hand gestures more effectively. I was not too natural when I present. My hands were sweating; however I still manage to overcome my wobbling knees. More eye contact could have been established to show attention to my audience.
On the whole, I think I had prepared myself well and did quite a decent job and at least after this presentation, I had gained some confidence and experiences for any presentation in the future and I am happy with it.
In terms of delivery, my voice is clear though my pitch is slightly high, causing me to sound a little fierce but overall I have a pretty good pronunciation. It will be good if I can vary my tone a bit more and adding some element of humour during the course of my presentation. I went smooth at first but do not perform as well toward the end due to the time and problems flipping the script. I stand still in the almost the same posture throughout with some hand gestures. Probably I should have use more hand gestures to emphasize my point. I believe if I was able to present without a script, which will be better as I am able to utilize hand gestures more effectively. I was not too natural when I present. My hands were sweating; however I still manage to overcome my wobbling knees. More eye contact could have been established to show attention to my audience.
On the whole, I think I had prepared myself well and did quite a decent job and at least after this presentation, I had gained some confidence and experiences for any presentation in the future and I am happy with it.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Evaluating Intercultural Behavior
It was another monthly committee meeting in a seminar room. That day was less than two weeks after the Chinese New Year. Jim the President decided to have a small celebration and had asked someone to buy yee-sang and prepare paper plates and chopsticks the previous day. The meeting ended and the committee was distributing the chopsticks and plates.
Hans barged into the meeting room and looked for Jim. Hans demanded the President to give him an additional 8 CCA points for being in the executive committee for less than 3 months. (He was asked to resign in peaceful terms by the management due to irresponsible attitude toward work, unable to contact him, late and absent without valid reasons after three warnings given to him.) Jim had agreed to his request to give him maximum 4 points for an event which he occasionally came to help. Apparently, Hans was not happy with Jim’s decision and he started to raise his voice. Jim felt that that was a fair decision, so he denied Hans’ request. Jim told Hans that he will consider Han’s request provided that Luke (Hans’ direct supervisor) and both VPs (Scot and Karl) all agreed to that request because all three of them work more closely with Hans. Hans became frustrated and threatened to lodge a complaint at the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Jim replied coldly, “Go ahead as you wish.” Hans fumed instantly hearing such reply and began to show his anger, spitting out some vulgar words.
Karl couldn’t take it any longer and jumped into the conversation. Karl commented on Hans’ attitude when talking to the President. It soon turned into a small fight. Hans grabbed his fist tightly, looked like wanting to give a punch at Karl’s face. He even used his finger to point at Karl right at the face, while Karl used the chopsticks in his hands to push it away. The situation becomes tenser than ever. Karl blurted a line, “This is my country; you cannot do whatever you want.” Upon hearing this, Hans’ face turned but he didn’t say anything but from his face, I could tell he was angry with a little upset inside.
A few days passed, Jims, Scot and Karl was shocked to receive an unexpected e-mail from OSA regarding a complaint on racial discrimination and request to present themselves at OSA on a specific date and time. The matter was resolved with Karl apologized to Hans and staff of OSA as witness.
Below are some of my thoughts on this incident:
1. If the phrase “my country” were to be replaced by “Singapore”, I supposed this was not an issue at all because the whole meaning of the sentence would have been very different and the message conveyed will not come across as being discriminating a non-local. The emphasize of the message now turns into Singapore is a country abided and well regulated by the law and people cannot just do anything they wish for they are responsible for their actions. In addition, if this sentence was directed to a Singaporean, that would not be a problem at all.
2. Jim could have been more sensitive toward what Karl said and settled the argument there and then. If he were to ask Karl to apologize to Hans for that unintentional comment which is seen to be racist, then this matter would have not been brought to light to OSA.
3. The choice of words we used in conversation can have some impact to the listener and at times we may not be aware ourselves. It is important that we always think how the other party will interpret our message before we send the message across.
I believe the key to healthy human relations is respect. Respect should transcend backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and values. Stereotype and generalization should be minimized because every individual is unique and generally most people are nice if you know them long and well enough. Hence, it is important to be more conscious and sensitive coming to relationship with people, especially with new people that we meet.
Hans barged into the meeting room and looked for Jim. Hans demanded the President to give him an additional 8 CCA points for being in the executive committee for less than 3 months. (He was asked to resign in peaceful terms by the management due to irresponsible attitude toward work, unable to contact him, late and absent without valid reasons after three warnings given to him.) Jim had agreed to his request to give him maximum 4 points for an event which he occasionally came to help. Apparently, Hans was not happy with Jim’s decision and he started to raise his voice. Jim felt that that was a fair decision, so he denied Hans’ request. Jim told Hans that he will consider Han’s request provided that Luke (Hans’ direct supervisor) and both VPs (Scot and Karl) all agreed to that request because all three of them work more closely with Hans. Hans became frustrated and threatened to lodge a complaint at the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Jim replied coldly, “Go ahead as you wish.” Hans fumed instantly hearing such reply and began to show his anger, spitting out some vulgar words.
Karl couldn’t take it any longer and jumped into the conversation. Karl commented on Hans’ attitude when talking to the President. It soon turned into a small fight. Hans grabbed his fist tightly, looked like wanting to give a punch at Karl’s face. He even used his finger to point at Karl right at the face, while Karl used the chopsticks in his hands to push it away. The situation becomes tenser than ever. Karl blurted a line, “This is my country; you cannot do whatever you want.” Upon hearing this, Hans’ face turned but he didn’t say anything but from his face, I could tell he was angry with a little upset inside.
A few days passed, Jims, Scot and Karl was shocked to receive an unexpected e-mail from OSA regarding a complaint on racial discrimination and request to present themselves at OSA on a specific date and time. The matter was resolved with Karl apologized to Hans and staff of OSA as witness.
Below are some of my thoughts on this incident:
1. If the phrase “my country” were to be replaced by “Singapore”, I supposed this was not an issue at all because the whole meaning of the sentence would have been very different and the message conveyed will not come across as being discriminating a non-local. The emphasize of the message now turns into Singapore is a country abided and well regulated by the law and people cannot just do anything they wish for they are responsible for their actions. In addition, if this sentence was directed to a Singaporean, that would not be a problem at all.
2. Jim could have been more sensitive toward what Karl said and settled the argument there and then. If he were to ask Karl to apologize to Hans for that unintentional comment which is seen to be racist, then this matter would have not been brought to light to OSA.
3. The choice of words we used in conversation can have some impact to the listener and at times we may not be aware ourselves. It is important that we always think how the other party will interpret our message before we send the message across.
I believe the key to healthy human relations is respect. Respect should transcend backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and values. Stereotype and generalization should be minimized because every individual is unique and generally most people are nice if you know them long and well enough. Hence, it is important to be more conscious and sensitive coming to relationship with people, especially with new people that we meet.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Discovering Self
Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. – Albert Einstein
Having lived for almost 22 years, Jason Mak has perceived life as a journey of self-discovery and living with a noble purpose. Born in a family of six, this young chap comes from a small town called Sentul. When he is small, he is seen as extremely playful and at times disobedient. Throughout his primary school days, he has fought with all the boys in his class. At home, arguing with his parents and got caning or punished to kneel in front of the altar whole day is a common sight. Sometimes, even his elder siblings helped to cane this poor little child. His parents chased him out from home a few times and almost sent him to youth rehabilitation centre. He grew up with minimal childhood entertainment unlike the other contemporary kids. His childhood may seem depressing to us yet he seems to enjoying every bit of that moment and always contemplate about his memories of childhood.
In his teen days, he was fortunate enough to join the Scouts Troop which helped develop him into a more discipline and independent person. He learnt to be prepared all the time and helping others when they are in need. His path in Scouts has not been easy for him as he faced lots of obstacles before he finally took the helm in Secondary Five. He was honored to be conferred by the school the Student Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions in servicing the public and school community. The year after, he was appointed as Assistant Scoutmaster to guide and mentor the younger scouts. The end of high school also marked the end of his second stage of life.
Now, this small boy has grown to become an adult who aspired to achieve many dreams in life. Much perspectives of life have changed in this youngster and many of his beliefs were shaped during this period of transition. He is currently an undergraduate in the National University of Singapore, pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Engineering, looking forward to graduate and start working like everyone else. During his university years, he has being elected as the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore – NUS Student Chapter. This new experience certainly proved to be a fulfilling and enriching which he thinks has enhanced his interpersonal as well as communication skills. As a quiet person, he do not have many close friends which is why he is always seen alone sitting at a corner, deep in thoughts. This has caused people who do not know him well think him as a man of few words. Nevertheless, he continues to enjoy helping others and seeing people around him happy.
At times he feels confused and lost about who he is. He wondered why he is different from others, but another side of him thinks otherwise, “Why he has to be same like others?” As seen here, he is quite a complicated and self-contradict person, however he is one who strive to excel in life and changing to a better person from time to time. He believes he has much to learn in life, to be able to self-aware and reflect will lead him further in life.
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln
Having lived for almost 22 years, Jason Mak has perceived life as a journey of self-discovery and living with a noble purpose. Born in a family of six, this young chap comes from a small town called Sentul. When he is small, he is seen as extremely playful and at times disobedient. Throughout his primary school days, he has fought with all the boys in his class. At home, arguing with his parents and got caning or punished to kneel in front of the altar whole day is a common sight. Sometimes, even his elder siblings helped to cane this poor little child. His parents chased him out from home a few times and almost sent him to youth rehabilitation centre. He grew up with minimal childhood entertainment unlike the other contemporary kids. His childhood may seem depressing to us yet he seems to enjoying every bit of that moment and always contemplate about his memories of childhood.
In his teen days, he was fortunate enough to join the Scouts Troop which helped develop him into a more discipline and independent person. He learnt to be prepared all the time and helping others when they are in need. His path in Scouts has not been easy for him as he faced lots of obstacles before he finally took the helm in Secondary Five. He was honored to be conferred by the school the Student Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions in servicing the public and school community. The year after, he was appointed as Assistant Scoutmaster to guide and mentor the younger scouts. The end of high school also marked the end of his second stage of life.
Now, this small boy has grown to become an adult who aspired to achieve many dreams in life. Much perspectives of life have changed in this youngster and many of his beliefs were shaped during this period of transition. He is currently an undergraduate in the National University of Singapore, pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Engineering, looking forward to graduate and start working like everyone else. During his university years, he has being elected as the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore – NUS Student Chapter. This new experience certainly proved to be a fulfilling and enriching which he thinks has enhanced his interpersonal as well as communication skills. As a quiet person, he do not have many close friends which is why he is always seen alone sitting at a corner, deep in thoughts. This has caused people who do not know him well think him as a man of few words. Nevertheless, he continues to enjoy helping others and seeing people around him happy.
At times he feels confused and lost about who he is. He wondered why he is different from others, but another side of him thinks otherwise, “Why he has to be same like others?” As seen here, he is quite a complicated and self-contradict person, however he is one who strive to excel in life and changing to a better person from time to time. He believes he has much to learn in life, to be able to self-aware and reflect will lead him further in life.
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Job Application Letter
Jason Mak
Block 21, #03-24 Room J
Prince George’s Park Residences 5
Singapore 118429
September 3, 2009
Keppel Singmarine Pte. Ltd.
15 Benoi Road
Singapore 629888
Dear Hiring Manager,
I graduated from National University of Singapore with Bachelor Degree of Engineering (Mechanical) specialization in Offshore Oil and Gas Technology. I am interested in the full time position – Assistant Engineer/ Officer (Shipwright) advertised in the online job portal of Jobs Central on August 31.
From my four years of undergraduate studies, I have gained strong fundamental knowledge in engineering such as design engineering, material selection, failure/fatigue analysis, equipment design, oil and gas extraction process, etc. I was honored to become part of the RoboCup team where I assisted in the building and design of robots to compete in the soccer tournament in Graz, Austria. I researched in subsea oil exploration and the feasibility of laser drilling in onshore oilfield. My graduation thesis focused on studying the indentation deformation in the subsurface of Bulk Metallic Glass.
Being the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore, I have enhanced my leadership, communication and organizational skills. I was also a Career Guide in the NUS Career Centre where I assisted in various projects and advised my peer in career related areas. Apart from that, my working experience as ride operator in United States has developed myself to become a global citizen and adaptable to foreign environment. This is especially important in Keppel where diversity is embraced and employers are posted overseas for projects at times. Given the opportunity, I strongly believe that my discipline, self-oriented behavior and personable disposition would make up for my inexperience, fit well into the company's community, and contribute to its success.
I have enclosed my resume for your review. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet you to demonstrate how my abilities and qualifications fit into Keppel. I can be contacted at (+65) 91417103 or makyankit@gmail.com. I am very interested in this position and will be available to start work anytime soon. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Jason Mak
Block 21, #03-24 Room J
Prince George’s Park Residences 5
Singapore 118429
September 3, 2009
Keppel Singmarine Pte. Ltd.
15 Benoi Road
Singapore 629888
Dear Hiring Manager,
I graduated from National University of Singapore with Bachelor Degree of Engineering (Mechanical) specialization in Offshore Oil and Gas Technology. I am interested in the full time position – Assistant Engineer/ Officer (Shipwright) advertised in the online job portal of Jobs Central on August 31.
From my four years of undergraduate studies, I have gained strong fundamental knowledge in engineering such as design engineering, material selection, failure/fatigue analysis, equipment design, oil and gas extraction process, etc. I was honored to become part of the RoboCup team where I assisted in the building and design of robots to compete in the soccer tournament in Graz, Austria. I researched in subsea oil exploration and the feasibility of laser drilling in onshore oilfield. My graduation thesis focused on studying the indentation deformation in the subsurface of Bulk Metallic Glass.
Being the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore, I have enhanced my leadership, communication and organizational skills. I was also a Career Guide in the NUS Career Centre where I assisted in various projects and advised my peer in career related areas. Apart from that, my working experience as ride operator in United States has developed myself to become a global citizen and adaptable to foreign environment. This is especially important in Keppel where diversity is embraced and employers are posted overseas for projects at times. Given the opportunity, I strongly believe that my discipline, self-oriented behavior and personable disposition would make up for my inexperience, fit well into the company's community, and contribute to its success.
I have enclosed my resume for your review. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet you to demonstrate how my abilities and qualifications fit into Keppel. I can be contacted at (+65) 91417103 or makyankit@gmail.com. I am very interested in this position and will be available to start work anytime soon. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Jason Mak
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Resolving Interpersonal Conflict
The story happened in 2004 and it started after I was elected as the Troop Leader of the Scouts...
Being a bold and young man ready to take up any challenge, I had all my goals in mind on which direction we'll be heading that year. I was very excited and eager to share with my committee all about my plans for improvements. Therefore, a few days after the election, I held a meeting and announced my goals and plans for the year.
Things were going on quite well at start until after I met with an accident and fractured my foot. I came to school after 2 weeks. I walked with crutches for almost 3 months and it was a pain to move around. I couldn't handle most of the things in this situation and appointed my Deputy Leader as Acting Leader and Senior Group Leader to assist him though I still attended the weekly activities and assembled the troop.
I realized, things didn't go according to what had been planned. I couldn't do much as I wasn't informed. The committee split and some of them even went to the extent of not attending meetings and submitting reports. After my foot recover, I took over but I never expect to lose their support and my power incrementally as day passes, resulting in more internal problems later on. The situation had become so bad that eventually I had to do all the work myself.
I did try my very best to work things out with them. We met up countless times to improve things but ended up to no avail. It was quite some hard time for me as I sat for my SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education - Senior Level) that year.
If you were me, how would you handle the situation?
Being a bold and young man ready to take up any challenge, I had all my goals in mind on which direction we'll be heading that year. I was very excited and eager to share with my committee all about my plans for improvements. Therefore, a few days after the election, I held a meeting and announced my goals and plans for the year.
Things were going on quite well at start until after I met with an accident and fractured my foot. I came to school after 2 weeks. I walked with crutches for almost 3 months and it was a pain to move around. I couldn't handle most of the things in this situation and appointed my Deputy Leader as Acting Leader and Senior Group Leader to assist him though I still attended the weekly activities and assembled the troop.
I realized, things didn't go according to what had been planned. I couldn't do much as I wasn't informed. The committee split and some of them even went to the extent of not attending meetings and submitting reports. After my foot recover, I took over but I never expect to lose their support and my power incrementally as day passes, resulting in more internal problems later on. The situation had become so bad that eventually I had to do all the work myself.
I did try my very best to work things out with them. We met up countless times to improve things but ended up to no avail. It was quite some hard time for me as I sat for my SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education - Senior Level) that year.
If you were me, how would you handle the situation?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Why effective communication skills are important for me?
I used to be a talkative little boy and thus I thought that I could communicate well. I recalled my primary school days when I was arranged by the teacher to sit beside the quiet girls in class to stop me from talking too much in class. However, this not only did not work out and turned all the girls talkative just like me and the teacher had to make me sit right next to her instead.
I grew up not becoming more talkative, rather more introvert and reserved. Some close friends told me at times, I had unknowingly built a wall between others and me. People see me as unfriendly and always entrenched deeply in my own thoughts. Whenever I meet new people, it seems difficult for me to start a conversation and looking for topics to keep it going. I do not face any difficulties in conveying my ideas and thoughts across but I am not good at socializing.
I attended my first interview for scholarship before admitted to NUS. The experience was unpleasant. My mind was blank, my palms were sweaty, I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I was stammering all the time. I could not even answer a simple question to introduce myself properly. Although I had some leadership experiences, I am still lack of the confidence to speak.
In light of all my past bad experiences, I had come to a conclusion that to be able to communicate effectively is a fundamental yet crucial skill in life. It helps me to expand my network of friends, become successful in my career besides to understand myself and others better. Therefore it is important for me to train myself to be an effective communicator and I see my decision to enroll in ES2007S is only a small part of my learning journey.
I grew up not becoming more talkative, rather more introvert and reserved. Some close friends told me at times, I had unknowingly built a wall between others and me. People see me as unfriendly and always entrenched deeply in my own thoughts. Whenever I meet new people, it seems difficult for me to start a conversation and looking for topics to keep it going. I do not face any difficulties in conveying my ideas and thoughts across but I am not good at socializing.
I attended my first interview for scholarship before admitted to NUS. The experience was unpleasant. My mind was blank, my palms were sweaty, I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I was stammering all the time. I could not even answer a simple question to introduce myself properly. Although I had some leadership experiences, I am still lack of the confidence to speak.
In light of all my past bad experiences, I had come to a conclusion that to be able to communicate effectively is a fundamental yet crucial skill in life. It helps me to expand my network of friends, become successful in my career besides to understand myself and others better. Therefore it is important for me to train myself to be an effective communicator and I see my decision to enroll in ES2007S is only a small part of my learning journey.
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