Final Reflection (Post #7)

My opinion on how communication is a complicated process remains unchanged, but the depth of understanding and the horizon of accomplishing it has broadened; it still seems like an arduous task to let a person understand the message you intended it to be the first time round, but this module has helped in enhancing the effective transmittal of the message as well as avoiding unnecessary conflict by first understanding the recipients’ customs and culture. It remains an art that some seem gifted in, one that others have to ponder and practice over.

Humans were blessed with the gift of not just speech and hearing, but sight as well. Communication isn’t only verbal; visual cues also aid in capturing the audience’s attention to a decisive extent. Simple but captivating slides will help the speaker gain the attention of the audience during a presentation. Similarly, a blog decorated with a nice background picture or a meaningful image captures a reader’s attention over another that is plain.

In order to increase the audience’s receptivity towards oneself, a variety of communication devices can be utilized. An attention grabber can manifest in the form of an intriguing image or a disturbing statistic. One certain but tricky way to capture an individual’s attention is to anticipate what would seem pleasant to their ears; being in tune with their frequency would give one an extra edge. Sincerity also plays a vital role; performing appropriate research on the background of a company, a person, or the issue of concern is evident of the effort put in and a reflection of the importance by the individual.

The crux therein lies not in merely conveying the information, it’s about how the information is conveyed through the choosing of words , non-verbal communication like the tone, and not displaying aggressive body language.

The interaction with others in the class displayed the complexity of transmitting an opinion to another. The first barrier is the other party’s own opinion, which very often differs between individuals. A humble approach beats one that is imposing; respect needs to be gained between mutual parties before the doors of receptivity are open. A self-bestowed sense of superiority often results in a conflict.

Lastly, I would like to thank Ms Goh for guiding the class towards a better understanding of effective communication. Working with Bryan and Cassandra has also been an invaluable learning experience as we listened to each other and found ways to reach a common consensus when differing opinions arose; I would like to thank you both for the endless hours and effort put into the groupwork.

I truly enjoyed the sessions, the interaction, and the work; beats any mundane and boring core module anytime, anyday!

Open Topic: Other Communication Issues (Post #5)

Professional communication often manifests itself in the corporate realm, taking on the form of social skills. Profiling occurs within moments of getting acquainted primarily through aspects of non-verbal communication like the individual’s facial expression & composure; a fairly universal gesture is the formal handshake, the first form of physical contact between the involved parties.

A handshake is more than just a greeting; it subconsciously conveys a message about the individual’s personality and confidence level. When an introduction is made, a handshake is an important tool in making the right first impression. A handshake today serves a subliminal expression to evoke a critical gauge of confidence, trust, sophistication and mood.

A business handshake should be brief and to the point. A handshake is a form of short greeting, not a lengthy engagement. Holding on for more than three or four seconds can make other people feel uncomfortable. Avoid the urge to handshake with two hands. It is always better in business introductions to use only one hand – your right hand – for the shake. The use of two hands with strangers is seen as intrusive, and too personal. In fact, a two-handed shake is called the “politician’s shake,” because it appears artificially friendly when used on people you barely know. End the handshake after 3-4 seconds, or 2-3 pumps. In order to avoid creating an awkward moment, your shake should end before the oral introduction exchange does. Without conversation taking place during the entire handshake, it becomes too intimate, and can feel more like hand-holding.

Handshakes are dependent on scenarios and hierarchy. Hosts usually extend their handshakes first as a demonstration of hospitality; interviewees should wait for interviewers as an observation of respect for the latter. Though not a norm, some consider it proper and courteous for a man to wait for a woman to shake hands.

Before extending a hand, one should always introduce oneself first. Extending one’s hand should be part of an introduction, not a replacement for using your voice. Extending your hand without a voice greeting may make one appear nervous or overly aggressive.

A handshake should be a friendly or respectful gesture, not a show of physical strength. An uncomfortable handshake is never a pleasant experience for anyone. The idea is to connect, not be overbearing. A limp hand is never a good idea when it comes to a business handshake. Do return the grip, but do not get into a power struggle, even if the other person squeezes too hard.

Sweaty palms can put handshakes in an awkward situation. If a handshake is exchanged with a party who has sweaty palms, it is deemed impolite to follow-up by wiping off on clothing, handkerchief, or tissue. A more apt approach would be to discretely wipe them on something after the other party is out of sight, and wash them later. Similarly, wipe palms discreetly if you anticipate a handshake exchange.

Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour (Post #4)

Having had driving experience numbering at least three years, I have seen my own fair share of incidents and accidents; one increasing disturbing issue is the exhibition of road worthiness from China immigrants akin to that customary in the rural parts of their country. Most of them do not only jaywalk; they do it in such a fashion that endangers both themselves, others, and drivers alike. They cycle openly on roads instead of sticking to the double yellow lines. Some, nonchalantly oblivious to an increasingly impatient driver that may well make them part of the road, refuse to give way to the latter. A common eyesore is those blatantly walking across the road and pedestrian crossings (even with the red man lighted up) without a care in the world.

Now and again I reluctantly lift my finger to tap the horn at them when they get too caught-in-their-own-world to realise the impending danger, and I have to admit I do get frustrated, occasionally angry with them. But while doing this blog post, it made me wonder: is it due to intercultural differences? Could it be that back in their homeland, it is a common sight for them to cycle alongside vehicles and even walk on the roads? Traffic lights were scarce? Or that anything more than 2 wheels must have been considered alien?

Perhaps it is due to their road culture, that they do not realise that their road behavior in Singapore is potentially hazardous to everyone around them, and themselves. Attempts could be made to educate them on road worthiness. But until that happens, we as courteous citizens can only try our best to look out for them on the roads.

Business Correspondence Critique (Post #3)

The following is a short, edited excerpt from an email reply with regards to an enquiry that I sent to the Land Transport Authority(LTA):

Feedback Reply from LTA‏
From:feedback@lta.gov.sg
To: ***@***.com

Our Ref: LTA/CSV/***

Date : **-***-20**

Tel : 1800 - ***

Fax : 6*** ****

Dear Mr ***

Celica

SS1 Legal Exhaust Systems

FEEDBACK NUMBER: 738808

We refer to your email dated ** *** 20**.

We wish to inform you the following makes of aftermarket exhaust systems have been approved for Toyota Celica. You may wish to contact the respective authorised agents to check for the availability of the approved exhaust systems. Their details are as follow:

1) HKS

Address:

***

2) APEXi

Address:

***

3) SUPERSPRINT

Address:

***

4) REMUS

Address:

***

Please note that every vehicle fitted with an approved after-market exhaust system will be required to produce for an inspection a JASMA certificate at any of the LTA-authorised inspection centres. The certificate for the after-market exhaust system is also required to be presented for verification during the inspection. An application fee of $20 and inspection fee of $30 (both exclusive of GST) will be payable to the inspection centre.

You can submit the documents to the LTA's Vehicle Engineering Division at 10 Sin Ming Drive, Singapore 575701.

We hope the above addresses your query.

Once again, we thank you for your feedback.

Yours sincerely,

(SIGNED IN LOTUS NOTES)

**** *** ***

for DEPUTY DIRECTOR

VEHICLE ENGINEERING DIVISIONLAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

===============================================================

Due to the lack of clarification on pg 72, para 2.2.1.3, "The Science of Effective Communication in the Workplace" , on the proper format & layout of how emails should be crafted in a formal note, the analysis of the above email shall be based upon the cross-referencing of benchmarks from other business correspondences.

Overall, the above showed the proficiency expected of an email dispatched on behalf of a government body; standard components in the format such as the date, recipient’s name & address, salutation, subject line, complimentary close and the signature & sender’s names are in place. However, the subject line seemed to follow that of an automated reply template which does not indicate the essence of the email. Also, the inconsistency in terms of punctuation, i.e. the comma following the recipient’s name & the complimentary close, is evident. The layout was aligned to the left, but lacked justification.

With respect to the 7 C's of writing, courtesy was well-adressed: phrases like 'you may wish', 'please note', 'we hope', & 'thank you' were used in the reply. The usage of formal english and absence of awkward grammatical or vocabulary errors ensured correctness was achieved. Despite my editing of specific details, the conciseness of the reply was distinct: the issue and solutions were addressed without beating about the bush. Proper paragraphing, coupled with a systematic solution approach, presented clarity in the reply. A logical linking of ideas demonstrated coherence. However, more conjunctions and transitional phrases could be utilised in the paragraph following the distributors' details to illustrate cohesion. As the authorising body in Singapore for vehicle legislations, LTA cannot quote any other government body in a bid to substantiate the concreteness of its claims; LTA, however, had given exact figures for the processsing fees. The completeness of the reply ensured that i had all the details I required from my enquiry to LTA.

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict (Post #2)

A, a junior officer, received an email from his Commanding Officer stipulating that the former and another junior officer, B, have been delegated the task of organising a cohesion event for the battalion’s anniversary.

A and B were good friends but as they were from different companies(the equivalent of a department). A was in the battalion at that time whereas B was away on course; B was due to return when A needs to go off on his course. C was a superior from another department.

A, having been asked to perform an unprecedented task, began to conceptualise the theme, venue and activities for the event. Before he was due to leave for the course, he detailed an email to B illustrating his progress so the latter could continue with the planning and execution of the event.

When A returned from his course back to the battalion 1 week before its anniversary, he was approached by C, one of his superiors, asking him how the planning went. A said he was on course and that B had taken over the task as was agreed upon. C then chided A, telling him that C’s department had taken over since A & B left the organization hanging in the air. A was bewildered: wasn’t B supposed to take over since he was on course?

C criticized A’s failure to check on the planning progress; he explained that B had been busy with his own duties and left everything to C’s department when C offered to help. A was naturally bewildered by what happened.

There seemed to be a lack in communication between the parties involved that led to the spate of events.

How could this episode have been prevented?

Effective Communication Skills (Post #1)

Communication is defined as “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs”. Put simply, it is how one individual, through different modes of portrayal such as speech, nonverbal cues or even email, transmit messages that were conjoured up mentally to another person. Potential errors can occur during the tranmission process; from trying to frame an idea into words, to the receptivity and understanding of the receipient, the message can get contorted and misunderstood. Many times, the message interpreted has a different meaning from the original intent as much information was either lost or misconceived. Consequently, it is important to not just communicate, but to do so effectively. Bearing in mind that the verbal portion only makes up 10% of what is perceived, careful considerations should be paid to body language and tone when conversing with others.

No man is an island. Due to a very fundamental aspect of humans, it is imperative to possess traits of an important communicator, since humans are social by nature. The majority of our time is spent around others, be it family members, peers in school or colleagues in the workplace. Effective communications skills help develop relationships along sound and healthy lines, fostering closer ties and avoiding unintentional conflicts.

In this fast paced metropolitan we live in, time is never a luxury. Misunderstanding another person’s intent may strain relations, worse still spend time & effort on a project conceived differently by your superior.

Listen, verify, accomplish.