#4 Final Reflection on Learning

Time really flies. It has been 4 months since the very first lesson where our course on Professional Communication begun. Looking back in retrospect, I have no regrets taking this module as it has equipped me with several valuable skills, both oral and written that would be of great help and relevance as I venture into the corporate world.

Prior to this module, I thought that oral presentation was my forté, given my extroverted nature that made it easy and comfortable for me to speak in front of an audience. My past presentations being generally well-received is also another contributing factor. It was only when I saw the peer teaching feedback survey responses that I realised I still have several points to improve on when presenting. Some of my classmates thought that I spoke a little too fast and my eye contact was inconsistent at times. To improve on these, I spoke in front of a mirror when rehearsing alone for the final oral presentation. Although it was a little awkward, I was able to evaluate my every move and also take note of the non-verbal cues that I was subconsciously communicating. From there, I worked on my pace of delivery, body language, gestures and eye contact which I believe did have positive changes. In addition, I got Maolei, my team member to help video our team’s mock presentations so that we could all take a look at ourselves and identify what was good and what was not. It was through self-scrutiny and the candid feedback from my friends that I improved.

I also learnt in class that there were three main themes governing an effective oral presentation – ethos, pathos and logos. I managed to apply these three themes to my oral presentation. I demonstrated my credibility by showing the audience the relevant research done – MOE syllabuses on Sexuality Education and statistics from our survey. When presenting the solutions, I explained the rationale behind the main idea. I also used relevant examples to substantiate my reasoning, such as the case study that highlighted myths pertaining to sex amongst ITE students.

I would like to end this post with a quote by Paulo Coelho, which I feel resonates with what Mdm Fazilah wishes for us: “You must be the person you have never had the courage to be. Gradually, you will discover that you are that person, but until you can see this clearly, you must pretend and invent." This is a module that I truly enjoyed; thank you all for the times we learnt together. Special thanks to Mdm Fazilah, Li Ying & Maolei (my team mates) and Anna (my peer teaching mate). Really appreciate it.

 

#3 Reflection on Team-based Research Project Proposal

In the past few months working together with my team mates, there were times when things were smooth-sailing and of course, times when disagreements arose. We have come thus far, meeting several submission deadlines along the way, although it was not exactly easy to cope with having other assignments on hand. Every individual has their own schedule and commitments, and hence finding a common time for project meetings can be difficult.

 

Nevertheless, what I took away from this process that is relevant to the workplace was 2 key values:

1. Communicating one's opinions effectively

2. Being understanding towards each others' schedule and commitments

 

To be an effective team member, one definitely has to communicate his opinions with the rest of the team. We have to accept the fact that each individual is unique, having various mindsets and opinions with respect to a certain issue. What is therefore important is then for the team member to step out of his comfort zone and voice out his opinions instead of staying silent, so that others would be able to better understand the matter from his perspective. It is only when every individual in the team is willing to be candid and share their thoughts with each another that disagreements could be minimised, as everyone's viewpoints are addressed before coming to a consensus on a certain issue. In this respect, having an open mind and accepting criticisms from our fellow team members is also a crucial factor for our own personal improvement. It is therefore necessary to take such criticisms positively - as constructive feedback rather than simply perceiving it as derogatory remarks.

 

Also, when working in a team, it is of utmost importance to be understanding towards each others' circumstances and commitments, although it can be annoying at times. This again relates back to the fact that every individual is unique, having prior commitments and coming from various backgrounds. One should not be calculative as a team member, counting the number of times that he/she has accomodated others' schedules. But of course, the other team members would also need to have valid reasons to justify their inability to make it for discussion on certain days. Being calculative on these little details would definitely contribute to unhappiness that could have been easily erased. Ultimately, it is a team effort that builds on being understanding and compromising or accomodating one another.

 

During the times where it was inconvenient for my team to meet up, we delegated tasks to each individual to be completed before the next meeting. This helped us to set a common goal to work towards to, and things to be done were completed effectively without wasting time. To sum up, what constitutes an effective team is not only having understanding team members, but also supportive ones.

 

#2 Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour

In Singapore, citizens tend to stereotype the cultural differences by race, into Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasians. These stereotyped differences can lead to misunderstandings. As my best friend, Denise, is half Chinese and half Indian, her features of a darker skin tone coupled with wavy hair have often led to a number of interesting encounters. One particular encounter struck me and got me thinking.

We were at the Hong Kong Xin Wang cafe to celebrate the end of our finals. There was this particular dish - luncheon meat noodles which the waitress introduced and upon doing so, she realized and immediately apologized saying that it contained pork. She then went on to promote all the other non-pork dishes. Clearly, she had mistaken Denise for a Malay. When Denise replied using fluent mandarin, she was stunned and her eyes were wide in bewilderment. In addition, upon learning that Denise is able to converse in Mandarin, she began to talk to her very slowly in Mandarin using a weird accent. There were times when even I couldn't understand what she was trying to say as well.

Denise was initially a little offended as she felt that the waitress doubted her Chinese language proficiency by deliberately conversing with her in a different manner from how others would normally speak. Fortunately, she was able to look at it in a different light subsequently given that she had encountered quite a number of similar incidents prior to this. 

This led me to think that if Denise were to take it seriously, it could have possibly led to an unnecessary heated argument that could have been prevented. The waitress should have been more sensitive to such intercultural differences not only to Denise, but more so to everyone else in the society. Furthermore, the fact that she is in the service sector makes it an even more pertinent issue. 

While it is normal to develop certain perceptions of an individual based on his/her appearance, background and actions, we have to be sensitive and mindful not to overgeneralize and jump straight into conclusions in order to prevent conflicts. Every individual is unique and therefore we should be open-minded and accept differences among individuals to maintain a harmonious society which we all live in.

#1 Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

She slumped against the cold, unwelcoming wall of the doctor’s consultation room upon knowing that she has to assist Dr Wong today by herself as her mentor was on MC. Countless thoughts began to race through her mind as she felt adrenaline coursing through her veins. Can I cope with assisting? What if I make blunders? Will she be forgiving?

Barely a week into her new temporary job as a Patient Service Associate (PSA) in the hospital, she has not been taught all the necessary protocols required before being ‘certified’ to assist doctors on her own. Little did she know that the doctor whom she is about to assist is one unreasonable and demanding lady who always picks on newbies.  

It was 5 minutes to 2 o’clock in the afternoon. She checked herself in the mirror to tuck any loose strands of hair in place. ‘Yes, I can do it’ she muttered to herself.

She turned around and saw Dr Wong standing directly behind and scrutinizing her. She hastily greeted her in a timid voice. Still giving her a disapproving look, Dr Wong sat down and ordered her to call for the first patient curtly.

All was fine until Dr Wong asked her to retrieve an ECG form. Panicking, she frantically pulled out every single document tray, rummaging through the various L-shaped folders in search for it. Subconsciously, she could feel Dr Wong’s eyes burn a hole in her back. Alas, she fished out 2 different versions of the ECG form and handed both of them to her, slightly relieved that she managed to find it even though she wasn’t instructed how to do so.

“You mean you don’t even know which is the right ECG form? Aren’t you trained and mentored already? So incapable!” Dr Wong hollered at her in the patient’s presence and swiftly left the room to lodge a complaint. She was not given a chance to speak for herself at all.

Dumbfounded, she stood rooted to the spot with her eyes glued to the ground. At the corner of her eyes, she spotted the patient’s daughter gaping in utter bewilderment as well. The next moment, a senior PSA came into the consultation room and took over her role. Dr Wong subsequently returned to the room and threw her a dirty look before resuming the consultation session with an instant 360-degree change of attitude.

She stomped out of the room, enraged and confused. She was hurt and wrongly accused, but yet too livid to cry. She regarded doctors with utmost respect as it had always been her childhood dream of becoming one of them. All it took was just this one unpleasant incident that made her wholly disappointed and she began to look at doctors with a more astute point of view. Not all doctors have a heart of gold and are as noble as how the media portrayed them to be…

“How do I carry on from here?” she sadly asked herself as she walked along the hospital corridors with her mind as white as a sheet of paper.

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This conflict could have been prevented if

(i) Dr Wong was more empathetic;  

(ii) There was proper two-way communication Dr Wong and the protagonist instead of impulsive accusations;

(iii) Full, proper training was given to the protagonist before she started assisting on her own;

(iv) The senior staff didn't let the protagonist assist, knowing fully well that she is still incompetent.

What do you guys think?