My Final Reflection…

It has been almost four hectic and eventful months since I wrote my first ever blog post. So much has changed since then! On top of the list is my very proud achievement of completing my 86-page thesis in addition to 3 group projects, 2 individual term papers and various other individual assignments (mostly from this module!).

Looking back to my first post, my expectation was simple and that is to give myself a competitive advantage in facing the working life through effective communication. I have to say that this expectation have been met through the skills that I picked up in the duration of this course. In fact, this has culminated in landing my first ever job interview with Sembcorp this coming Tuesday! I believe that the knowledge that I have gained on writing job application letters and resume as well as job interview skills play a part in helping to get my resume picked. Furthermore, the expert guidance and pointers from Ms Happy Goh definitely assisted me in building and beefing up my resume. However, I believe more time and effort could be allocated for these components.

On the other hand, I am slightly disappointed that a lot of time was spent in doing the survey and research project because I have done such projects before in other modules and thus I did not really find it particularly useful. However, the interactions in doing the project do help me to communicate more effectively with others. As for blogging, although they are tedious and very much dreaded, I feel that it has actually improved my writing skills and also forced me to think more. It also exposed people like me, who would otherwise not think of blogging, to this form of communication.

Overall I believe that this module has succeeded in making all of us communicate more effectively by simply allowing us to interact with one another. It reminds me of my pre-university days when we know all or at least most of the people in our class instead of the usual university tutorials where people sit, listen and leave without even knowing the person sitting next to them. Hence, it is a great way to finish off my university life by making a whole class of new friends!

Lastly, like I mentioned in my first post, we can never truly finish learning communication skills but I believe I have expanded on my arsenal of communication skills. I am now more able and ready to face the working environment. Watch out, world!

ps. Sorry for the uncharacteristically long post... I saved the best for the last! Haha

"no means yes" - Communication in BGR…

We have learned a lot about communication in the past 3 months and I would like to see how we can apply those skills in boy-girl relationship situations. To put it simply, I’m talking about how you communicate with your boyfriends and girlfriends!

I for one have experienced my share of communication problems with my girlfriend! One of the main issues is the “no means yes” problem. This problem usually arises when a girl wants something but says the opposite of it. For example, girl asked if boy wants to meet her for dinner, and boy said that he had already eaten. Boy then told girl that he can accompany her if she wants him to but there is some hesitation in his tone. Hearing boy’s tone, girl will say that they do not have to meet. Now boy will know from girl’s tone that she is disappointed so he will again offer to meet but she will refuse again. So it goes to and fro and if they ended up not meeting, chances are girl will be angry that boy does not meet her even though she herself said that they do not have to meet.

We can definitely classify this as very poor communication. Firstly, boy should state that he does not really feel like meeting since he has already eaten. Girl should also make her feelings clear that she does actually wants him to accompany her instead of saying the opposite. Of course, the 'right' thing to do is for boy to comply.

Well, it seems easy but I think that most of you will agree with me that it is not so straightforward in a boy-girl relationship. It involves a lot of guessing and deducing what the other party really wants.

So, how do you people feel about this? Please feel free to share any other problems which you think may arise in boy-girl relationships.

my Biodata...

Mohamed Reza Bin Mohd Nasir is a forth year undergraduate in the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and will be graduating with a Bachelors degree in June 2009. The engineering program has equipped him with the necessary engineering knowledge while elective modules taken in other faculties ensure that he has a diverse education in other areas such as business, arts and science.

Reza is a highly motivated, dynamic and aspiring individual with the eagerness to pursue a career as an engineer preferably related to his interest in product design and green technology. On top of that, he has also shown strong leadership qualities during the army as a commander and also as the group leader for the engineering design project which was done in collaboration with Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK). Reza is also known to be very determined and able to work in fast-paced and pressurized working environment while keeping a positive outlook in life. His experiences in teaching and tutoring also provide him with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Apart from academics, Reza has a passionate interest in sports. He is an avid supporter of Manchester United FC and often plays soccer on weekends. He was also an active member of the NJC Hockey team. Out of school, Reza values company with his family and friends as they form an extremely vital part of his life. He also enjoys reading, music and movies.

Of Hats and Pastas... Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

Last year, I went to California in the US of A. The people are very friendly and welcoming, which is a very pleasant experience unlike here in Singapore where we normally do not speak to strangers.

Once, we ate at this Italian restaurant in Santa Monica. (By the way, there are lots of Italian restaurants in the US, Americans love them!) It was nothing fancy, comparable to a Pizza Hut outlet here. I was wearing a cap that day, and as soon as we sat down, this waitress said politely, “Would you like to remove your hat sir, please?”

I obliged even though I was a bit puzzled at this request. Furthermore, my hair was messed up after wearing the cap! My girlfriend laughed at this and our American friend explained that it is considered rude not to remove hats indoors. Removing hats indoors is considered gentlemanly, good manners and part of proper hat etiquette which also includes tipping off your hat when passing by a lady or talking to her. Women can keep their hats on as it is usually cumbersome to remove them as they may be fastened to their hair. The waitress smiled as my friend finished.

I was amazed and realized I do know about this from TV but I never considered that my cap is just another form of hat and thus the same rules apply. However, I am glad that the waitress was very understanding and informed me nicely about it instead of reprimanding me. It was an enlightening experience and I will definitely remove my hat indoors next time!

Critique my (Business Letter) critique…

09 Oct 2007

MOHAMED REZA BIN MOHD NASIR
BLK XXX #XX-XX
WOODLANDS DRIVE XX
SINGAPORE 730XXX

Dear MS MOHAMED REZA BIN MOHD NASIR,

PROPOSAL : XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your life insurance application. We are now processing your application and coverage will commence after the proposal has been accepted.

If you have already paid a premium deposit, the life assured will be covered against death by accident up to the basic sum assured, subject to a maximum of $XXX,XXX.XX from today until the acceptance, rejection or withdrawal of the proposal. This is an interim cover against death by accidents, pending the issue of the policy.

In the meantime, please go through the particulars we have created on our computer record and let us know if any of the details are incorrect.

If you have any enquiries, please contact our Customer Service at telephone 6XXXXXXX or email xxx@income.com.sg.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

(signature)

Tan XXX XXXX
Chief Executive Officer

____________________________________

My Critique…

A glaring error in this letter is the wrong salutation used because I am definitely not a Miss! The subject heading is also not clear although I think that it was meant to be “PROPOSAL: XXXXXXXXX”. A better heading would be “Application for Insurance Proposal: XXXXXXXX” with the words underlined or in bold.

The opening sentence is courteous and informs the reader what the letter is about. However, the writer should at least give a time frame when the proposal will be accepted. As for the main body itself, the information is clear but I feel that the company should check whether I had already paid the premium or not instead of using “If …”

Other than that, the letter is fine as the tone is appropriate and the relevant information has been stated concretely and concisely. The sentence structure and organization of paragraphs makes the letter coherent and cohesive. There is also no error in the language used.

Lastly, the writer suggested the actions to be taken and provided the appropriate contact information and ends off with a thank you. This letter seems to be a template but I feel that the writer should at least make some changes to improve it.

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict: Auntie Anne VS (not so famous) Amos

(Loosely based on a true story)

Auntie Anne has been working as a promoter at Robinson’s for 15 years. Amos just joined the company two months ago and paired with Auntie Anne to promote the same brand. Since day one, Auntie Anne has been very welcoming and helpful towards Amos.

Being a single parent and due to the fact that her only son is away studying in Australia, Auntie Anne naturally adopts a very motherly attitude towards Amos. For example, she would always bring pretzels for him before work. She also became quite protective of him, defending him from the boss when he makes mistakes and covering for him.

Although very thankful for all the kindness, Amos feels uncomfortable with the way Auntie Anne treats him. Behind her back, some of the other promoters teased him about it, calling him ‘Auntie’s Boy’. Amos feels that his reputation with the boss is also affected because of this. He believes that Auntie Anne is hindering his chance to prove himself competently. On top of that, Auntie Anne is always around him and this makes him feel that he does not have the opportunity to mingle and talk to the other promoters, in particular Angela whom he has a crush on.

One day, Auntie Anne overheard Amos talking with Angela about him not wanting to work with his partner. However, Amos clearly does not want to hurt Auntie Anne’s feelings after all that she has done for him.

What do you think Amos should do about his dilemma? What should Auntie Anne do after overhearing the conversation? Lastly, should Angela take any action?

Why developing effective communication skills is important for me…

I believe that communication is a skill which we can never truly finish learning as there are limitless situations that we may encounter in our lifetime. Hence, it is good to learn as much as possible to improve ourselves. As a final year student graduating soon, the main reason for developing effective communication skills is to find a job I want and prepare myself for the working environment.

This is really important for me as my results are not outstanding! Thus, I need all the advantage I can get through non-academic means such as being able to communicate more confidently and effectively than others. My aim is to promote myself in the best way possible and convince people of the full potential that I have to offer through my resume and cover letters which highlight my credentials. For the interview, it would be useful to learn skills in knowing the proper way to act and picking up the body language of the interviewers as well as responding in the proper way.

On top of that, effective communication is also applicable to all aspects of life. For example tricky situations like interacting with your girlfriend’s parents, handling relationships and avoiding conflicts, communicating as a leader and as a follower, as a buyer and as a seller, as a parent to a child. I think that I will be able to enjoy daily interactions more by learning to communicate effectively and help me become a better, more confident and happier person.