My fair reflection on EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

I have never regretted choosing "Professional Communication. Over the course of four months, my perception of effective communication has never changed; in fact, I realise that it is becoming increasingly important

In the verbal aspect of effective communication, I can fairly say that I am a better listener now. I have always dreaded listening to long winded sentences such that I am unable to extract the relevant information effectively. With the in-class practices, I channel my focus on the important points to avoid being distracted from the long conversation. In addition, I strive to be a supportive listener during a conversation. When in doubt, I would rephrase my queries instead of just restating the message conveyed by the other party.

I was surprised that the written aspect of effective communication encompasses a wide array of components. Adhering to the proper format writing letters for various purposes, drafting minutes, proposing a research project and composing an effective resume/curriculum vitae are just some in this list. Together with the periodic blog entries which serve as a common platform for personal sharing, it has improved my writing skills and this is achieved by adhering to the 7Cs techniques. In particular, writing in a concise manner certainly captures the reader’s attention without boring him or her.

To date, I am still not adept when deciphering the non-verbal communication aspect of effective communication like body language. However, as stated in my first post, I believe that effective communication can be polished and mastered over time. With the fundamental knowledge gained in this course, I am confident of making the big leap into the corporate world after graduation.

Muhammad Rauf Bin Razali

Full time undergraduate from the National University of Singapore

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Rauf is currently in his second year of study. He aspires to be a systems engineer with an eye for continuous improvement. This principle is clearly reflected in his academic achievements up to this point in time. Despite obtaining unsatisfactory results in his first year of study, he continued to strive for better results. His ever improving grades following each semester is a testament to his undying work ethic and perseverance.

Rauf is also highly adaptable as demonstrated by his myriad job experiences and involvement in various co-curricular activities during secondary education. He had worked in teaching and administrative sectors, manual as well as despatch jobs, and also in coordinating events. In particular, his teaching experience provides valuable insights on cultivating self confidence and handling social relations with people of various family backgrounds. He was awarded with the Certificate in Teaching Methodology by the University of Oklahoma, which taught him of the most efficient method of imparting knowledge to others. Also, he was active in Malay Cultural club, soccer and National Cadet Corps (Air), which instills in him the importance of time management.

Rauf exhibits passionate interest in team work as he believes that the functionality of the team ultimately depends on the commitment of each member. His involvement in the success of Meridian Junior College’s pioneer batch of soccer team in the national inter-school competition epitomises his belief in cohesive team work. His soccer team managed to clinch the fourth spot despite being the underdogs in the competition.

In summary, he believes that nothing can ever be achieved without labour, upholding the motto

"Nil sine labore"

The 'Class 3' experience

My bittersweet experience to obtain a class 3 driving licence began 6 months ago. After successfully getting a provisional licence, I immediately engaged a private instructor for my car practical lessons.

The instructor was in his late 50s. After a couple of lessons, he began to get impatient with me. He would frequently yell and rant at me for even the slightest mistake I made. However, I always reminded myself that his undesirable conduct were for my own good. In addition, I hold the elders in high regards and always respect them. Is it important that I remain calm even though he gets unreasonable at times?

My practical test was a week ago. After the test, the examiner debriefed me on my driving skills. Even before he revealed my test results, I knew I would fail. Here are some cues that supported my assumption:

• Negative views on my driving skills like “You don’t seem confident. How can I pass you?”
• Shaking of his head every now and then
• Sighing occasionally
• Frowning expression on his face

My hunch turned out to be true . I failed. Although I intended to argue with him on certain issues, I felt that it would be futile. As such, I took his critiques as a tool for me to improve on my driving skills. Would it make any difference to the outcome of my test result if I were to put on a fake smile and flatter him unconditionally?

National Service: The playground for cultural interactions

National service has taught me a valuable lesson in life, and that is to foster intercultural communication. In the Army, I was a commander and led a section of seven men. Conventionally, a group of four commanders would share a bunk. My bunk consisted of an interesting mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian.

As a Muslim, I had to perform my prayers daily in the room. It was nice of them to set aside a small area for my convenience. We also refrained from consuming foods that are restricted in each other's religious beliefs. Abstinence from pork and beef was a must as there were Muslim and Hindu followers in the bunk. At times, my Chinese counterparts would blatantly nudge my head as a form of friendly gesture during a conversation. Even though their actions incurred my wrath, I did not simply blow my top. Instead, I explained to them that it was a taboo to do so in my culture and they respectfully apprehended my belief.

Prior to NS, I confessed that I would mix with cliques of my own ethnic group since we shared the same culture and, more importantly, language. However, Singapore is a host of myriad cultures and it is essential that we get accustomed to the various cultures. National Service had broadened my horizons by exposing me to the various cultures. As a food for thought, we will interact with colleagues of different ethnic backgrounds in our workplace. Thus, it is essential that we raise our awareness on others’ cultures so as not to offend them unknowingly.

IRAS persuasion letter

This letter, dated in 2002, was issued by Inland Revenue of Singapore, IRAS. They are responsible for the handling of citizen's income tax. The main purpose of this letter was to notify the reader on how to use the e-filing system. However, there is also an underlying intent of persuading the reader to switch from paper-filing to e-filing for their income tax return.

Although this letter displays all the relevant information, like letterhead, in the proper section, I find the paragraph organization relatively poor. The sender should dissect the content of the opening paragraph so that it only contains compliments of the recipient to make him feel appreciated. Furthermore, this letter lacks the appropriate closing paragraph. The statement, "Your effort in e-filing is much valued and we hope for continued support from you" could have been included. Since there is an element of persuasion, the sender should personalize the letter by including the name of the recipient in the salutation. Also, there is an unnecessary statement in the first paragraph which can be omitted as indicated by the red line.

Amidst the faults that I observed, I admit this letter clearly explains to the reader of the actions that can be taken by them. The reader can always refer to the URL of the official website or hotline services for assistance. In the last paragraph, I feel that the green underlined statement is impactful. To encourage the reader to switch to e-filing, the sender again reiterates the point that it is easy to use. In addition, the cash prize incentive will also attract the reader to use e-filing.

A malay wedding story: What goes on behind the scene

The local Malay community has a tradition of holding their wedding banquets under HDB void decks. Guests will have an enjoyable experience as they will be pampered with sumptuous food but it is a rush hour for the working staffs.

I have personally gone to numerous such banquets, both as a guest and as a working member of staff. During my cousin's wedding, my friends and I volunteered to assist in kitchen operations. As we were still young and energetic, we were specifically assigned to wash the dishes which was a laborious job. Space was a constraint since we had to share our working area with the cooks, mainly comprising of the older generations. Unfortunately, we had disputes over the arrangement of items in the kitchen area. It was aggravated when the cooks ordered us to help them wash the ingredients. As busy as we were with the dishes, we still had to comply with their demands. The waitresses also added to our burden as they did not follow instructions to place the used cutleries at the designated spot. As a result, we became inefficient in our task. As lethargy sets in, we began to vent our frustrations on one another.

Shouldn't the cooks and waitresses be more considerate towards us? I feel that if all of us were focussed in our roles, none of those disputes would have occured. However, if this situation is inevitable, how then can we keep our emotions in check despite all odds?

Is effective communication essential?

I could not agree more that effective communication plays a vital role in our lives. In the workplace, this is a necessary skill which presents us the opportunity to climb up the hierarchical ladder. In addition, it also preserves harmonious relationships between colleagues and also among family members. In my opinion, this is a particularly valuable skill which can be polished over time.

According to the course book "the science... the workplace" by Chew and Lee, communication does not only involves verbal actions, but also written and non verbal actions (body language). I admit that I do not lack courage in expressing my true feelings on daunting issues. But I personally feel that I lack the sharpness and accuracy in conveying my intentions to others. In most occasions, I would have to repeat myself a couple of times before others get my point. On hindsight too, I mainly focus only on my deliverance but less on my listening skills. Effective communication actually comprises of both a good speaker and an active listener, which I believe dramatically reduces the possibility of information being distorted. Lastly, many ignore the symbolic indication of body gestures. Being a culprit myself, I sometimes do not bother of such gestures during my presentations as I'm more concerned of adhering to time constraints. However, I feel that it is a good gauge of how well the audiences are receiving us. If the purpose of the presentation is to convince about a proposed change, isn’t it extremely important that the audiences direct their full attention to it?

With rampant competitive spirit, I believe that a good communication skill sets one apart from the others in a workplace. In a nutshell, effective communication is a necessary tool which prepares me for the challenges ahead in my career and life.