Final Reflection

To start off, I would like to share my motivation for taking this module. Well, just some inside info about myself. I play golf=) I think it is a damn challenging activity but that is not what I want to say. Playing golf has allowed me to have interactions with many much older and much more experienced people many of whom have already done their part for society and has retired. And being such a “young” chap relatively, I always end up listening to them talk about their past experiences. There are quite a few things that I manage to take away from them even before this module and I would like to share some of them with you’ll in this blog. Though all of it may not be new but well, no harm sharing them again right? Anyway they are,

1. One MUST learn to ask the right questions
2. To climb up, EQ >IQ is a MUST
3. No use having a good idea if you can’t CONVEY it to others
4. First impression counts… A LOT! But please back it up with substance

Sounds familiar? Of course they do after all the research we have gone through to write our reports and presentations. The things that ES2007S impart us are something that has been proven to be an essential ingredient in order to be successful and this is the very reason why I chose to take this module. I was hoping that after taking this module I can improve on my communicative skills and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed though it might just be a small improvement.
Notice that all aspects of ES2007S cover all these area.

1. Asking the right questions—never ending Q&A sessions, commenting on blog posts of others, peer review etc.

2. EQ>IQ – understanding culture, building interpersonal communication, understanding non verbal communication, effective listening etc

3. No use having a good idea if you can’t CONVEY it to others – Presentation skills, proposal writing skills, peer teaching, etc

4. First impression counts… A LOT! But please back it up with substance – Resume writing, non verbal communication, interview techniques, researching on information (for the latter) etc.

This module is indeed trying it’s very best to squeeze as much information into us as possible not to mention allowing us to have as much practice as possible as well. Saying all that much actually made me guilty because, honestly speaking due to my other commitments I couldn’t put in as much effort as I would have like to. However I did try my best for some of the more immediate needs like resume writing etc. And I am proud to say that my resume now looks so much better than that piece of trash that I wrote a few months back.

Some of the more interesting experience I had was to do the peer teaching using a “show and tell” method and also the in-tray assessment a few day back. For the “show and tell”, I guess all of you’ll have done a straight forward “stand in front of audience” presentation before right? The “show and tell” is a TOTALLY different thing and I think without ample practice, it’ll be very hard to pull it off, which was what happened to me. I realize that is was actually not easy to engage an audience while trying to demonstrate something at the same time. I ended up staring and talking to the computer screen more than trying to speak to the audience. This is something which needed careful planning as well as a lot of team coordination and practice. If you ever have to do such a presentation, please do not belittle it! Do run through it a few times before the actual.

As for the in-tray assessment, it was my first ever experience and I did made an effort. Basically one has to think very quickly on the spot and I think this comes with experience and I would like to thank Ms Lim for giving me this chance to experience what this is like. =)

Well last but not least, I guess this is something that which I find is the most important thing I have learnt during this 1 semester. I think most of you’ll do notice Ms Lim’s extremely keen observation for details, which to me is rather scary. Just to share, during my in-tray assessment debrief, she mentioned that I was the one sitting in the middle of weixi and madhu. Does anyone see anything wrong with this? If not, do take note especially for guys! Since madhu was the only girl, as a gentleman I should have offered her the “centre stage”. Interviewers WILL notice and note this as a lack of people skills!! WOW! That really slapped me. All I can say is… Ms Lim, Thank you. Your attention to detail REALLY awakened me. I will bring that away with me when I step into the work force!

Oh one more thing, this module should be barred from year 4 final sem students doing their FYPs unless they have only 1 module to clear because the load is too much! (if you have 4 mods like me please stay clear!) And I would recommend anyone to be at most 2 sems away from graduating to take this module if not that person would just find this course a hassle and rather pointless as they would not be able to fully appreciate it =)

Just a personal thought.

Thank you for reading!

Oral presentation reflection

Well, I think our group’s presentation wasn’t so bad. However as compared to the other two teams that presented on the same day, all I can say is they did an excellent job!!

As a team, we discussed and rehearsed the presentation a day before and we did try to make our presentation short sweet. I am definitely sure that more work can be done to improve on. First of all I would think that our slides are still to wordy despite our attempts to shorten everything. I have forgot who the person was but someone once told me that if you can replace you words with pictures or figures, than DO IT! Studies have shown that meaningful picture and figure have a more lasting impression on audiences than words itself (with reference to presentation slide). With that said, to come up with a really powerful power point slide is really not that easy. Just to share a presentation experience that I have last year. It was an engineering module however the emphasis was on conceptualization, marketing and presentation. Our team of 8 did very well for the presentation eventually earning ourselves an A+ for the module. But what I want to emphasize is the amount of effort we put into the presentation. Our team took 1 month to prepare for it. Even though there were only 2 speakers (we felt the changing of speakers would disrupt the flow) all of us would sit down together to run over the slides and presentation again and again and again, constantly making changes to every sentence being said. We had a very clear goal – TO PRESENT AND SELL OUR IDEAS AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE. And I think this is what all presentation should be about.
Well having said that, i think with the amount of time we had and considering our group has 2 final year student I think our presentation was good enough as we did manage to present what we wanted our audience to know. =) Probably I should take this opportunity to thank Gerard for being such an understanding and wonderful team-mate. Without him I think our presentation would be disastrous as both Weixi and I have FYP CA4 presentation the following day. Phew!! Thank god it’s over!
On a personal level, I did felt nervous at the start and I attribute that to the lack of preparation. Lack of preparation can be devastating to a presentation as it will bring about nervousness and along with it will come a lack of confidence. My insurance agent once told me (haha yes I have insurance) “one can never be persuasive without confidence! To sell something you HAVE to believe in your product as well as yourself.” Personally I think that would be the best case scenario however, it is not all the time that you can be confident in your product as such; you have to portray that image and to do so… PRACTICE!
Well just to sum up, I think I think our team did a good job considering the time and workload! However,
1. More research can be done to “make” ourselves have more “faith” in our product.
2. Confidence is the key to being a persuasive speaker.
3. All there is to a good presentation is to be AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE with whatever means you can think of.
4. Lastly, if Steve Jobs and so many other fantastic presentation speakers out there say that practice is must, then all the more we, the less experienced, should do it.
Thank you for reading!

If we have to list a cultural group in Asia that is especially particular about food, I would say Japan is definitely top of the list. Every minute detail about authentic Japanese food would not be overlooked as such we can see the efforts reflect in the pricing as well. However, the way people view pricing of Japanese food is very different (this is not my main topic of this blog).

In Singapore, if we were to pay high amounts for a plate of sushi, we would be expecting the chef to give us something that we would like to put into our mouth, regardless of what is needed.

“Hey waiter can I have more wasabi/soya sauce/ginger slices/ pickles etc please”

I bet you would hear this phrase quite often, right? However on the contrary, you would seldom hear this request in Japan, especially in restaurants as I have found out during my visit to Japan mid last year.

If you were to pay 4000yen for a plate of sushi, it would be because the chef feels that this is the rightful amount that you should pay in order to have a taste of this wonderful delicacy that he has create. The worst thing that you can do is to use the phrase as mentioned earlier.

I was in this Sushi ten along Tsukiji fish market mid last year. Personally I love eating sushi; however I would say my love for sushi is in a Singaporean manner. I love to eat my sushi with a heavy dose of wasabi and some slices of pickled ginger. What surprise me was there was no familiar wasabi container sitting on the table. There was only shoyu and chopsticks available.

I then asked

“Sumimasen, wasabi wa arimasu ka?” (excuse me, do you have wasabi?)

Almost instantly, the chef’s face changed. His puzzled facial expression showed a hint of anguish and that made me felt very uncomfortable. He then looked towards his colleague and said something which I couldn’t quite make out. To my horror, his colleague, after hearing what the chef had said, had the same anguished puzzled expression on his face!

The chef did not look willing, but he still got me a small dish of wasabi. He was very polite when he passed the dish to me and prompted me to enjoy my food. Still I could not help but to wonder why he had that strange look on his face.

Subsequently I took up a Japanese module when school reopened –“Introduction to Japanese studies”. I got to know one Japanese friend during the module. It was only after conversing with him about the incident that I realize that, requesting the chef to make “changes” to this food or in my case, I requested to add more wasabi, is suggesting that his culinary skills are not up to my expectation. Apparently the chef was offended in some way but probably because I’m not local, he still went on and provided the dish of wasabi in a polite manner.

Well, I believe that how a person handles inter-cultural difference is a very important aspect especially in this culturally diversified world. What I would suggest is if ever you know you are going to meet someone from another country or cultural group, please do some background studies first to avoid situations like mine. It could be a potential loss of business!

My Application Letter

The Local On-the-Job Training (LOT) Programme is one of the programmes under Preparing for the Upturn (PREP-UP), an initiative by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) during the downturn to help build up science, engineering and technical capabilities in areas critical for Singapore’s manufacturing and international services sectors. The EDB, in conjunction with Dell Global B.V. (Singapore Branch), is offering 24 training places for aspiring engineers/professionals in the Technology industry. As a US-based company with a global infrastructure and team, Dell is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their Information Technology and Internet infrastructures. Under this programme, trainees will undergo 24 months of local attachment and training at Dell Global B.V. (Singapore Branch). The training is scheduled to commence in October 2009. Trainees will be paid a training grant for the duration of the training and will be required to serve employment in Dell Global B.V. (Singapore Branch), its subsidiaries or in other Singapore-based companies for 1 year upon completion of the training. We are looking for energetic and dynamic individuals who want a challenging career in the Technology industry to fill the following positions:

10.Global Operations Engineer (09000AKR)

· Degree in Engineering in any discipline, preferably Electrical & Electronics or Mechanical

Engineering

Pre-requisites for all positions:

Good communication, interpersonal and leadership skills

Independent, resourceful and keen to learn

Possess ‘hands-on’ approach towards work

Singaporeans or Permanent Residents of Singapore

Only fresh graduates should apply

Job description:

As a member of the Global Operations Fulfillment Team, the individual will be responsible for leading high profile project initiatives. Critical success factors include: Worldwide cross-functional team leadership skills, proven project management experience, business case development, strategic operations plans and strategies, effective presentation and communication skills. The individual must be a self starter with strong interpersonal skills, ability to deal with ambiguity, and exhibit initiative & ability to drive for results. As Program Manager for Worldwide supply chain initiatives the individual will: Assume ownership of all aspects of project. Define comprehensive scope of project (objectives, deliverables, timeline, business requirements, etc) Develop and manage detailed project milestones & schedule Manage program risks and issues and drive issues to closure Anticipate and adjust for roadblocks Capable of developing and assessing Business Case for program Possess and exhibit strong presentation skills Track and effectively communicates project status Strong understanding of Supply Chain, IT systems, factory processes and operations Understands entire Dell fulfillment process: from supplier to the fulfillment center to the customer, including the incoming transportation of materials on the front end; understands delivery and transportation models, and fulfillment of products or parts Understands the differences in fulfillment methods / models across regions, including key areas requiring additional or exceptional processes that add cost, cycle time, or impact. Ability to assimilate and translate product plans, roadmaps into Operational requirements, capabilities, and project plans

Blk Z, #01-01
20 happy palace,
Singapore 666666

6th February 2010

Human Resource Manager,
11 xx street,
xx company #B2-14,
Singapore 123456

Dear Mr Tan

Global Operations Engineer Trainee

I am interested in applying for the position Global Operations Engineer Trainee that was listed in the EDB website, under the LOT program posted on 17^th December 2009.

I believe I hold what it takes to become a valuable asset to your company. Having the chance to hold leadership roles as the captain of a faculty sports team and a NCO in a uniform group has allowed me to develop effective management and organizational skills over the last few years. Accompanied by strong interpersonal skills cultivated through my years of service in the F&B industry, I trust that my skills are what are required of to make an effective global operations engineer.

During my university days, I have demonstrated my capability as a strong presenter and speaker having earned praises from examiners and colleagues during project presentations. Scoring distinctions in most group oriented project modules has also proven my ability to excel in a team environment. Achieving consistent grades throughout my course of study further shows my ability to thrive under deadline driven environment resulting from commitments to other modules as well as school activities.

In review of your company's objectives, I believe that my experiences are in line with your current needs. If your company is looking for a dependable, results-oriented professional with a consistent performance track, I would be interested in speaking with you to discuss the value that my strengths can bring to your company. I can be reached in confidence at one of the above telephone numbers and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Faithfully,

Chua Jia En Alex

My mom, her handphone and ME =)

Hi people,

It is a real coincidence that this week’s topic is on interpersonal conflict as just the day before, I had a small unnecessary argument with my mom! So once again I shall talk about my life story AGAIN..

*All—BORING!!

Even so please read and comment ok?

Anyway, I just bought my mom a new phone from M1 a month back and yesterday she was going to make a trip up north to JB to visit my grandmother. The problem was she did not know what number to dial as she was previously a subscriber of Singtel and their IDD number was 018, whereas M1’s IDD is 021.

So the day before, she came to me while I was reading ES2007S notes *winks to Ms Lim* and asked me how to make the calls to Malaysia if she was at the custom.

So here comes the misunderstanding which leads to my small conflict.

What she actually meant was:

How to call a JB registered cell-phone number when she is still at the Singapore’s custom?

However my interpretation was:

How to call a JB registered cell-phone number when she is at the Malaysia’s custom?

My answer to her question was “just dial the cell-phone number lar, so easy also dunno!” (This is because she has auto roaming so she will be on Malaysia’s network by the time she at the Malaysia customs)

She then replied with an agitated tone “Since when do you dial the number directly?! When I was with Singtel I dial 0186! And why are you so rude? If you don’t know the answer don’t act like you know! What I want to know is how to call your aunty’s house when I’m at the custom? ”

Then I got agitated. Does she want fixline or cellphone? In anycase you’ll still dial directly because she will be on the Malaysia’s network by then. Then the argument started.

Throughout the whole process of teaching her how to call that *&^% JB cell number, which by the way last 45 minutes, her question kept changing and she never stop yelling at me. I was always in a state of confusion and frustration. Questions that kept coming to my head was

“What the hell does she not understand?”

“What does she want to know?”

Thank goodness for me, my mom is easily pleased with the help of my father. Once I made the phone call, she smiled and knocked my head with her knuckles.

How would you have handled the situation? Could I have done something different to avoid this conflict? Lastly I believe both my mom and I are in the wrong but who is “more” wrong or do you beg to differ?

Feel free to tell me what you’ll think about this stupid unnecessary conflict. See you’ll in class =)

Post #1: why ES2007S

Communication is the one thing that I firmly believe holds the key to success. Unfortunately language has never been my forte through my years of study. It is frustrating to see how others can present the same ideas so much better than I do when doing presentations. It make me wonder why others can pen down the same ideas much more clearly with less words, convey the same message with less effort and I can’t. There was a certain point in my life that I felt that it was because my vocabulary was limited and I lack the words to represent my ideas that made me less comprehensible by others. It was only until a started to read articles and transcripts made by famous people, in fact, leaders like ex CEO of Microsoft (china), Steve Jobs etc that I begin to think- They are not using bombastic words as well! Yet they are able to present ideas to audience in a simple yet understandable fashion. It was then that I realize that there are more to communication than just talking.

Well, I did try to brush up on my communication skills after which, however I still feel that there are a lot of times that better communication can be made between me and the other party. There are still times when there was sudden awkward silences, times when questions was not answered, times when I feel that the other party simply just doesn’t understand what in the world am I trying to tell him/her. This is why I feel that ES2007S in a module that can help me have a better understanding of what really is going on behind the ART of communication.

Looking through the various topics, things that will be covered are extremely useful, especially in the working environment today where there is almost no individual work involve. I’m from engineering faculty and I know very well that when I go out there I will have to work with engineers, marketing, everyone from everywhere, not just Electrical engineers. I feel that this where all this skills which we are about to learn will come in handy. Skills like oral presentation, questioning techniques, listening techniques, all this will come in handy. Not to mention how to perform during interviews and also how to get that interview by writing a convincing cover and resume. These are all important aspects that I will be facing very soon.

I hope that by the end of this module, the class will be more confident in their communication POWER and in the future we can all walk to our superiors saying“ Hey, presentation? No prob I’ll do it.” =)

TEST TEST

Hi all this is just a testing post for the blog hehe. Enjoyed my first lesson today hope to get a chance to work with all of you'll. Let's have a great SEM together ya!! See you'll around!!