The Science of Effective Communication

#7 - Final Reflection

2008-11-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this module, my level of understanding for effective communication revolved mainly around intergroup communication. It was a one-sided perspective and I must admit that I wasn’t sure of what I would bring back from this course. However, I am extremely glad to have learnt many valuable and interesting forms of communication through ES2007S.

The most relevant topic that has benefitted me has to be Fostering Intercultural Communication. I will be going on a Student Exchange Programme (SEP) to Hawaii next semester and what I have learnt in this module had made me more aware of the different concepts of time and appropriate ethical behaviour in different countries. An improved level of cultural awareness has even influenced the way I correspond with the staff from the Hawaiian university as we liaise on official documents and housing.

More recently, the classes on Job Search Communication has also taught me the importance of choosing the right job for me. It is extremely crucial to apply for a job that suits your passion and character so as to enjoy working with colleagues. I have acquired essential skills on preparing (eg. Smart dressing, reviewing of possible interview questions) and performing confidently at job interviews. With this, I feel much better equipped to enter the workforce upon graduation.

Finally, the issue of being an effective team player is as pertinent as ever. The group research project enabled me to practice what I have learnt about active listening and non-verbal communication cues. Through this journey, I am thankful for having project mates that are easy to work with, and having an opportunity to make new friends in class with the occasional group discussions. The social interaction provided in this module certainly makes it stand-out from the usual Science modules.

#6 - Biodata

2008-10-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

My name is Lam YingFeng, a 20-year-old undergraduate of the National University of Singapore (NUS). I am currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry (Food Science and Technology).
I enjoy my current field of study and would like to go into the Food & Beverage industry or nutritional advisory sector when I graduate. I am analytical and have a keen eye for details, making me suitable for food safety management.
I have participated actively in various activities in the years of my academic studies. These range from organising events to sports, and even the performing Arts.
In my spare time, I also enjoy socialising with friends but would also appreciate some time alone for reflections. Having a vicarious and optimistic nature, I am often unfazed by setbacks but strive to improve the situation to the best of my ability.

#5 - Reflecting on the Research Project Experience

2008-10-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Through the course of documenting my research project, I realized how the dynamics of a group will determine its success. Interpersonal communication was not much of a problem right from the beginning because my project group comprised of outspoken individuals, and we all found it very easy to relate ideas and suggestions to each other. Being receptive to ideas helped us explore various ways of resolving problems and thus, we rarely found ourselves stuck in dilemmas.

Each of us had different expertises which were applicable and relevant to our research project --- the feasibility of establishing a Bubble Tea stall on campus. For example, the Statistics major took charge of tabulating and analyzing the survey results while the Food Science and Technology major took charge of discussing the medical threats and benefits of Bubble Tea. I feel that this is a very good system as it allows each of us to utilise our knowledge and skills to their maximum potential. We can definitely extend this to our oral presentation, whereby each of us can present on the area of our expertise.

On top of these, I also realized the importance of being a team player. Contributing sound ideas and submitting relevant tasks on time were vital to completion of the report. All it takes is one irresponsible member to hamper the progress of the group and I am very glad to say that we did not experience such an encounter thus far. Having a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of my group mates will allow us to work together more efficiently with one another in the future.

#4 - Fostering Intercultural Communication

2008-09-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

For this blog post, I will touch on the issue of reserving seats in local hawker centres with the use of tissue packets. It is our cultural norm to reserve seats in hawker centres this way despite it being a much contested method, especially since tissue packets are ambiguous in proving ownership.

Last weekend while on a casual lunch with my family, I noticed a group of middle-aged housewives combing the grounds of my neighbourhood hawker centre for seats. Due to the large weekend crowd, it was fairly difficult for a big group to find seats. One of the ladies exclaimed excitedly when she finally found an available table. Upon acknowledgment, two of them whipped out a packet of tissue each and placed one on the table and another on the seat, and signalled to the rest of their clique to proceed to order their lunch. Not long after, a Caucasian lady spotted the same empty table and gladly took a seat to wait for her friend. I could only dread the situation that would arise when the group of housewives return. Before I knew it, they returned with their trays of food only to be outraged by the unexpected ‘guest’ at their table. A horrid confrontation took place, with the poor Caucasian lady being accused of ‘stealing property’. Added miscommunication was inevitable as there was a language barrier between the two parties. Subsequently, the Caucasian lady apologised and left feeling extremely bewildered by the way the housewives justified their seat reservation via tissue packets.

Being a Singaporean, I can only feel sorry for the Caucasian lady and admit that this ‘tissue paper’ practice is impractical and unfathomable. This situation is definitely not going to help Singapore move closer to being a civilised and gracious first-world society. Fortunately, the Caucasian lady was aware that she was on the losing end and backed out of the situation humbly before serious physical/verbal attacks arise. I would not blame ignorance as this practice of using tissue packets for seat reservation is unique only to Singapore and even so, many locals still loathe the fact that it is such a commonly-practiced (uncivilised) act.

#3 - Potential Research Project Topics

2008-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

In this research project, I will be investigating whether the frequency of the internal shuttle buses in NUS affect the punctuality of students, especially during peak hours. This topic will appeal to the staff and student body of NUS because the shuttle buses are part of their welfare benefits and helping students arrive punctually for classes will not only benefit their learning, it will also enable lecturers to start/end their lessons on schedule.

One objective of this report is to make known the fact that many students cite crowded shuttle buses as the main reason for their lateness. Not being able to board the buses prevents them from reaching their destination on time. Another objective is to convince the management that this problem can be alleviated by increasing the frequency of shuttle buses especially during peak hours (10am – 2pm).

An attitudinal survey will be essential so that I can analyse if the regularity of the buses is the main reason for lateness, or whether other factors (e.g. Release time by previous lecturer/tutor, students’ own lack of urgency, extra time spent navigating around the NUS campus) play a bigger role.

Questions asked will include:
1. Are you normally late for classes? If yes, specify how long.
2. Do you think that the frequency of the NUS internal shuttle buses is sufficient?
3. What is your main reason for arriving late for classes?

#2 --- Resolving Interpersonal Conflicts

2008-08-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

The account below tells of the strife between a mother and her teenage daughter:

It is 1a.m. Mrs Lee was about to turn in after waiting 2 hours for her daughter to come home. Just then, Jessica fumbles with her keys and opens the house door in a drunken stupor.

Jessica: Hi mum. You’re still awake?

Mrs Lee: Yes. I was waiting for…

Jessica: [Rattling on] The party I went to was a blast! Allison and the girls want to make a weekend trip to Bali and they invited me along! How cool is that? They’re planning to leave on Friday morning so we can maximize our time there! I shouldn’t be missing much from school except my English Language and Maths classes. I think I should have enough money to pay for the trip myself. May I go pleeeease?

Mrs Lee: No! You’re getting way out of hand! Have you got any idea what day it is today?! It’s a Sunday! You’re back this hour when you have school in the morning tomorrow and now you’re telling me you want to skip school for an overseas holiday??

Jessica: I knew it! I knew you’d react this way! Why can’t you be as cool as Allison’s mum? It’s not like I’m making you pay for the trip…

Mrs Lee: That’s not the point! You’re clearly too drunk to make yourself coherent. Go wash up and sleep early! You still have school tomorrow!

Jessica: Ugh! I hate you!! [Jessica storms into her room and slams the door shut]

Jessica storms out with a duffel bag filled with her clothes, all ready to leave home for good. She grabbed her passport and some cash, stepped out of the main door and never looked back.
Was there a need for Jessica to react this way in return of her mother’s concern? Was there anything that Mrs Lee could have done to prevent her daughter from leaving home?

#1 -- Effective Communication

2008-08-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Effective communication encompasses the ability to articulate one’s thoughts as well as active listening from the other party. People in organizations typically spend over 75% of their time in an interpersonal situation; thus it is no surprise that the cause of many organizational problems is poor communication. Effective communication is an essential component of organizational success, whether it is at the interpersonal, intergroup, intragroup, or external levels.
In the process of conveying a message to another party, it is inevitable that part of its original essence is lost in the transmission. In many situations, the message that is heard is often far different than the one intended. This is especially true in cross-cultural situations where language and accent is an issue but is also evident among people of the same culture. Through this course, one may develop better oral communication skills, learning thought processing and articulation to express him/ herself better.

Furthermore, being a budding scientist, effective communication is vital when doing group experiments in the laboratory. Laboratory protocols with lengthy instructions can sometimes lead to misunderstandings between group members. On top of that, different people have different working habits, ranging from meticulous followers to domineering leaders. Being able to express my thoughts clearly to my laboratory mates and understand their working habits would make the experimental process and post-experiment report writing more efficient.

To sum up, effective communication is paramount to being a successful individual in society. The other factors that contribute to effective communication will be explored further in the coming weeks.