Parting Shots

My days as a student are numbered as the semester draws to a close. There have been ups and downs during my time as an undergraduate; "downs" = my CAP and "ups", almost everything else! This module, Professional Communications ES2007s would be up on my list of favourite modules I ever took in NUS and this statement is not an attempt at getting a better grade! I will explain myself....

In December last year, I chanced upon an email regarding this module and looked through the prerequisites and objectives. NO EXAM were the two words that stood out and for a good five minute, everything else on the website was a blur.

My thoughts on each task:
- Resume and cover letter writing: "Easy! My resume is up and running. Probably not much work to do for this!"
- Write a Blog: "ok great, now this gives me a reason to start writing a blog I said I would but never did. Good stuff!"
- Project and Presentations: "I've been through so many, piece of cake!"

So I registered for the module without foreseeing what I got myself into. I reasoned that my decent command of English should pull me through this module. I was wrong. You see, being proficient in a language will be of little use if I cannot put my ideas across! Upon submissions of resume, application letter and report drafts, I soon found out that I lacked the ability to comfortably and efficiently make people understand more about what I do and what I want to say.

Anybody could search the internet for "how to write a good resume/cover letter/report, speak in public etc" but this module takes it a step further through having your peers critique your resume as well as making us participate in presentations. Heck, I would never ever have videotaped myself giving a public speech!

I had a fruitful final semester and my classmates and tutor sure played a big part in putting some fun amidst the learning.

When small talk is a BIG issue..

Possessing good professional communication skills allows us to present our ideas to others clearly and would put you in good stead in most of your daily activities. However, your brilliant presentation or resume writing skills does not prepare you for the most basic and often overlooked aspect of communication; the dreaded small talk.

Have you ever found yourself bumping into an acquaintance that you barely know and not knowing what to talk about? I do, almost every day in fact and I am constantly amused at the questions I ask in my attempts at small talk.

Scenario 1: Just last week. I bumped into a ‘hi-bye’ course mate while walking to class. Hoping to start a conversation, I asked him is: “Hey man, going for class?”

“Where else could he have been going? I should really stop asking questions which I already have the answer for!” I thought to myself.

I used to be uncomfortable with such situations however, an article I read made me realise the importance of small talk. A mindless statement regarding the weather breaks the ice, allowing each person to feel the other person out before taking a conversation further. It also provides time to get over the initial apprehension of meeting someone for the first time.

There are occasions which I still dread and I am hoping the reader can help me out with the following scenario:

You are walking to the bus-stop when you spot an acquaintance you are not really fond of waiting for the only bus service available. Do you…..

a) look around for a taxi?
b) have thoughts of walking to your destination even if it might take you half a day
c) start thinking of topics for the inevitable small talk?

If your answer is C, what are the possible ways or conversations to make the bus ride a more pleasant one?

Biodata

Lin Hanrong is a Final Year Student from the National University of Singapore majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After almost four years of mastering engineering principles, he has become more adept at trouble-shooting problems under time constraints and has also acquired skills such as 3-D modeling and numerical analysis. Through various projects, he has also proved to be an efficient worker who consistently adheres to deadlines. His commitment to be a team-player is also reflected in his punctuality and high level of contributions. However, Hanrong shows that he is also able to step up to lead others when opportunities arise by taking up the post of chairperson of his hostel band. Comprising of 30 members, he led them to win numerous nation-wide competitions during his term.

Personality wise, he is a great listener with advice worth more than a mere 2 cents to the willing ear. Holding a part-time job while meeting the expectations of being an undergraduate demonstrates his exceptional ability to manage time. Focused and goal-driven during work, Hanrong tends to be able to lighten tense moments with his witty one-liners. Family and close friends rank top amongst his most treasured assets and are very much responsible for enabling him to be the person he is today.

Très Très Annoying

Probably one of my first ever encounters of intercultural conflict occurred when I was 18 while working as a waiter at Indochine Wisma Atria. Due to its prominent location in bustling Orchard Road and the alfresco setting amidst the unforgiving Singapore weather, the bar regularly sees a steady stream of beer and sun loving tourists dropping by for a pint of ice cold beer. I had the utmost displeasure of serving a particular frenchman one evening.

"Can I have your order, sir?", I asked.

"One Carlsberg.", he replied curtly.

"Certainly", I replied and turned towards the bar to collect his drink, sighing as I thought about the long night ahead.

Soon, I returned with the beer and presented the bill to him and he flew into a rage.

"Singapore is very rude, in France we get bill only when we finish our drink! Here, everywhere I go to drink, I get bill straight!", he yelled in his attempt at the English language.

Taken aback, I took a deep breath and explained to the irate customer that it was common practice in local bars for non-dining customers to pay for their drinks upon receiving them. Without drinking a single drop, he slammed a $50 bill on the table and walked away leaving a trail of expletives in a mix of French and English. By this time, the change from the $50 was not enough to erase the stares from everyone in the premises.

My manager advised me that occurances like this, even though uncommon, was not rare. Different cultures have different expectations. The Europeans tend to be sensitive to perceived 'impatience'. My guess is that they bring their day-long coffee drinking culture wherever they travel. The fast-paced life in metropolitan Singapore could be a little hectic for them and the last thing they want is to be rushed to pay up for their drink which they have not even enjoyed.

From then on, I took extra caution and effort to identify different cultures and levels of hostility. The problem was solved by asking customers if they would like to settle the bill immediately or later. Even though the majority of patrons are warm and accomodating, there are always the not-so-friendly ones and it takes a keen eye and a bad experience to identify one.

Business Letter Critique

Dear LIN HANRONG

INSURED: LIN HANRONG

GIRO APPLICATION – REJECTED BY BANK

Thank you for your recent application for premium deduction through AIA POSB GIRO.

Kindly note that the Bank has since informed us of the rejection of your Giro application on account of the following reason(s):

SIGNATURE OF DEPOSITOR DIFFERS FROM BANK RECORDS

For your reference, the rejected Form returned to us by the Bank is attached.

Kindly complete and submit the enclosed new Giro application form to us for processing. Please incorporate the appropriate changes to ensure successful approval of the new application.

We wish to advice that it normally takes two months to secure the Bank’s approval of a Giro application. As such, in order to ensure continued coverage, kindly advance premium payment (inclusive of GST), where necessary, to cover this interim period.

Please feel free to contact your servicing agent or our Customer Care Executive at Tel: 1800-xxx-xxxxx should you require any assistance.

We are glad to be of service to you.

As this is a computer generated letter, no signature is required.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I received the above letter informing me of a problem with my Giro application. This blog post shall analyze and critique this letter based on the 7Cs in writing as well as the principals of business correspondence.

The letter started off politely with proper salutation and a word of thanks. By using ‘you’ and ‘your’, the company shows an understanding for the customer. COURTESY pleases the reader and is likely to ensure prompt action. CORRECTNESS is important as it shows that the company takes the trouble to be meticulous through use of formal English and lack of grammatical errors. This reflects the company’s professionalism and seriousness. The letter also displayed CLARITY by including all the facts and CONCISENESS by not beating around the bush. At a glance, the reader understands the problem he faces and the necessary action to undertake. Next, transitional phrases, for example, “as such…” ensure that the letter is COHERENT and COHESIVE. Also, to prevent the reader from blaming them for a possible slow response, the letter was made CONCRETE by stating that “it normally takes two months…” This way, the reader knows when to expect a response. For COMPLETENESS, the writer offered assistance including the phone number for the Customer Care Executive. Not only will this make the reader feel important, he is also assured that help is only a call away.

However, this letter also seems to lack a personal touch. Printing the reader’s name in block letters seems a little rude in my opinion. There was also a lack of complimentary closing to indicate the sender of the letter, merely stating that it is a computer generated letter. These particularly do not help to make the reader feel special.

In conclusion, apart from writing with the 7Cs in mind, it is also necessary to proofread and edit the letter as even minor mistakes like misspelling can diminish the letter’s credibility.

Resolving Interpersonal Conflicts

Described in this post is the hypothetical scenario in which a local rock band falls out and jeopardises their dreams of rock stardom due to conflicting work ethics.

The cast:
Gitaro Hiro – Newest member, extremely talented guitarist
Ivana Bang – Drummer
John Low – Bass guitarist, leader of the band
Juswanto Singh – Vocalist

The future was looking bright for local aspiring rock band Fell-Out Boys, having just landed an audition for a weekly gig at the Singapore’s most prestigious club, the Ministry of Noise. The band has 2 weeks to practice for the audition and enthusiasm was at a peak. However, as the flurry of practices passed, things started to take a turn for the worse.

After a rather dismal practice session one night, Ivana and John shared a cab home and the following conversation was exchanged.

John: Gitaro is starting to get on my nerves. He's always late for practice and his cocky attitude irks me! I know that he’s among Singapore’s top guitarists but he is not a team player, always showing off!!

Ivana: You should speak to him. You're the bandleader, not Gitaro. Tell him your concerns and I'm pretty sure he will change.

John: It's not like I haven't tried! His arrogance has clogged up his ears!

Meanwhile, Gitaro and Juswanto were on the west-bound train, heading towards their respective homes.

Juswanto: Gitaro, I've observed that John doesn't seem too happy with you. The both of you haven't really been speaking to each other since the last practice. Is anything the matter?

Gitaro: John is such a nag! I know I might be late for practices but come on, the songs you guys play are ridiculously easy that it's almost a waste of my time coming for practice. You guys should be thankful that I am willing to play for your band.

Juswanto: Oh no, more band politics!? I am going to stay out of this! Why is it so hard to accommodate each other, for god's sake, it's only music. I only just want to sing!!

Two days before the audition, John received an SMS from Gitaro. “I’m out of this, good luck to you and your crappy band.” John was at a loss while the rest of the band remained speechless. Please help Fell-Out Boys realise their dreams by posting any comments on what John and his guys should do to resolve this conflict.

For the first time....

It has been a good decade or so lying in internet obscurity, freeloading off the vast amount of information online and silently reeling/rejoicing at the content of certain weblogs. Much time has also been spent fervently trying to evade the long arms of the Recording Industry Association, as some would know that my forages in music piracy will make Capt. Jack Sparrow a really small…..sparrow. It was great times; hiding behind the anonymity of the monitor, browsing through the internet with more of what other people can offer me, never vice-versa. Until now.

Alright, so I am finally blogging. Why now? Why me? “Now”, because this module I am taking - ES2007s - dictates that I do so. “Me”, because I made the choice to take this module to be more comprehensible to those whom I communicate with.

Communication is a skill which I believe isn’t born within anyone. A newborn baby cries when he’s hungry, cries when he’s in pain, cries when he wakes up, cries anything except tears of joy I suppose. I have never seen a newborn making a spoon-to-mouth gesture when hungry in my life. Therefore I concur, that communication, verbal or not, is only a skill we pick up along life’s journey. A new journey awaits me in life as I leave the boring pasty facades of the Engineering faculty to the even more depressing concrete jungle. I need to make myself heard, or more importantly, understood. In these bad times, we face stiff competition for jobs. Acing an interview is also another motivation for me to listen attentively during ES2007s tutorials. Haha.

Thus, this concludes my first ever worthy contribution to the Internet. I have always thought most blogs were like cringe-worthy advertisements of one’s personal life. However, lying outside my tunnel vision are blogs which do make a difference to the world and the way others live their lives. These blogs communicate and speak to us. Can hanrongisreallyblogging.blogspot.com be one of them? Is the world ready for my views or will I be receptive to the comments I receive? I wait in eager anticipation. Till the next big one…

Hanrong