Final Reflections

I have to admit that this course is rather unique and somehow more effective than other english modules i have come across. I have definitely learn more in this module than i have ever learnt in my my other modules!

Firstly, its the way Brad makes us evaluate ourselves as well as our peers. It forces us to critique our peers and at the same time take a look at ourselves and improve on ourselves as well. Its not a spoon feeding technique at all and it forces us to learn and adapt ourselves. The tios given during class by brad are also very interesting and makes us want to pay attention. Brad has this way of teaching that keeps us focused and on task. I have to say the best part of this module was everything as I have learnt so much from it! All the important aspects like interview, presentation, application letter etc are things we will need to use in the future and brad's way of making us learn them is effective.

I honestly think to make the stduent involved will make the student learn more and faster. Like the old saying goes, If you give the boy a fish he would not know how to feed himself in the future but if you teach gim how to fish, he will definitely be able to feed himself as well as others in the future. I am sure I will be abale to impart my knowledge to my peers and my students next time as well. I have to admit the workload for this module was not what i expected and i fund it hard to keep up! But i guess i managed to and the best part about this module was that i learnt that despite being put down and critique my a team mate, you should never get emotional and hit back. Let people bite you but you dont bite them. There are much more better and subtle ways of doing so but letting your emotions get to you will only makethe situation worse.

Thus I feel this module has given me life long skills that I will defintely use in the future and i would like to thank bard for his hard work and patience in making sure of this! Cheers to brad and everyone from class! Wish you guys all the best! =)

Reflections

I would like to amend my previous post as it was rather emotionally driven and its not something that we should all practise especially when we are referring to effective communication as part of effective communication also means to put yourself in another person's shoes and try to understand the other person first before writing or saying anything. For this I would like to chnage my post on my reflection for the oral presentation. My deepest apologies to everyone who have been upset and affected by it. It was not done intentionally.

I have to admit that thw whole experience of the project was very hectic and it felt like a race against time for all of us. This was because we were trying to juggle it with other datelines as well such as the dreaded final yr project and Europs (if thats spelt correctly! sorry Jiv!) etc. But i think everyone deserved a pat on the back as we really tried our very best at research and creating the slides to the best of our ability. The topic itself required a lot of interviews and it didnt really go so well cause we often received no replies to our email requesting for interviews. But luckily we had family freinds in the medicine field who could help us get the information we need.

I am really amazed at how well my group mates can juggle their responsibilities with the amount of work our project required as it was rather deemanding and not something we actually expected. Therefore it was a mad rish for us but all were determined to make it work and we slugged hard for it. I am thankful we had Jiv as a leader as she was the one that kept us focused and gave us direction. She also had a great network of friends who could help us when we needed to make the brochure or the website etc.

I also awed by ji lu's performace during the presentation cause the night before he didnt seem so confident and kept reading from the script. But on the day of the presentation when he stood up and started speaking, he did his part with so much confidence and certainty that i was really impressed.

I didnt do so well cause i was nervous and therefore kept stammering and repeating my points. It was allso my first attempt at not looking at a script while presenting so that too made me really nervous. I think thats why i may have said some of my group mate's lines too (eeks!) but i am not sure if i did... but the mistake was probably made due to my nervousness and the fact that everyone's eyes were just focused on you during the presentation. But as part of my effort to become a better presenter i knew i had to do it and i did. I think overall the team did real good and i m proud of everyone....Ji Lu and Jiv!! Well done pple!!! Hope to see u guys again! Take care and it was wonderful working with ya!

Team Jitterbugs - Introduction

INTRODUCTION

As part of NUS (National University of Singapore) efforts to be one of the world’s leading universities, the newly formed NUSEU (National University of Singapore Excellence Unit) aims to encourage student participation in identifying communication needs in certain industries/workplaces. After identifying the communication needs, a written proposal of 6-8 pages has to be created explaining, in the form of a proposed course of study, supplement to existing modules and/or other recommendations, how the identified needs could best be served. It is required that the written proposal also discusses the benefits and possible challenges of the proposed changes for all stakeholders, including graduating students. All this is to help improve communication in the proposed workplace or industry mentioned in the proposal. In line of this mandate given to us, we have accepted to write this proposal based on the medical/healthcare industry as it is a highly lucrative and advanced sector.

As part of Singapore’s efforts to establish itself as a global brand of reliability and excellent service, there has been a recent shift towards a more service-centered economy fuelled by various improvements in different service sectors. One of the service sectors that have seen much and continuous revamps is the medical sector. Several changes to the curriculum and the recent establishment of a new graduate medical school, DUKE-NUS, have seen the medical sector gearing up to provide the best and most advanced services the world has to offer. To attract and build its positioning as such, much effort has been made towards patient care and the education of doctors and nurses in providing the best that our medical sector has to offer. As what Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore said in The Straits Times, 2008, “ Doctors and nurses act as the bridge in associating quality healthcare with advanced technology and research in medicine to patients. Without them, patients will never be able to benefit and Singapore will not be able to attract those who wish for quality healthcare and use the medical sector as an engine for economic growth”. Thus Nanyang Technological University announced in 2009 that it would be building a new medical school to help cater to the demands for a more sophisticated and capable medical workforce.

BACKGROUND

Surveys and studies conducted have proven that effective communication between doctors is essential in delivering quality healthcare to patients. Communication is integrates every aspect of healthcare, facilitates the running of the healthcare institute and ensures the quality of healthcare given to patients. However there is much work needed in tackling effective communication between the doctors and nurses as shown by the survey conducted by several medicine schools and departments across the world. One such survey is the one done by the medical and nursing administration at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Western Australia. The survey showed that there are difficulties that exist in doctor and nurse communication and this was perceived even by impartial observers and patients alike. Such communication problems can prove costly as it can lead to the confusion of roles and duties generated in the interaction between doctors and nurses as well as in the management of the patient. In a recent review about the National University Hospital of Singapore, the communication problem was addressed and the repercussions indicated as such - that “the lack of communication existing between doctors and nurses will adversely affect patient outcomes by hindering prompt responses and appropriate treatment” (reference) Communication is therefore a vital art of medical practice and a number of surveys show that there are areas that communication still needs to be improved in the medical sector. Communication problems have been the same for over twenty years and no improvements or changes have occurred to the way communication occurs in Singapore hospitals here. There have been a couple of cases as well whereby patients have complained that they have not been fully informed about their condition even after seeing the doctor (this was verified in an interview done with a nurse who has been working at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for a couple of years) and in order to improve this aspect of doctor’s service, doctors and nurses have to collaborate effectively and efficiently.

According to surveys that have been done with nurses, doctors need to understand what the nurses task is and the difficulties they face in their profession when trying to meet the demands of the doctors. There has been overpowering claims (REFERENCE)

that doctors tend to treat nurses as subordinates and ‘slaves’. This can lead to sources of conflict. Usually doctors are considered the more omnipotent ones compared to nurses due to their education levels while nurses have been seen as the deferent ones with the expectation of simply fulfilling orders rather than assume a more autonomous role (National Centre of Continuing Education, USA, 2010). This can contribute greatly to the lack of mutual respect of nurses by doctors. It has been verified in interviews conducted and secondary sources that doctors usually expect to be completely in control of the healthcare situation of the patient and insist on nurses following their orders in detail and reverence. Failure to comply can lead to verbal abuse by doctors on nurses. There has been feedback given by nurses here in Singapore that they fear their doctors as sometimes, “doctors may shout at us.” One nurse even gave her account of how afraid she was of the doctor she was assisting that she almost wet her pants one time when sitting next to him. Such a relationship is unhealthy and demeaning as the doctor-nurse relationship is meant to be that of a team that collaborate together so that effective patient care can occur.
Other factors that have led to communication problems between doctors and nurses is the lack of understanding on each profession’s goals and functions.This can lead to problems when they are working together for the well-being of the patient as it can lead to differing views in deciding the weightage of patients’ problems (Medical review Board, USA, 2010).

Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour

Being in an intercultural society like Singapore, there are bound to be differences in intercultural language, communication and behaviour. No doubt that culture is tied very much to people's behaviour, sometimes living in a society as diverse as Singapore can have its 'side effects'.

I remembered this one time when I had to go for an Indian funeral (North Indian) and I thought the dress code was only white and you had to give a packet of money as act of condolence. So i 'stupidly' went to prepare an envelope in white, wrote my friend's family name on it and gave it to the mother the minute I reached there. I still remembered the look she gave me - she literally stopped tearing, stared with eyes bulging at the envelope and started crying again! After that she avoided me throughout the funeral and I was thinking what did I do wrong? Later I realised, upon confiding with a friend that for North Indians, you only give them money during happy occasions! Argghhhh!

I couldn't stop slapping myself after that! But being in a sociey like Singapore, there are bound for such 'mishaps' to happen and I am sure you guys went thorugh something similar too. I guess to evaluate intercultural behaviour, we got to first talk and understand about other culture's norms and practices. Having freinds from different races and background help.

Application Letter

February 11, 2010

Mr Patrick Keenan
Personnel Manager
Grebstad Hicks Communications
51, Mount Sophia

Dear Mr Patrick Keenan:

I am responding to your advertisement in the February 10 issue of The Straits Times (Singapore) for a Public Relations Executive. I am writing to explore the possibility of being employed as one in your firm as I have participated in many communications related activities and will be graduating from the National University of Singapore (Engineering) this June.

Early in my coursework I got involved in many co-curricular activities that required me to develop and use several communication skills. Being involved as a career guide at the NUS Career Centre required me to assist in helping students prepare for their interviews, write their resumes as well as to generate ideas for reaching out to the student population in terms of career related activities and development. I was also an NUS Student Ambassador for some time and a Customer Service Executive at a firm which required me to deal with enquiries in a professional and effective manner and resolving a wide range of customer related issues despite the language differences.

I understand that being a Public Relations Executive is not an easy task as it involves client relations and effective communication skills and strategies, which one would say, an Engineering undergraduate would not have. However I am confident that I have the assets and experience needed to make a good Public Relations executive. Despite being hardworking, driven and proactive, I am always eager to learn and undergo training to further improve myself in order to become well suited for the job. I am also friendly and approachable which I feel are qualities necessary in making a good Public Relations Executive.

For your perusal and evaluation, I have enclosed my resume which includes all my achievements, accomplishments and skills I have learnt which honed my communications skills and strategies. Should you wish to ask about my personal traits and capabilities, I will be more than willing to come over for a personal interview with you anytime during office hours.

Thank you for taking the time to read my application letter.


Respectfully Yours,
Varjeet Kaur Gill

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

Interpersonal conflict is often tied with effective communication and it is often the latter that helps resolves the former. Conflicts are common as it can happen at almost all levels of communication. But conflicts are critical and how you solve them depend on how one handles them. There are a number of ways interpersonal conflicts can be handled and they all depend on how people handle them. The following are certain common methods people use to resolve conflicts which are unhealthy and as you will be able to see, do not include effective communication at all between both parties.

- Avoid or Denying the existence of the conflict :
This is very common but not effective as the disagreement lingers and it therefore allows for more opportunity for further conflicts and tension.

- Playing the blame game:
Putting the blame on others will only increase the defensiveness that people will have for each other and will do nothing to resolve the conflict

- Manipulate
By manipulating the other party, it appears the former may be compromosing but this isn't good as it will compromise trust between both the parties.

To resolve an interpersonal conflict EQ must be put in play here. Both parties have to set their minds on resolving the conflict in such a way that both parties feel like they won. Each person must participate actively in the resolution and make an effort and commitment to find answers which are as fair as possible to both. This is an easy principle to understand, but it is often difficult to put into practice. SO now comes the question.... how do we use effective communication to resolve a conflict?

1) listen to the person and what he has to say and if its the truth, agree with it so as to find a way to get to the problem and solve it. Practice empathy, whereby you put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Gently probe the other person as well to find out what they really are feeling and to show them that you are open to what they have to say. By doing this people will alos see that you are willing to listen to their viewpoint and not joust consider your own viewpoint or stance.Find positive things to say about the person and show a respectful attitude. Thus this goes to show that effective communication is tied to one's EQ.

For example, given a situation whereby Mary and Jane had a conflict and because of that you can always hear the crickets when they come have dinner with you. It could be possible that both were not sensitive to each other feelings and did not put themselves in the other person's shoes and therefore the conflict could have happened. Now I put to my readers... what do you think they or even I should do to help them come to talking terms again? =)

Why and what makes Effective Communication ???

Have you ever wondered why you never got called after your first date with that hot chick/dude you desperately wanted to get to know ? Or did your boss just gave you the 'blur' look after you just finished explaining to him what seemed to be an entire 'essay' of your work? Are things not really working out for you at home all cause people say you haven't been listening?

Well.... if these things have been happening to you, chances are you haven't been communicating effectively!!! Do you know a majority of problems faced by individuals of today is because of their inability to communicate effectively. And communication isn't about just listening and making sure ' you talk properly'. It involves a large variety of factors and is a skill itself that takes a long time to master.

Sometimes such skills are mastered by experience but since we are all going out to the working world one day, being able to communicate effectively takes major significance in our lives - and helps ease the process especially when we transit to the working world whereby a large majority of how effectively you perform depends on your communication skills.

A lot of people feel that communication is about practice.... "That practice makes perfect". Sadly thats not the case cause english is neither a science (as mentioned by Mr Brady in class ;) ) nor is it math. Communication is an art form which can be mastered like all other art forms. And like other art forms it enables one to master it in his/her's own way and preference. That is why there are so many variety of artforms, and thus a variety of communication methods as well.

Whichever way you choose to express yourself through communication there are three ways by which you can improve yourself. Cause in art, though it has no rules, it does give people the space to find and improve themselves so that they become masters in their own field.

Firstly observe people's reactions to whatever you have communicated with them. Usually thats a very good indicator of whether your just said something that was meant to create the result you wanted. Secondly, observe yourself!!!! Give yourself a minute to detach yourself and observe your own words and actions. Reflect on them. It is through refection that many find their faults. Accept when you go wrong and take action to overcome that. Hehe! That may include taking a course in your school called Professional Communication! hint hint! ;)

When you bother taking the following actions, you will realise the potential you have in persuading, charming and smiling your way through even the tighest of spots! Who knows! Maybe one day you might even cause a sensation in a room full of people with just your speech!