FINAL REFLECTIONS, FINALLY

ES2007S is finally over!

I suppose its always good to reflect after the completion of a module and consolidate everything one has learnt over the 13 or so weeks, and I've definitely learnt a significant amount this semester.

One of the more important things I've come to understand this past 4 months concerns the duality of communication; not only is the content of the message being transmitted is important, but so to the means and method at which it is being transmitted. Formally these are known as verbal and non-verbal communication, and in most formal settings I believe it is important to prepare adequately for both. In that sense I think this module is unique because it has made me more aware of what I am "not saying". I'm graduating in a few weeks and I think such skills would prove useful in the workplace, especially if they are used effectively to emphasize what I am "actually saying". 

The classroom experience was definitely different from what I'm used to. I quite like this kind of setting, where students are encourage to participate and offer input, whether within the physicals confines of the class or in cyberspace. Its quite unfortunate really that most engineering modules are not this flexible, though it is not to say that all engineering classes are not enjoyable.

Many unique characters in this class has made this entire experience quite the memorable one. It has been my pleasure knowing all of you and hopefully our paths will cross sometime in the future. 

This will be my final blog post.

Presentation Reflections

I just concluded my oral presentation with Team Coordonner Les this past Thursday. I would say that I'm quite satisfied with how it went. It is always very satisfying to see that all your preparations has paid off.  

Presentation reflections... Get it?

It was not always smooth sailing though and definitely the journey to get ourselves ready for this presentation was not an easy one. Team Coordonner Les consists of 4 very different individuals, which means 4 different presentation styles. I suppose its a common problem with any group presentation setting. Making the presentation seamless, or in fact to work together cohesively, is quite tricky but we tried our best. Lunchtime bonding sessions does help though.

Team Coordonner Les

Our presentations had a few strengths, but the one I would like to highlight is that everything we did was very deliberate. We knew what we had to do; which was to convince the URA that they had a significant problem on their hands, and that our solution was the best one they can get. Everything else fell into place once every group member understood that. The structure of the slides, what we had to say, and perhaps to a certain extent where we stood were all pre-planned as such in the hopes that URA would understand the problem at hand and accept our proposal.

Naturally our presentation also had some weaknesses, and one of them was probably the nerves of the presenters. I'm pretty sure that all of us were quite rattled at the thought of doing this presentation, though it manifested to different degrees in the different members. Nonetheless it should be said that some of our group members have made large strides forward in this aspect; I am absolutely convinced that if we had done this presentation a month ago it would have a completely different outcome.

Overall though this experience had been quite the interesting one. Normally as an engineering undergraduate we hardly pay much attention to the way we present. After all the strength of the project normally speaks for itself. I've come to understand though that for real life projects though the quality of your proposal is almost secondary. First you need to get someone to listen to you and your idea, and for that good presentation skills are essential.

I don't move, therefore I am professional

This past week in class we learnt that one of the ways to make a good presentation is to have a fixed stance. Now I know this is probably not a hard-and-fast rule; merely just a recommendation, which got me thinking if there is ever a "proper" way to make a professional presentation without being completely static. After all on the face of it someone just standing there and talking doesn't sound terribly interesting right?

As with most things in life, TV has the answer, and it therefore justifies the many hours I've spent in front of it. The "Walk-and-Talk" is a story-telling technique sometimes used in film and television. It involves the characters having a conversation while en route to another location. New characters may be added and existing characters may leave during the "Walk-and-Talk". It serves to smooth a transition from one scene to another, as well as to highlight how busy the characters are.

More importantly (I feel) however, the "Walk-and-Talk" introduces a visual element that is interesting to the eye to what would otherwise be a static scene of people talking. It can also give the illusion that the story is progressing, as if the characters are walking ever closer to the credits.

Now that's fine for TV, but can "Walk-and-Talk" work for a presentation? Well Al Gore certainly was anything but still during his now famous speech Inconvenient Truth speech. If I remember correctly he climbed into a crane and talked as it elevated him. He was trying to illustrate how much the carbon levels has increased over the years, and it seemed pretty effective (to me at least) to do so while he was increasing his altitude.

Well not everyone can drag a crane into a classroom right? So unlike Al Gore, the rest of us are pretty much limited to lateral movements. That has not deterred some though. Comedians are known to walk across stage while doing stand-up (pretty ironic isn't it?). It is very commonly used when they are done with one joke and want to move on to a completely new topic.

Side note (yes i'm changing the topic slightly here... move your computer monitor across your desk if you want to get the sense of "Walk-and-Talk"), stand up comics are probably the least proper examples when it comes to professional communication. However this may not have always been the case. Consider the following:-

In Renaissance times, the King was considered to be a 'God on Earth' and it was only his Court Jester (or Fool) appointed both to amuse him and remind him of his humanity, who was allowed to speak plainly. In King Lear, it is up to the Fool to remind the King of the consequences of his actions. - Royal Shakespeare Company

So once upon a time, the Court Jester was the only one that was allowed to tell the King the truth. He had to be harsh (though not too harsh else he might find himself a head shorter) and frank. He delivered hard news to the King in the form of jokes and insults, and he probably did it while juggling or doing head stands. I'm not sure if the King would be too amused if he had a fixed stance.

In conclusion I suppose that walking can be a very useful visual tool in some sense; To show you are done with one chapter and want to talk about something else, you literally "move on" to a new topic. It can be very effective; it was definitely good enough for King Lear at least. However it should be said that our presentation next week is for a completely different "ang moh".

Something to think about nonetheless. Good luck for all your preparations!

Stereotypes (Part 2)

Just as sure as the earth is round

Stereotypes are abound

They are numerous; their numbers aren't small

And in this post we'll discuss them all

Japanese people are well behaved

French women never shave

Brazilians love to have fun

Every Kenyan lives to run

Australians are all racists

Arabs are all terrorists

African Americans are really tall

And really good at basketball

Koreans can't really drive

Malay people always skive

British people have good manners

Indian people -  great programmers

Yes stereotypes sadly are everywhere

Applies to you and the people you care

But you don't have to accept them as true

You can always choose the stereotype for you

Stereotypes (Part 1)

Before you're old enough to drive a car
Society already decided who you are
But this is a battle that can be won
Cos you're a stereotype of one

They will put you into molds
Expect you to do as you're told
But you'll insist it can't be done
Cos you're a stereotype of one

You are a man; you don't feel fear
You like math? - Engineer!
But you won't listen; you'll leave them stunned
Cos you're a stereotype of one

Somewhere in the world out there
There's a person who's views you share
Someone you think's a lot of fun
Another stereotype of one

Friends forever you both will be
And everyone will clearly see
That you've found the one for you
Finally a stereotype of two

Intercultural Behavior: Dirty Business

I belong to a minority group here in Singapore, which is strange if you think about it, considering I'm one of the indigenous people of these parts. When Raffles landed here all those years ago, he probably talked to someone that looked like me, while someone else that looked like me was busy laughing at Farquhar's name-tag.

But I digress. The point I'm trying to make is that since I'm a minority pretty much every experience I've had is an intercultural one. This blog post is about one of those experiences, and like many of my posts thus far it is set back in the days of my national service.

In the early days of my NS I was posted to a fire station somewhere in central Singapore, where I was part of an ambulance crew that would respond to medical emergencies in the area. One particular case I responded to comes to mind when I think about intercultural behavior, and it actually involves child-birth. 

A woman was in labour and so together with her husband they decided to take a taxi to the hospital. However while one the way to the hospital they decided to stop by the side of the road and call an ambulance instead. As it turns out I was on duty at that time so we got to the scene shortly after and the baby was delivered right there in the back of the cab. 

Now as part of an ambulance crew I have seen my share of accidents, but child-birth is by far the most disgusting thing I had EVER seen. The back of that taxi had blood and other types of unmentionable fluids all over it. It was an absolute mess, plus it smelled horrible too. So I expected the taxi driver, a Chinese man in his early 40s, to be significantly upset. After all, the cab is the main source of income for him, and now it is compromised. I was surprised though to see him smiling from ear to ear; he even waived the fare.

I would later find out that for taxi-drivers (a whole new sub-culture I never knew existed), a birth in your cab is actually very lucky, and would bring you good fortune. I would also later find out that Chinese people generally believe that birth of any kind is actually very lucky, so they do not mind the mess associated with it. Myself on the other hand, all of 18 years old and fresh out of junior college, really cannot get past the smell. It was a mixture of rotten eggs and vomit . It really was just plain horrible.

Relating this to what was taught in class this past week, I have come to realize that this is perhaps a good example of belief systems. If your culture subscribes to the notions of 'luck' and 'fortune', then you would associate certain events with those concepts. You would thus, just like the taxi driver, welcome such incidents. On the other hand if you do not believe in such things, then all you would see (and smell) is a sullied vehicle.

Professional Communication - Level Playing Field?

Normally I use this space for more light-hearted affairs. This time though I have a more serious message that I want to articulate. The gravity of the matter at hand has got me thinking about the validity of some of the things I've learnt in this module, as well as the nature of professional life and professional communication.

As I approach my graduation date I find myself going to several job interviews, as do many of my peers. I am one of the lucky ones; I got a job offer on my first attempt. Some of my friends aren't that fortunate though, and I want to highlight the plight of one of them. Lets just call him Karl for now.

Karl is a brilliant student; in fact when I saw him waiting outside the same interview room as me I was seriously hoping they was more than just one job vacancy, else he would surely be picked over me. As it turns out though, they were looking to hire several engineers, and I received an offer shortly after. Karl however, did not.

The problem with Karl is that he has a speech disorder. He stutters when he speaks so it takes longer for him to finish a sentence. This problem had apparently cost him a position with this company, something I found out as he was relating to me the phone conversation he had with the company's HR department shortly after the interview. He would also go on to tell me that he expected it and that it was not the first time.

I find the whole situation grossly unfair. Stuttering does not affect ones ability to be an engineer. Especially for that particular job we were applying for. Naturally he would have to talk to other people but it was not as if he was incoherent. Why should he be penalized for something that he could do nothing about? Is it a question of ignorance on the employer's part, or am I simply being naive? In any case it does not make sense to me.

This was what made me re-examine everything I had learnt in this module thus far. Karl could have composed the perfect cover letter, typed out an exemplary resume, and read every single article about EQ and IQ every written, which would have opened many doors for him, but he would still be promptly shown out of many of those doors as well. 

I arrived at the conclusion that many of the so called "rules and guidelines" of professional communication are not universal in nature, and as any engineer or scientist would tell you, non-universal laws = not cool. I am not saying they are not meaningful though; I have found that many of the things I have learnt thus far to be very useful, and can only be made more meaningful to me if someone gave me an 'A' for it (well it would be nice at least...). 

I suppose what I am trying to say is that while we may religiously adhere to these "rules", it is no guarantee that the person on the receiving end would extend us a similar courtesy. Perhaps that is the one true universal rule of professional communication.

Application Letter 2nd Draft

Faizal Zulkefli (Mr)

Blk 433 Long Hill Road #10-10 Singapore 657433

HP: 8564 7690 Email: faizal@mail.com

Mr. Chua Kok Eng

Deputy Director, (Infrastructure & Reclamation)

Building & Infrastructure Department

Housing & Development Board

Dear Mr. Chua,

This letter is to express my interest in joining HDB as a civil engineer. Singapore's built environment continues to evolve with time, and I am keen to play a part in its transformation. With HDB being a company synonymous with the local physical landscape, I sincerely believe that it is the best place to begin my career, and am eager to put the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over my four years of tertiary education to good and practical use.

As my enclosed resume indicates, I do have relevant experience in civil engineering, especially in the field of geotechnical engineering.  During my internship at Jurong Shipyard PTE LTD, I actively worked on the design of the Mega Shipyard project, a new shipyard that is being constructed in Tuas Extension. Part of my duties included soil and site investigation, design of earth retaining structures as well as design of deep foundations. As part of my Final Year Project, which is on geothermal energy in Singapore, I was required to extensively research on tunneling and deep drilling. This has given me a greater insight on the local geology, as well as a better understanding and appreciation of Singapore's construction industry. Geotechnical engineering is a very challenging field, with a steep learning curve, but I am confident that my experiences will help me to pick up the necessary skills faster and better than my peers in the early phases of my career.

Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Should you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at the number listed above.

Kind regards,

Faizal Zulkefli

Application Letter First Draft

Dear Mr. Chua,

This letter is to express my interest in joining HDB as a civil engineer. I am keen to start using the skills and knowledge that I have acquired during my tertiary education to help change the Singapore’s physical landscape for the better and I sincerely believe that HDB is the best place for me to do this.

As my enclosed resume indicates, I do have some relevant experience. During my internship I have gained valuable first-hand experience in site investigation. In addition, my Final Year Project (FYP) involves tunnelling and drilling in Singapore. I believe these two events have given me a greater insight on local geology, as well as a better understanding and appreciation of the nuances and intrinsic details of Singapore’s physical environment.

I will be e-mailing you within the following week to schedule an interview so that we can discuss my application further.

Meanwhile, should you have any further questions, I can be contacted at the phone number listed in the resume.

Kind regards,

Faizal Zulkefli

Nemesis What It Is: The Prequel

I admit it; I am not the best speller in the world. It doesn't seem like a big deal but it really did got me in big trouble one time. Really BIG trouble.

See I had to write a letter to the camp commander, who at that time, just like the guy who stands outside KFC all day, was a colonel. I know this sounds really stupid, especially now as I am literally only weeks away from graduating, but I sort of misspelled colonel.

Colonel = COL. Well I sort of spelled it as CPT. For the uninformed thats short for captain. Yes I know. Its really dumb.

Now the camp commander won't just read any letter; It has to be endorsed first. As it turns out the person endorsing that letter was none other than the female officer. She signed the letter without so much as reading it (which makes it her fault too right?), and sent it directly to the commander's office.

Needless to say the camp commander was none too pleased at being demoted 4 ranks by her. He called her to his office for a meeting, and while I wasn't there in person I did hear that it was not very pleasant.

Well she was furious with me, and sent the word out that she was looking for me. So I did what any person in my place would do; I switched off my handphone and avoided her at all cost.

I managed to avoid her for weeks if you could believe it; I guess she gave up after a while. I thought I just dodged a major bullet, but it seems that I ran straight into another one.

Because in that time she was looking for me, she bumped into my nemesis...

Interpersonal Conflict: Nemesis What It Is

Like Perry the Platypus, I too have a nemesis. I have several in fact. Like a bad habit, I keep collecting more of them each year. Unlike Perry the Platypus though my situation can't be summed up nicely in a parody song. Not yet at least. Maybe some day...

Well here's the story of how I came to acquire this particular nemesis. If you had read my first post you probably would know by now that part of my NS duties was to teach basic first aid to members of the public.  Now because of these teaching duties I never had to be duty medic, equivalent to what is more commonly known as guard duty, which of course everyone hated. Additionally, as most of this teaching duties happen outside the camp and after my normal working hours, I would get transport and meal allowances as well as an off day. It really was quite the sweet deal. 

My nemesis wanted in on this, and I knew this because all my friends warned me about it. "Watch out for this guy", they all said. "Relax I got it covered", was always my reply. But I didn't.

My nemesis was bad-mouthing me to my superiors. Accusing me of neglecting my duties and the like. Most of what he said was ignored though eventually he did get one officer to act on it. This particular person never did like me ever since I accidentally got her in trouble with the camp commander (It really was an accident! But I guess that's another story for another time/blog post), and so she removed me from my teaching duties and gave it to him. Adding insult to injury she put me in charge of store duties, which really was just plain cruel.

Don't worry though this story has a happy ending (Again, another story for another time...). Imagine that you find yourself in a similar position. What would you have done?

Non Verbal Communication In Action / Inaction

This past week I decided to try out some non verbal communication is a real world setting. I am after all an engineer, and we are big on practical applications (no offence to all you scientists out there).

So here's the setting. I had a tutorial in one faculty, and another tutorial following that in another faculty which was located across campus. The tutor in the first class was running a little late which surely meant that I would be late for my next lesson.

Now for my objectives. I wanted to see exactly how much non verbal communication it was going to take to let the tutor know that I was going to be late and I wanted to leave.

Assumptions: Once the tutor had picked up on enough non verbal communication, he/she would give up on his/her lesson plan and wrap up quickly.

And so i proceeded with the experiment. I did it all I think. I believed at some point I was actually non verbally screaming at the tutor. I kept looking at my watch. I rapped my fingers on the table. Occasionally I'd just stare at the door. I even started packing my stuff.

My results? Well lets just say that either my assumption isn't valid, or I wasn't thorough enough with my experimental procedures because the tutor carried on till the end of the hour, which meant I had to make a mad dash to the bus stop and squeeze into Bus A-something.

Maybe I should try repeat this experiment in an ES2007S class. That should be interesting. Or maybe I already did....

Haha I'll never tell.

btw the class that I was rushing to; well it was canceled.

Why Effective Communication Skills are Important to me

"You need to be more articulate." 

Those were the very words repeated to a 12-year-old version of me by my teacher. Admittedly at that time I didn't know what 'articulate' meant but time soon fixed that; and so begins my journey of learning and appreciating what it means to truly communicate effectively.

Moving forward the modern day Faizal is fully aware about the importance of communicating effectively; There was a point of my life that it was absolutely critical in fact.

Part of my duties during my National Service was to teach basic First Aid and CPR to members of the public and at that time my communication skills are not as awesome as they are today (yea i'm SUPREMELY humble). However as most guys will tell you during those 2 years you often get thrown into the deep end and so I had to learn such skills 'on-the-job'.

Seemingly minor things like eye-contact, how you stand, the tone of your voice are all important in getting your message across. Throw in a joke somewhere, share an interesting anecdote; these can help capture people's attention. The most important thing I learnt was to understand your audience, speak at their level, observe their reactions and react accordingly.

Today as I am being formally educated of professional communication I know these things to be termed as "non-verbal communication", "feedback" and removing "barriers". It gives perspective to all my prior experiences.

Looking to the future I have no doubt such communication skills, be it formally cultivated or ingrained by trial and error, would no doubt continue to serve me well. As a future civil engineer I would be expected to work with people of different specialties, skill sets and backgrounds. A typical construction project would involve mechanical and electrical engineers, architects and city planners, contractors who may not even speak the same language; all of whom need to understand each other perfectly if the building is to remain upright at the end of it all.

Historically significant and potentially valuable, that is why effective communication skills are important to me.