Time flies. JAS passed away.
Looking back at my blog posts, I feel a great sense of achievement.
An achievement, that I made it through JAS.
An achievement, that I started blogging and writing.
An achievement, that I have grown through this short span of time.
Hardly had I any time to sit back, and admire the achievements I have made.
Communication.
It has always been my dream to write. To communicate my feelings through words and stories. To share with everyone my imagination, and the world that lives within me.
Most importantly, I learnt to think before I write. Previous attempts were futile, as ideas flowed from my mind uncensored and uncut. I'm still trying. But looking back at my blog posts, I'm glad I made improvement. My previous blog post a far cry from my virgin post.
Yes. It was the first blog post of my life.
Indirectly, it affected the way I communicated with people around me. A conscious effort would be made to think before I speak. Not to hurt my listener. At the same time, feel for the listener and be in their shoes.
Not my best, but I managed to do it.
Teamwork.
"We live together.
We die together.
Bad boys for life." - Bad Boys II (2003)
Love the teams I were in for this JAS. Witty, fun and nice to be around with. No new topics learnt here. But many friendships made and bonds forged. Going through the next 3 years together. Enough said.
I hope I had left a similar impression on my group mates.
I feel that I could have done better in carrying out my tasks during these group assignments. Careless mistakes, punctuality issues and lame excuses plagued my group projects.
Source: Me
At the end of the day. Or in this case, JAS. I would have to buck up. Taking down notes and checking my work before sharing would have reduced all these problems.
I will do my best. I promise.
Overall.
Not too shabby. We survived. Scathed but smiling. Sufficient hope for us to push on with our grueling course.
Considering that there were no tutorials, and lessons were enjoyable discussions. It was definitely a break from the other energy sapping modules we were taking.
You will not be hearing the last of me. I swear.
Till then, good luck for your exams! And to my tutors, please go easy on us...
:)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Facebook: Hero or Villian
Want to know more? Stay tuned for my post on our friendly neighborhood social networking site.
:)
:)
Entia Non Sunt Multiplicanda Praeter Necessitatem
Occam's razor. Latin for "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity".
In urban english, it means, "do what is necessary, nothing else".
This simple principle of Occam has endured for generations, allowing the development of much more elegant solutions to our everyday problems.
This should not need any genius to understand how its applicable in our daily life. Especially communication.
How so?
As communicators, simplicity and elegance allows our ideas to be communicated easily across to our audience. Complex ideas will require our audience to think harder.
To put it simply, keep it simple!
:)
In urban english, it means, "do what is necessary, nothing else".
This simple principle of Occam has endured for generations, allowing the development of much more elegant solutions to our everyday problems.
This should not need any genius to understand how its applicable in our daily life. Especially communication.
How so?
As communicators, simplicity and elegance allows our ideas to be communicated easily across to our audience. Complex ideas will require our audience to think harder.
To put it simply, keep it simple!
:)
Monday, March 29, 2010
#5: A Fun Filled Disaster
A lesson learnt, a fun experience. Read on!
My oral presentation took place on 25th March. Weeks after the assignment was announced.
Was I nervous? Definitely, maybe.
We were presenting on cloud computing.I was a fan. More than that, a geeky fan.
Things do not always turn out as expected, and this assignment of mine was an avid subscriber of this old proverb.
The good. I felt that our group had done quite well for creativity. We tried to come up with various ideas to keep our audience with us through the presentation. Twitter. Dropbox. Madeline egg tarts. Our group member's face. Fancy animations.
Our members were also very fluent in the presentation topic. Considering that most of us were unfamiliar with the topic on cloud computing, I am glad that we turned out to be expert advisors within these short period.
The bad. Our creative ideas were not carried out very well. Too much? Definitely. We could tell from the eyes of the audience.
"Are they trying to cover up a lacklustre performance?"
"Showy. Show off."
"Get on with it."
Lesson learnt? These ideas would have been implemented better if we had ran through it a few more times. The ideas were very poorly executed, not allowing us to obtain our intended effect on the audience.
Another point to note. We had lack of practice. Clearly shown in our presentation. Time overrun.
"Who do I present to?"
It was a careless mistake on my part. I had failed to inform my members of the addition to his slides.
"It's 12pm already! Our interview had lasted more than the required time!"
Lesson learnt? Practice! Run through the slides before the presentation. Last minute practices WILL NOT make the heart beat faster.
Lastly, I was glad I had made slight improvements in my presentation. Because of practice, I was able to speak more fluently, with less frequent pauses to think. I made a conscientious effort to eliminate "Ums" and "Ahs" from my presentation. For one moment, I was able to grab hold of the audience's attention.
Besides that, I should learn to inject more energy into my tone. My posture was atrocious.
On a final note, even though the presentation did not turn out as expected, I am glad that we had loads of fun during this process of research and exploration.
Here's a video to wrap things up. The topic that started it all.
Cloud computing. Google style. :)
And yes. It is relevant to us.
My oral presentation took place on 25th March. Weeks after the assignment was announced.
Was I nervous? Definitely, maybe.
We were presenting on cloud computing.I was a fan. More than that, a geeky fan.
Things do not always turn out as expected, and this assignment of mine was an avid subscriber of this old proverb.
The good. I felt that our group had done quite well for creativity. We tried to come up with various ideas to keep our audience with us through the presentation. Twitter. Dropbox. Madeline egg tarts. Our group member's face. Fancy animations.
Our members were also very fluent in the presentation topic. Considering that most of us were unfamiliar with the topic on cloud computing, I am glad that we turned out to be expert advisors within these short period.
The bad. Our creative ideas were not carried out very well. Too much? Definitely. We could tell from the eyes of the audience.
"Are they trying to cover up a lacklustre performance?"
"Showy. Show off."
"Get on with it."
Lesson learnt? These ideas would have been implemented better if we had ran through it a few more times. The ideas were very poorly executed, not allowing us to obtain our intended effect on the audience.
Another point to note. We had lack of practice. Clearly shown in our presentation. Time overrun.
"Who do I present to?"
It was a careless mistake on my part. I had failed to inform my members of the addition to his slides.
"It's 12pm already! Our interview had lasted more than the required time!"
Lesson learnt? Practice! Run through the slides before the presentation. Last minute practices WILL NOT make the heart beat faster.
Lastly, I was glad I had made slight improvements in my presentation. Because of practice, I was able to speak more fluently, with less frequent pauses to think. I made a conscientious effort to eliminate "Ums" and "Ahs" from my presentation. For one moment, I was able to grab hold of the audience's attention.
Besides that, I should learn to inject more energy into my tone. My posture was atrocious.
On a final note, even though the presentation did not turn out as expected, I am glad that we had loads of fun during this process of research and exploration.
Here's a video to wrap things up. The topic that started it all.
Cloud computing. Google style. :)
And yes. It is relevant to us.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
#4: The Meeting
It was a nice beautiful afternoon. Very nice. Until the thought of having to discuss a boring topic floats into mind. Marred by memory of a supposed wonderful day.
Meetings. We hate or love them. But you cannot deny they do get the job done. Doing an in-depth reflection in my group meeting. We indeed achieve quite a bit during our first meeting.
My reflection? I am glad to have 2 good members to work with. I personally lack the expertise in programming. Without my team members' explanations, I would have been lost through the discussion. I should read up more in depth before the meeting. Especially on receipt of the meeting agenda.
Our meeting lacked sharing though. I think its due to the point mentioned above. Due to lack of knowledge, I personally feel left out during discussions. Must read more!
Besides that, distractions were commonplace in our meeting. Take me for example. Laptop, hand phone and noises from the background. I was so easily distracted by them that I had to be brought back into the discussion by my team mates. Sorry guys.
Lesson learnt? Keep my laptop off and hand phone in my bag during our next meeting.
Meetings. We hate or love them. But you cannot deny they do get the job done. Doing an in-depth reflection in my group meeting. We indeed achieve quite a bit during our first meeting.
My reflection? I am glad to have 2 good members to work with. I personally lack the expertise in programming. Without my team members' explanations, I would have been lost through the discussion. I should read up more in depth before the meeting. Especially on receipt of the meeting agenda.
Our meeting lacked sharing though. I think its due to the point mentioned above. Due to lack of knowledge, I personally feel left out during discussions. Must read more!
Besides that, distractions were commonplace in our meeting. Take me for example. Laptop, hand phone and noises from the background. I was so easily distracted by them that I had to be brought back into the discussion by my team mates. Sorry guys.
Lesson learnt? Keep my laptop off and hand phone in my bag during our next meeting.
Monday, February 8, 2010
#3: Fight or Flight?
"Jon! Relax! I'm just trying to clear things up nicely!"
"You're a sneaky bastard, Chen Yang."
Meet Jon. My colleague. 1.73m tall, normal build, left the Army as a trained Guardsman.
Like all conflicts, we argued over matters that were ages old. Work undone, rubbish left behind. All the nitty gritty details supposed to be forgotten. Culminating into one of the worst argument in my life.
Jon VS Chen Yang.
The background. A simple 16 letter word that keeps countries divided and humans bleeding. Misunderstanding. A simple excuse, a complex solution. I was told to submit a list of unfinished tasks to Jon for his record. Jon took the initiative to finish one of the dispatch tasks. Unknowingly, the task was already completed by me and filed.
The Lead. Jon was the target board of the firm. If anything went wrong, it had to be Jon. Jon's files, Jon's documents, Jon's work style. It could not be helped. Files that went wrong and were in our lawyers' office were his. He was quiet. Tasked to monitor dispatch.
The Supporting. Chen Yang. New worker. A greenhorn. Able to make frequent conversations with the boss. Overly ambitious. Tasked to dispatch documents on regular basis.
His point. Jon had made a wasted trip down to the location. You should have known that I am collating the unfinished tasks for a reason. I want to make sure that the task is complete so that the company will not get into trouble.
My point. Why are you doing my job?
The climax. A heated argument in office. After all my other colleagues have left. There was no resolution. I left after feeling that the argument would lead to nowhere.
Conclusion. We never conversed after that.
What would you have done if you were in my shoes? Is walking away from an argument really the best solution to resolve a conflict?
"You're a sneaky bastard, Chen Yang."
Meet Jon. My colleague. 1.73m tall, normal build, left the Army as a trained Guardsman.
Like all conflicts, we argued over matters that were ages old. Work undone, rubbish left behind. All the nitty gritty details supposed to be forgotten. Culminating into one of the worst argument in my life.
Jon VS Chen Yang.
The background. A simple 16 letter word that keeps countries divided and humans bleeding. Misunderstanding. A simple excuse, a complex solution. I was told to submit a list of unfinished tasks to Jon for his record. Jon took the initiative to finish one of the dispatch tasks. Unknowingly, the task was already completed by me and filed.
The Lead. Jon was the target board of the firm. If anything went wrong, it had to be Jon. Jon's files, Jon's documents, Jon's work style. It could not be helped. Files that went wrong and were in our lawyers' office were his. He was quiet. Tasked to monitor dispatch.
The Supporting. Chen Yang. New worker. A greenhorn. Able to make frequent conversations with the boss. Overly ambitious. Tasked to dispatch documents on regular basis.
His point. Jon had made a wasted trip down to the location. You should have known that I am collating the unfinished tasks for a reason. I want to make sure that the task is complete so that the company will not get into trouble.
My point. Why are you doing my job?
The climax. A heated argument in office. After all my other colleagues have left. There was no resolution. I left after feeling that the argument would lead to nowhere.
Conclusion. We never conversed after that.
What would you have done if you were in my shoes? Is walking away from an argument really the best solution to resolve a conflict?
F.U.C.K.
Modern day conflict resolution has degenerated into processes far more primitive than when Christ existed. Why so?
Back in the olden days, Plato & Co. used to thrash out their differences in pimped out forums and theaters, with well rehearsed and thought out arguments. Now, we simply hurl our opponents with vulgarities, crude remarks, banana skins, food leftovers, Molotov Cocktails, missiles. Pig heads anyone?
How many times have you been in an argument or conflict, where both ends will end up with bad feelings about another? Worse still, how many of us have seen an argument ending with a vulgarity followed by either party walking off, leaving another bewildered, or even laughing?
To put it simply, modern day conflict resolution has devolved into a form of "emotion exhibition". The skills of reasoning and understanding the other party's perception in the midst of a heated argument have long been "thrown out of the window".
F.U.C.K.
Yes. The four letter verb that ranks sky high in our species' vocabulary.
F - Finish it off nicely. Never walk off with a "BANG!". You may have won the battle, but you might not have won the war. Even if FUCK made your opponent laugh, the conflict is not resolved. You know it.
U - Understand your opponent's viewpoint. We are a reasonable species so there will definitely be rationales for our actions.
C - Communicate. Not only send a message, but be on the receiving end. Listen. Decode the message sensibly.
K - Know the line between personal and work. Kudos to those who believe that arguments can change a person's mindset/mentality. Send my regards to Santa and Rudolph, will you? By separating the problem from the person, real issues can be debated without damaging working relationships. Personal attacks hurt. They do.
F.U.C.K. The golden advice I have for conflict resolution. So in your team, before you decide to hurl It at your team mate, remind yourself of the words, F.U.C.K.
Do you think these points are applicable to all conflict scenarios we encounter in our daily life?
Back in the olden days, Plato & Co. used to thrash out their differences in pimped out forums and theaters, with well rehearsed and thought out arguments. Now, we simply hurl our opponents with vulgarities, crude remarks, banana skins, food leftovers, Molotov Cocktails, missiles. Pig heads anyone?
How many times have you been in an argument or conflict, where both ends will end up with bad feelings about another? Worse still, how many of us have seen an argument ending with a vulgarity followed by either party walking off, leaving another bewildered, or even laughing?
To put it simply, modern day conflict resolution has devolved into a form of "emotion exhibition". The skills of reasoning and understanding the other party's perception in the midst of a heated argument have long been "thrown out of the window".
F.U.C.K.
Yes. The four letter verb that ranks sky high in our species' vocabulary.
F - Finish it off nicely. Never walk off with a "BANG!". You may have won the battle, but you might not have won the war. Even if FUCK made your opponent laugh, the conflict is not resolved. You know it.
U - Understand your opponent's viewpoint. We are a reasonable species so there will definitely be rationales for our actions.
C - Communicate. Not only send a message, but be on the receiving end. Listen. Decode the message sensibly.
K - Know the line between personal and work. Kudos to those who believe that arguments can change a person's mindset/mentality. Send my regards to Santa and Rudolph, will you? By separating the problem from the person, real issues can be debated without damaging working relationships. Personal attacks hurt. They do.
F.U.C.K. The golden advice I have for conflict resolution. So in your team, before you decide to hurl It at your team mate, remind yourself of the words, F.U.C.K.
Do you think these points are applicable to all conflict scenarios we encounter in our daily life?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
It Is Never My Problem, It Definitely Is Their Problem
I remember sharing this with my Team Communications module tutor, Ms Brenda, during a discussion.
At that moment, it struck me. Is this statement a hint of my individual selfishness? Or is this a reflection of my nation's culture?
In my context, I pay more than $5,000 of school fees every year. Is is substantial amount of money, considering that $5,000 could pay for months of household expenses in the family.
Is it right that I have to take the initiative to make changes in my institute? Or should the institute that I paid to, be responsible to ensure that I study in the most conducive environment?
Is it right that I have put up with boring lecturers and tutors, whom teaching I will take ages to comprehend? Or should the institute that took my $5,000, change that to ensure that I study in the most conducive environment, again?
However, think about it. How many other students in the institute out there have the same demands? The population is definitely not 1. Who then pays for our dear lecturers who have spent half of their life on the teachings they try to pass on to us?
In a nutshell, there are many perspectives to a problem. Quoting from Ms Brenda, eliminate the "iSpeak", and you will definitely benefit in the long run. Maybe not physically, but at least morally.
No videos or multimedia for this post. Too tired from school to source for one. :)
At that moment, it struck me. Is this statement a hint of my individual selfishness? Or is this a reflection of my nation's culture?
In my context, I pay more than $5,000 of school fees every year. Is is substantial amount of money, considering that $5,000 could pay for months of household expenses in the family.
Is it right that I have to take the initiative to make changes in my institute? Or should the institute that I paid to, be responsible to ensure that I study in the most conducive environment?
Is it right that I have put up with boring lecturers and tutors, whom teaching I will take ages to comprehend? Or should the institute that took my $5,000, change that to ensure that I study in the most conducive environment, again?
However, think about it. How many other students in the institute out there have the same demands? The population is definitely not 1. Who then pays for our dear lecturers who have spent half of their life on the teachings they try to pass on to us?
In a nutshell, there are many perspectives to a problem. Quoting from Ms Brenda, eliminate the "iSpeak", and you will definitely benefit in the long run. Maybe not physically, but at least morally.
No videos or multimedia for this post. Too tired from school to source for one. :)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
#2: I Spy With My Naked Eye
I spy, a pair of Bangladeshi male workers, in plain clothes, holding hands and putting their arms around each other. Homosexual.
Have you spotted the strong hints of cultural stereotyping in the statement made?
1. Are Bangladeshi males necessarily workers?
2. Must 2 males having physical contact mean homosexuality?
Stereotyping. It has become our daily bread. We cannot live without it. We make conclusions about others with it.
However, stereotyping may become the poison of your team. Truthfully, how many of us came into our course with the impression that:
1. Indians are the best in programming.
2. Friends who ask questions after lectures are trying to curry flavor the lecturer.
3. People from part 2. are enemies.
4. Foreigners are hard to work with. They stick together within their small groups.
5. Malays are lazy.
Kudos to my reader who has no stereotypes in mind. For the rest of us mortals, its these stereotypes that will likely create misunderstandings with our teammates. Cast them away! Create impressions of your teammates only after you have worked with them, and understood their background.
Each one of us comes from a different part of history, and therefore it is very hard to say that 2 person can share the same life story. It is this personal history that molds us into who we are today, and the culture that we follow. Effective communication revolves around successfully understanding another person's mindset, and being sensitive to their needs.
In what ways, one may ask? Understand that our friends have Friday prayers, so as not to condone their meeting attendances. Understand that our friends are trying their best to learn a new language, in a foreign land. Understand that our friends have no family members to depend on. Understand that what you think may not be what it seems to be.
It is through these understandings that we will be able marry culture and communication. Not necessarily a perfect union, but at least "Happily Ever After".
Ending it off on a lighter note, the Queen is an Indian!
Have you spotted the strong hints of cultural stereotyping in the statement made?
1. Are Bangladeshi males necessarily workers?
2. Must 2 males having physical contact mean homosexuality?
Stereotyping. It has become our daily bread. We cannot live without it. We make conclusions about others with it.
However, stereotyping may become the poison of your team. Truthfully, how many of us came into our course with the impression that:
1. Indians are the best in programming.
2. Friends who ask questions after lectures are trying to curry flavor the lecturer.
3. People from part 2. are enemies.
4. Foreigners are hard to work with. They stick together within their small groups.
5. Malays are lazy.
Kudos to my reader who has no stereotypes in mind. For the rest of us mortals, its these stereotypes that will likely create misunderstandings with our teammates. Cast them away! Create impressions of your teammates only after you have worked with them, and understood their background.
Each one of us comes from a different part of history, and therefore it is very hard to say that 2 person can share the same life story. It is this personal history that molds us into who we are today, and the culture that we follow. Effective communication revolves around successfully understanding another person's mindset, and being sensitive to their needs.
In what ways, one may ask? Understand that our friends have Friday prayers, so as not to condone their meeting attendances. Understand that our friends are trying their best to learn a new language, in a foreign land. Understand that our friends have no family members to depend on. Understand that what you think may not be what it seems to be.
It is through these understandings that we will be able marry culture and communication. Not necessarily a perfect union, but at least "Happily Ever After".
Ending it off on a lighter note, the Queen is an Indian!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Irrelevant "Fluff"
Fluff. A new word I learnt from a fellow NUS undergraduate and a long time friend.
Ever wondered the use of those useless fluffy cotton wool stuffings inside those cute soft toys little girls fall in love with? That is fluff.
So when I say your mind is fluff, it means your mind is filled with nothingness. I find it very interesting that something which sounds so boring, "fluff", can have a totally new meaning based on how people see it. Fluff.
Relevance to our Team Communications class? Just make sure that communication between you and your team mates do not end up "fluffy".
Do you think our education is "fluff"? Innocent looking "fluff".
Ever wondered the use of those useless fluffy cotton wool stuffings inside those cute soft toys little girls fall in love with? That is fluff.
So when I say your mind is fluff, it means your mind is filled with nothingness. I find it very interesting that something which sounds so boring, "fluff", can have a totally new meaning based on how people see it. Fluff.
Relevance to our Team Communications class? Just make sure that communication between you and your team mates do not end up "fluffy".
Do you think our education is "fluff"? Innocent looking "fluff".
#1: Communication and Teamwork: What are they?
Every human being communicates. From a wailing baby out of his mother's womb, to a sickly old man on his deathbed. Communication is an integral part of our species.
Would I be able to survive without it? Maybe. Try telling your local grocer that you want your weekly purchase of greens, without communicating. How about telling your mother that you require more pocket money, again, without communicating?
Rather than exploring what communication means to me, let me show you how important miscommunication can mean to me. We shall explore a scene from Oliver Twist; Oliver asks for MORE!
Very simply, there was a miscommunication between Oliver and the headmaster of the orphanage. Oliver just wanted more food, because he was hungry. However, the headmaster thought that Oliver was greedy to ask for more food. This very short conversation, highlights how serious miscommunication can be, especially between 2 people from 2 different backgrounds.
Besides that, have you noticed the way Oliver's friends communicate with Oliver. Winks, nudges and more winks! The boys have managed to master the art of communication without words. Furthermore, have you noticed the banners in the background of the dining hall. "God is True". Communication! The orphanage further tries to educate the boys through subtle exposure to these messages.
To summarize it all, communication is My Life.
Teamwork. My friend has a t-shirt with a group of people assaulting a person lying on the floor. Below this illustration are the words, TEAMWORK. Ironic but true.
But is teamwork really necessary? Would it be better if you could do things on your own, without having any pesky team mates ruin your life's work? Would it be even greater that you would not have to wait for irritating team mates who love to come late for meetings? These are the problems plagued by teamwork! Regardless of whether you can pick your team mates for a rescue mission, it's hard to deny that you would still have to face your team mate's annoying personality. Imagine dying from irritation even before you rescue a dying man.
However, therein lies a deeper meaning. Without these irritating team mates, would you have been able to save the dying man? Would you alone be able to cross dangerous ravines, climb dangerous cliffs and cross narrow mountain paths to reach the victim?
Personal comfort or teamwork? I have chosen mine. What is yours?
Another video on teamwork to end it off. Ironically again, from the North KIM-chi nation. :)
Besides that, have you noticed the way Oliver's friends communicate with Oliver. Winks, nudges and more winks! The boys have managed to master the art of communication without words. Furthermore, have you noticed the banners in the background of the dining hall. "God is True". Communication! The orphanage further tries to educate the boys through subtle exposure to these messages.
To summarize it all, communication is My Life.
Teamwork. My friend has a t-shirt with a group of people assaulting a person lying on the floor. Below this illustration are the words, TEAMWORK. Ironic but true.
But is teamwork really necessary? Would it be better if you could do things on your own, without having any pesky team mates ruin your life's work? Would it be even greater that you would not have to wait for irritating team mates who love to come late for meetings? These are the problems plagued by teamwork! Regardless of whether you can pick your team mates for a rescue mission, it's hard to deny that you would still have to face your team mate's annoying personality. Imagine dying from irritation even before you rescue a dying man.
However, therein lies a deeper meaning. Without these irritating team mates, would you have been able to save the dying man? Would you alone be able to cross dangerous ravines, climb dangerous cliffs and cross narrow mountain paths to reach the victim?
Personal comfort or teamwork? I have chosen mine. What is yours?
Another video on teamwork to end it off. Ironically again, from the North KIM-chi nation. :)
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