#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!

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".

#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. :)