ES2007S Professional Communication.

The Final Post: An Enriching Experience

Saturday, 10 November 2012

Unknown

I still remembered on the first day of ES2007s lesson, I went into the class, not knowing what to expect. Things were a little awkward initially as I am not really good at striking a conversation with people I am not close with. (This shows how bad I need this course at that point of time.) I also remembered that when Brad told us all the various assignments we had to do, the first thing that came into my mind was: I should not have wasted so many points to bid for this module! I was expecting to just slack through this module and gain some communication tips and that’s it. This was how I felt in the first lesson.

However, subsequent lessons slowly changed my thinking…

Let’s start with the two presentations first: peer teaching and oral presentation. It is really amazing that in a class of only 16 people, we can have such a large variety of presentation styles. Different forms of slides, different hands-on activities and of course different ways of speaking. After looking at the various forms of presentation, I find it really intriguing why some people can capture everyone’s attention once they are speaking while some are not able to do so. How is it possible to have this x-factor in a person? I know that I still have a long way to go before I can reach the standard of a good speaker, but ES2007s has certainly provided sufficient opportunities for me to practice presenting and observe others presenting.

Moving on to resume and interview. These are really relevant when we are looking for job or graduate studies in the future. I really appreciate that I was given the chance to draft out a resume and cover letter and improve on them through comments given before I used them for the real purpose. At least now, I know that my resume and cover letter are presentable. As for the interview, although I missed out the chance to be interviewed, I actually enjoyed being an interviewer since I am not the one being scrutinised by three pairs of unfriendly eyes. It also sets me thinking in the perspective of the interviewer, allowing me to know what to do and what to avoid during interview. It was a lesson filled with stressful moments but also with lots of laughter.

Last but not least, the project proposal. Initially, I thought that I will have a really hard time as I have never written a proposal before. However, things turned out to be better than I expected, maybe because I have group members who are really efficient and friendly. I truly learnt a lot from them as they have lots of experiences and knowledge. I definitely won’t be able to write out the proposal on my own. Thanks Bernard, Rohit and Ding Ding. I really enjoyed working with you guys!

It has been a really memorable experience for me. Acting in class, giving presentations and interacting with people from all over the world, these are experiences that I definitely would not get from other modules. I liked it when the class talked about their different experiences in different countries and how everyone will laugh at each other stories. I also enjoyed the various activities carried out during lesson and this made the lesson somewhat past very quickly, so fast that it is already the last lesson of this module…

9 comments

9 Comments:

At 10 November 2012 at 23:12, Brad Blackstone

Thank you for sharing honestly your first reaction to the class, YeaWen. I can relate perfectly. Who would initially guess that becoming an able communicator should require so much work?

You then go on in this post to give a complete yet concise overview of how your impression was altered, and how you came to appreciate not just the tasks involved, but also each of the the people involved.

Thankfully for you (and me), your experience in ES2007S has resonated in a positive way. You've invested a lot of time and effort and become much more knowledgeable on what effective comm skills are and you've improved in your own control of those skills.

Thank you for staying with us, buying into the program and now for sharing your sense of relief.

Best of luck i your future!
At 12 November 2012 at 00:34, Unknown

Yup, now I am glad that I chose this modules as it really has affected me greatly. In adddition thanks for making this such an enjoyable module! I believe that the Es2007s experience will be completely different if we were under the guidance of another person.
At 12 November 2012 at 17:59, Unknown

Hello Yea Wen,

I could not believe what I saw. You were thinking of slacking through this module? I thought I would be even more of a slacker. Jokes aside. I am very happy that you have learnt a lot from this course, and so have I. Let's all hope that we will still retain whatever we have learnt so far and apply them in our future career. I am very happy to have met you and know you as a classmate.

Min Thu
At 14 November 2012 at 22:57, Unknown

Hey Min Thu,

Honestly, I actually thought that Es2007s was an ungraded module initially, which is the reason why I thought that I can slack through this module. Nevertheless, it is a blessing in disguise after all. I am also really glad to know you as well:)
At 15 November 2012 at 08:45, yongsheng

Hi Yea Wen,

It feels weird to comment on your final reflection given that we bided for this module together and I knew clearly your reasons for bidding for this module and also your thoughts along the way. Nevertheless, we all learnt important skills which are essential for us in our lives. We all had improved during these twelve weeks. Let's have continued improvement and apply the skills in our future career.

Cheers,
Yong Sheng
At 17 November 2012 at 20:57, Eric Linardy

Hi Yea Wen,

I had the same impression as yours when I learnt about the amunt of work required for the module. I have a mixed feeling now that it has ended; one part of me is glad that all the work is over; other wishes that the interaction and camaraderie can continue. I am also glad to meet another person in class who is interested in going for graduate studies. I hope both of us have learnt something in this module that will give us the additional advantage to continue in the university that we aspire to go to. All the best for your studies and hope that you can achieve your aspiration.
At 18 November 2012 at 05:08, Unknown

Hey Yea Wen,
Its quite funny that you actually thought of slacking this module.Nevertheless, your post clearly highlights your journey through the different sections of the module and how each part has taught you new aspects about effective communication. Though I have never worked with you in this module apart from being part of the same blog group I really hope we can stay in touch in the future.
Cheers,
Sai
At 18 November 2012 at 12:22, yun

Hello Yeawen!

I still remember the first day of this lesson, when we were rushing to class (it was a sign!), and I was secretly trying very hard to recall where I could have seen this familiar face. But I was equally lousy at striking conversations with people, so I was actually very relieved when you popped me that question during the ice breaking session. Small world indeed!

If you'd have told me your initial ideas about this module, I could have safely assured you otherwise because this happens to be one of my core modules! Nonetheless, I'm sure after zooming by twelve full weeks of enriching experiences and meaningful exchanges, we are all walking out of the classroom grateful for what we've gone through because we are emerging as better speakers, and more effective communicators!

Having seen your presentations for both peer teaching and oral presentation, I'd say you've definitely improved a lot, despite the fact that I thought you are pretty much a stable speaker, with not too much variations. You have a long way to go? So do I! But we'll get there eventually I'm sure, just got to keep practising and applying what we've learnt! We can do this!

Thanks for sharing your experiences so concisely here! Last lesson of this module, but hope it won't be the last ending for us!
At 19 November 2012 at 02:28, Unknown

Hi Yong Sheng,

Even though we planned to bid together, I still can't get over the fact that you got the module for 1 point and I got it with over 1000 points. Nevertheless, I think that the 1000 plus points are worth it since I get to pick up skills that are essential for my future and also make so many new friends.

Hi Eric,

I believe that with your current achievements and the skills we learnt from this module, you will definitely be able to go to the graduate studies of your choice. It is really nice knowing you although we did not work together before. All the best to you too!

Hi Sai,

It is really quite a pity that we never work before as it seems that you are really funny guy and I believe that it will be very enjoyable working with you. Stay in touch!

Hi Hui Yun,

It is really such a conincidence that we meet in Es2007s after spending 6 years in the same school. Thanks a lot for your encouragement! Hopefully when we meet next time, both of us will become a really good speaker. All the best for your future and hope we can still stay in touch.

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Reflection on oral presentation

Unknown

I am glad that everything has come to an end, but this is definitely not the perfect ending for me.

After peer teaching, I told myself that for the coming presentation I am going to improve myself as I knew that I did not do a really amazing job at that time. I remember speaking slightly too fast and I stumbled at certain parts of my presentation. Hence, I constantly reminded myself to slow down when I was practising for my oral presentation. However, I managed to slow down my pace during practices but not on the real presentation itself. Nervousness was definitely one of the causes but not the only one. I felt that I was losing the audience’s attention when I was halfway through my presentation and this makes me want to end my presentation as quickly as possible. At the end of the presentation, I thought really hard about it. What had caused my audience to lose interest in my presentation? Is it the content or the way I am delivering it? Initially, our group feels that if we constantly reemphasize on a few selling points such as upholding the NUS’s reputation as a global leading university, it will help to sell our proposal better. However, come to think of it now, I think that it became a disadvantage for me instead as I was the third person talking about similar selling points and maybe the audience were already bored of it.

Apart from the content, my delivery skill was flawed as well. My speech lacked of enthusiasm and I was still speaking too fast. Another thing that I was unsatisfied was my eye contact. I remember that I had sufficient and sustained eye contact during peer teaching, but I feel that I did not provide sufficient eye contact this time round.

On the whole, all the presentation experiences I gained through this module have made me less nevous but I still have a lot to improve on in order for me to give a really impressive presentation in the future.

7 comments

7 Comments:

At 10 November 2012 at 08:07, Eric Linardy

Hi, Ya Wen.

I personally think that you are too hard on yourself and also perhaps trying to achieve the impossible by striving to get the perfect ending in presentation. I admire your personal endeavor to improve your presentation skill and I think you have improved. Every presenter often does notice any improvement on her part until such thing is pointed out to them. For example, based on the note that I had taken, you spoke very clearly and exhibited only a few or no “errr” and “umm” at all. This shows you have a clear picture of your presentation as shown by the smooth delivery of your content.

However, I did notice that your presentation appeared scripted and your tone of voice lacks the variation or enthusiasm which might result in “losing audience’s attention”. I also agree with you that you have the unfortunate role to deliver near the middle end of the presentation when audience often begins to lose their attention and patience. If you wish to learn from example, try to see how Rohit presented his part. He appeared to be excited about the content of the presentation and it rubbed on the audiences who perked up and paid attention. Try also to maintain your own presentation pace and do not be affected too much by the audience’s response.

Lastly, I know how bad nervousness can affect one’s performance in presentation. One way is to ensure you have sufficiently practiced until you achieve the confidence to present your content. Another advice is to practice calming techniques such as meditation, power pose or breathing technique before the presentation.

I hope you will strive to improve your presentation and good luck in your endeavor.

Regards,

Eric Linardy
At 10 November 2012 at 22:23, yongsheng

Hi Yea Wen,
Your post seemed kind of emotional. It is good to always ask yourself about the presentation such as what is good or what went wrong. Personally I felt that you did fine. Sitting down there as the “OED”, I can see that your group made the effort to create the slides using haiku and the pictures were awesome. As for your delivery part, I could sense that you were quite nervous at the start of the presentation which caused you to start swallowing saliva down your throat and even stumble over a few words. However, everyone gets nervous I guess. You also mentioned that you could feel that the audiences were losing interest in your presentation probably because you were the third speaker and you were repeating the same selling points. However, one advice would be to look around in search for a few audiences who are still paying attention and gave them the eye contact. With their nodding of heads and smile, I believe these will definitely boost your confidence. I did the same during my OP too. I felt that my presentation was boring but once I noticed a few nodding of heads from a few classmates like Chandra, Rohit and Shi Ying, it did give me some assurance through their acknowledgements.
Overall, I think your group did a great job and we as the audiences could hardly come up with any questions to ask. Do not feel sad over your performance during OP as it is already over. Smile because you been there, and done it!:)

Cheers,
Yong Sheng
At 12 November 2012 at 00:53, Unknown

Thanks a lot for your encouragement, Eric! Maybe I was really too hard on myself but honestly I feel that my improvement is not as great as the rest. And thanks for pointing out my errors as well. I agree with what you mentioned. I know that my presentation is rather scripted but if I do not present according to a script, I worried that I may not able to construct sentences that flow during the presentation itself. Nevertheless, I will remember what you have mentioned and use it to further improve my presentation in the future:)

Yong Sheng, the advice that you gave is really useful, I will try it the next time if similar situation occurs. Anyway, I didn't mean to make my post so emotional, hopefully it did not affect your mood after reading my post. Thanks a lot for the encouragement!:)
At 12 November 2012 at 17:52, Unknown

Hello Yea Wen,

I am shocked by your comments. You are being too hard on yourself. I believe that everybody has improved over the course of few months in terms of presentation skills and no doubt, we can never be perfect. I like the way Yong Sheng suggested, which is to spend more time giving eye contact to those who are interested, and slowly think of ways to grab other's attention during your presentation.

Besides, the topic you are doing is on Wi-Fi and honestly, the proposal was very clear on what needs to be done. However, since this presentation is graded, you all did your very best to sell the idea. I would have bought it actually.

There will be a day when you will be selling an idea you have created, and trust me, with passion and courage, you will sure find ways to make the audience sit there and listen to you intently. After all, humans are just poor listener, so bear with it.

You have done your very best and I enjoyed your group's presentation. It was clear, simple, and easy to understand. Both of us just have to work on one important thing and that is nervousness during presentation.

Min Thu
At 14 November 2012 at 23:08, Unknown

Hi Min Thu,

I think my post sounds to emotional already since you are the third person saying that I am too hard on myself. I know that no one can be perfect but I just feel slightly dissapointed when I compare my rate of improvement with the rest such as Ding Ding, Thao or even you. Thanks a lot for your encouragement and for liking our presentation as well.
At 18 November 2012 at 05:00, Unknown

Hey Yea Wen,
I don't think I have to repeat the fact that you are being to cynical about your presentation.
I would also agree with Yong Sheng as I try to look at people who seem interested with what I am talking about rather than look at those who are already bored with me. Moreover, since after all we are students and most of us do not have any background knowledge about the topic you were presenting,we probably are not the ideal audience and so I do not think you should blame the lack of interest on your delivery style.
I personally feel that if the respective people from the computer center were the audience they would be more than willing to pay attention to what you are speaking as the idea as whole is brilliant.
Overall,I would say that your presentation was clear and simple and that you should never shy away from being confident about yourself.
At 19 November 2012 at 02:32, Unknown

Hi Sai,

It is really encouraging to hear from so many of you that my performance is not as bad as I thought. Thanks so much!I will keep in mind of all the advices given.

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Edited Cover Letter

Friday, 12 October 2012

Unknown

Hoe Yea Wen

136 Springside Ave

Singapore 786460
(+65) XXXXXXXX
hoeyeawen@gmail.com

10 September 2012

Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics

Franklin-Wilkins Building
Stamford Street
London SE1 8WA

To whom it may concern,

It is with great pleasure that I submit my application for a Master’s Degree in Dietetics in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the King’s College London. I am currently completing my education in the Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in Food Science & Technology at the National University of Singapore, with one of my emphases in the area of human nutrition.

I am particularly interested in this course as it offers me the greatest opportunity to continue my education in the pursuit of a career as a dietician. I have always believed that diet is the best form of preventive measure for various diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. However, even with this belief in mind, I do not have sufficient knowledge to make changes to someone’s lives through their diets. At times, I will feel rather helpless when my parents asked me what food should be given to my diabetic grandmother to improve her health. Hence, I hope that the knowledge I gained in this programme will groom me into an outstanding dietician.

My degree has prepared me well for the graduate education challenges by equipping me with the necessary skills and knowledge in the area on nutrition. I was also exposed to several experimental modules which help to improve my research skills tremendously. In addition, during my industrial placement in Singapore Food Industries Ltd, I picked up technical and communication skills which I am certain will be useful in my graduate studies.

I am confident that I will be a suitable candidate for your programme as I have the essential knowledge and I am also very passionate in this area of study.

I see King’s College London as a wonderful step for me in attaining my ambition of becoming a dietician. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please contact me if there is anything else I need to provide. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Hoe Yea Wen

0 comments

0 Comments:

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Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour (2)

Unknown

After reading several other posts, I feel that my post, which talks about the difference between rural and urban area, is not a distinct intercultural situation. Hence, I will be writing another short post to describe on another intercultural behaviour.

Recently, my friend, who is studying in London, posted a comment on Facebook and I find it rather fascinating. He mentioned that the tube in London broke down and he wrote down the observations he made.

“Tube station was crowded and stuffy, but everyone was orderly and understanding. Needless to say, no one was snapping photos with their smart phones.”

This really sets me thinking. Why is there such a big difference between London and Singapore? I still remember when our train service broke down, there was such a big commotion about it. There were tons of complaints in the forum and newspaper. Is this because the disruption of train service is a rare event in Singapore but it is relatively common in London? Hence, people in London are generally used to it. So does this means that having an almost perfect train service is something bad after all? Or should our train service break down more often? What do you think?

2 comments

2 Comments:

At 16 October 2012 at 00:37, Unknown

Hi Yea Wen,

That is one interesting point being made out by your friend in London. I am not sure if it is the Singapore culture or if it is the consequences of having a camera phone. I have to say, in Singapore, they have a platform named Stomp and this platform has many photos of wrong-doings by careless citizens. It has become a norm to report a negative behavior online rather than to inform the person right away. I am not sure if people take pleasure by having a good laugh at other's wrongdoings but, taking photos is never a solution to the problem in the photo. Your post has indeed set me thinking about Singaporeans.

Min Thu
At 16 October 2012 at 21:20, Unknown

I absolutely agree with you, Min thu. I really don't understand what is a person thinking when he/she posts videos or photos of other's wrongdoings. It does not benefit both parties in any way. Nevertheless,at times, Stomp may actually brings our attention to certain pressing social issues and force us to think about them.

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Evaluating intercultural behaviour

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Unknown

We spoke different languages, had different skin colours and had different lifestyles. However, a simple game of “Monkey” bonded us together. After so many years, I could still remember the plain yet happy days I had in a small village in Pahang, Malaysia.

The trip was supposedly meant for students who learnt Malay language in my high school. Even though I was not one of them, I chose to take part because of my close acquaintance with the teacher and students who were going. I was the only person who cannot speak basic Malay and I knew that I would definitely have problem communicating with the villagers.

I had a hard time adapting during the first few days. There were no hot water showers and no bed (only thin mattresses). Furthermore, there were only a few persons who could speak English so I had to rely on my friends to help me translate most of the time as simple English was too hard for them to comprehend. Their lifestyles were very different as well. Few homemade dishes were sufficient to feed a family of seven. The small television in the living room seems to be a decorative item as it was never switch on in my two weeks stay.

At that point of time, I kind of regretted going for the trip. However, my mindset changed completely after we started playing ball games with the children from the host family. It could be just passing or kicking the ball around, yet the children were having so much fun. Their laughter and happiness seems to be viral, my friends and I slowly got infected by them. Playing ball games gradually became a routine for us. I enjoyed it so much that I was reluctant to go back.

There were a lot of differences between us, in terms of culture, language and most importantly values. As we were brought up differently and grew up in different societies, we think and act differently. They were very easily contented while we complained of every single thing. We dreaded studying but they were ecstatic when they saw the small library we built for them. I can’t help but to feel ashamed of myself when I looked at them.

3 comments

3 Comments:

At 10 October 2012 at 23:23, yongsheng

Hi Yea Wen,

Although I heard your story before, I would still like to comment on it. :P

I admire your courage to join the students who learnt Malay to Pahang even when you were not one of them and you totally have no knowledge about Malay language. The difference in culture between the rural and urban areas also highlighted the difference in language and lifestyle. We grew up in the urban city of Singapore in which we have most things in place for us. On the other hand, the rural area has very limited supply of resources. Taking their leisure activity for example, they play simple ball passing games while we play Xbox and PSP. However, even with this difference, I believe the level of enjoyment will still be the same. Don’t feel ashamed of yourself, but try to learn from them. Be contented and be satisfied with what you have in life.

Cheers,
Yong Sheng
At 16 October 2012 at 09:32, Brad Blackstone

I enjoyed this post, Yea Wen. Your prose seems to reflect well the rhythm and simplicity of the rural Malaysian village. I especially like the way you focus on the ball games and how such a simple pleasure played a part in bonding you city kids and the village children.

Thanks for sharing this experience.
At 16 October 2012 at 21:10, Unknown

Yong Sheng,

I feel that it is really a pity that most of the children living in the urban area never have the chance to to experience such life style. I actually feel that playing with the village children brings much more enjoyment than playing with Xbox or PSP.

Hi Brad,

I am gald you enjoyed reading my post. The trip really makes me appreciate the beauty of a simple life.

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Application Letter

Friday, 14 September 2012

Unknown

Hoe Yea Wen
136 Springside Ave
Singapore 786460
(+65) XXXXXXXX
hoeyeawen@gmail.com

10 September 2012

Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics
Franklin-Wilkins Building
Stamford Street
London SE1 8WA

To whom it may concern,

I am particularly interested in this course as it offers me the greatest opportunity to continue my education in the pursuit of a career as a dietician. I hope to improve the quality of the public’s health through diet as a form of preventive measure and I believe that the King’s College London has the most outstanding programme in dietetics to help me attain my goal.

My Bachelor of Applied Science degree has prepared me well for the graduate education challenges by equipping me with the necessary knowledge and skills. During my industry placement in Singapore Food Industries Ltd, I picked up technical and communication skills.

Sincerely,

Hoe Yea Wen

4 comments

4 Comments:

At 17 September 2012 at 22:17, Unknown

Hi Hoe Yea Wen,

I will just write in general about your cover letter and then I will write about branding your self in a cover letter.

First of all I want to say it is a nice cover letter and simple to read. You write in a way that I don't need to read it several times so I can understand what you want to say. But that said maybe you should focus more on branding your self. You are writing how the education can help you and how they are as a university. Maybe write more about what experience you have, and elaborate more about why you are particularly interested in studying that. Why do you want to take a master in it. You write you "..want to improve the quality of the public´s health through diet as a form of preventive measure......", something that is really good. There you show what you want to do later on and whats your aim goal.

Second thing is that you need to brand your self better, maybe write why your are the one they should select between the other hundreds of applicants. Because I think more people will have the same bachelor as you. Why choose you and not someone else? What makes you unique from everyone else? What kind of experience do you have, have you been volunteering any were or have more professional experience, when it comes to this area?
At 20 September 2012 at 04:10, Unknown

Hi Yea Wen,

Your application letter is written in a very subtly persuasive manner. I'm quite sure it would get you a place in King's College.

Perhaps you would like to elaborate more about what knowledge and skills your current degree has prepared you for. That way it can make your application letter even more convincing. Also, like what Sumea mentioned, it would be great if you could identify what makes you stand out from the rest of the applicants for the masters programme. I have no idea how many candidates will apply for this programme but it would definitely increase your chances if you tell them what’s unique about you.

Just like Bernard, you have clearly stated your aspirations and ambitions of pursuing your masters in this area of study while Bernard’s goal is to be certified as a Professional Engineer. And I truly admire you having such a clear objective in mind to be a dietician.

All the best as you apply for your masters!
At 29 September 2012 at 08:13, Eric Linardy

Hi Yea Wen,

I agree with Sumea that you have not shown good reason why the administration should choose you instead of other students.

You should expand more on your industry placement with Singapore Food Industries Ltd and describe what exactly the experience you gain there that is relevant to your future career as a dietician. This will show the King's College London administration that you are really interested.

Lastly, I will share to you that graduate school is only interested in having cheap labor to help them with their research. Thus, it will be great if you have experience in research-related work for your application to King's College.

Good luck and All the Best!
At 8 October 2012 at 02:07, Unknown

Hi Sumea,

Thanks a lot for your advice. I agree that I still need to brand myself better, but currently I do not have much experience in the related area. Hence, my cover letter is still rather general.

Hi Ronald,

Thanks for your comment. Hope that you can discover your ambitions as well and achieve your goals:)

Hi Eric,

Thanks for sharing the fact with me.I will make the appropriate changes. All the best for your application as well!

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Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

Saturday, 8 September 2012

Unknown

In life, conflict between people is inevitable. It is a fact that we have to deal with at least one interpersonal conflict in our life. It may occur at all levels of interaction – within families, among friends and at work. Talking about work reminds me of a situation I encountered in my part time job (as a dental assistant) two years ago.

In the clinic, there were two nurses and an orthodontist. One of the nurses (Joyce) was more experienced and was well-trusted by the dentist. Hence, she was asked to teach me most of the required skills. In contrast to Joyce, the other nurse (Pat) was less experienced and tended to be more careless at work. Nevertheless, Pat was still a very nice person and treated me as her own daughter.

Squabbles were frequent in the clinic while a huge fight was very rare. On that very day that the conflict occurred, the atmosphere in the clinic was totally different from the usual. When I stepped into the clinic, I remembered that the orthodontist was chiding Pat for making the wrong order which would cause him to lose $5000. He even added that either she had to compensate for the loss or she would lose her job. However, she firmly insisted that it was Joyce who made the mistake. On hearing that, Joyce immediately rebutted, pushing all the blame back to Pat. Words started to get harsher and eventually a fight broke out.

At that point of time, I felt really lost and saddened by the fact that both of them were at bad terms. Joyce is like a teacher to me while Pat is like a mother to me. Both of them treated me equally well and I do not know who to side. What can I do as a mediator to resolve this conflict?

Edited version

7 comments

7 Comments:

At 9 September 2012 at 23:58, Unknown

Hi Yea Wen.

This is one post that serves us as a reminder that we will face such problems in our working life next time. We tend to go to work with our own ideas and opinions and lack the time and effort to listen to others. In your situation, it is advisable not to take sides as that will bring you into the argument. Your job as a mediator is to bring about an agreement among two or more disagreeing parties. This may not be easy and it requires the parties to stop all the arguments and share their opinions in their most calm manner. Calmness brings the point across more effectively and probably, the head dentist can come up with a better solution to his big loss. Indeed, what we have learnt in class about effective listening will improve our communication with our colleagues next time.

Min Thu
At 10 September 2012 at 10:44, yongsheng

Hi Yea Wen,

Min Thu brought up a good point on being a mediator in your situation is better not to take side, but instead help in arriving at a concensus for both parties. Being a minor role in the workplace, perhaps finding the truth about who made the mistake is not within your ability, but i would suggest that you can try to talk to both parties individually, explain the situation to them and at the same time calm them down. I believe eventually the dentist will come up with a solution and probably decide not be so cruel to dismiss any of them. After the incident, you can organise a cohesion session to bring back the happiness in the clinic and at the same time allow more bonding to improve the relationship between each of them.

Yong Sheng
At 14 September 2012 at 06:45, Eric Linardy

Hi Yea Wen,

You share a very intriguing story and also probably the most relevant considering that the conflict occur in the professional setting.

The reason that the conflict arise is understandable. After all $5000 is a huge sum of money. I agree with Min Thu and Yongsheng that as a mediator you should not take side. Taking sides will inevitably hurt the other party and there is nothing more hurtful than when a third part join the other side.

Although ignoring the problem is often not a very good idea, however in this case I think it is possibly a justified move to take. First, this is technically not a problem that you have any means to solve - you do not know who is the person who really make mistake. You may have suspicion but do not share it to anyone. Sometimes dropping the ball can be a good move.

Second, continue to be pleasant to both party. Continue your relationship with both of them and avoid being dragged to join with either party in blaming others. If I were asked to do so, I will kindly decline with the reason that I am not fully aware of the problem.

I hope this conflict ends well.
At 16 September 2012 at 05:52, Unknown

Hey Yea Wen,
The situation you have described is indeed difficult to handle given the fact that you are in a precarious position .Though ignorance will not solve the problem ,I have to agree with what Eric said ,as you really can't directly solve the problem without creating further conflicts and so the best thing to do is not get involved in their conflict.However,your ignorance should not be at the cost of your relationship with both of them.Again as Eric pointed out,be pleasant to both parties and you could serve as a medium to voice out their frustrations so that you also help reduce their agitation.
At 20 September 2012 at 05:50, Brad Blackstone

Thank you, Yea Wen, for sharing this dramatic conflict. You describe the people involved and the context very clearly and concisely. The main problems also is clearly articulated. At the end, you leave the reader with a fine, specific question to consider. To that you've received useful feedback.

Your hope for acting as an effective mediator is quite admirable.

Only a few language issues detract:

1) On the other hand, the other nurse (Pat), (we just discussed this) >>>

2) She tends to be more careless at work as well. (tense) >>>

3) Squabbles were frequent in the clinic but a huge fight was very rare. >>>
Squabbles were frequent in the clinic while a huge fight was very rare.

4) which costs him to lose $5000. >>>
which would cost him to lose $5000.

5) He even added that either she had to compensate for the loss or she will lose her job. (tense) >>>
He even added that either she had to compensate for the loss or she would lose her job.

6) and I do not who to side. >>> ???

In any case, thank you very much for the effort with this vivid tale of workplace conflict.

I look forward to seeing how the issue was resolved.
At 20 September 2012 at 05:51, Brad Blackstone

Actually, for #4 above, it should be

which would cause him to lose $5000.
At 23 September 2012 at 01:31, Unknown

Hi everyone,

To be honest, this is a fabricated situation but the characters are real. Most of the time, I would be caught in between Pat and the dentist instead. Just like what some of you had mentioned, it is better not to take side and that is what I normally do when I am caught in similar situation. However, sometimes I feel like a “two-sided person”. When the dentist said something bad about Pat, I would just agree. Then when Pat said something bad about the dentist, I would just agree as well. Therefore, I feel quite guilty at times.

Nevertheless, thanks a lot for all the good advices and maybe I can put them to good use next time.

Min thu, you mentioned about calmness and I absolutely agree that it is really important to wait till both of them calm down. They will most probably not listen to what I said when both of them are still angry. Yong sheng, I like the idea on the cohesion session. It will be really awkward if everyone is still angry with each other after the situation.

Eric and Sai, I would actually do what you had suggested if this situation was real. This is because I am not really good with words and I am afraid that I will mention the wrong things when I am calming them down. Furthermore, I am younger than both of them. They may not take my words seriously after all.

Brad, thanks for your comment. I have edited my post accordingly.

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