This module has adopted a peer teaching approach on various topics involving communications. At the start of the module, I felf uncomfortable as there seems to lack direction in such a settings. However, such fear was proven to be invalid as Ms Fazilah and the other students in the class has put in a lot of effort in facilitating discussions. The roles that a facilitator plays is therefore the key to success in such this module. As such, I have learnt about the various skills invoved in being a facilitator. First of all, a facilitator has to be able to take a step back when necessary in order to allow the group to run their discussions. This is very challenging since a facilitator has to know when to take a step back and when to take a step forward in directing people. I have however observed how Ms Fazilah and the class facilitate discussions and learnt from it. Often in a group discussion, members may have differing opinions and may be eager to voice out their own views without listening to what others have to say first. This is detrimental to the generation of new and better ideas. At times, group members who are aware of such situations will take on the role as facilitators and ease the process of discussions. This often requires practices. However, I am glad that my team and I has understood the various topics of this module and put these communication skills to practice in our daily life.
In addition, I have also learnt about various skills that will enhance my employability in the future, such as writing a resume and cover letter, interviewing skills etc. The main reason for me to take on this module is to learn the various skills involved in seeking employment. I have seen news reports on how military personnel have trouble in their career transition and is indeed a case of concern for me. Not to say that I am transiting to another career, but I see these communication skills as important skills that each and every adults should possess in this society.
With that I would like to thank our class, in particular Ms Fazilah and my group for making my learning process a wonderful and enriching one. Good Day.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Friday, 6 April 2012
Reflections on Oral Presentation
Overall, the oral presention went well and my team was able to convey our message well to the panel. However, all was not smooth sailing as we worked towards the day of oral presentation.
Firstly, we were unable to secure and interview with a credible authority until a week before the presentation. The lack of preparation time reduces our confidence significantly. However, the team was able to prioritise and plan the appropriate steps so as to deliver a good presentation within a week's time. When we finally secured an interview with Singapore Sports Council CEO, Mr Lim Teck Yin, we thought everything will be fine and we can proceed to prepare for our presentation after we have got the relevant information. However, we were told to present the case to him when we thought that it was just a Q&A session. The team was not prepared both in content delivery and presentation. Yes, and we did a lousy job I have to admit. However, I firmly believe that the interview session with him was a great opportunity to evaluate on our proposal, instead of a "grilling" session. Moral of the story: See value in whatever you do.
The rehearsals for the presentation proves to be more difficult than I thought it was, especially when many of us seldom have the chance to do class presentation back in our home faculty. This difficulty was compounded by the differences in presentation style for different team members. There was no "one size fits all" presentation style. One will therefore have to know his/her own style and make discretional changes to the presentation without compromising one's style. This is crucial in developing confidence for the presentation.
Finally, I have learnt that it is essential to know our own proposal thoroughly and predict any form of objections before the presentation. This again, builds confidence, which enable one to address the objections raised in a systematic and coherent manner. This also reduces the tendency to sound defensive when there were objections raised. Knowledge is power. However, not only do we have to know our project in detail, we need to harness these knowledge when challenged. I feel that this is in fact the most difficult to achieve. In my opinion, none of us were able to harness these knowledge fully and address the objections raised in the perfect manner. However, as a group, we were able to complement each other and harness these knowledge collectively to paint a complete picture to the panel.
I have seen a number of videos with regards to good presentation skills. Out of the many, I felt that this is the best that I can relate to. Enjoy the video =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOwQUd8qkMM
Firstly, we were unable to secure and interview with a credible authority until a week before the presentation. The lack of preparation time reduces our confidence significantly. However, the team was able to prioritise and plan the appropriate steps so as to deliver a good presentation within a week's time. When we finally secured an interview with Singapore Sports Council CEO, Mr Lim Teck Yin, we thought everything will be fine and we can proceed to prepare for our presentation after we have got the relevant information. However, we were told to present the case to him when we thought that it was just a Q&A session. The team was not prepared both in content delivery and presentation. Yes, and we did a lousy job I have to admit. However, I firmly believe that the interview session with him was a great opportunity to evaluate on our proposal, instead of a "grilling" session. Moral of the story: See value in whatever you do.
The rehearsals for the presentation proves to be more difficult than I thought it was, especially when many of us seldom have the chance to do class presentation back in our home faculty. This difficulty was compounded by the differences in presentation style for different team members. There was no "one size fits all" presentation style. One will therefore have to know his/her own style and make discretional changes to the presentation without compromising one's style. This is crucial in developing confidence for the presentation.
Finally, I have learnt that it is essential to know our own proposal thoroughly and predict any form of objections before the presentation. This again, builds confidence, which enable one to address the objections raised in a systematic and coherent manner. This also reduces the tendency to sound defensive when there were objections raised. Knowledge is power. However, not only do we have to know our project in detail, we need to harness these knowledge when challenged. I feel that this is in fact the most difficult to achieve. In my opinion, none of us were able to harness these knowledge fully and address the objections raised in the perfect manner. However, as a group, we were able to complement each other and harness these knowledge collectively to paint a complete picture to the panel.
I have seen a number of videos with regards to good presentation skills. Out of the many, I felt that this is the best that I can relate to. Enjoy the video =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOwQUd8qkMM
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