It pains me when I realised that this blogpost will be the final post. As the module – Career & Professional Development II comes to an end, I would like to reflect on the objectives I have set for myself since the start of this trimester.
Over the course of 12 weeks, the module has provided essential verbal and non-verbal communication skills through the various concepts and frameworks such as the 7Cs, Johari Window and the different ethical principles. Nonetheless, I felt that my module professor, Dr. Uma has truly made my learning journey an impactful one.
In my first blogpost, I have highlighted that some of my communication issues lies on me speaking too quickly and the tone of my voice may sound aggressive when voicing out during a discussion. However, through the professional advice from Dr. Uma, I found myself speaking at a slower pace with extra volume and energy to overcome my naturally soft voice. This has helped me to articulate my words better while keeping the audience engaged during my final presentation.
This could not be achieved without constant rehearsals with my Team – Team Jija. In addition, the peer review of the mock presentation provided me with the opportunity to improve myself from the feedbacks given by my peers. Although I felt that the presentation went smoothly, I still felt the nerve-wrecking feelings when I started speaking in front of the class. While this might have affected my presentation a little, I could see the improvements I have made as compared to my previous presentations.
As to improve on my tone during a discussion, there were many discussions in class that required me to discuss with my team. Such discussions include our opinions on certain concept such as the 7Cs and the Johari Window. With the progression of each discussion, I realised that I would listen to my teammates more before providing my inputs. This has resulted in me voicing out my opinions clearly without sounding aggressive.
To ensure continual improvements, I need to constantly remind myself to be motivated by my failures instead of brooding over it. Thus, with constant improvements, I am confident to become an effective communicator in the near future.
Teo Pei Ling 