Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

I have never been one who was good at handling conflicts. So, my approach has always been to avoid them. However, conflicts are unavoidable in all relationships. They can stem from miscommunication, misunderstanding or simply an individual having a bad day.

My friends and I often found it difficult to find time to meet up during the semester. After weeks of planning, we managed to find a time when all of us could meet up for dinner. At the restaurant, we were greeted by some unexpected company. One of my friends had arranged to meet her other group of friends at the same time and place. The atmosphere turned awkward as I had my friend sitting in the middle of two groups and trying to join both conversations. We tried to strike a conversation with her other friends but we eventually gave up as they displayed no interest in breaking the ice. Throughout dinner, I felt uncomfortable and displeased with her arrangement but I contained my feelings. After we finished our food, both groups discussed about separate plans after dinner. We thought that my friend was going to join them, so we foot our bill and left politely. Later on, my friend sent me a message me to confront me about our hostility. I felt wronged and disappointed in her at the same time. We did make an effort to improve the situation but her friends appeared uninterested.

We were all secretly unhappy with my friend’s arrangement but to avoid an emotional confrontation, I chose to remain silent. This incident did not affect our friendship but I always felt that I could have handle the situation better. Dear classmates, what will you suggest me to do to handle the situation better?

Application Letter Draft 2

The job advertisement for my desired position is as follows:

Position	Biologist/ Chemist/ Microbiologist
Organisation	PUB, The National Water Agency
Date Posted	Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Application Deadline	Friday, February 25, 2011
Location	40 Scotts Road, #22-01 Environment Building, Singapore 228231
No. of Vacancies

PUB is an organisation that is recognised internationally for good water management. PUB won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award and was named Water Agency of the Year 2006 in the international Global Water Awards. In 2008, PUB was awarded the Singapore Quality Award for business excellence. NEWater, Singapore's high-quality reclaimed water, also clinched the 'Environmental Contribution of the Year' at the Global Water Awards 2008. At PUB, the national water agency, you will enjoy opportunities to build a clear future for the water industry. Responsibilities • Monitor and analyse water quality data (e.g. algae, zooplankton, bacteria etc.) and explore the use of technology to enhance the work of the Water Quality division. • Support the essential day-to-day operations of the operational departments in the management of water quality. • Provide scientific services for several new Boardwide projects and new initiatives on ongoing projects, including the Marina Barrage Reservoir Scheme, Singapore Waterworks Upgrading, Sampling and Monitoring Programme (SAMP) and water quality emergency response drill. • Carry out and manage R&D projects to help improve water quality. Requirements • Good Honours degree in Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology or any relevant disciplines. • Meticulous and organised • Possess good interpersonal skills and able to work effectively in a team   My application letter for the above position is as follows:  95 Whampoa Drive #12-240 Singapore 320095 9 February 2011 Ms Audrey CHUA Senior Manager, Human Resources Department PUB, The National Water Agency 40 Scotts Road #09-01 Singapore 228231 Dear Ms Chua, I am writing to you in response to your advertisement for the position of Biologist/Chemist/Microbiologist found on www.careers.gov.sg. I believe that with my specialized skills and knowledge in Chemistry, I will make a useful addition to your team. I will be graduating with a degree in Chemistry from National University of Singapore. During my undergraduate studies, I developed a keen interest in analytical and inorganic chemistry. My specialized skills in analytical chemistry can be applied to water management and quality control. I will also be a useful member in your R&D projects in water quality research. PUB’s achievements and dedication in water management research has inspired me to pursue a career in your organization. I have strong communication and interpersonal skills demonstrated in my past job experiences at Ci You Childcare Centre and Goldenleaf Textile. I learnt to be meticulous and organised as I handled the company’s data when I worked as an administrative executive. I also honed strong analytical skills during my undergraduate training in Chemistry. I am a good team player as shown in my leadership and competitive experience in Netball. As a leader, I am motivating and encouraging towards my team members. I am disciplined and I uphold my responsibilities in a team. I am enthusiastic and friendly as I actively participated in events like the Inter-Faculty Games and Science Orientation Week. I am motivated and constantly striving for excellence. I was awarded the Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship in 2009. I believe in giving back to my community as I regularly volunteered at the Tai Pei Buddhist centre. I like stretching my abilities and interests from sports like netball, swimming and cycling to music. From reading about the R&D projects conducted by PUB, I am deeply inspired to work in leading laboratories like yours. I believe that with my technical knowledge, good interpersonal skills and passion in science I will make a suitable candidate for the position. I will appreciate an interview at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration. I can be contacted at 9XXXXXXXXX or email at tXXXXX@hotmail.com. Yours sincerely, Tan Pei Zi

Why is Effective Communication important?

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypic/ 

As I receive my training in Chemistry, I realised that there are many other essential skills which my course cannot fulfil and one of it is communication. The last time I had an interview, it was pretty much a disaster. So, when I find myself lacking in these areas, I decided to take up this module. I think that effective communication is an important life skill for reasons which I will explain.

Firstly, I believe that effective communication will enable me to portray a professional image which is important in earning the trust and recognition at work. Professionalism is important as I believe that it is one of the key qualities which will leave employers a good impression. It is crucial at the workplace as it affects whether my future superior and co-workers can trust me at a task or my leadership. Hence, apart from having the ability, effective communication skills to convey my ideas are also absolutely essential to me. 

Secondly, I believe that effective communication skills minimises problems arising from misunderstandings.  Be it at a workplace or social setting, ineffective or lack of communication is often the root of arguments or conflicts. These conflicts and arguments are detrimental to relationships and a waste of time of effort in resolving them at work. Very often, I find people misinterpreting my point or completely missing it and I suspect that this is due to my inability to put my message across properly. Through this course, I hope that I will pick up skills which will help me organise my thoughts and ideas, learn how to put them across clearly and transform myself into an effective communicator!

Before we reach the age where are able to read each other’s mind through implanted microchips (which I suppose won’t be any time soon), let’s learn how to convey our thoughts and ideas effectively and save time guessing what each other is saying or explaining, “That’s not what I meant!”.