During this module we worked in different group projects almost every class. This has shown me that people are very different and different cultural background matters when it comes to working together in a group project.
To show what I mean I'll give a concrete example:
In our last project work, the proposal, we worked very good as a group. All of us had very different background. One thing that I saw in this project was that deciding one thing didn't mean the same for everyone. For example during the project we planned to have a deadline with some part of the project till Sunday, when we then met on Sunday these parts were not finished. I know that everyone have other modules and other things to focus on, but it was a suprise to me that a deadline is not as strict as I'm used to. This was probably a cultural difference which I think is very important to remember in the future.
Overall this wasn't an issue, just something I thought about. From this I learnt that if I want to have a deadline on Sunday and it really has to be on Sunday - then I need to be very clear about it.
There are several small things like this that I have learnt in this module, all these small things together gives me a greater understanding of how communication works in general!
Thanks Brad for a very interesting module!
Patrik
Hi Patrik,
SvaraRaderaPersonally, I feel that your command of the English language had improved quite a bit since the beginning of the semester. Greater improvement on the verbal form compared to the written form though. Actually, I think Singaporeans (at least for myself and from my personal experience) take deadlines very seriously as well. Such habits and definitions can, of course, be in part due to cultural differences. However, I feel that individual personalities also make a significant contribution beyond the confinements of culture.
I wonder if you have noticed this, although both you and Johanna are from Sweden, the two of you cannot be more different. It is interesting that you are not the typical European stereotype. You tend to have this poker face, more reserved, and thus imposing a silent presence. The contrast between you and Johanna served as a good reminder that nationality should not be used as an identity marker to assume a certain set of behavior; and that cultural differences exist even amongst people who are assumed to have come from the same culture.
Coming from a Singaporean point of view, I think that each of you (international students) have enhanced the learning experience significantly and it really complemented the nature of this course. So thank you for all your contributions, it was a lot of fun having you in the class! Enjoy the rest of your time in Asia, and good luck for your future endeavors!
Min
Some language problems:
1. very hard to point on exactly what I have learnt but I will try to do it in this blogpost.
--> very hard to pinpoint on what exactly I have learnt, but I will try to do so in this blogpost.
2. During this module we worked in different group projects almost every class.
--> In this module, we worked in different groups in almost every class.
3. To show what I mean I'll give a concrete example:
--> I'll give a concrete example to illustrate this :
4. All of us had very different background.
--> All of us had very different backgrounds.
5. For example during the project we planned to have a deadline with some part of the project till Sunday
--> For example, during the project, a deadline was set for some parts to be due on Sunday
6. This was probably a cultural difference which I think is very important to remember in the future.
--> This was probably due to cultural differences, which I think is very important to remember for future reference.
Thank you Min for you comments!
RaderaYes me and Johanna are very different, I think swedish people, like me, often are quite reserved (Johanna, correct me if I'm wrong here).
Of course different personalities matters when it comes to peoples behavior. But in general (what I've seen in Singapore), I don't think people care that much about time (and maybe deadlines). One concrete example is the busschedule - I get crazy when I don't know if it is 1-5-15 minutes till next bus.
I can only agree on that the different backgrounds in our class enhanced the learning experience! I've learnt a lot about Singapore, India, Thailand etc. How many nationalities did we have? 7-8? A lot in a class of 16 people!
Thanks for helping with some grammar! :)
Spot on Min. I most certainly agree with you and I think that your statements "However, I feel that individual personalities also make a significant contribution beyond the confinements of culture." and "nationality should not be used as an identity marker to assume a certain set of behavior; and that cultural differences exist even amongst people who are assumed to have come from the same culture. "
RaderaI find a lot of truth in what you said in those two statements. Kudos on that Min!
Hi Patrik,
SvaraRaderaThank you for this interesting post.
I actually feel that the example you brought up is not so much of a cultural difference. I, for one, take deadlines very seriously and I would not be too pleased if I respect the deadline but everybody else disregards it. I think each individual has a different concept of time and urgency which is why not everyone gets work done at the same time.
However, as students, we are bound to encounter this problem more than once. So, if this sorta thing happens again in the future, I would be more forgiving because I understand that its true, everyone has other commitments going on and some of us are busier than others. We may be all students but we do not have the same workload. In order to manage the different schedules of different students, I would ask them first if the deadline set is even possible. If it isn't , then there is no point setting that deadline. Another solution would be to stagger each others deadlines. Maybe if person A is able to do it by this week then she should do it and person B can submit another task the week after when he is less busy.
I was hoping to read more about what you have learnt in terms of communication skills picked up in class actually! Have a good holiday ahead! I am sure you will have great time traveling and exploring Asia. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours! Hope you enjoyed your stay in Singapore and NUS.
-Gwen
Hi Patrik,
SvaraRaderaYour post is concise again. I enjoyed reading it.
I have different opinion from Gwen. In my opinion, our own background has an effect on our behavior including punctuality. For example, when I have a meeting with my Thai friends, I can come 15 minutes late as everybody expects each other to be a little bit late (but I prefer to be on tine). However, if I have to meet my western friends, knowing how punctual they are, I will try not to be late.
Last but not least, it was such a great experience taking this module together with you. Seeing your great improvement inspires me to work harder.
Keep in touch and if you have time, write a blog post about your trip. I would love to read that! :D
Hi Patrik,
SvaraRaderaYou have brought up an interesting point in this last blog. Essentially, you know that you were successful in your communication only after you see the audience's reaction. In your case, you probably tried your best to be clear in your statement about the deadline, but you were not able to make an impact on your group mates. This could be due to cultural differences, or due to sheer ignorance of your group towards the project. While we do not have control over the audience's minds, we definitely have the power of delivering our ideas in a manner that we hope would make the deepest impact on our audience. I am glad you were able to understand and reflect upon this.
Thank you for your interesting posts. It was a pleasure to be able to work with you. Let us promise to keep in touch in the future.
Hi teammate!
SvaraRaderaI know you're having the time of your life travelling around Asia now!
Anyway, I like how your posts are always "bite sized". They focus on one or two points and thus make for an easy read.
However, I cannot really agree with you on this post.
I feel that one thing that we should be aware of also is to not attribute everything to differences in cultural backgrounds. In the example that you have brought up in your post, I feel that it was more because of our separate commitments than our cultural "asian" background?
We should not be too quick to just generalize. Min has brought up certain valid comments and I feel that it is certainly valuable to internalize what she has said.
Anyway, we should stay in touch! It has certainly been a great experience working with you. I am going to dedicate a blog post to my overall experiences to this module so stay tuned for that!
Thanks for the socks!
Hakeem:D
Hi Hakeem!
RaderaOkay think you are right (and Min too). It's not about cultural differences, you made me think about how it is in Sweden. And it is similar.
So the lesson is that if it is important with a deadline - then it has to be communicated so everyone get it.
As I wrote, it wasn't a critic for you and our other teammates (not my purpose to!), just interesting and important to remember to be clear when you communicate!
Haha you're welcome!
See you on Solution Diggers outing!
Hi Patrik,
SvaraRaderaIt is interesting to read about your perspective about sticking to deadlines. Actually, we generally do try our best to meet deadlines as much as possible. But we understand that life in Singapore is really hectic so we give leeway to others (and ourselves) if we fail to meet some of the deadlines. Nonetheless, I like your principle of sticking to deadlines strictly and that is ideally what I aim to achieve as well.
Through our project, I must say that I really respect your attitude towards work. You were very focused and you put in your best efforts for every component of our project despite the fact that you don't have to because you can simply S/U the modules that you take in NUS. I believe that if you keep up this attitude you will be successful in all the things you wish to achieve in future.
Cheers,
Jestina
Thank you very much, Patrik, for the well focused final reflection. As usual, your prose is clear and concise. You also give a very complete account of one way that differences in attitudes appear within project group work. You attribute that to cultural differences. Some of your readers contest that view. Of course, whether such an attitude is cultural or simply individual is sometimes hard to discern. Min explains how you and Johanna are both from Sweden yet very different in attitudes, as an example. (It's always better not to generalize, unless one has many examples to draw on.) What's important in both cases is the realization that there will always be differences that one has to adjust to.
SvaraRaderaYou've been called poker faced. You've also been termed as reserved. Whatever the case, you were an important member of Group 4 this term, a person always willing to share your experience and views, ready to ask questions or set the record straight. I've appreciated how you made a strong effort in all the various activities. For me it's amazing that international students like yourself are able to attend to the heavy workload demanded at NUS and yet have time to explore the region. What an enriching experience for you!
In any case, I wish you the best of luck as you finish your studies and continue your life journey.
Hi Patrik
SvaraRaderaThank you for sharing yout thoughts. It was interesting that you brought up the cultural differences that You encounter in the course.
I was taken by surprise several times while realising others had not behaved in the way I thought they would. I took those encounters as intriguing and striking reminders on my false assumptions on other cultures
I like your calm disposition in class and enjoyed working with you in the blogger team. Thank you for drawing valuable feedbacks on my blog posts.
Take care and all the best for your future endeavours!