Oral Presentation 2 - Privacy Woes In Social Networking Sites - Reflections

Criteria:

 •    Impactful
 •    Engaging (includes eye contact and stage presence)
 •    Informative
 •    Professional demeanour
 •    Exhibit confidence
 •    Good time-management

Suffice to say, OP2 was a much better experience compared to OP1. Being genuinely passionate about the project gave us the impetus to excel. Lest the minor flaws and hiccups, I am pleased with our team’s overall performance during the presentation.

Reflection:

Team:

Sufficient preparation was the key to a good performance, which was why my team had a total of three rehearsals. Through the months, our team had built up good rapport, which explained the excellent camaraderie we had while presenting. Consequently, our delivery came forth as smooth and clear. Being well prepared and confident, we had little difficulty tackling questions raised during the Q&A, which were answered systematically and comprehensively.

Individual:

Bearing in mind the flaws from OP1, I reminded myself to actively engage the audience. Having known the flow of the PowerPoint-slides, it helped in anticipating the subsequent points during the presentation. As a result, I could speak more fluently and devote more emotions into my speech. One objective I laid down was to create a light-hearted presentation that serves to educate and inject fun with humour. I believe I had succeeded in doing so.

Despite efforts in sprucing up my speech, I was still bogged down by nervousness. I was susceptible to mental blocks; this led to instances of awkward silences and stuttering. I could have dealt with those situations better by keeping myself more composed. Also, I found myself speaking too quickly towards the end, especially when I had already exceeded the stipulated time. I hereby apologize to all if my speech resulted in some confusion.

Additionally, something unusual I noticed was my tendency to exhibit abrupt actions (e.g. turning my head too quickly), that could have made my presentation seem less professional. For future presentations, I shall be more conscious of my body language; No matter how good my speech is, poor body language can undo all the hard work.

For your convenience, I have embedded my team's presentation slides for your reference and enjoyment =P

Social Networking Presentation

Criteria of an Effective Meeting

I apologize if my previous post (reflection on the video recording of Meeting 1) was lacking in a clear criterion for my definition of an effective meeting.

What constitutes a good meeting? The following are the factors I would keep in mind when evaluating my performance as a team member:

1. Fully understand the agenda of the meeting, and prepare well before attending
2. Be an active participant of the meeting. That is, offer constructive feedback frequently, and perform active listening
          a. Two-way communications between members of the team
3. Staying on topic, and not deviate from the agenda
4. Exhibit positive body language and non-verbal cues
5. As the minutes taker of the meeting, I should be effectual in taking down important points mentioned by the speakers. After the meeting, disseminate the minutes to the team as soon as possible.

With respect to the above criteria, I have not fully met the expectations set by myself.

First and foremost, I have failed in making an impact during the meeting. I was largely quiet during major part of the meeting. My ‘excuse’ of being an active listener cannot be fully accepted simply because I have not translated my analysis to the actual group discussion. This was a pity because I have thought of numerous ideas which I thought could have benefited my team. I was held back my fear for being a deviant and being criticised.

Nevertheless, I have made a mental note of my criteria listed above. I would remind myself that being criticized is part of the learning process, and also that the team goals outweighs my own personal apprehension for being put down.

Being a good listener is my strength. Thus, I hope to maintain this positive trait of mine, and put in conscientious effort in being a better team member.

Review From a Video Recording of Our First Meeting!

With the advent of technology, I am able to better reflect on my team’s performance; in this case, reviewing a video-recording of our first meeting.

Feel free to view the video embedded  below! Or at: http://www.viddler.com/explore/jsjj88/videos/1

Having not done this before, I watched the video with utmost interest. It is obvious that Kevin and Louis are the visionaries of the team, their knowledge of the subject matter is exceptional and hence, is able to steer the team in the right direction. Meenu, on the other hand, though more reserved, is able to interject at times with highly creative ideas and solutions to the problem.

With a team that consists of people from vastly different backgrounds and cultures, it is amazing that the team could synergize. We spoke the same language of enthusiasm and have a common goal. None of us was afraid of voicing out our opinions. We articulated well, and were able to bring our points across clearly. 

Clarifications were also sought and answered effectively when necessary.

However, there are definitely room for improvements. At certain segments of the video, it was apparent that some members were disengaged from the discussions. The group-leader should hence be constantly aware when such situations arise, and step in to engage him/her. In addition, the meeting had the occasional interruptions from eager teammates who wanted to speak up. Perhaps, we should cultivate the habit of waiting for the other party to finish his/her point before we speak. Furthermore, members should be encouraged to participate more actively (guilty was I). Constructive feedback was present, but still lacking and that should be improved on from the next meeting.

All things considered, it was a fruitful and productive meeting. Embarking on this project with a fine start should keep the momentum going and work towards our favour. Nevertheless, we should also reflect upon the mistakes that we made along the way, rectify them, and strive towards being a more effective and dynamic team.

Tricky conflict calls for tough decisions

I would like to thank all you guys for your comments on the scenario from the previous post! I am well aware that this particular setting is a tad complicated, the conflict itself was hard to resolve due to the fact that several groups of people were involved here. Resolving such a conflict has no perfect solution, but the following is my personal interpretation of the conflict, and the steps I would take to tackle the problem.

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It is always tricky when love and work intertwines. Nevertheless, my first task would be to reduce the rift between my colleagues and I. The tension was built up mainly due to miscommunications, misunderstandings and mistrust. This trust has to be earned back. But, it is especially difficult when compounded by news of retrenchments. They would be aggressive and to a certain extent, unruly. But as the team leader, I would once again garner the support and gain back the lost camaraderie in this time of adversity.

A meeting is necessary to dispel all misunderstandings and to allow my colleagues to voice out their comments. I will apologize for causing any unintentional grief, and would pledge to do my best to overturn the upcoming retrenchments. A well bonded team which never surrenders is a valuable asset to any company. I would use that as an advantage to convince Boss that a retrenchment is unnecessary.

Conversely, dealing with Boss is a different ball game altogether. He has his financial limitations and liabilities to take care of, and the last thing on his mind would be to handle a wilful and obstinate team leader. I would seek Joanne’s help in convincing Boss that both teams had performed above expectations, thus retrenchment could actually be avoided. Wage cuts would be a more viable alternative. I would promise continued performance from the team, and would volunteer resignation if the team fails to live up to his expectations. A leader has to lead by example; therefore, I have the responsibility to safeguard the interests of my teammates.

Finally, knowing the sheer determination and hard work of my team, it is only right that I organize a dinner retreat to reward them. Regardless of the outcome of Boss’, my team should know that their work has been acknowledged, and I truly appreciate their dedications and contributions.

And not forgetting, inviting them to my wedding! :)

Against The Most Unlikely of Teams

Fraught with tensions, it was a nerve-wracking time to be in the company.  The boss had no choice but to reduce headcount in the back of an unprecedented recession. Joanne and you are both struggling to hold back increasing losses to your investment portfolios. As the leading investment bankers in your respective teams, the teams would come under fire in the event of heavy losses incurred for the bank.

Misery thrives in this trying period of time, yet Joanne and you are still going ahead with the marriage ceremony next month. Nobody in the company had expected this union.

Two weeks before the end of the financial year and your marriage, Boss announced that five staff from an underperforming team would be cut from the payroll. Staff morale was at an all time low. It was then, you got wind from an insider source that a major food conglomerate, K, is acquiring a rival company C. Stock prices were bound to go up. Your team of analysts was anxious to purchase these stocks, eager to get an edge over Joanne’s team. Knowing your relationship, your team’s analysts got suspicious over the possibility of a leak of information.

Joanne’s team was still bleeding funds. Obviously, you were concerned that she would lose her job. Despite that, you remained tight-lipped.

You then purchased a 0.3% stake in K which subsequently rose in value. The team was satisfied, but your analysts still seemed distrustful.

At the end of the month, Boss revealed that Joanne’s team outperformed yours with a 3% stake purchased in K. You were flabbergasted, and your team pointed their fingers at you.

Rumours abound that 5 analysts (your name was not mentioned) from your team were to be retrenched soon.

As the leader of the team, what would you do?