Reflection 3

Life story Puah Khein Seng 
inventor USB flash


It's not easy running a multi-billion dollar business. Such an accomplishment is more impressive when you consider that the person doing it is a young man who not that long ago struggled to pay his tuition fees and living expenses.

The company is Phison Electronics Corp, a listed technology company in Taiwan with a market capitalisation of almost NT$40bil (RM4.3bil). Its main claim to fame is that it changed how many personal computer users store and transfer data.

According to Phison’s website, in 2001, the company came up with a product that led to the demise of the floppy disk. It was the world’s first USB (universal serial bus) “flash removable disk”. Most of us know it simply as a pen drive. In fact, that was what Phison named the product.

(USB flash removable disks are also known as thumb drives, yet another trademark that has evolved into a generic term.)

Phison’s president and co-founder is Pua Khein-Seng, an energetic 35-year-old whose childhood memories include fishing trips and living in a place surrounded by paddy fields. After all, he grew up in the pretty village of Sekinchan, Selangor.

Yes, the man behind the pen drive is a Malaysian. Although he has been living in Taiwan for the past 16 years, Pua still considers Malaysia as his home.

His success story began in 1993, when he arrived in Taiwan to study electrical control engineering at the National Chiao Tung University. During his three years there, he worked part time, earning about NT$80 per hour (RM8), to help pay his way.

“My intention was to come back to Malaysia after graduating,” he says, adding that he had already given up his ambition to get a master’s degree because it cost too much to prepare for a qualifying examination.

Then, in his third year at the university, the rules changed. Students need not sit for the exam to gain entry into a master’s programme if they do very well for their first degreee. Pua not only obtained first class honours but was also top in his faculty. He thus kept his dream alive.

Phison takes off

After Pua obtained his master’s degree, a professor at the university offered him a salary of NT$5,000 per month to research and develop memory controllers. The professor set up a company with his friends, and Pua became an employee.

As a key engineer in the company, he travelled to places like South Korea and Japan for meetings. It was a time to gain valuable experience and exposure. That ended when friction and office politics nudged Pua into a decision to leave. However, complications over his work permit blocked his exit and forced a long negotiation.

Eventually, the shareholders promised to invest NT$30mil in a spin-off company where Pua would have a lead role alongside some friends. But things did not go as planned. The shareholders only invested NT$1mil and later opted to give up.

“We faced some problems that time as we had purchased equipment, and the resources were ready,” Pua recalls.

Clinging to the principle of never backing down in the face of adversity, Pua and his friends chose to forge ahead with the new venture. But first, they needed fresh capital.

The target was NT$6mil which they hoped to achieve through borrowings and their own savings. At that time, venture capitalists were not exactly in a hurry to put money in the fledgeling business. Through his contacts, Pua finally secured some investments to get the business running. With that, Phison got off the ground.

According to Pua, the company was not producing USB drives when it began operating in 2000. Instead, it was making USB card readers. In fact, Phison also claims to make the world’s first 5-in-1card reader.

In January 2001, an Australian customer approached the company on the possibility of producing a USB drive. This put Phison on the path to its rapid rise.

“There was already a USB drive but we invented the USB drive SoC (system on chip), which uses a single chip,” Pua explains. He was only 27 at that time.

Despite this milestone, the company still had to grapple with teething problems. It was tough, for example, for a start-up with limited funds to attract talent. “We tried to hire Malaysians who had just graduated in Taiwan but it was hard to obtain work permits,” he says.

The company’s stature and appeal have since grown following its listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 2004. It now has 430 employees, of whom 210 are engineers. Its principal activity is designing USB flash controllers and related NAND (a type of technology for flash memory) flash applications. It also designs integrated circuits and provides system integration services.

Its products include controller ICs (integrated circuits) for card readers, pen drives, memory cards, flash disks, and other electronic devices.

These are exported worldwide.

Its revenue has ballooned from US$500,000 in the first year of operation to US$580mil last year. It spends between US$15mil and US$20mil annually on research and development. Clearly, Phison has overcome the rocky start.

What is it that motivates Pua in dealing with huge obstacles? “My passion has helped me overcome the hurdles and also, there is the desire to prove that we are right. It’s thanks to the support from my staff, partners and shareholders,” he says.

His maxim in life is to do things correctly everyday and to be patient so as to grow better. “I just want to raise my quality of life and be myself,” he adds.

To grow further, you have to keep improving yourself, he says. “We are our own worst enemy. We have to be patient and concentrate on the things we are doing.”

For those who want to go into business at a young age, he urges them to consider carefully such a move because setting up a business is not easy without working experience. “You need a team as it is not a one-man show. You need to have your core technology and values to stay competitive,” he adds.

Leadership management and creating a good environment are essential in the development of a company. So how does Pua treat his staff members?

They are like his family, he says. “We have to do the right thing for our staff and they will do the right thing for you.”

Local pride

To him, it is a simple principle: “Don’t treat others the way you wouldn’t want others to treat you. Your staff will like you more if you treat them like your friends. They will not like to work for you if you treat them as part of a money-making machine.”

This has been tested during the global financial crisis, when millions of people have lost their jobs. Although Phison’s revenue decreased from US$630mil in 2007 to US$580mil last year due to the downturn, Pua does not believe in retrenchment and insists that the company’s best assets are its employees.

“We didn’t implement a retrenchment programme. In fact, we increased salaries and paid bonuses,” he says. He points out that although last year’s net profit dipped, it was a nevertheless a good sign that it was possible to register a profit even in these hard times. Thus, rewarding the staff was necessary.

Pua says his priorities in running a business are the staff, followed by suppliers, shareholders and customers. “I promise to share the company’s profits with my employees,” he maintains.

After being away from Malaysia so long, how does Pua feel about his homeland? “I’m like a foreigner in Malaysia but I like the place very much. I’m not really familiar with it now but I really miss the food here. This is my country and I keep track on the news in Malaysia,” he says.

He describes Malaysia as his motherland and Taiwan as his second home. “I am proud to be Malaysian, ” he adds.

He comes back to Malaysia once in three to four months as his parents are staying here.

“The quality of life is good in Malaysia as the pace is not so fast. This is a nice place to relax and enjoy, as there are mountains and the seaside. I will come back for my retirement.”

Fact File

Born: Malaysia (June 15, 1974)

Personal: Married with three kids

Education: Master's in Electrical Control Engineering

Career: President of Phison Electronics Corp (Taiwan)

Favourite food: Curry rice, Noodles, Hokkien Mee

Favourite place: Malaysia

Hobbies: Golf, Swimming, Sleeping

Values: To judge other people's feelings by one's own and to treat others with sincerity. 


I'm interested in the life Puah Khein Seng, a designer USB flash and electrical control engineering famous in Malaysia. I chose him as an idol for a long time goal I want to create a product of its own to help others like him. I am proud of him because although his stay in Taiwan with a bit long but he was impressed with Malaysia to raise the reputation of Malaysia with his creation. I am also proud of the spirit he never gave up studying to help the family because he did not come from a rich family. Thanks to learning, he managed to produce products to help others and become a respectable person and the richest in Malaysia. God willing I will follow him to achieve my long goal.

How to like him

Based on a closer look at Pua’s biography, here are some takeaway points for an aspiring entrepreneur:

1. Others will not immediately recognise your potential; proving yourself to the right people is key

Pua’s journey has not been smooth sailing. He failed to get a place in Malaysian public universities, forcing him to look for choices abroad, and finally making it to Chiao Tung University.

Not being financially well-off, he had to work part-time during his three years studying in Taiwan to pay his way through university, receiving NT$80 (RM8) per hour.

He also almost declined pursuing a Masters due to the financial burden of having to prepare and sit for the entrance examinations. He was later exempted due to a new ruling that allowed graduates with exceptional grades to continue their studies without taking the examination.

It was in Chiao Tung University that his talents were noticed by his teachers. Having received his Masters, he continued to work as a researcher developing memory controllers (with a monthly salary of NT$5,000) under one of his alma mater’s professors who later started his own company.

However, things started falling apart when the heightening office politics and internal bickering forced him to leave the company. Undaunted by this major setback, his skills and determination did not go unnoticed and he was later offered a leading role in a spin-off company.

This promising new beginning turned sour when the investors who had promised NT$30mil, only offered NT$1mil. At the time, shareholders were doubtful of start-ups. They refused to offer the financial backing that Pua and his partners sorely needed.

In desperation, Pua and his colleagues struggled to rack up NT$6mil from relatives, friends and their personal savings.

This saw the genesis of Phison Electronics in November 2000 – the name was derivative of “five person”, representing its five founders. Its debut product was a patented 5-in-1 card reader. Their famous pendrive debuted in 2002. By then, Phison had impressed big names in the industry such as Toshiba and M-Systems, which invested in Phison’s later projects.

2. Great discoveries are made by struggling, not by epiphany

We constantly hear legends of how great discoveries were made with a sudden flicker of inspiration. Legend tells us that Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head; forgetting to mention the years he spent perfecting the mathematics required for his theory of gravitation.

In reality, innovation requires long, careful study, while continuously adding to past knowledge of how things were done. Pua acquired advanced learning in integrated circuits not only from his professors, but also through his research work at Chiao Tung and the practical application of his work in his professor’s company.

Working as an engineer under his professor, Pua was dispatched to Japan and South Korea, where he gained indispensable exposure in the international technological scene.

From his entry to university at age 19, he took about eight years before he got his big breakthrough with his pendrive invention at age 27.

He has stated that he makes perfectionism and determination his personal axioms – striving to get things right everyday and being patient in achieving results. He has also chosen a field that currently produces high-demand products, making his specific expertise invaluable.

3. One can see further ahead by standing on the shoulders of giants

The years and effort it takes to master any field is easy to understand once we
realise that inventions are built upon existing ideas, being innovative modifications of previous innovations. The first patented USB flash drive was invented by a team of researchers for the Israeli company M-Systems in 1999.

Even then, Trek Technology and Netac Technology, of Singapore and China respectively, claimed similar patent rights. Having studied past designs and possessing extensive knowledge of building circuits, Phison accepted a partnership with an Australian company to come up with a better product.

The single-chip USB flash controller was born, employing a sleeker, less cumbersome and more cost-effective design.

When filing the patent, Pua named it the “pendrive”, due to the ubiquity of the word “pen” in everyday usage.

4. There is no end-point to achievement

His invention of the pendrive is not the “happily-ever-after” of his journey. More challenges were to come, as other tech companies realised what Phison was capable of. Pua seeks to keep up the competitive spirit as can be seen in Phison’s recent activities.

Phison’s recent break into the market for NAND flash memory (found in smart mobile devices) is proof of its ongoing innovative vitality.

NAND memory components such as solid-state drives (SSD) and eMMC controllers are now a thriving industry with the tremendous growth in the smartphone and tablet market.

Phison has not only hopped on the bandwagon of producing these components but has bested many of its competitors. In 2011, 556 million units of NAND flash controller were shipped by Phison, achieving revenue of more than US$1bil (RM3.3bil) that year.

5. Success is not the result of a sole genius

Phison’s success also has another ingredient – its employees. His success is not a one-man show as Phison has around 500 to 600 employees, more than 300 of whom are engineers. He recently opened Phisontech Centre, a Malaysian branch, in the Northern Corridor Technology Development Centre (NTDC) in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

His admiration for Malaysian engi- neers, conducive governmental policies and doubts about intellectual property theft when setting up business in China were primary motivations for this choice.

He places great emphasis on trustworthiness, teamwork and timely execution of tasks to meet the increasingly competitive market. Part of Phison’s success comes from its ability to recruit and manage talent that is suitable for the job.

I agree that the key to success, he says, we need to work hard to achieve something we want although many obstacles encountered as a result bring benefits to ourselves. Never say no and despair when the test comes to us, but we need to be strong to face it. I will also tell all his key to success. I will also strive to be like him because he works the same as my dream job. I also want to produce a product or software that can help others. In my opinion, everyone fails in everything but the failure does not mean we give up, even we have to rise from failure. Failed once does not mean that fail forever.

Reflection 2

The video above shows the various jobs that exist on this earth, of this video I can imagine that there are three types of employment land, sea and air. Ground work is a work that we do on the mainland for example engineer, teacher and more. Employment sea is a work that has been done and is above sea navy as an example. Aerial work is a work done and stay in the air as a pilot example. My short term goal is to work as an electrical and electronic engineering. Hopefully ..

How to be Engineer

   

Importance Skills

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

   

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

   

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

   

Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

   

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

   

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

   

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

   

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

   

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

   

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

   

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

   

Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

   

Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

   

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

   

Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

   

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

   

Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

   

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

   

Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

   

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

   

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

   

Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

   

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

   

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

   

Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

   

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

   

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

   

Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Importance Knowledge

   

Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

   

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

   

Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

   

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

   

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

   

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

   

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

   

Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

   

Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

   

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

   

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Importance Styles

   

Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

   

Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

   

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

   

Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

   

Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

   

Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

   

Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

   

Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

   

Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.

   

Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

   

Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

   

Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

   

Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

   

Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

   

Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

   

Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

The above article shows the skill, knowledge and style are very important for an engineer. For me, all the work necessary to have three of these criteria to become a disciplined and dedicated. Among these three criteria knowledge is very important because without knowledge we do not know how to do a job and without the knowledge of our work is also not perfect. when 3 criteria exist in a person's , success would be obtained. To become electronic and electrical engineering, I need to know all the skill shown in the above article.

Reflection 1

Everything in the video is recorded in real time, exactly as you see it... without video manipulation or digital tricks. Garrison Keiller narrates.The "final print" required 606 takes. Each "do-over" take required the team to recreate the set-up. Two Hondas and several weeks working day and night were required to perfect this effect.The recording cost $6 Million and took 3 months to complete from start to finish (including the engineering design of the sequence).Every item in the sequence (except for the walls, floor, ramp and the fully assembled Honda Accord at the end) is part of one disassembled Honda Accord.
The video preview so intrigued the Honda executives, they wanted to know how the stupendous "trick photography" was accomplished. They were astounded when told that the 2-minute sequence was a bonafide video of actual events, without any audio or image manipulation.By the way, like some luxury cars, the Honda Accord windshield wipers are sensitive to water and are activated when they get wet.

From the video above, I feel how difficult to achieve a goal immediately with a lot of resistance and patience. My goal in life is to immediately terminate diploma in electronic engineering with distinction.Planning is very important to achieve a goal. Good planning will produce something successfully.


HOW TO SUCCESS

1. Read the entire syllabus – A class syllabus is basically a contract between the student and the instructor that lets you know what your assignments are and how you will be graded. It usually outlines the competencies, or concepts and skills, that the class will teach you, along with the dates of tests and major assignments. Know the purpose of each class and what it will require of you is the first step to successful studying.
    
2. Set up a calendar – Once you know the required assignments, mark each assignment's the due dates on a calendar and make notes about the reading material that you are required to complete before each class meeting.
    
3. Read the material – This sounds like a no-brainer, but students often totally disregard the reading assignments or read the materials without comprehending the subject matter. Practice your critical reading skills by annotating your textbook and article as you read them. Annotating simply means making notes about important concepts and jotting down ideas in the margins. Try highlighting or underlining key vocabulary words and significant passages as you read. If you have already read the list of assignments, you can also mark sections of the text that relate to each assignment to make these sections easier to find later.
    
4. Build your vocabulary – As you read, mark words or vocabulary terms with which you are unfamiliar and look them up in the glossary, a dictionary or online. Keep a list of definitions for future study.
    
5. Rewrite your notes – Regardless of whether your classes are online or in a traditional classroom, take notes during class to record the major ideas of the presentation or discussion. Rewrite or type your notes after class, adding relevant information from the textbook, in the form of an outline or another type of mapping exercise.
    
6. Use study guides – If your textbook doesn’t include a study guide, visit the textbook publisher's website, where you can often find study guides, quizzes or further reading material.
    
7. Apply what you have learned – Try to apply the knowledge you learn in class to real-life situations. At the very least, try to explain what you have learned to someone else. If you can do that, you have sufficiently mastered the material.

From the above article I need to practice the steps shown to be successful in their studies and a degree in electronic engineering. This step is very interesting and what we learn is not just a curiosity alone, we need to practice and share their knowledge with others. People that give benefit to others. For me the most important thing to learn is strong interest because interest is not making someone of being lazy. People often do things that interest her because one thing he wanted was to be normal life. In my own research, women will choose their field of study that interests than men. Men love to take out a new thing for which it is an adventure and open-minded men than women.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Definition:

Interpersonal skills are the life skills we use every day to communicate and interact with other people, both individually and in groups.  People who have worked on developing strong interpersonal skills are usually more successful in both their professional and personal lives.

Employers often seek to hire staff with 'strong interpersonal skills' - they want people who will work well in a team and be able to communicate effectively with colleagues,customers and clients.

A List of Interpersonal Skills Includes:

• Verbal Communication - What we say and how we say it.
• Non-Verbal Communication - What we communicate without words, body language is an example.
• Listening Skills - How we interpret both the verbal and non-verbal messages sent by others.
• Negotiation - Working with others to find a mutually agreeable outcome.
• Problem Solving - Working with others to identify, define and solve problems.
• Decision Making – Exploring and analysing options to make sound decisions.
• Assertiveness – Communicating our values, ideas, beliefs, opinions, needs and wants freely.

1. Verbal Communication

Yes, as opposed to non-verbal communication, which we’ll address next. Within verbal communication there are a number of other skills that we’ll talk about later, too, such as listening and questioning, but for now we are primarily concerned with effective speaking.

Effective verbal communication begins with clarity. This often requires nothing more than slowing down and speaking more thoughtfully. Many people feel rushed to respond to questions and conversations immediately, but it is better to pause for a moment in consideration, especially if the question merits it. No one expects, or wants, a gun-slinging attitude in important conversations. A thoughtful person is generally taken more seriously.

Rounding off this skill is the ability to stay calm, focused, polite, interested and to match the mood or emotion of the situation. If this sounds like an overwhelming task, check out this communication course that teaches you to speak smoothly, clearly and confidently.

2. Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication is largely underrated and underestimated. Those who can communicate non-verbally can almost subliminally reinforce what they are saying verbally. They can also exude confidence, or any other emotion they feel, not to mention respond tactfully to a conversation without saying a single word.

Non-verbal communication is something that other people notice whether you are aware of your actions or not. Your body language is constantly speaking. Everything you do or don’t do says something about you and how you are feeling. Your facial expressions (especially eye contact), your posture, your voice, your gestures with your extremities and even the way you position yourself physically in a room or amongst colleagues is constantly revealing your true attitude, for better or for worse.

While controlling body language is no easy task, with this five-star course you can learn how to interpret the body language of others while learning how to perfect your own non-verbal communication skills.

3. Listening

This is the only appropriate way to follow two topics on communication. If non-verbal communication is underrated, then listening isn’t even on the charts. And yet without listening effectively, how can we interpret and respond appropriately?

Even the best communicators can talk their way into a sticky situation. Read thisForbes article on why most leaders need to shut up and listen. It provides explanations on why listening is crucial to success and for tips on becoming a better listener.

Listening is so important that it is a bona fide field of theoretical study (a contradiction of terms, but still). Communication can not be realized unless a listener completes the “loop.” Take a look at this blog post on the elements of communication to learn more about how this works.

4. Questioning

Questioning is a lost art that can serve many purposes. Questioning is something that often builds upon listening, but it is not merely a device for obtaining information.

Questioning is a great way to initiate a conversation. It demonstrates interest and can instantaneously draw someone into your desire to listen. Smart questions show that you know how to approach problems and how to get the answers you need. Fortunately, questioning can be learned more easily than other skills on this list. This top-rated course on how to ask powerful, emotionally engaging questions has all the advice you need.

Needless to say, it’s all about the quality of questioning. If you ask what are referred to as “closed” questions, you’re going to get “closed” answers. These are questions that elicit brief responses, e.g. “Did you like your dinner?” Instead, you want to ask “open” questions, which probe deeper, e.g. “Where do you think we can improve our marketing collateral?” Of course, if you’re at a cocktail party, some questions are better saved for the next day.

5. Manners

Good manners tend to make many other interpersonal skills come naturally. With business becoming increasingly more global, even for small businesses, manners are more important than ever. A basic understanding of etiquette translates to other cultures and their expectations.

We are all guilty of assuming people are less intelligent if they have sub-par manners. This same judgement is reflected back on us by the people we interact with. Anyone who has visited other countries knows how sensitive its residents are to visitors’ manners. Business-to-business interactions function in much the same way.

6. Problem Solving

A rare day would be one without problems. What makes this a skill is not necessarily how quickly you can solve a problem, but how you go about doing it. No plan is a guarantee, so there is always an element of risk. Some people can weigh risk better than others.

The key aspects of successful problem solving are being able to identify exactly what the problem is, dissecting the problem so that it is fully understood, examining all options pertaining to solutions, setting up a system of strategies and objectives to solve the problem, and finally putting this plan into effect and monitoring its progress.

If the problem is as simple as replacing printer paper, then obviously different measures can be taken. Learn how best to apply your skills with this creative problem solving for business course.

7. Social Awareness

Being in tune to others’ emotions is an essential interpersonal skill. This dictates how many of your other interpersonal skills should function. When we are concentrated on our own projects and success, it is easy to close ourselves off from others’ problems or concerns.

Social awareness is crucial to identifying opportunities, as well. People will often unconsciously test someone’s ability to respond to a social situation; for example, a person who is struggling professionally will be desperate for help but, naturally, wary on revealing the fact that they need it. Being able to identify something like this demonstrates that you are operating at a higher level of social awareness.

8. Self-Management

Not all interpersonal skills are extroverted. This article discussing the ideas of acclaimed Emotional Intelligence (EI) expert Daniel Goleman believes self-management to be one of the pillars of EI and absolutely fundamental to leadership success.

Self-management allows us to control our emotions when they are not aligned with what would be considered appropriate behavior for a given situation. This means controlling anger, hiding frustration, exuding calmness, etc. Undoubtedly there are times to show your true colors, but remaining composed is almost always the desired course of action.

9. Responsibility And Accountability

Responsibility and accountability are two reliable indicators of maturity. Saying you are going to do something and then actually doing it is a sign of responsibility. This builds trust between yourself and those they rely on you and it encourages others to seek your counsel and assistance.

Holding yourself accountable for your actions is one of the most difficult things to do, both professionally and personally. This is also a crucial element of conflict management. When conflicts arise between yourself and others, or when you have made a mistake or at fault, that is when accountability becomes difficult. Admitting to your mistakes isn’t enough. You have to understand the situation fully and respond in a way that addresses the issue comprehensively.

Holding ourselves accountable tends to go against our instincts; this is definitely when the “flight” instinct kicks in. Learn to take accountability with this class and see how it can change the results you are getting at work.

10. Assertiveness

After all this talk of listening and respecting others, there is no denying the importance of being assertive. However, this is also where you are most likely to offend or come off as too aggressive. Being assertive is the only way to get your ideas onto a competitive table.

It also means standing up for what you believe it, defending your ideas with confidence, instructing others on what needs to be done, etc. etc. etc. I’m sure we are all familiar with the fact that most people who ask for raises receive them; and yet very few of us are assertive enough to make it happen. When used tactfully, assertiveness can gain you a kind of respect that you won’t be able to attain by other means.

Conclusion:

I learned a topic model of communication, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and communication barriers, because I want to improve my communication skills and become a better communicator. I intend to help others improve their communication skills by helping them understand their communication problems. To be a good communicator I need to understand the basics of interpersonal skills, how to get a message is received, and what can cause messages not well received. When the sender and receiver have a good relationship, their communication goals can be implemented.

I learned that it is important to continually strive to improve our communication skills. Communication skills are important because we need to communicate with family, friends, employers and colleagues. Everyone around us is growing and changing and we all have different views or perceptions about everything. When we have a conversation we must change our behavior and adapt to our environment. What works with one person may not work well with others. Know and understand about sound and barriers and how they can get in the way of communication will make us pay more attention to our environment. So that the person or people we communicate with will not get hurt or have a misunderstanding. It is healthy for everyone to have a good relationship with family and friends.