Interpersonal conflicts: just misunderstandings?

Interpersonal conflicts are an integral and inevitable part of our lives; as such I feel that it is imperative that we learn how to resolve such conflicts. This would enhance not only our living, social but working environments. I quote one situation from personal experience which could have ended differently had the conflict been resolved appropriately.

In an internship stint at a private hospital, I was assisting a team of 14 doctors and nurses in a specialist clinic. One day, one of the doctors (Dr. Z) buzzed me into his office and asked for his nurse (Nurse Z) to perform a neurology test on one of his patients. I replied that Nurse Z had already left for the day as it was nearing closing hours and she had applied to leave early prior. Dr. Z insisted that I either call Nurse Z back to the clinic or engage the services of another nurse whom he had worked with before.

I was stuck in a rather bad place. I personally found it unreasonable to call Nurse Z back and the other nurse Dr. Z suggested was engaged in another procedure and could not be called away. Furthermore, she served primarily under another division of the hospital so her priorities did not lie with us. I consulted with the senior nurse (Nurse A) who suggested explaining the circumstances to Dr. Z and asking him to perform the procedure on his own. Dr. Z refused to accept this explanation and insisted again that Nurse Z return to the clinic. Eventually, after much shouting and an intervention by Nurse A, Dr. Z performed the test on his own.

On hindsight, I believe this entire matter stemmed from miscommunication between Dr. Z and me. We also failed to understand the motivations behind the other party’s demands: Dr. Z required the services of Nurse Z as he had other duties to perform; it was not only unreasonable, but impossible for me to call Nurse Z back as I had no knowledge of her whereabouts and she could not be contacted by phone.

How would you resolve this situation had you been in the position of Dr. Z, me or Nurse A? (:

Application Letter

Project Executive

Category: Operation / Project Management

Type: Full Time

Location: MCI Singapore, Singapore

Your Mission

You will be working with the headquarters of our association clients and their Asia Pacific Committees/Councils to achieve their regional objectives.

The main role of the Project Executive is to act as the primary management, operational and administrative support for their client Associations’ subgroups (Chapters, Councils, Committees etc.) in the Asia Pacific region. The Project Executive will provide these groups with value added support on volunteer, financial, general management and governance issues.

Essential Responsibilities

Provide project management support for specific projects for our Association clients

· Act as a liaison between client Associations’ subgroups (Chapters, Councils, Committees etc.) and Association Head quarters

· Follow-up with staff team of client Associations to expedite work completion and ensure it adheres to pre-specified budget and specifications

· Collate and analyse information and produce regular updates and status reports

· Meticulous and efficient in all correspondence and financial processes

· Provide statistical reports on membership and chapters

· Working with membership service dept to ensure adequate response to queries.

· Conduct surveys, evaluations and needs assessments

· Pull mailings lists for conference promotions, membership drives or other mass mailings

Maintain first-rate customer service as front-line client/member contact.

· Develop and maintain good client relationships to enhance Association support and service, responding to client needs in a timely and efficient manner

· Ensure that clients are communicated to in a clear, consistent and effective manner utilising strong written and verbal skills to address the Associations needs

Make a positive contribution to MCI’s business.

· Seek out methods to improve self-performance and/or the efficiency of an operation or task.

Reporting:

Direct reporting line is to the Project Manager and by extension, to the Client Director.

Your Profile

Candidate Profile:

· Well rounded individuals with business, marketing or general liberal arts type degrees prove to be suitable educational backgrounds for this type of role

· Superior verbal and written communication skills are essential as success is dependent upon developing positive relationships and communicating with a wide variety of stakeholders related to the association

· Experience within the service sector is always a plus and the ability to adapt to changing needs and demands of key stakeholders/membership is important

· Great customer mindset and proactive disposition

· Well developed organisational and leadership skills

· Database management experience is beneficial

· Proficient in Microsoft Office applications

Contact: Singaporejobs@mci-group.com

____________________________________________________________________________________

111 Sunshine Avenue

#11-88

472111

Singapore, Singapore

February 10, 2011

Ms Jacqueline Choy

Human Resource Contact

MCI Group Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

73 Bukit Timah Road

#04-01 Rex House

229832

Singapore, Singapore

Dear Ms Choy,

This letter is written in response to the position of Project Executive as listed on the MCI website under 'Job Opportunities'. Attached is the resume for your perusal.

I am currently reading Life Sciences as an undergraduate in the National University of SIngapore. This course has trained me to continuously ask questions and be meticulous in my work. University life has taught me to multi-task, prioritize and handle the pressure of deadlines. In addition to being a team player, I am capable of initiating projects when needed.

Acting as Vice-Chairperson (Development) in Students Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE), the primary environmental club in NUS, gave me many skills in public relations, project management and communication. Superior communication skills were necessary in developing healthy relations with partners, both long-term and potential. Conceptualizing the branding of SAVE as a professional organisation taught me about marketing and unifying different components of a group. Finally, I gained a bird's eye view of the organisation's operations but also advised on individual project planning. All of these skills have bolstered my interest in project management and communication; I believe this position will allow me to develop these skills while utilizing them to contribute to MCI.

My internship at Raffles Hospital was a very valuable experience in customer service. It taught me about consumers' needs and wants and how to maintain positive relations with them. The work environment gave me a better understanding of team dynamics and the requirements in customer service which will be very useful in this position.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications and be assessed in person. I can be contacted at 91234567 and limsiewhong@gmail.com, and will be contacting your office in 2 weeks to inquire on my application process. I hope to hear from you favourably.

Yours Sincerely,

Lim Siew Hong

91234567

limsiewhong@gmail.com

Enclosure