Critical Reflection

 Module Learning

Looking back to when I first arrived in Singapore, I was a timid person with no confidence to approach anyone. Since I grew up in Malaysia, my English is often referred to as ‘Manglish’, which is a combination of various languages and English. Approaching strangers is a big challenge for me as I tend to remain in my comfort zone. Hence, my goal for this module is to speak fluently and confidently when conversing with others. To achieve it, I took the leap of faith and stepped out of my personal social circle to approach new classmates.

Through this module, I feel that the biggest takeaway for me is my ability to communicate with others in English confidently. I am not afraid to reveal my communication flaws, such as incorrect pronunciation, to others.  For example, I felt nervous when I was about to consult my professor on my assignment issues. It had triggered my “panic symptom” which exhibits uncontrollable coughing. However, during the last consultation for my technical report, I approached my professor calmly regarding my concerns.

Project Learning

Presentation Preparation   (Pitch & Slides)

One of the major assignment will be the oral presentation. I have learned how to create an elevator pitch that keeps the audience’s attention during the presentation. The elevator pitch must be concise and concrete so the audience can understand the content. This writing skill is crucial as only memorable and thought-provoking content can pique the interest of the audience. 

Another preparation technique that I gain from oral presentation preparation is the strategy to construct professional presentation slides. As I studied in the Pearson Edexcel A-Level board that focuses more on the examination system, this will be my first time creating presentation slides. However, with my professor’s advice, I have realized that professional presentation slides will consist of concise content, realistic images, and high-quality graphics. Therefore, we changed our presentation slides shown in figure1. The changed presentation slides are more attractive to the audience as they looked more professional. This experience has shown me how to create professional presentation slides in the future if I want to propose an idea to my customers or superiors.

Presentation (Skill)

               The most important part of a presentation is how to pitch your ideas to the audience. Pitching ideas is the segment that I find the most challenging because I am not a confident speaker. Fortunately, Professor Blackstone has given us some guidance with public speaking skills through his lecture. I have found that a successful presentation involves maintaining broad eye contact with the audience, a firm stance when speaking, and presenting at a suitable pace. To improve my presentation skill, I began practicing in front of the mirror and with my friends. As a result, I am glad that I performed well in my presentation. This had proven that practicing will enable a presenter to convince their customer confidently. Blackstone has given us some guidance with public speaking skills through his lecture. I have found that a successful presentation involves maintaining broad eye contact with the audience, a firm stance when speaking, and presenting at a suitable pace. To improve my presentation skill, I began practicing in front of the mirror and with my friends. As a result, I am glad that I performed well in my presentation. During this presentation evaluation, I discovered that practicing increases a presenter's confidence and leads to a successful presentation. As a civil engineering student, I believe that presentation skills are critical for a project meeting. A project leader must consist of the presentation skills to deliver his ideas to his man. I will keep working on my public speaking skills to avoid stutter when  I propose my ideas to my superiors or customers in the future.

Conclusion

               To conclude, I have understood that effective communication is a technique with patients. It requires a significant amount of time to prepare, practice, and maintain it as a habit. Going through this module, I was able to grasp the techniques of delivering my ideas professionally. Slowly but surely, I will notice my improvements in communication skills. My progress is due not only to my hard work but also to Professor Blackstone's guidance. Hence, I do like to express my gratitude to him for his assistance along the way.

Summary Reader Response Draft # 4

In the article, "The Self-Healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks," Spinks (2015) discusses the possibilities of self-healing concrete (SHC) in the construction industry. According to Spinks (2015), SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of an existing structure. She also cites research from HealCON that revealed the maintenance fee of cracked conventional concrete costs €6 bn yearly. In retrospect, a cubic meter of SHC costs €30 more than the conventional ones. However, Jonkers, the inventor, explained that the invention optimizes the concrete lifetime and reduces maintenance fees. He stated that results such as the success story of a canal and drainage system construction with the SHC have proven to show that the invention thrives in “coastal communities or tropical regions.” He believed that SHC has the potential to be a game-changer for investors who are willing to take a risk. At the same time, Spinks states that SHC is a better construction material than the original concrete due to its longer lifespan. However, there is a need in the article for a greater emphasis on the material's properties to convince readers of the invention's potential in replacing original concrete in the future.

The first material property that Spinks should have compared between SHC and original concrete is the compressive strength. Stanaszek-Tomal (2020) states that bacterial activity in concrete can improve the compressive strength of concrete. She presents several experiment results that proved SHC has 10% higher compressive strength than ordinary concrete. In my opinion, pointing out the higher compressive strength data of SHC would have substantiated Spinks’ claim, since it explained that SHC can resist heavier loads if compared to ordinary concrete. Without the experiment result, the construction industry might consider SHC to have a weaker compressive strength. It may avoid using SHC as a construction material because of building stabilization factors. With higher compressive strength, SHC can be used to manufacture a more stable construction or infrastructure. This point can be further supported by Manikandan’s and Padmavathi’s article in 2015 that the compressive strength of bacterial concrete has 1.25N per mm³ more than the conventional concrete.

Secondly, Spinks should have discussed the invention's permeability alongside the self-healing properties in increasing concrete's lifespan. Vijay et al. (2017) note that the bacteria in concrete will absorb water and form carbonate precipitation, causing a reduction in concrete permeability. It is crucial for Spinks to state that SHC has a low permeability as it shows SHC can prevent aggressive chemicals from entering the concrete. Reinforcing steel in concrete is corrosion-free, thus extending the lifespan of the concrete. With the longer concrete lifespan, readers would realize that utilizing SHC will be a better choice in the construction industry. Nowadays, everyone is encouraged to protect the earth as it is the only home for humans. The demand for concrete products will be lowered if it is maintained well. SHC could potentially decrease the production of concrete products leading to a reduction in carbon emission, protecting the earth from global warming.

One final material property that Spinks could have discussed is the permeability of chloride ions in SHC as concrete’s durability is largely affected by the chloride ions penetration. In the article, “Effect on Bacteria on Performance of Concrete/Mortar: A Review” (2019), Sikder and Saha explain that the formation of calcium carbonate layer produced by bacteria can resist chloride ion penetration. SHC will have a lower chloride ion permeability which improves the durability of concrete. With this statement, the readers could be relieved from the corrosion problem of reinforcing steel. The construction industry could understand that applying SHC as a manufacturing ingredient will be better due to its fund-saving in the long term.

In a nutshell, the author should have mentioned the material properties of SHC in the author’s article. Doing so will provide a more convincing stand about the potential of SHC being the future sustainable solution in replacing ordinary concrete.

Manikandan, A.T., & Padmavathi, A. (2015). An experimental investigation on improvement of concrete serviceability by using bacterial mineral precipitation. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, 2, 46–49. 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Atmanikandan/publication/316644933_An_Experimental_Investigation_on_Improvement_of_Concrete_Serviceability_by_using_Bacterial_Mineral_Precipitation/links/59099b94a6fdcc49616833c6/An-Experimental-Investigation-on-Improvement-of-Concrete-Serviceability-by-using-Bacterial-Mineral-Precipitation.pdf

Saha, P. & Sikder A. (2019). Effect on bacteria on performance of concrete/mortar: a review. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), 7, 2277-3878.   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334626974_Effect_of_Bacteria_on_Performance_of_ConcreteMortar_A_Review

Spinks, R. (2015, 20 June). The self-healing concrete that can fix its own cracks. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jun/29/the-self-healing-concrete-that-can-fix-its-own-cracks

Stanaszek-Tomal, E. (2020). Bacteria concrete as a sustainable building material? Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020696

Vijay, K., Murmu, M., & Deo, S. V. (2017). Bacteria based self-healing concrete: A review. Construction and Building Materials, 152. 1008-1014 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.040

Summary Reader Response Draft #3

     In the article, "The Self-Healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks," Spinks (2015) discusses the possibilities of self-healing concrete (SHC) in the construction industry. According to Spinks (2015), SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of an existing structure. She also cites research from HealCON that revealed the maintenance fee of cracked conventional concrete costs €6 bn yearly. In retrospect, a cubic meter of SHC costs €30 more than the conventional ones. However, Jonkers, the inventor, explained that the invention optimizes the concrete lifetime and reduces maintenance fees. A result such as the success story of a canal and drainage system construction with the SHC has proven to show that the invention thrives in “coastal communities or tropical regions”. He reinstated that SHC has the potential to be a game-changer for investors who are willing to take a risk. At the same time, Spinks states that SHC is a better construction material due to its longer lifespan. However, there is a need for a greater emphasis on the material's properties to convince readers of the invention's potential in replacing original concrete in the future.

    The first material property that Spinks should have compared between SHC and original concrete is the compressive strength. Stanaszek-Tomal (2020) states that bacterial activity in concrete can improve the compressive strength of concrete. She presents several experiment results that proved SHC has 10% higher compressive strength than ordinary concrete. In my opinion, pointing out the higher compressive strength data of SHC will substantiate Spinks’ claim, since it explains that SHC can resist heavier loads if compared to ordinary concrete. Without the experiment result, the construction industry might consider SHC to have a weaker compressive strength. They may avoid using SHC as a construction material because of building stabilization factors. With higher compressive strength, SHC can be used to manufacture a more stable construction or infrastructure. This point can be further supported by an article published, “An Experiment Investigation on Improvement of Concrete Serviceability by using Bacteria Mineral Precipitation.” (2015).

    Secondly, Spinks should have discussed the invention's permeability alongside the self-healing properties in increasing concrete's lifespan. Vijay et al. (2017) note that the bacteria in concrete will absorb water and form carbonate precipitation, causing a reduction in concrete permeability. It is crucial for Spinks to state that SHC has a low permeability as it shows SHC can prevent aggressive chemicals from entering the concrete. Reinforcing steel in concrete is corrosion-free, thus extending the lifespan of the concrete. With that, readers will realize that utilizing SHC will be a better choice in the construction industry. Nowadays, everyone is encouraged to protect the earth as it is the only home for humans. With a longer lifespan, the need for new concrete products will be lower. These potentially decrease the production of concrete products leading to a reduction in carbon emission, protecting the earth from global warming.

    One final material property that Spinks could have discussed is the permeability of chloride ions in SHC as concrete’s durability is largely affected by it. In the article, “Effect on Bacteria on Performance of Concrete/Mortar: A Review” (2019), the authors explain that the formation of calcium carbonate layer produced by bacteria can resist chloride ion penetration. SHC will have a lower chloride ion permeability which improves the durability of concrete. With this statement, the readers can be relieved from the corrosion problem of reinforcing steel. The construction industry can understand that applying SHC as a manufacturing ingredient will be better due to its fund-saving in the long-term.

    In a nutshell, the author should have mentioned the material properties stated. Doing so would provide a more convincing stand about the potential of SHC being the future sustainable solution in replacing ordinary concrete.

The references:

Spinks, R. (2015, 20 June). The Self-Healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jun/29/the-self-healing-concrete-that-can-fix-its-own-cracks

 Vijay, K., Murmu, M., & Deo, S. V. (2017). Bacteria based self-healing concrete- A review. Construction and Building Materials, 152, 1008-1014 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.040

 Stanaszek-Tomal, E. (2020). Bacteria Concrete as a Sustainable Building Material? Sustainability, 12(2), 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020696

Manikandan, A.T. & Padmavathi, A. (2015) An Experimental Investigation on Improvement of Concrete Serviceability by using Bacterial Mineral Precipitation. Int. J. Res. Sci. Innov., 2, 46–49. 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Atmanikandan/publication/316644933_An_Experimental_Investigation_on_Improvement_of_Concrete_Serviceability_by_using_Bacterial_Mineral_Precipitation/links/59099b94a6fdcc49616833c6/An-Experimental-Investigation-on-Improvement-of-Concrete-Serviceability-by-using-Bacterial-Mineral-Precipitation.pdf

Saha, P. & Sikder A. (2019). Effect on Bacteria on Performance of Concrete/Mortar: A Review. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), 7, 2277-3878.

 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334626974_Effect_of_Bacteria_on_Performance_of_ConcreteMortar_A_Review

Summary Reader Response Draft # 2

     In the article, "The Self-Healing Concrete…" Spinks (2015) discusses the possibilities of self-healing concrete (SHC) in the construction industry. According to Spinks, Jonkers, the inventor, explained that the invention optimizes the concrete lifetime and reduces maintenance fees. She also mentions that SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of an existing structure. Spinks cites research from HealCON on the maintenance cost of cracked old-fashioned concrete for the fundamental infrastructure in the EU being €6 bn yearly. However, she remarks that a cubic meter of self-healing concrete is 30€ more expensive than standard concrete. Jonkers mentioned that he had constructed a canal and drainage system with the invention. His project can be a successful record to convince the building industry. He also went on to mention how any coastal society can obtain advantages from it. He concluded that SHC could be a game-changer for the future of risk-taking investors in the construction field. At the same time, Spinks states that SHC is a better construction material due to its longer lifespan. However, she needs to emphasize more on the improved material properties of SHC due to bacteria if she wants her readers to believe that it can replace standard concrete in the future building industry.

    First and foremost, Spinks should have compared the compressive strength between SHC and standard concrete to show the advantages of SHC. Elzbieta (2020) states that bacterial activity in concrete can improve the compressive strength of concrete. She presents several experiment results that proved SHC has 10% higher compressive strength than ordinary concrete. In my opinion, pointing out the higher compressive strength data of SHC will substantiate Spinks’ claim, since it would mean that SHC could resist heavier loads if compared to ordinary concrete. Without the experiment result, the construction industry might consider SHC to have a weaker compressive strength. Hence, they may avoid using SHC as a construction material because of building stabilization factors. With higher compressive strength, SHC can be used to manufacture a more stable construction or infrastructure. This point can be further supported by an article published, “An Experiment Investigation …” (2015).

    Secondly, Spinks only mention that the self-healing properties of SHC can increase the lifespan of concrete but fail to mention its permeability that has a similar effect. Kunamineni et al. (2017) notes that the bacteria in concrete will absorb water and form carbonate precipitation, causing a reduction in concrete permeability. I think it is crucial for Spinks to state SHC has a low permeability as it would mean that SHC can prevent aggressive chemicals from entering the concrete. Therefore, reinforcing steel in concrete is corrosion-free, thus extending the lifespan of the concrete. With that, readers will realize that utilizing SHC will be a better choice in the construction industry. Nowadays, we are encouraged to protect the earth as it is the only home for humans. With a longer lifespan, the need for new concrete products will be lower. These potentially decrease the production of concrete products leading to a reduction in carbon emission, protecting the earth from global warming.

     Lastly, Spinks should discuss chloride ion permeability in SHC, which can affect the durability of concrete. In the article, “Effect on Bacteria…” (2019) the authors explain that the formation of calcium carbonate layer produced by bacteria can resist chloride ion penetration. Hence, SHC has a lower chloride ion permeability which improves the durability of concrete. With this statement, the readers can be relieved from the corrosion problem of reinforcing steel. They can understand that applying SHC as a manufacturing ingredient will be better due to its improved chloride ion resistance.

    In a nutshell, Spinks should elaborate more on the better material properties of SHC in the article to convince the construction industry that it can replace standard concrete as a construction material.

The references:

Spinks, R. (2015, 20 June). The Self-Healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jun/29/the-self-healing-concrete-that-can-fix-its-own-cracks

    K.Vijay, M. Murmu, and S. V. Deo (2017, 15 July). Construction and Building Materials. Science Direct https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0950061817313752?token=6C82D31EC054641C6295A82F1163C1CFBF535E83787AA37FA37208060D25A8702D065FDB973BD2B8106811F01DDC2A1A

E. Stanaszek-Tomal (2020, 17 Jan). Bacteria Concrete as a Sustainable Building Material? MDPI https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/2/696

Manikandan, A.T.; Padmavathi, A. An Experimental Investigation on Improvement of Concrete Serviceability by using Bacterial Mineral Precipitation. Int. J. Res. Sci. Innov. 2015, 2, 46–49. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Atmanikandan/publication/316644933_An_Experimental_Investigation_on_Improvement_of_Concrete_Serviceability_by_using_Bacterial_Mineral_Precipitation/links/59099b94a6fdcc49616833c6/An-Experimental-Investigation-on-Improvement-of-Concrete-Serviceability-by-using-Bacterial-Mineral-Precipitation.pdf

P. Saha, A. Sikder (2019, July). Effect on Bacteria on Performance of Concrete/Mortar: A Review. ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334626974_Effect_of_Bacteria_on_Performance_of_ConcreteMortar_A_Review

Reading Respond Draft # 1

In the article, "The Self-Healing Concrete…" Spinks (2015) discusses how the construction industry can benefit from self-healing concrete (SHC). According to Spinks, Jonkers, the inventor, explained that the invention optimized the concrete lifetime and reduces maintenance fees. She also mentions that SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of an existing structure. According to Spinks, research from HealCON showed the maintenance of cracked old-fashioned concrete for the fundamental infrastructure in the EU costs €6bn yearly. However, she remarks a cubic meter of self-healing concrete is 30€ more expensive than standard concrete. Jonkers mentioned that he had successfully constructed a canal and drainage system by the invention. The project can be a successful record to convince the building industry. He went on to mention how any coastal society can obtain advantages from it. He concluded that SHC can be a game-changer for the future of risk-taker investors in the construction field. At the same time, Spinks states that SHC is a better construction material due to its longer lifespan. However, she needs to emphasize more on the material properties for SHC if she wants her readers to believe that it can replace standard concrete in the future building industry.

            First and foremost, Spinks should have compared the compressive strength between SHC and standard concrete to show the advantages of SHC. Stanaszek-Tomal (2020) states that bacterial activity in concrete can improve its compressive strength. She presents several experiments data of SHC compressive strength showed that SHC has 10% more than the ordinary concrete. In my opinion, presenting the data of improved compressive strength is essential for the readers to make better judgment since higher compressive strength means can resist heavier loads. Besides that, the construction industry might consider SHC has a weaker compressive strength and avoid using it as a construction material because an overload can cause corruption of the building. However, having higher compressive strength, SHC can be used to build a more stable construction or infrastructure. This point can be further supported by an article published, “An Experiment Investigation …” (2015).

            Secondly, Spinks only mentions that the self-healing properties of SHC can increase the lifespan of concrete but fail to mention permeability. Kunamineni et al. (2017) mention that the bacteria in concrete will absorb water and form carbonate precipitation causes a reduction of permeability in concrete. I think for the article to mention having a low permeability for concrete is critical. It can prevent aggressive chemicals enter the concrete which contributes to increasing the lifespan of the concrete. The readers can then realize that utilizing SHC in the construction industry will be a better choice. Nowadays, we are encouraged to protect the earth as it is the only home for humans. Utilizing SHC can aid in environmental protection due to the reduction of new concrete products that will increase carbon emission causes global warming.

Lastly, Spinks should discuss chloride ion permeability which can affect the durability of concrete. In the article, “Effect on Bacteria…” (2019) the authors explain that the forming of calcium carbonate layer produced by bacteria resists the penetration of chloride ion. Hence, SHC has a lower chloride ion permeability that can improve the durability of concrete. Through this statement, the readers can be relieved from worrying about the corrosion of reinforcing steel. They can understand that applying SHC as a manufacturing ingredient will be more secured due to its improved chloride ion resistance.

In a nutshell, Spinks should elaborate more on the better material properties of SHC in the article to convince the construction industry that it can replace standard concrete as a construction material.

Draft # 2 Summary

   In the article, "The Self-Healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks," Spinks (2015) discusses how the construction industry can benefit from self-healing concrete (SHC). Jonkers, the inventor, states that the invention optimized the concrete lifetime and reduces maintenance fees. Spinks also mentions that SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of the existing structure. The research from HealCON observes the maintenance of cracked old-fashioned concrete for the fundamental infrastructure in the EU costs €6bn yearly. However, she remarks a cubic meter of self-healing concrete is 30€ more expensive than standard concrete. Jonkers mentions that he had successfully constructed a canal and drainage system by the invention. The project can be a successful record to convince the building industry. He believes that the coastal society can obtain advantages from it. He concludes that SHC can be a game-changer for the future of risk-taker investors in the construction field. Overall, the article fails to mention why Jonker's concrete is more suitable to be introduced as a construction material due to its improved material properties.

Draft # 1 Summary

     In the article, "The Self-healing Concrete That Can Fix Its Own Cracks", Spinks (2015) discusses how the construction industry will benefit from self-healing concrete (SHC). Hendrik Jonkers, the inventor states the invention can reduce maintenance fees by optimizing the lifetime of the concrete. The research from HealCON observes the maintenance of cracked old-fashioned concrete for essential infrastructure in the EU costs 6bn (4.2bn) yearly. She notes that SHC can mend up to 0.8mm cracks of the existing structure. However, she remarks a cubic meter of self-healing concrete is 30 dollars more expensive than concrete. Jonkers mentions that he successfully constructed a canal and drainage system by the invention. This can be a successful record to convince the built industry. He believes that “coastal communities” can benefit from it. He concludes that SHC can be a game-changer for the future of risk-taker investors in the construction field.

Self-Introduction email

Dear Professor Blackstone,

I am Chai Ming Ze, a first-year civil engineering student from the Singapore Institute of Technology. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as a student in your effective communication class.

Having graduated from Help College in Malaysia, I received my A-level certification from Pearson Edexcel. This has provided me the chance to study overseas as the certification is globally recognized. My interest in engineering was fostered because I was always impressed by those who are able to provide a comfortable environment for wildlife. I enjoy watching a Youtube channel named “Dean Schneider”, which introduces us to wildlife’s behaviors. In his videos, the wildlife sanctuary depicted is beautiful and natural. The creation and maintenance of such infrastructures have always been under the work of civil engineers. An example that infatuated my interest was the Singapore Zoo, it provided a protected area for human viewing while retaining the animals’ natural habitat. This has deeply inspired me to pursue civil engineering as a profession.

Since we are living in a multiracial country, being able to communicate in multiple languages and dialects will be my strength in communication skills. I believe that having courage is not the only thing that is required when communicating. However, understanding the meaning of the messages is crucial too. I think my strength can help me when communicating with multiracial customers or team members.

Despite my strength in languages and dialects, I have fear when it comes to public speaking, especially in English. As English is not my first language, I tend to translate Mandarin into English before conveying it out. On top of that, I am weak in my grammar and vocabulary. Hence, sometimes I find it difficult to understand what others are trying to convey to me.

One of my goals in the effective communication module is to increase my English vocabulary and grammar. Next, I hope that I will be able to speak fluently and confidently. I will constantly practice and remind myself of how people construct sentences through movies and videos. I believe that I can reach my goal with the help of both your guidance and my hardworking.

I look forward to having more effective communication in class.

Thank you and best regards,

Chai Ming Ze

CVE1281 -Group 5

(Revised on 08/04/2021)

Commented on: Syakirah, Isqandar, Leah

The Importance of Communication Skills for Engineers

"Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others.

If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter."

— Gilbert Amelio, President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp.

Explanation

According to my understanding, the quote means that it is very important for a team leader to tell his members clearly that what is his expectation from the members. The leader should give specific dates and timelines, outline specific outcomes and give justification how to achieve the outcomes if possible. If the meaning of the orders from the leader is not understood by his members, the orders are just meaningless words. Then, the outcomes definitely will not be what are expected to be obtained. This could lead to a big lost for the team. Leaders should be sensitive to the emotions of the people who listen their requests and able to judge that whether the people understand what they have to do. In the nutshell, I think this quote has explained the importance of a leader to have good communication skills within the organisation.