2017

COMMUNICATION

SKILLS

NAVEEN SINGH

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Communication skills

What is Communication?

Conveying information through

• Thoughts

• Knowledge

• Feelings

• Ideas

Meaning of communication

Communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the

message of the sender

Feedback is critical to effective communication between participants

According to Haimann, communication is a process of passing

information and understanding from one person to another. It is the

process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others

Purpose of Communication: Management is getting the things done through others. The people working in

the organisation should therefore be informed how to do the work assigned to

them in the best possible manner. The communication is essential in any

organisation.

The purpose of the communication can be summed up into the following:

1. Flow of Information:

The relevant information must flow continuously from top to bottom and vice

versa. The staff at all levels must be kept informed about the organisational

objectives and other developments taking place in the organisation. A care

should be taken that no one should be misinformed. The information should

reach the incumbent in the language he or she can understand better. The use of

difficult words should be avoided. The right information should reach the right

person, at right time through the right person.

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2. Coordination:

It is through communication the efforts of all the staff working in the

organisation can be coordinated for the accomplishment of the organisational

goals. The coordination of all personnel’s and their efforts is the essence of

management which can be attained through effective communication.

3. Learning Management Skills:

The communication facilitates flow of information, ideas, beliefs, perception,

advice, opinion, orders and instructions etc. both ways which enable the

managers and other supervisory staff to learn managerial skills through

experience of others. The experience of the sender of the message gets reflected

in it which the person at the receiving end can learn by analyzing and

understanding it.

4. Preparing People to Accept Change:

The proper and effective communication is an important tool in the hands of

management of any organisation to bring about overall change in the

organisational policies, procedures and work style and make the staff to accept

and respond positively.

5. Developing Good Human Relations:

Managers and workers and other staff exchange their ideas, thoughts and

perceptions with each other through communication. This helps them to

understand each other better. They realize the difficulties faced by their

colleagues at the workplace. This leads to promotion of good human relations in

the organisation.

6. Ideas of Subordinates Encouraged:

The communication facilitates inviting and encouraging the ideas from

subordinates on certain occasions on any task. This will develop creative

thinking. Honouring subordinates’ ideas will further motivate them for hard

work and a sense of belonging to the organisation will be developed. It will

provide them with the encouragement to share information with their superiors

without hesitation. The managers must know the ideas, thoughts, comments,

reactions and attitudes of their subordinates and subordinates should know the

same from the lowest level staff of their respective departments.

Importance of Communication:

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Effective communication is vital for efficient management and to improve

industrial relations. In modern world the growth of telecommunication,

information technology and the growing competition and complexity in

production have increased importance of communication in organisations large

and small irrespective of their type and kind. A corporate executive must be in a

position to communicate effectively with his superiors, colleagues in other

departments and subordinates. This will make him perform well and enable him

to give his hundred percent to the organisation.

The following points can illustrate the importance of communication in human

resource management:

1. Base for Action:

Communication acts as a base for any action. Starting of any activity begins

with communication which brings information necessary to begin with.

2. Planning Becomes Easy:

Communication facilitates planning. Planning is made easy by communication.

Any type of information regarding the human resource requirement of each

department of the organisation with their qualifications, the type and kinds of

job etc. can be collected through communication which helps in human resource

planning. Policies and programmes for their acquisition can be prepared and

implemented. In the entire process communication plays a vital role, it also

facilitates managerial planning of the organisation.

3. Means of Coordination:

Communication is an important tool for coordinating the efforts of various

people at work in the organisation.

4. Aids in Decision-Making:

The information collected through communication aids in decision-making.

Communication facilitates access to the vital information required to take

decisions.

5. Provides Effective Leadership:

A communication skill bring manager near to his subordinates and exchange

ideas and submits appropriate proposals, knows their opinions, seeks advices

and make decisions. This enables a manager to win confidence of his

subordinates through constantly communicating with them and removing

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probable misunderstandings. In this way he leads his people to accomplish the

organisational goal.

6. Boosts Morale and Motivation:

An effective communication system instills confidence among subordinates and

workers ensuring change in their attitude and behaviour. The main cause of

conflict and dissatisfaction is misunderstanding which can be removed through

communication skills. The removal of misunderstanding makes manager and his

subordinates understand each other and create good industrial relations. This

boosts up the morale of the people and motivates them to work harder.

Principles of Communication: Lack of effective communication renders an organisation handicapped. So to

have effective communication certain principles are to be followed.

They are as follows:

1. Clarity:

The principle of clarity means the communicator should use such a language

which is easy to understand. The message must be understood by the receiver.

The words used should be simple and unambiguous. The language should not

create any confusion or misunderstanding. Language is the medium of

communication; hence it should be clear and understandable.

2. Adequacy and Consistency:

The communicator must carefully take into account that the information to be

communicated should be complete and adequate in all respect. Inadequate and

incomplete message creates confusion and delays the action to be taken. The

adequate information must be consistent with the organizational objectives,

plans, policies and procedures. The message which is inconsistent may play

havoc and distort the corporate interests.

3. Integration:

The principle of integration portrays that through communication the efforts of

human resources of the organisation should be integrated towards achievement

of corporate objectives. The very aim of communication is to achieve the set

target. The communication should aim at coordinating the activities of the

people at work to attain the corporate goals.

4. Economy:

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The unnecessary use of communication system will add to cost. The system of

communication must be used efficiently, timely i.e. at the appropriate time and

when it is necessary. The economy in use of communication system can be

achieved in this way.

5. Feedback:

The purpose of communication will be defeated if feedback is not taken from

the receiver. The confirmation of the receipt of the message in its right

perspective from its receiver fulfills the object of communication. The feedback

is essential only in case of written communication and messages sent through

messengers. In case of oral type of communication the feedback is immediately

known.

6. Need for Communication Network:

The route through which the communication passes from sender or

communicator to its receiver or communicate refers to communication network.

For effective communication this network is essential. The managerial

effectiveness will also depend upon the availability of adequate network.

7. Attention:

The message communicated must draw the attention of the receiver staff and

ensure action from him in the right perspective. The efficient, sincere and

prompt manager succeeds in drawing the attention of his subordinates to what

he is conveying.

It is the psychology of the people that they watch their superiors closely and

then respond to their orders or instructions. Lazy and insincere superiors fail to

garner support for themselves and their instructions usually are not taken

seriously by their subordinates. Adhering to the above principles shall make

communication effective, minimize the human relations problems and increase

the overall efficiency.

7 Major Elements of Communication Process Seven major elements of communication process are: (1) sender (2) ideas (3)

encoding (4) communication channel (5) receiver (6) decoding and (7)

feedback.

Communication may be defined as a process concerning exchange of facts or

ideas between persons holding different positions in an organisation to achieve

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mutual harmony. The communication process is dynamic in nature rather than a

static phenomenon.

Communication process as such must be considered a continuous and dynamic

inter-action, both affecting and being affected by many variables.

(1) Sender:

The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing

information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator.

(2) Ideas:

This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion,

attitude, feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.

(3) Encoding:

Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its

further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words, actions or

pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols is the process of

encoding.

(4) Communication Channel:

The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel for

sending the required information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted to

the receiver through certain channels which may be either formal or informal.

(5) Receiver:

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Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is

meant for. It is the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best

possible manner in achieving the desired objectives.

(6) Decoding:

The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries to

convert the same in such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his

complete understanding.

(7) Feedback:

Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message

and understood in the same sense as sender meant it.

The Communication Models

The purpose of a “model” is to offer a visual representation of a concept with

the intent of facilitating the understanding of it. Traditionally speaking, there are

three standard models of the communication process: Linear, Interactive, and

Transactional, and each offers a slightly different perspective on the

communication process.

Linear Communication Model

There’s a bit of a debate about the Linear Communication model and how it

recognizes (or doesn’t recognize) the concept of feedback. The linear model’s

behaviour is belied by its name, where a sender encodes a message via a

channel and the message is decoded by the receiver. It is straight-line

communication found typically in mass communication; think television, radio,

newspapers, etc. According to this model, there is no means for immediate

feedback.

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The Linear Communication Model

Shannon and Weaver were the first to present the Linear Model of

Communication in 1949′s The Mathematical Theory of Communication. We’re

going to discuss more about these two in our imminent Theories of

Communication article. Suffice to say that this theory has become less relevant

in inverse proportion to the advances of communication technology, specifically

non-linear forms of electronic communication where it’s not always clear who

is the sender and who is the receiver.

Interactive Communication Model

Simply put, the Interactive Model takes the Linear Model and multiplies it times

two with a quick flip of the return message. It now allows for a feedback

element because after a message is encoded and sent to the decoding receiver,

the roles then reverse and the receiver encodes and sends a response to the

original sender who has now turned receiver. It sounds more confusing than it

is. Envision an exchange of text messages whereby your friend sends you a

message and you respond to it. The same thing happens during a telephone call,

or even an email exchange. A message is sent and received, then the roles

reverse. That is the Interactive Model.

Transactional Communication Model

The Transactional Model becomes more sophisticated yet. This model

depicts face-to-face interaction, or “trans-action” as a dynamic and

changeable process that is not limited to simple definition. In the

Transactional Model, receiver and sender can play the same roles

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simultaneously, as sometimes happens, as messages can be sent back

and forth simultaneously. It appears chaotic and ineffective, but

sometimes communication is just that. Throw in some noise, and it

would be a wonder whether any message is conveyed successfully in

this environment.

As mentioned, we’re going to touch upon these three models of

communication in a future article where we shall go further into

communication theory and some of the major influencers in the field

of communications over the past few decades.

Communication Model – Summary

Berlo’s Model:

The idea of “source” was flexible enough to include oral, written,

electronic, or any other kind of “symbolic” generator-of-messages.

The model recognized that receivers were important to

communication, for they were the targets

The notions of “encoding” and “decoding” emphasized the

problems we all have in translating our own thoughts into words or other

symbols and in deciphering the words or symbols of others into terms we

ourselves can understand.

It implies that human communication is like machine communication, like

signal-sending in telephone, television, computer, and radar systems.

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It even seems to stress that most problems in human

communication can be solved by technical accuracy-by choosing the “right”

symbols, preventing interference, and sending efficient messages.

But even with the “right” symbols, people misunderstand

each other.

Lass well formula

Useful but too simple.

It assumes the communicator wishes to influence the receiver and

therefore sees communication as a persuasive process.

It assumes that messages always have effects.

It exaggerates the effects of mass communication.

It omits feedback.

On the other hand, it was devised in an era of political propaganda

It remains a useful INTRODUCTORY model

Braddock (1958) modified it to include circumstances, purpose and effect

Shannon and Weaver

Highly influential and sometimes described as “the most important”

model (Johnson and Klare)

Communication is presented as a linear, one-way process

Shannon and Weaver make a distinction between source and transmitter,

and receiver and destination – ie there are two functions at the

transmitting end and two at the receiving end

Criticised for suggesting a definite start and finish to the communication

process, which in fact is often endless

Gerbner

Special feature of this model is that is can be given different shapes

depending on the situation it describes

There is a verbal as well as visual formula (like Lasswell):

someone

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perceives an event

and reacts

in a situation

through some means

to make available materials

in some form

and context

conveying content

with some consequence

The flexible nature of the model makes it useful.

It also allows an emphasis on perception

It could explain, for example, the perceptual problems of a witness in

court and, in the media, a model which helps us to explore the connection

between reality and the stories given on the news

Westley & MacLean

Another influential model

The authors were keen to create a model which showed the complexities

of mass communication - hence the emphasis on having to interpret a

mass of Xs (events which are communicated in the media)

It oversimplifies the relationships between participants by not showing

power relations between participants

It makes the media process seem more integrated than it may actually be

It doesn’t show the way different media may have different interests of

the state (eg difference between a state broadcaster and private one)

Osgood & Schramm

Circular communication gives opportunity to both parties to give their

opinion.

As it is dynamic and ever changing model, it is helpful in general

practice.

Sender and receiver interchanges and both are equally active.

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Feedback makes it easier to know if the message is interpreted by the

receiver as intended or not.

Concept of interpretation makes the communication effective.

Concept of context makes the environmental factor be included in

interpretation of message and brings change in the message value.

Disadvantages of Schramm's Model of

Communication

This model cannot deal with multiple levels of communication and

complex communication processes.

There can only be two sources communicating, many sources complicates

the process and the model cannot be implemented.

Message sent and received might be interpreted differently than intended.

Module 2

Levels of Communication

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Intrapersonal Communication

Intrapersonal communication takes place within one person. It is meant to

reflect oneself to clarify something.

There are three concept of intrapersonal communication namely as

following:

1. Self-conception

This determines how one sees himself and also in orientation

with others. It is also known as self-awareness. There are several factors

effecting the communication.

a) Belief: It is self-orientation to know what is true or false, good

or bad. Trust in one’s ability

b) Values: Values are integral part of belief to determine what is right or

wrong. It is a deep seated foundation lying within the person’s mind and

concept

c) Attitude: It is a learned idea of the person and it is generally consistent

with value. It is often emotional.

2. Perception

When the self-concept lies internally, perception focuses outward. It is

deep rooted in belief, values and attitude. It is related and closely intertwined

with self-concept to create better understanding of both within and outside

world.

3. Expectation

It is futuristic oriented message dealing with long term occurrence.

People form expectation on the base of the strength of ones learned ideas within

the society.

Intrapersonal communication may involve different levels of

communication activity:

Internal discourse,

Solo vocal communication,

And solo written communication.

Internal discourse relates to thinking, concentrating and analysing within

one self. It might of day dreaming, praying or meditating.

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Merits:

1. Self-Awareness

2. Self Confidence

3. Self-Management

4. Self-Motivation

5. Focused

6. Independence

7. Adaptability

Demerits:

1. Introverted

2. Wrong Assumptions

3. Incorrect Decisions

4. Arrogance

5. Categorical Thinking

Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange

information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal

messages: it is face-to-face communication.

Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the

language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent

through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language.

The elements of the interpersonal communication are same that of

elements of Shanon & Weaver model

Merits & Demerits

Irreversibility of communication

Merits:

Once when interpersonal communication has taken place, it could not be

hold back. When it has conveyed properly and in better way, there is

always good impact

Demerits:

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It is by contrast, when the communication was not properly flowed with

good impact, it is always bad impression.

Communication does not only be verbal communication

Merit:

When you are in good mood, you may convey to others in

better way.

Demerit:

The communication might be of body language and it is

really hard stop when something goes on emotionally, at that point of time, you

may resort to have violence interaction.

Situation

Merits:

The communication can also be depending on the situation,

when situation will be calm both in psychologically and sociologically then

communication would be flowed smoothly

Demerits:

It is by contrast, when the situation of discourse is in harsh

and not good, the communication might not be good flow

Types of Communication

Dyadic communication:

This type of communication lies within two people, for

instance discussion takes place between the Teacher and his student about

communication

Group communication

The group communication consists of participants more than

three; here proper group communication of interpersonal communication can be

resembled when lesser number of people will be involved. However, there is no

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distinctive number of exceeding participants to be involved in the group

communication when it limits more than three.

Public communication

This types of communication involves a larger participants

basically forming a one way style of communication process. The feedback of

the receiver is minimal. It takes place in larger audience and mostly takes place

for entertainment and persuasion.

Mass Communication

Mass communication is a process in which a person, group

of people, or an organization sends a message through a channel of

communication to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people. In

simple terms, delivery of messages to general public by utilizing mass media

such as press, radio, television and in recent time internet.

Module 3

Art of public speaking

The bottom line is, public speaking isn’t drilled into us at school the way it is in

west – and we only find ourselves in the spotlight as adults.

1. Be prepared

Do your homework – on the organisation/the person you’re

introducing/the event itself

2. Arrive early

3. Don’t make it up as you go along

Great speakers sound spontaneous – but know exactly what they’re

going to say.

4. Find your own unique voice: Don’t feel pressured into a particular

style of presenting, go with what feels comfortable for you. Say it like

it is and how it comes naturally.

5. Don’t just parrot your PowerPoint

6. Discover your style of presenting, whether that is standing up, sitting

down, or moving about.

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7. Maintain eye contact with your audience, whether it is to 500

people in a room or a boardroom table.

8. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and prepare: The best comedians

have performed their acts hundreds of times in their heads as well as

on stage. practice makes one perfect

9. Perfect the art of the sound bite. A pithy one liner has more

impact than going all round the houses with a meaningless

analogy

9 Ways to Master the Art of Public Speaking

Being able to properly speak in front of an audience is a skill that can be

immensely important, whether you are an artist, running a business, or being a

student. At one point or another, you will need to make a speech or do a

presentation in front of a crowd. Having done a multitude of presentations in

my time, whether it be for school or for work, here are some useful tips that can

help you turn an otherwise stagnant performance into pure gold:

1. Tell stories

One of the best and most effective ways to make people connect to what

you are saying is through storytelling. It is much easier to remember the

lesson or the idea of the presentation if it was told in a way that makes the

audience listening to it visualize it easily, and experience it as if it was

them going through that situation.

2. Relate to your audience

When you are on stage, although you are not a part of the audience, you

have to relate to them as if you were among them. You have to put

yourself in the shoes of the people watching and ask yourself, how would

I like to be talked to? You see, you don’t want to lose your audience with

intellectual jargon that bypasses their head 90% of the time. You have to

use example and language that they will relate to.

3. Laugh at yourself

When you are on stage, in a position of authority, it is important not to

take it all too seriously. You don’t want to be sitting on your high horse

looking down at everyone else. This is why humor is the best method to

show a little humility. Being able to poke fun at your own expense will

convey the message to your audience that you are a fun-loving person

that doesn’t take this whole process so literally.

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4. Involve your audience

A solid presentation should always include the audience. There is

nothing more boring than just listening to someone talk without any

involvement. To get your audience involved mentally and emotionally,

you have to get them involved physically.

5. Tune into your daily life

When you can provide an insight into your day-to-day life while doing a

presentation, it can help you connect with your audience on a deeper

level. When an audience listens to a multi-millionaire, or a business

mogul, or the CEO of their company, it can be hard for them to imagine

this person as just another human being with the same daily struggles as

everyone else.

6. Be prepared

This should be a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe how some people

show up unprepared to give speeches. I’ve seen people read off cue cards

without making any eye contacts, and some people stop dead in their

tracks and start over. There is no better way to lose your audience than

by doing this. For an audience to trust you and let whatever it is that you

are saying sink in, it needs the proof that you LIVE what you are

saying. It needs proofs that you are an expert in the field, and such an

expert does not stumble. You want the audience to look up to you and be

amazed. You don’t want people in the audience to say “I can do this

better than he can”. Zig Ziglar practices for his presentation for hours

and hours the day before. That’s on a presentation he’s been presenting

for over 20 years! In the world of public speaking, it’s best to never show

up than to show up unprepared.

7. Be creative

Bonus points are definitely in store for thinking outside the box and doing

things out of the ordinary. For example, if you are to give a presentation

among a bunch of other ones, do you really want it to be the same as

everyone else? Of course not, you want to stand out and be

memorable. You want to be the star that shines the brightest among all

other stars. This is where your creativity can come in handy. This was

one of my strongest points when I did presentations at University. I

would watch all others, and instead of saying “what can I borrow from

them?”, I would ask myself “what can I do to be different from

them?”. You can strike gold by being completely different than everyone

else.

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8. Surprise your audience

This follows the same logic and ideas as the point above about being

creative. However, a creative idea can also be stale. So you want to

surprise, shock, and entertain your audience! This will make sure that

your creativity is broadcasted throughout the audience under its best

form.

9. Have a good time

When you are up there on stage, you need to enjoy yourself. Nobody will

enjoy a speech or presentation if the person speaking looks uncomfortable

or looks like they don’t want to be there. This is your time to shine, so

make the most of it. Next thing you know, it will be over, so you really

want to be fully present into the moment, suck it all in, be yourself, and

just appreciate how wonderful it is that all these people are listening and

looking up to you. If your audience believes that you are having the time

of your life, they will have a great time being in your presence.

Public speaking and presentations are a necessity as you climb the ladder of

success. Hopefully these tips will help you along the way

What is Interpersonal Relationship

A strong bond between two or more people refers to interpersonal

relationship. Attraction between individuals brings them close to each other

and eventually results in a strong interpersonal relationship.

Forms of Interpersonal relationship

An interpersonal relationship can develop between any of the following:

Individuals working together in the same organization.

People working in the same team.

Relationship between a man and a woman (Love, Marriage).

Relationship with immediate family members and relatives.

Relationship of a child with his parents.

Relationship between friends.

Relationship can also develop in a group (Relationship of students with their

teacher, relationship of a religious guru with his disciples and so on)

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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.

Art of Writing – Business Letter

Business writing has only two goals:

To make people understand you.

To get them to take some action.

Your readers take the proper action only when they know not just what

you say, but what you want. Whether it is :

Buy your product or service?

Confirm a decision?

Simply like you and think you're good to do business with?

All those things -- buying, confirming, even liking and thinking -- are

actions.

For your reader to understand what you want (and then do it), he or she

must first understand precisely what you mean in your writing.

People who read your letters, e-mails, faxes, reports, and memos have no

opportunity to interpret your body language or tone of voice, as they

would in a conversation. -- be more precise

To write effectively, to say what you mean, and to make sure your

readers understand you,

keep these ten rules in mind:

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1- Write Concisely

At every stage of writing your letter, look at it and decide what to

remove -- there will always be something. Avoid repeating anything, other than

for specific emphasis. Remove needless words from every sentence, needless

sentences from every paragraph, and needless paragraphs entirely.

2- Be Complete

Your letter should not read like a telegram, but should tell your

reader everything he or she needs to know, and then prod for action. Make

sure that you include enough background for your reader to get what you mean,

and that you come across as tactful and polite, not terse and unfeeling.

3- Use Nouns and Verbs

Adjectives and adverbs can enhance sturdy nouns and verbs, but

they can't rescue weak ones. Instead of "I definitely believe that the

performance will be a very successful one," write "I know the performance will

succeed." The second sentence is both stronger and shorter.

4- Write Actively

Good writers use the active voice whenever they can. In active

sentences, people do things -- they act and interact. The active voice is vigorous

and brief, showing who acts and how. So instead of "The report will be sent to

you" and "The source of your problem has been determined" (passive), write "I

will send you the report" and "Our technical team has found what caused your

problem" (active).

5- Be Specific

Use words to paint pictures in your reader's mind, not to ask him or

her to dissect abstract concepts. If you have numbers, use them. Don't discuss

ideas without examples. Avoid abbreviations not everyone knows. Everybody

understands words that apply to everyday life, so use everyday words and your

reader will understand you.

6- Write Interesting Sentences

Vary the length of your sentences to avoid lulling your reader to

sleep. Make some short and sharp. Draw others out by linking two or three

together: clip with commas, stitch with semicolons; even staple with dashes -- if

you like. Don't make all your sentences the same.

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7- Write to Your Readers, Not Down to Them

None treats its readers like children. Even if you are writing to tell

your readers something they know nothing about, think of them as intelligent

but uninformed, not dumb.

Avoid using "we" if you don't have to -- use it if you are really talking about a

group opinion, position, or action (such as a company policy or a decision voted

on at a meeting), but don't use it to replace "I" with something more pompous.

8- Use a Positive Tone

Use negatives such as "don't," "won't," and "not" only to deny, not to

evade or be indecisive. Instead of "We can't decide until tomorrow," write "We

should decide tomorrow," or, better yet, "We will decide tomorrow.”

9- Be Correct

Good writing is correct in two ways:

In technique.

In facts.

Keep your facts must be correct.

If you have relevant information, present it. If you are uncertain, say so. If you

merely suspect something, make the suspicion clear so your reader does not

think you know more than you do.

10- Be Clear

Good business writing is all about being clear. A letter is not a poem, a

mystery story, or a morality play. It should not be open to interpretation.

Every word should mean one thing, each sentence should say one thing, and

together they should create a tool for achieving your goal.

Art of Writing – Personal Letter

Letter should include

Heading

Inside address

Greetings

Body

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Close

Signature Line

A Personal letter is sent from one individual to another individual or

organisation in order to address matters of an informal nature.

Examples of these can include;

Apologies

Thank you's

Personal reference

Congratulations

Invitations

Condolences

They differ from formal types in that they can be used to express personal

feelings and depending on the relationship between the sender and

receiver do not require formal concise language.

Art of Writing – Journalistic writing

Newspaper articles are written using an inverted pyramid format. The

most important information is at the top (beginning of article) and the

least important information is at the bottom (end of article). Has the

ability to undergo cutoff test (removing last section(s) of story to quickly

shorten story).

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5 W’s and 1 H

Who- Who is involved

Where – Where the events happened

What – What has happened

When – When it has happened

Why – Why it happened

How – How it has happened

Group Dynamics

Group dynamics is a system of behaviors and psychological processes

occurring within a social group (intragroup dynamics), or between social

groups (intergroup dynamics).

The study of group dynamics can be useful in understanding decision-

making behavior, tracking the spread of diseases in society, creating

effective therapy techniques, and following the emergence and popularity

of new ideas and technologies.

Group dynamics are at the core of understanding racism, sexism, and

other forms of social prejudice and discrimination. These applications of

the field are studied in psychology, sociology, anthropology, political

science, social work, communication studies etc.

There are three main things that can affect a team's cohesion (the act of

working together well). They are: environmental factors, personal factors

and leadership factors.

As a field of study, group dynamics has roots in both psychology and

sociology.

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Wundt psychologist, used to study human language, customs, and

religion that could not be described through a study of the individual.

On the sociological side, Emile Durkheim recognized collective

phenomena, such as public knowledge.

Leadership

Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards

achieving a common goal.

The process of encouraging and helping others to work enthusiastically

towards objectives.

Alan Keith stated that, Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for

people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen.

Leadership & management

Management - is a process of planning, organizing, coordinating,

directing, and controlling the activities of others.

Leadership - is the process of influencing for the purpose of achieving

shared goals.

John kotter distinction :

Management involves coping with complexity

Leadership involves - Coping with change

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Importance of leadership

Leadership transforms potential into reality.

Leadership is not mere using people and their potential for realising an

organization’s goals.

It has the ultimate aim of raising the level of human conduct and ethical

aspiration of both the leader and the led.

The leader should elevate, inspire, and evangelise his followers to higher

things in life.

Formal & informal leadership

Formal leadership

Occurs when a manager leads by exercising formal authority.

The exercise of formal authority through assigning duties derives, from

the managers official position within the organisation’s hierarchy of

authority.

Any employee who is assigned a managerial position has the opportunity

and responsibility to exercise formal leadership .

Informal leadership

Arises when a person without formal authority is influential in directing

the behavious of others.

Although not formally appointed or elected he becomes a leader through

his actions or personal attractions.

Leadership styles

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction,

implementing plans, and motivating people.

The first major study of leadership styles was performed in 1939 by Kurt

Lewin who led a group of researchers to identify different styles of

leadership.

This early study has remained quite influential as it established the three

major leadership styles:

authoritarian or autocratic - the leader tells his or her employees what to

do and how to do it, without getting their advice

all decision-making powers are centralized in the leader

do not entertain any suggestions or initiatives from subordinates.

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it permits quick decision-making , as only one person decides for

the whole group and keeps each decision to himself until he feels it

is needed to be shared with the rest of the group.

high degree of dependency on the leader

participative or democratic - the leader includes one or more employees

in the decision making process, but the leader normally maintains the

final decision making authority

favours decision-making by the group .

cooperation of their group and can motivate them effectively and

positively.

decisions of the democratic leader are not unilateral as with the

autocrat because they arise from consultation with the group

members and participation by them.

Consultative: process of consultation before decisions are taken

Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeks to persuade others that the

decision is correct.

participative or democratic - the leader includes one or more employees

in the decision making process, but the leader normally maintains the

final decision making authority

favours decision-making by the group .

cooperation of their group and can motivate them effectively and

positively.

decisions of the democratic leader are not unilateral as with the

autocrat because they arise from consultation with the group

members and participation by them.

Consultative: process of consultation before decisions are taken

Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeks to persuade others that

the decision is correct.

delegative or laissez-fair (free-rein) - the leader allows the employees to

make the decisions, however, the leader is still responsible for the

decisions that are made

A free rein leader does not lead, but leaves the group entirely to

itself such a leader allows maximum freedom to subordinates

Can be very useful in businesses where creative ideas are important

Can be highly motivational , as people have control over their

working life

Can make coordination and decision making time-consuming and

lacking in overall direction

Relies on good team work and good interpersonal relations.

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Daniel Goleman (2000) in his article "Leadership that Gets Results”

talks about six styles of leadership:

The Visionary Leader

The Visionary Leader moves people towards a shared vision,

telling them where to go but not how to get there - thus motivating

them to struggle forwards. They openly share information, hence

giving knowledge power to others.

They can fail when trying to motivate more experienced experts or

peers.

This style is best when a new direction is needed.

The Coaching Leader

The Coaching Leader connects wants to organizational goals, holding

long conversations that reach beyond the workplace, helping people find

strengths and weaknesses and tying these to career aspirations and

actions.

They are good at delegating challenging assignments, demonstrating faith

that demands justification and which leads to high levels of loyalty.

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It is best used when individuals need to build long-term capabilities.

The Affiliative Leader

The Affiliative Leader creates people connections and thus harmony

within the organization. It is a very collaborative style which focuses on

emotional needs over work needs.

It is best used for healing rifts and getting through stressful situations.

The Democratic Leader

The Democratic Leader acts to value inputs and commitment via

participation, listening to both the bad and the good news.

The Pace-setting Leader

The Pace-setting Leader builds challenge and exciting goals for people,

expecting excellence and often exemplifying it themselves.

They tend to be low on guidance, expecting people to know what to do.

They get short term results but over the long term this style can lead to

exhaustion and decline.

The Commanding Leader

The Commanding Leader soothes fears and gives clear directions by his

or her powerful stance, commanding and expecting full compliance

(agreement is not needed).

This approach is best in times of crisis when you need unquestioned rapid

action and with problem employees who do not respond to other methods.

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Module 4

Importance of good communication in one's life

Communication is a process of sending and receiving information among

people. Humans communicate with others not only by face-to-face

communication, but also by giving information via the Internet and printed

products such as books and newspapers. Many people believe that the

significance of communication is like the importance of breathing. Indeed,

communication facilitates the spread of knowledge and forms relationships

between people.

First of all, communication helps to spread knowledge and information among

people. For example, authors write books to impart knowledge to the World,

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and teachers share their experience with their students. Also, friends or co-

workers discuss their ideas with each other, and companies exchange

information with their subsidiaries and customers. Besides, the advent of the

Internet not only allows people to have better access to knowledge and

information in all fields, but also makes it easier and faster to contact with

people around the World. Undoubtedly, the sharing knowledge and information

process cannot function without communication. As a result, companies cannot

operate, and humanity will be drowned in the abyss of ignorance.

Communication helps to spread knowledge and information among people.

Moreover, communication is the foundation of all human relationship. At first,

strangers start talking and getting to know each other, and then the relationships

are formed when they have more interaction and communication.

Communicating helps people to express their ideas and feelings, and it, at the

same time, helps us to understand emotion and thoughts of the others. As a

result, we will develop affection or hatred toward other people, and positive or

negative relationships will be created.

It is no doubt that communication plays a vital role in human life. It not only

helps to facilitate the process of sharing information and knowledge, but also

helps people to develop relationships with others. Therefore, the importance of

communication cannot be underestimated. Every day, we communicate with a

lot of people including our families, our friends, our colleagues, or even

strangers. We should learn how to communicate effectively to make our lives

better.

The steps for acquiring good communication skills:

1. Know what you want to say and why. Understand clearly the purpose

and intent of your message. Know to whom you are communicating and

why. Consider any barriers you may encounter such as cultural differences

or situational circumstances (gender, age, or economic biases). Ask

yourself what outcome you want to achieve and the impression you want

to leave.

2. How will you say it? We're all aware by now, that it's not always what

you say, but how you say it that counts. Begin by making eye contact. You

inspire trust and confidence when you look a person in the eyes when you

speak. Second, be aware of your body language since it can say as much,

or more, than your words. By standing with arms easily at your side you

tell others that you are approachable and open to hearing what they have to

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say. If instead, your arms are crossed and shoulders hunched, it suggests

disinterest or unwillingness to communicate. Good posture and an

approachable stance help make even difficult communication flow more

smoothly. Make sure you speak in a cooperative, non-adversarial tone. Be

non-judgmental.

3. Listen. Communication is a two way street. After you've said what you

have to say, stop, listen, and look for feedback and clues of

comprehension. While the person is responding avoid any impulses to cut

them off or listen only for the end of the sentence so that you can blurt out

more ideas or thoughts that come to your mind. Respectfully give them

your full attention. When they are finished, to ensure that your message

has been clearly and correctly understood, ask open questions and

encourage discussion. Fine-tune your message if necessary.

4. Reach understanding, agreement or consensus. Once you have had the

opportunity to discuss your message and the feedback to it, re-visit the

purpose of the interchange. Have you reached common ground, solved a

problem, or clarified your position? If the purpose was to teach or

instruct, have you accomplished your goal? To communicate well is to

understand and be understood. Make sure that your message has been

received as intended and that any questions or concerns have been

alleviated. You can even agree to disagree. There are no guarantees that

your communication efforts will be meet with total compliance and

agreement. As long as you understand each other, are cordial and

respectful, you can still have a successful exchange.

Improving your communication skills

1. Listen, listen, and listen. People want to know that they are being heard.

Really listen to what the other person is saying, instead of formulating your

response. Ask for clarification to avoid misunderstandings. At that moment,

the person speaking to you should be the most important person in your life.

Another important point is to have one conversation at a time. This means

that if you are speaking to someone on the phone, do not respond to an

email, or send a text at the same time. The other person will know that she

doesn’t have your undivided attention.

2. Who you are talking to matters. It is okay to use acronyms and

informal language when you are communicating with a buddy, but if you are

emailing or texting your boss, “Hey,” “TTYL” or any informal language, has

no place in your message. You cannot assume that the other person knows

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what the acronym means. Some acronyms have different meanings to

different people, do you want to be misunderstood? Effective communicators

target their message based on who they are speaking to, so try to keep the

other person in mind, when you are trying to get your message across.

3. Body language matters. This is important for face-to-face meetings and

video conferencing. Make sure that you appear accessible, so have open

body language. This means that you should not cross your arms. And keep

eye contact so that the other person knows that you are paying attention.

4. Check your message before you hit send. Spell and grammar checkers

are lifesavers, but they are not fool proof. Double check what you have

written, to make sure that your words are communicating the intended

message.

5. Be brief, yet specific. For written and verbal communication, practice

being brief yet specific enough, that you provide enough information for the

other person to understand what you are trying to say. And if you are

responding to an email, make sure that you read the entire email before

crafting your response. With enough practice, you will learn not to ramble,

or give way too much information.

6. Write things down. Take notes while you are talking to another person

or when you are in a meeting, and do not rely on your memory. Send a

follow-up email to make sure that you understand what was being said

during the conversation.

7. Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone. If you find that you have a

lot to say, instead of sending an email, call the person instead. Email is great,

but sometimes it is easier to communicate what you have to say verbally.

8. Think before you speak. Always pause before you speak, not saying the

first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to

what you say and how you say it. This one habit will allow you to avoid

embarrassments.

9. Treat everyone equally. Do not talk down to anyone, treating everyone

with respect. Treat others as your equal.

10. Maintain a positive attitude and smile. Even when you are speaking

on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will shine through and the

other person will know it. When you smile often and exude a positive

attitude, people will respond positively to you.

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Art of Writing – Technical writing

The Effective Technical Writing includes:

Accuracy

Usefulness

Conciseness

Completeness

Clearness

Consistency

Correct Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar

A Targeted Audience

Clear Organization

Interest.

Writing A CV/resume

Contents of a typical resume: Contact details

Career objective

Employment History Educational Qualifications

Special achievements

References

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