July 2021 Rerun

Developing Soft Skills and Personality

Week 4/Assignment 4

MCQ:
1. Which of the following is a positive way of using the Zeigarnik Effect?
i. Binge watch TV shows
ii. Play video games
iii. Start a difficult task that is important for you to complete
iv. Start a cliffhanger pulp fiction
v. Reminisce memories of time spent with ex-partner
vi. Keep texting a person who is not texting back to you.

Explanation: Under the influence of the Zeigarnik Effect, you will feel compelled to finish
the task at hand, and thus the Zeigarnik Effect can be harnessed towards successful
completion of difficult but important tasks.

2. When a child grows up, in which order does she normally pick up the four essential
communication skills?
i. Reading, Speaking, Writing, Listening
ii. Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing
iii. Writing, Listening, Reading, Speaking
iv. Listening, Speaking, Writing, Reading
v. Speaking, Reading, Listening, Writing
vi. Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

Explanation: These four steps are like input and output mechanisms of communication. It is
only after a child listens to words and sentences on his/her own that the child will learn to
speak them. Speaking starts with spontaneous utterances and is gradually formalized.
Reading happens much later, when a child has grown up enough to identify and internalize
the written symbols, and the corresponding sounds the symbols represent. This is finally
followed by writing.

3. Which of the following is a physical barrier to active listening?

i. Speaker’s incoherence
ii. Antipathy for the speaker
iii. Preconceived notions
iv. Personal stress
 v. Poor acoustics
vi. Cognitive dissonance

Explanation: Unlike the psychological barriers like “antipathy for the speaker,” or
“preconceived notions,” the physical barriers to listening arise from disturbance in the
physical environment around the listener. “Poor acoustics” is one such example wherein a
tangible solution can be sought by improving the acoustics.

4. You are trying to listen to an important lecture, and a political rally is going on just
outside which creates a lot of commotion. Which type of barrier does it create for
active listening?
i. Physical barrier
ii. Mental barrier
iii. Physiological barrier
iv. Psychological barrier
v. Emotional barrier
vi. Spiritual barrier
Explanation: Commotion caused by a political rally is a physical barrier to active listening,
since the noise and commotion created affect the physical environment around you and
prevents you from proactive participation in active listening.

5. Your colleague wants to discuss her work-related ideas with you. During
conversation, you are overenthusiastic to supply gaps in her ideas, and keep
interrupting her to let her know where/why she is wrong. Which kind of barrier does
this create for active listening?
i. Gender barrier
ii. Political barrier
iii. Physical barrier
iv. Psychological barrier
v. Social barrier
vi. Physiological barrier

Explanation: Active listening involves keeping an open mind while listening to the speaker
speak. While it does involve eventual feedback, interrupting someone speaking amounts to
psychological barrier as you are trying to supply your own ideas before first fully listening to
the speaker.

6. You are calling a prospective candidate on behalf of your company. Choose the most
appropriate line to begin the conversation with.
i. Good morning, I want you to come down for interview right now.
 ii. Good morning, this is Aditya calling from Glocare company. Can you please
come down to our office for an interview?
iii. Hi this is Aditya, your name has been shortlisted for interview. You’re a lucky guy!
iv. Err dude, myself Aditya here, can you please do an interview?
v. Mr. XYZ, don’t miss the interview today; otherwise, you will lose your job!
vi. Hi sweety, good morning. Can you come for interview?

Explanation: Formal communication such as the one given above should be free from all
personal remarks, colloquial language, and emotional outbursts. It should be neutral as well
as polite. Also, the information provided in such kind of communication should be
unambiguous and complete.

7. Your friend has called you to share a troubling incident that has happened in his life.
While talking to him,which of the following would be considered improperand
insensitive?
i. Talk to him in a soft and encouraging tone.
ii. Let him know that he can share as much as he’s comfortable sharing.
iii. Make sympathetic verbal gestures.
iv. Put your phone on speaker mode so that your parents and neighbors can be
witness to what he’s saying.
v. Allow him to take his time and speak.
vi. Listen to him attentively, and do not multitask while listening to him.

Explanation: When someone trusts you with his/her personal problem, not only should you
not divulge any of his/her secrets to anyone, you must also not gossip about it afterwards.
You must try to be polite and receptive, giving your friend the confidence that you can be
confided in.

8. If a person is talking for too long on the phone, and refuses to hang up, which of the
following would be appropriate to do as per the norms of advanced telephone skills?
i. Let him know that he needs to work on keeping his points short.
ii. Let him know that you donot have time for such long conversations.
iii. Politely let him know that you have another appointment.
iv. Threaten him with dire consequences if he doesnot hang up.
v. Pretend that you cannot hear him any longer and disconnect the call.
vi. Abruptly disconnect the call.

Explanation: In such a situation, remaining polite is of utmost importance so that the person
calling you gets the message, but at the same time, doesnot feel discouraged to call you in
future. Maintaining mutual respect will always keep the channels of communication open.
 9. What is a sensible thing to do, when it comes to ensuring an appropriate voice for
talking on the telephone?
i. Take a hot glass of water with some squeezed lemon, before getting on the phone.
ii. Practice voice impersonation of famous people.
iii. Try to talk like a native American.
iv. Record your voice and listen to it, so that you can become comfortable with it.
v. Try to speak very loudly on the phone.
vi. Continuously speak. Never pause speaking even for a second.

Explanation: While conversing on phone, it is best to keep your voice natural. However, what
you can work on is voice modulation and intonation as these will help you fine-tune your
verbal message and cast a good impression.

10. Which of the following is sure to get enhanced by active listening?

i. Ambiguity
ii. Misunderstanding
iii. Fitness
iv. Lethargy
v. Productivity
vi. Disbelief

Explanation: Active listening gives you a chance to learn many new things, starting from
speaker’s opinions and perspectives to any new knowledge that the speaker might be
imparting. This in turn will go on to increased understanding on both personal and
professional levels, eventually leading to enhanced productivity.

MSQ:
11. Which of the following will you identify as being essential for developing a
successful personality in life?
i. Good habits
ii. Effective communication skills
iii. Being aggressive and greedy
iv. Interpersonal skills
v. Avoiding risks due to self-doubt in one’s own abilities
vi. Conflict resolution skills

Explanation: A well-rounded personality includes, among other things, good habits, effective
communication skills, interpersonal skills, and conflict resolution skills. Also, a well-rounded
personality is a balanced mix of confidence and humility. You must not mistake aggression
for confidence. Likewise, you must not fall prey to self-doubt.
 12. As far as communication skills are concerned, which of the following are true?
i. The more one reads, the more one knows.
ii. The more one listens, the more one relinquishes control.
iii. The more one writes, the more one reflects.
iv. The more one reads, the more one becomes idealistic.
v. The more one listens, the more one learns.
vi. The more one communicates, the more successful one becomes.
Explanation: Nobody can exist in isolation; thus, proactive communication is very important
to acquaint yourself with new ideas, new knowledge. This also includes reading and writing.
Reading imparts knowledge, and through writing, you can share with the world one's
knowledge and expertise. All this eventually leads one to greater success.

13. Which of the following are misconceptions about communication?

i. Speaking, alone, is communication.
ii. Talkative people are not necessarily good communicators.
iii. During negotiations, it is the talkative people who do better communication.
iv. It is up to the speaker to make the audience pay attention to her.
v. Listening is the most important part of communication.
vi. Listening skills are insignificant for good communication.

Explanation: Communication is a bilateral process, which includes both speaking and

listening. Both speaking and listening are equally important, and it would be fallacious to
conclude that only talkative people, who have the gift of gab, can communicate effectively.

14. Which of the following are true about active listening?

i. Active listeners spend as much energy as joggers
ii. Active listening requires special intelligence.
iii. Active listening is a cultivated skill.
iv. Active listening is an unconscious process.
v. Active listening is required in order to become an effective communicator.
vi. Active listening is less important than active speaking.
Explanation: Active listening is as much a part of good communication as active speaking.
Active listening does not require special intelligence, it can be cultivated if only you have the
will and intention to become an active listener.

15. Your close friend is going through an episode of trauma, and he is relating that
experience to you. The best thing you can do at the moment is to make sure that you
play the role of an active listener to him. How will you ensure that you do that?
i. Make sure you are not multitasking while listening to him.
ii. Compel him to listen to your episodes of traumas.
 iii. Make sure you make him feel safe and comfortable to speak to you.
iv. Make sure that you make him feel that it is very important to you to listen to
him.
v. Don’t allow him to take any pauses, always fill the gaps and silences with some
conversation.
vi. Offer sympathetic and patient verbal cues.

Explanation: Active listening, especially in such a situation, is an art. You must make your
friend feel comfortable by letting him know that you are eager to hear him out, and while
doing so, you must not interrupt by trying to fill gaps, instead, you must let your friend take
his/her own time. Also, in order to give your full attention to your friend, avoid multitasking.
Likewise, do not invalidate your friend’s pain by telling him/her more sagas of sorrow.

16. Which of the following are true about the effectiveness of active listening?
i. It helps you stay updated with a lot of rumors.
ii. The better active listening skills you have, the more people will come forward to
bestow success on you.
iii. It decreases conflict and increases productivity at personal and professional
levels.
iv. It helps you multitask while listening.
v. It has a great impact on job effectiveness.
vi. It helps you pry on conversations that you have no business listening in to.

Explanation: Active listening is an indispensable quality of a good communicator. People

seek out active listeners as they want an ear to their problems. Some by-products of active
listening are increased knowledge, increased productivity, and increased success. Active
listening can also help minimize conflicts.

17. Which of the following are psychological barriers to effective listening?

i. Negativity towards the speaker
ii. Prejudging the speaker
iii. Disinterest in the topic
iv. Feeling sick with an urgency to vomit
v. Carrying some bias
vi. Feeling too cold

Explanation: Feeling sick or feeling cold are physiological barriers to effective listening. The
remaining options all comprise psychological barriers to active listening as they create a sort
of mental block in the reader, inhibiting him/her to fully comprehend and appreciate the
message of the speaker.
 18. Which of the following are part of good telephone etiquettes?
i. If not prepared for the conversation, request the person to call back some other
time.
ii. Do not begin or end the conversation with any greetings.
iii. Always make sure that you are prepared to take down notes, if required.
iv. Never say things like “thank you,” “please,” or “sorry.”
v. Never ask the caller’s permission for anything you do.
vi. Always be very polite and respectful, no matter what.

Explanation: Since a telephone conversation is not a face-to-face communication, which

implied that there is physical distance between the communicators, being polite and
respectful is of utmost importance. This is not a recorded conversation, so you must take
notes when required. A sincere request to call back later is not likely to offend the person at
the other end of the line, thus, it is best to be polite and sincere.

19. Which of the following phrases can you use to handle angry or difficult callers?
i. I understand the reasons for your disappointment.
ii. I would like to apologize for the inconvenience that you faced.
iii. How can you hold us responsible and blame us for your problems?
iv. If you were smarter, you wouldn’t be facing this problem in the first place.
v. Thank you for your patience, let me try to help you with your problem.
vi. Wait, why are we having this conversation exactly?

Explanation: If you are humble, polite, and accommodating, letting the difficult caller know
that you are genuinely interested in resolving all his/her concerns, you are quite likely to win
over the difficult caller, and eventually seek a solution to the problem.

20. Carrying deep-rooted beliefs to a lecture can result in the following:

i. Superficial listening
ii. Open minded evaluation
iii. Misunderstanding the speaker
iv. Unwillingness to analyze and accept the facts
v. Enhanced receptivity
vi. Unbiased opinions

Explanation: Having deep-rooted beliefs and mental biases can deter you from being open
minded and receptive to new ideas and new knowledge. You may even end up
misunderstanding the speaker. Thus, for active listening, it is important to cast aside our
prejudices and preconceived notions.
True/False:
21. Hearing is a mental activity. Listening is a physical activity. False
Explanation: Hearing is involuntary and thus it is a physical activity. For example, while you
are meditating and concentrating on your thoughts, you cannot help hearing the din of traffic.
But listening is a mental activity because it requires your attention and voluntary
participation.
22. Listening involves reception of ideas, picking up non-verbal cues, retaining ideas,
processing them, and responding to them. True
Explanation: Listening is a mental process that involves taking inputs from the speaker, as
well as processing of those inputs based on non-verbal cues. This is then followed by the
listener’s response or feedback.
23. Normally, people remember 40% of what they heard within 8 hours. False
Explanation: People donot remember 50% of what they heard within a gap of eight hours.
24. A good listener pays attention not just to words, but also to facial expressions and
body language of the speaker. True
Explanation: Facial expressions and body language serve as important and indispensable non-
verbal cues that can provide the listener with valuable information about the veracity and
authenticity of the speaker’s message.
25. Preconceived opinions are the most important requirements for being a good listener.
False
Explanation: Preconceived opinions are an absolute hindrance to active listening as they
create prejudice in the mind of the listener, thereby making the listener resist the message and
its contents.