UNIT 1

Attitude & Emotional Intelligence

Thoughts:

Thoughts are biochemical impulses of energy, intelligence and information that originate within us and which
are influenced by our surroundings and circumstances. Our thoughts, in turn, shape the way we feel and behave
towards life.Beliefs, convictions and attitudes are thoughts that are “locked” in place.

Types of Thinking:
Negative Thinking – is characterised by feelings of pessimism, low self esteem, low self-worth, self pity,
depression, misery and helplessness.
Positive Thinking – is characterised by feelings of optimism, happiness, sense of purpose, high energy levels,
high self esteem and self worth.

Characteristics of positive thinkers:

 View problems as challenges to be won over, not as impossible obstacles to success

 Enjoy the simple joys of life – don‟t postpone happiness to another day in the future
 Act promptly on whatever needs to be done, do NOT procrastinate / complain / make excuses
 Stay openminded– don‟t judge or jump to conclusions
 Count their blessings and feel gratitude towards their life
 Say no to gossip – be it listening to or spreading gossip about others
 Apply positive way of speech – avoid negative words and expressions
 Have positive body language and care about their self-image, take measures to stay healthy
 Exercise greater control over their mind, expel negative thoughts as they occur to them and replace them
with positive thoughts.
Tips to think positive:

 Begin every day with a clean slate, avoid waking up to memories of sorrow, hurt or anger.
 Ensure you have gratitude and positive affirmations while beginning your day
 Feed and focus your mind on happy and optimistic thoughts , throughout the day
 Surround yourself with positivity and positive people, avoid negativity
 Don‟t read and watch negative news/information at the beginning or the end of day.

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  Dispel negative thoughts even as they occur, think positive thoughts instead.

Attitude:

Attitudes are evaluative statements that indicate one‟s feelings either favorably or unfavorably towards persons,
objects and/or events. These are state of mind constructs.

In the field of business and work, attitude may be defined as a tendency to respond positively or negatively
towards a person, object, idea or situation.

These are state of mind constructs.

Components of Attitude:

Affective component: this involves a person‟s feelings / emotions about the attitude object.

For example: “I am scared of spiders”, “I have immense respect for my Team Leader ”

Behavioral (or conative) component: the way the attitude we have influences how we act or behave.

For example: “I will avoid spiders and scream if I see one”, “I always listen to my team leader‟s advice and
work accordingly”

Cognitive component: this involves a person‟s belief / knowledge about an attitude object.

For example: “I believe spiders are dangerous”, “My Team Leader is very knowledgeable and always willing to
help the team perform better”

Characteristics of Attitude

 Attitudes are directed towards an object / person / event

 Attitudes have direction, degree and intensity – that vary as per previous experiences, the current
situation and set expectations
 Attitudes have structure and are learned
 Attitudes undergo changes over time and personal experiences
 Attitudes are influenced by one‟s
 Personal experiences

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  Group associations – both personal and professional
 Influential others – like sports persons, celebrities, media persons, etc.
 Exposure to mass media

Functions of Attitude

Knowledge: Attitudes provide meaning (knowledge) for life. The knowledge function refers to our need for a
world which is consistent and relatively stable. This allows us to predict what is likely to happen, and so gives
us a sense of control. Attitudes can help us organize and structure our experience. Knowing a person‟s attitude
helps us predict their behavior.

Self / Ego-expressive: The attitudes we express (1) help communicate who we are and (2) may make us feel
good because we have asserted our identity. Self-expression of attitudes can be non-verbal too: think bumper
sticker, cap, or T-shirt slogan. Therefore, our attitudes are part of our identity, and help us to be aware through
expression of our feelings, beliefs and values.

Adaptive / Value Expressive: If a person holds and/or expresses socially acceptable attitudes, other people
will reward them with approval and social acceptance. The expression can be verbal or nonverbal and seeks to
reinforce one‟s centrally held values. Attitudes then, are to do with being apart of a social group and the
adaptive functions helps us fit in with a social group. People seek out others who share their attitudes, and
develop similar attitudes to those they like.

The ego-defensive function:It refers to holding attitudes that protect our self-esteem or that justify actions that
make us feel guilty. For example, one way children might defend themselves against the feelings of humiliation
they have experienced in Physical Education lessons is to adopt a strongly negative attitude to all sport.

People whose pride has suffered following a defeat in sport might similarly adopt a defensive attitude: “I‟m not
bothered, I‟m sick of the sport anyway…”. This function has psychiatric overtones. Positive attitudes towards
ourselves, for example, have a protective function (i.e. an ego-defensive role) in helping us preserve our self-
image.

Positive attitude manifests as:

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  Creative thinking
 Positive thinking
 Constructive thinking
 Optimism
 Happiness and joy
 Motivation
 Sense of worth, belief in self
 Inspiration
 Success anticipation

Developing positive attitude:

 Keep learning, unlearning and relearning

 Dream big, work towards it
 Never quit/ give up
 Focus on your strengths, work on your weaknesses
 Set realistic targets for self
 Plan, prepare and practice for success
 Accept change gracefully, do not resist change
 Avoid the blame game, take responsibility for your actions and life
 Be spiritually and emotionally stable always, do not let negative people affect your sense of peace and
mental balance
 Have presence of mind, Respond and don‟t React to situations

Causes of Negative Attitude:

 Over generalizing
 Personalising
 Jumping to conclusions
 Filtering
 Magnification
 Catastrophising / Predicting the worst
 Limiting Beliefs

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  Negative people and environment

Types of Negative Attitude:

× The miserables – are such people who are grumpy from the start of the day
× Silent killers – are the people with a good understanding of psychology and use that knowledge to
gradually introduce feelings of hatred, anger, self doubt and low self esteem in others.
× Drama Kings / Queens - their emotions range from anger to self pity and every small incident can be
turned into the storm.
× Woe is me – are complainers and seem troubled all the time. Their issues maybe real or imaginary.
× Paranoid – people who are very distrustful and feel that no one and nothing in the world is to be believed
in. Predict and expect the worst always.
× The trigger happy type – people who let others trigger them to speak / behave self piteously and then
blame the others for it.

Consequences of Negative Attitude:

 High levels of tension, anxiety, stress and worry – towards real or imaginary problems and issues
 The presence of multiple health concerns / issues
 Exhaustion and lack of energy
 Hormonal issues
 Blood pressure, blood sugar issues, cardiac trouble
 Frequent illnesses, lowered immunity to common ailments
 People avoid one‟s company, at work and outside
 Broken relationships, both professional and personal
 Decreased performance / enthusiasm at work
 Feelings of resentment and bitterness towards everyone around
 Creates negative environment all round.

Overcoming Negative Attitude:

1. Recognize and acknowledge the negativity of your attitude, resolve to overcome it

2. Work on your FRESH – Finance, Relationships, Environment, Spirituality & Health
3. Look for alternative explanations to people‟s behavior, don‟t judge too quickly

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 4. Don‟t sit around doing nothing, keep yourself occupied productively so that it benefits your career or
serves to be a hobby that relaxes you.
5. Don‟t cherish and accept negativity– knowing that we have the power to upset and hurt others is
sometimes difficult to give up, but cherishing the power only makes us more negative. So it has to be
given up.
6. Meditate and introspect – on a daily basis, take time out to find your inner self, to be grateful and to
develop a sense of peace and quiet, which helps you rid negativity and renews your positivity.
7. Visualize success – never begin any activity / task visualizing incompletion / failure, always anticipate
and visualize success.
8. Empower your language
 Lower the intensity of the negative voice
 Choose positive words over negative words
 Mind your body language

Interpersonal relationships

An association of two or more people who interact and fulfill one or more physical, emotional and intellectual
needs. Associations maybe fleeting or enduring.

Interpersonal relationships are formed on the context of social, cultural and professional contexts.

Types of Interpersonal Relationship

 Family – Children, parents, siblings, cousins and relatives

 Romantic – Spouse
 Professional – Superior – subordinate, peers, student – teacher, mentor-mentee
 Friendships & acquaintances – neighbors, peers

Factors affecting Interpersonal relationships

 Compatibility and rapport

 Uniqueness and irreplaceability
 Communication and self disclosure
 Honesty, trust and accountability
 Adjusting and compromising
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  Forgive and forget attitude

Significance of Interpersonal relationships

 In personal life:
Co-dependence,
Satisfaction of physical, emotional and social needs

 In professional life:
Facilitate team work
Completion of assignments
Assists in decision making
Crisis management
Motivation and appreciation
Affects organisation culture

Relationships that exist in an individual’s professional circle:

 With superiors – Immediate superiors, mid level and top management
 With subordinates – of one‟s team and associate teams as well
 With peers – colleagues from within and outside of one‟s team/department and company
 With external stakeholders – clients/customers, suppliers, govt. officials, public, mediapersons etc.

Tips to improve interpersonal skills:

 Smile often – even a small / quick smile at the beginning of an interaction, when genuine and
accompanied by eye contact, makes people feel at ease, comfortable
 Be approachable and appreciative, encouraging the others around you to speak, share their opinions
 Pay attention and be an active listener, avoid interrupting or disagreeing unduly on every point spoken
 Bring people together, help newcomers connect with you and become part of your peers / friends circle
 Be empathetic towards everyone around you
 Resolve conflicts – which may or may not involve you. Your proactive role will serve to showcase your
interpersonal skills.
 Use humor and wit wisely in conversations and even when defusing a difficult situation
 Don‟t be a negative person / complainer / whiner all the time

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  Communicate well – be expressive, be genuine, interact regularly, be selfless, be mindful of verbal and
non verbal communication

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to
relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict.

Emotional intelligence affects:

 Performance at work – Helps the individual to navigate the environment of the workplace, understand and
work with the relationship and power dynamics at work.
 Physical health – The lack of emotional intelligence or having less EI affects one‟s physical health, from
developing trivial issues like blood pressure and hormonal imbalances to major issues like cardiac ailments.
Individuals with high EI are observed to be healthier and more physically fit.
 Mental health – Individuals with low EI are vulnerable to feel more stressed, vulnerable and are likely to
suffer from anxiety, depression and mental imbalance. When having high EI, individuals feel more
empowered to combat the everyday challenges and stress.
 Relationships – Our emotions, moods and behavior definitely impact the way our relationships are nurtured.
Therefore, high EI leads to the building and sustaining of personal and professional relationships while low
EI levels can lead to the relationships being irreparably damaged.

Emotional intelligence consists of four attributes:

 Self-awareness – Recognizing emotions and how they affect thoughts and behavior, to know one‟s strengths
and weaknesses, have self-confidence.

 Self-management – Ability to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage emotions in healthy ways,
take initiative, follow through on commitments and adapt to changing circumstances.

 Social awareness – Understand the emotions, needs and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional
cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization.

 Relationship management – Develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and
influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.

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Increasing EI / Enhancing EI

Emotional Intelligence is learned and can be enhanced by consciously working on a few aspects.

Emotional intelligence skill 1: The ability to quickly reduce stress.

Identifying the sensation of being stressed, the cause / causative factor for the stress, its physical impact on you
is the first step to reducing it. Further, consciously working to eliminate the cause of the stress helps reduce
stress. The more quickly one is able to identify and reduce one‟s stress, the better.

Emotional intelligence skill 2: The ability to recognize and manage your emotions.

When emotions are recognised and managed in healthy ways, it helps one to gain better control over self and
the situation. This serves to aid the heightening of EI levels.

Emotional intelligence skill 3: The ability to connect with others, using nonverbal communication.

Non verbal communication is a very powerful means of connecting with people around us. We need to be in
tune with their non verbal signs, even as we exhibit positive body language. This will lead to communication
being more effective and meaningful. This in turn will lead to relationships being better.

Emotional intelligence skill 4: The ability to use humor and play to deal with challenges.

Challenges are a part and parcel of life and need to be dealt with, whether or not one wishes to do so. When
humor, wit and play are utilized to deal with seemingly tough challenges, it eases the pressure and lightens the
load of worry.

Emotional intelligence skill 5: The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidence.

The resolution of conflicts needs to be executed in a manner that all people involved feel that they got a fair
settlement / deal and have no feelings of resentment or anger. An individual with high EI is able to resolve any
such conflicts with confidence.

Guidelines for conflict resolution:

 Stay in the present; do not speak or drag out old issues, problems and conflicts. Forget and forgive all
that happened in the past.
 Focus on the situation/circumstance and not the person.
 Be open minded and non judgemental, avoid prematurely evaluating a situation.

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 Questions

Section A (2 marks):
1. What is attitude?
2. State two features / characteristics of attitudes.
3. What are the components of attitude?
4. What is Emotional Intelligence?
5. What are the attributes of Emotional Intelligence?

Section B (6 marks):
1. What are the characteristics of positive thinkers?
2. How does a positive attitude enhance a person‟s ability to succeed in one‟s career?
3. Explain how to get rid of negative thoughts and develop a positive attitude.
4. How does emotional intelligence affect our professional and personal life?

Section C (14 Marks):

1. Explain the significance of interpersonal relationships. How do you enhance interpersonal relationships?
2. What is the impact of attitude, both positive and negative, on one‟s career. How to build positive
attitude?
3. Explain the attributes of Emotional Intelligence. What are the ways to enhance Emotional Intelligence?

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 4. What are the consequences of negative attitude on our personal and professional life? How can negative
attitude be overcome?

UNIT 2

Vision & Goal Setting

Individuals are born with different needs, desires, and abilities; during the course of life, each one experiences
joy and elation as well as sadness and stress. An individual begins to develop ideas and dreams and ambition for
one‟s life. In order to realize the dreams you need a good path to take. A reliable path can be built by
developing and creating clear vision of what one wants to be and have in life, and by setting goals to be
achieved by definite effort within the stated time. These goals serve as steps towards reaching your goal.

A vision statement is the super ordinate goal of an organization or individual that is to be achieved.”It is an
aspirational description of what an organization or individual would like to achieve or accomplish in the long
term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action”.

Importance of Vision:

 Identifies and gives direction

 Motivates human effort and builds loyalty.
 Facilitates the caring forward of original ideas to next generation.
 Helps develop harmony and team work.

Difference between Vision and Goal:

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Vision writing and goal setting are a self-development activity

1. Vision is abstract; it‟s an intellectual, mental concept; a goal is concrete, definite and tangible.

2. A vision is a guideline on your way to success; a goal serves as a milestone.

3. A vision can express a policy, while a goal must describe activities.

4. A vision is inspirational; it motivates and encourages; a goal is practicable.

Components of Business Vision:

The vision statement of an Enterprise communicates and consists of the following three components:

1. Core Values – that are intrinsic to the organization and what it stands for instance creativity, integrity,
social responsibility etc.
2. Core Purpose – The reason the firm exists and idealistic reason for being in existence.
3. Visionary Goals – The picture or idea of what your business is going to be like in the long term future. A
vision that is well defined helps the company to focus and realize its potential.

Developing a vision statement:

 Creative Thinking / Divergent Thinking

 Making note of Dreams / Thoughts
 Analysis of notes / dreams
 Comparison of thoughts before and after analysis
 Crystallising of a few statements that have core values, purpose and visionary goals in them.
 Emergence of final vision statement.

Mission Statement:

Mission Statement is a short descriptive and focused statement of focus of an organization. It is the action plan
which reveals the initiative of a company to achieve its vision.

Goal Setting:

A goal is an observable and measurable and result having one or more objectives to be achieved within a more
or less fixed time frame.

Importance of Goal Setting:

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 1. Increased productivity.
2. Better time management.
3. Stress Management.
4. Enhance competency.
5. Better decision making.
6. Optimum utilization of resources.

Periodicity in Goal Setting:

1. Long Term Goal – are the goals which can be accomplished in a span of eight to fifteen years.
Sometimes long-term becomes more like a vision; it must be made specific, divided into practicable and
achievable short-term and medium-term goals.
2. Medium Term Goals – are the ones which can be achieved in a time frame of one to five years. .
Planning is very important; most of them need to be broken into short-term. It should be frequently
reviewed to keep in track.
3. Short Terms Goal – are those which can be accomplished in short periods of time, for example, one day,
1 week, 3 months, 1 year. Short term goals should be realistic, achievable and specific. It needs less
planning, preparation and it need not always written down.

Process of goal setting:

a) Understand self
b) Determine your vision and mission
c) Determine your goals
Define them, formulate them
Split them into workable tasks – short and medium term
d) Prepare an action plan
e) Implement plan and monitor progress
f) Review progress, reset goals if necessary

Strategies for setting Goals

A SMART Goal is: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Realistic Time bound

Step by step goal setting approaches: Set your long term goals first: your long-term goals are the foundation for
goal settings as they express where you want to be in future. Set your medium-term goals next: these serve as
large stepping stones towards achieving your long-term goals. They keep you moving forward; ensure that you
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work consistently towards your long term. Finally, focus on your short term goals: these goals can be
accomplished more easily. Depending on the stage at which you are present.

The more time you take to plan and work out goals, the better results can be. Methods to achieve set goals are:

 Define goals clearly

 Prioritize the goals and work according to the same

 Make a list of all the goals set

 Believe in self

 Prepare an action plan

 Implement the action plan

 Monitor progress

 Clear the goals that are achieved and review / analyse the ones that are not being achieved

Guidelines for achieving set goals

 Keep the goals realistic and clear

 Fix timelines for goal achievement
 Have achievable short term goals that motivate you to work towards the long term goals.
 Anticipate obstacles, interruptions and delays in achieving the set goals, work them into your timelines.
 Don‟t get disheartened by obstacles and minor failures/setbacks.
 Celebrate the achievement of a short, medium, long term goal.

Time Management

Managing your time well means managing your life well. It refers to managing time effectively for right
purpose. It‟s the art of arranging one‟s schedule to work effectively.

The four types of tasks we usually do are:

a. Important and urgent: What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. But
when a task is both urgent and important, they have to first be dealt with.
(i) Tasks that have been left undone for too long, not to be attended on time and can no longer postpone.
(ii) Unforeseen situations and emergencies.
b. Important but not urgent: completing this kind of task gives happiness, adds value to your life. If not
done on time it might become urgent.
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 c. Urgent but not important: These activities steal your best time. When someone is asking for help and
when you say yes you actually wasting your valuable time. Sometimes we should learn to say no.
d. Not urgent and not important: These are usually time wasters, such activities should be dropped.

Time Management Strategies / Principles of Time Management:

Develop a clear vision and clarity of thought

Having a vision helps us to have clarity of thought and helps us prioritize our work. Thus time can be managed
better.

Discover & Deal with Time Wasters

Addiction to social media, allowing interruptions and distractions, spending much time on doing trivial things,
lack of objectives, inability to set deadlines, personal organization and self discipline are all time wasters. They
have to be accordingly dealt with and minimised.

Avoid excessive multitasking.

Trying to do too many things at once will lead to non completion of all tasks. Rather, take on one or two things
at once and upon their completion take up the next set of tasks.

Overcome procrastination

Overcome procrastination by knowing and admitting that you‟re procrastinating: postponing an unimportant
task is not always procrastination; it may be modification of priorities. Discover your reason for procrastinating.
It may depend on both you and the task; finding your task unpleasant, being disorganized, feeling overwhelmed
by a task and weak decision-making skills.

Practice anti-procrastination strategies: Procrastination is deeply rooted to pattern of behavior. Get organized.
Take a different approach to a task if you find overwhelming.

Understand your limits

Understanding our capacity to work helps us to say no to jobs which we cannot qualitatively finish, owing to
other priorities. Defining ones limit will help in better management of time

Plan the activities to be performed on the daily/weekly bases.

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Preparing the list of work on priority bases enables one to complete all the tasks scheduled without being
forgotten or delayed.

Clear the backlog work

Work that is pending from earlier can first be completed so as to reduce the stress and tension of having such
backlogs.

Fix time limits and deadlines:

Fixing deadlines for the completion of a given task ensures our commitment of the task. It increases the focus
and operational efficiency.

Develop discipline, dedication and other such good habits:

Certain habits help manage time better. For instance: waking up at a specific time everyday, studying for 2
hours on a daily basis, preparing a „to do‟ list on a daily basis.

Prioritize tasks

Proiritize all tasks at hand so that you effectively manage the available time even as you concentrate on the
important and urgent tasks.

Be organised

Being organised and meticulously planning one‟s day, keeping one‟s space decluttered helps in saving time
while trying to work through all the tasks or to find whatever items needed.

Stress Management

Stress occurs when you feel overpowered by situations, events or people. Stress management is the ability to
sustain your control of yourself and your emotions. Symptoms of stress can take mental, social and physical
forms.

However, while the above mentioned distress is bad, not all stress is bad stress. Sometimes, Eustress i.e. the
good / positive stress in small amounts and in some measure is good, as it motivates us, spurs us to perform
better and helps us develop some resilience to stress.

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General principles of stress management

Time Management

Most individuals experience time stress wherein they worry about lack of time. People have a worry and fear of
being unable to complete all tasks within stipulated time frame. Managing one‟s time properly helps reduce
stress.

Prioritize Tasks

Preparing a task list on basis of priority helps tackle them in a better way, with a relaxed and calm mind. Helps
you focus and finish the tasks in order of their importance.

Develop good working relationships

Positive work relationships are developed when there is trust, respect, understanding and compassion. The
positivity in the working environment thus created helps an individual feel relaxed and less stressed.

Delegate Responsibility

When an individual is burdened with work over and above his / her capacity, stress levels increase. Delegating
responsibility of at least a part of the work load to another individual/team member helps in better stress
management.

Ensure the consumption of healthy foods and regular exercise

Healthy food habits and regular exercise will ensure physical fitness which in turn keeps stress away.

Get adequate sleep

Lack of adequate sleep can cause lapses in concentration and decrease energy level. This in turn cause stress.
Sleeping sufficiently allow an individual to feel refreshed and fit to work the next day.

Develop resilience to stress

Stress is a part of our life today and cannot be completely eliminated. Learning to perform well on a daily basis
in the presence of stress will help reduce its effect on us.

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Guided imagery

When in a stressful situation individuals can use their imagination to picture a person, place or situation that
makes them feel relaxed, peaceful and happy. This helps them to respond better to a stressful situation.

Enhanced focus on breathing

Focusing on once breathing pattern and consciously taking long, deep breaths helps an individual manage a
stressful situation better.

Identify and reduce the physical effects of Stress

Shallow breathing, muscular cramps, profuse sweating, unhealthy eating habits, exhaustion, irregular sleep
patterns and mood swings are all physical effect of a stressful situation on our body. Identifying these effects
and working on eliminating them helps manage stress better.

Find the stress buster that works for you

Different people have different ways of dealing with stress. While taking a long, brisk walk in a park is what
relieves an individual‟s stress, an intense workout in the gym is what works for another. Finding out whether
yoga, meditation, exercise, dance or music is what works for you, and then practising the same is important.

Questions

Section A (2 marks)

1. What is vision?

2. State two elements of vision?

3. What is the meaning of goal?

4. State any two tips for setting and achieving goal

5. What is stress?

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6. What is stress management?

7. What is time management?

8. Any two principles of stress management?

9. What are long term goals?

Section B (6 marks)

1. Explain the benefits of creative vision?

2. What is the importance of setting goals?
3. Explain the various types of goals
4. Explain the tips for setting and achieving goals

Section C (14 marks)

1. Explain the general principles of time management

2. Explain the general principles of stress management

UNIT 3

Creativity

Introduction and Meaning:

Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It means the ability to think outside the
box, resulting in different approaches to any particular task.
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Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make
connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena and to generate solutions.

Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don‟t act on them, you are
imaginative but not creative.

“Creativity is seeing the same things as everybody else but thinking of something different.”

“Everything you do that is not habit is creative.”

Definitions of Creativity:

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be
useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. - Robert E.
Franken

A "mental activity performed in situations where there is no prior correct solution or answer" - Encyclopaedia
of Creativity, vol. 2, "Teaching Creativity“

Creativity is best described as the human capacity to solve problems or to fashion products in a domain, in a
way that is initially novel but ultimately acceptable in a culture. - Gardner

The Creative Mind

The creative mind is a psychological concept by nature.

Creative mind can be understood as a mind containing faculties, such as reasoning, cognition, memory,
sensation etc., that provides ability to an individual to produce something new through imaginative skill for
solving a problem or for finding something qualitatively new, or something which is unique solution to
overcome a confronting situation or any new method of production or operation which reduces cost and
increases efficiency and effectiveness.

Traits of a Creative Mind:

 Receptive, future oriented

 Open minded and observant
 High reasoning ability
 Curiosity, challenging set conventions

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  A good sense of wit and humour
 High adaptability and tolerance
 Flexible and very energetic
 Connect the dots and spot underlying patterns
 Are not afraid to think and do things differently
 Are prepared to make mistakes and take risks
 Willing to accept failures as a stepping stone to success.

Creativity & Innovation

Although used many times as synonyms, the two terms are distinctly different.

While creativity is a mental process which includes the generation of new ideas or concepts, or adding new
dimensions to the existing ideas, innovation is the implementation of ideas.

Innovation is creativity in practice. When a creative idea is implemented and find commercial use, it may be
termed as an innovation.

Importance of Creativity

 Helps identify problems: Creativity can bring to the open problems hidden within that which seems to
be smoothly running.
 Helps solve problems resourcefully: Problem solving seeks to overcome obstacles and find solution
that best resolve the issues. Creativity helps generate novel, useful ideas and solutions to everyday
problems and challenges.
 Expression of individual uniqueness: Creativity provides an outlet to people to identify their hidden
talents and uniqueness.
 Enhances intellectual growth: Creative thinking helps an individual to be more logical and analytical.
Using the right and left brain gives creative people an extra edge in developing the intellectual abilities.
 Nurtures social development: To think creatively people need to see the world from different
perspective through the life stories and experiences of fellow human beings. Creativity thus nurtures
social interactions, understanding of social environment and social development.
 Acts as a motivator: Once individuals experience the power an beauty of creativity they usually feel
motivate to peruse it further.
 Effectively breaks barriers: Creativity helps individual to step out of their comfort zone and helps
break barriers of that which was though was not possible.

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  Acts as a catalyst:
 Enhances productivity:
 Aids in decision making:

Elements of Creativity

Cognitive element – Related to cognition, meaning the mental act of acquiring knowledge that involves the
processing of sensory information

- Perception, Awareness, Judgment, Insight, Intuition, Attraction to Complexity

Affective Element – Affect as an element of creativity refers to liking or disliking the key aspect of the subject.

Motivational Element – Motivational element is very natural in highly creative people. When creativity is
infused into individuals at their formative ages, they are seen to be far more motivated to be creative in later
stages of their life.

Personal element

- Observation, imitation, provocation, continuity

Influence & Creativity – Creativity is intensely influenced by anything and everything around us. Creativity is
influenced by three aspects viz. a problem, environment and willingness to explore.

Flexibility & Creativity – Flexibility is the ability of an individual to easily scrap or discard or abandon a set
way of thinking and doing things, in order to get new ideas, practices and adapting to new ways of working.
Non flexibility or rigidity is a barrier to creative thinking.

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Factors Influencing Creativity

Creativity is a common human trait; but it may be developed by factors such as:

1. Socio-cultural background

2. Differences of personality

3. Specific personal proficiencies such as knowledge and skills

Creativity is influenced by individual factors as well as organizational factors.

Individual Factors: Age of the individual, levels of curiosity, passion and competition faced by them influence
creativity.

Organizational settings include: management practices, leadership styles, job design and human resource
policies. Complex and challenging jobs that; allow workers to decide how to carry out their tasks.

Managerial behavior is another factor that influences creativity. By introducing strong values, beliefs and
assumptions, creativity can be enhanced.

Diversity is known to enhance creativity. Having people from different disciplines, backgrounds, personality
types helps bring in fresh perspectives and different ways of thinking about problems.

Resources are important not only for carrying out task, but also effects the perception of the people.

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Organizational adaptability means continually and intentionally changing routines. Internal conflicts in the
organization also influence creativity.

Uncertain Situations: Creativity is enhanced in uncertain and unfamiliar circumstances.

Barriers of Creativity

× Laziness and complacency

× Fear of Failure
× Suppression of curiosity and creativity
× Narrow thinking
× Negative attitude
× Non adaptability to changing circumstances
× Isolation from social environments and interactions
× Negative social environment
× Physiological inability
× Believing the myths about creativity

Methods of Enhancing Creativity

 Rephrasing the problem to give it a fresh perspective

 Breaking up the problem into smaller, manageable parts
 Using different language structures: Put it positively, put it in question form, make it exciting
 Stimulate yourself to think beyond the obvious
 Habituate yourself to try learning something new everyday
 Trust your intuitive abilities
 Enhance imagination
 Capture ideas that occur to you – any place, anytime
 Take risks, have courage to be creative.
 Ask questions, look for different perspectives
 Interact, be aware of social environment
 Be physically and emotionally fit

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Techniques of Creativity

Brainstorming

It is a process for generating creative ideas and solutions through concentrated and freewheeling group
discussion. It combines a relaxed, informal approach to problem solving with imaginative thinking.

Step 1: preparing the group - 8-10 People who are experts in respective fields are selected from cross section of
the company/ industry.

Step 2: presenting the problem - The problem is placed before the panel in proper perspective. Adequate
information and a clear picture is provided to them.

Step 3: guiding the discussion - Initiate discussion & record the opinion of all the members of the present.
Encourage participants to express whatever ideas, solutions which come to mind, no matter how stupid or
trivial. Consolidate & document all the opinions recorded for further analysis and implementation.

Brain storming can also be done on an individual level. It is based on free thinking & whenever creative ideas
flash, they have to be noted down immediately. The ideas can be analysed at a later time.

Attributes listing

In this technique, when a problem is confronted we have to list all the attributes of the problem. This gives us a
direction to think on those lines required. It breaks down a problem into smaller parts to enable us to examine
each part.

Attributes listing technique is popular in business enterprise as the permutation & combination of different
attributes & features of products will help come out with a novel product/service. It is an effective method for
generating new ideas by making new combinations of the components.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping facilitates the structuring & visualization of problem situations. It is technique for drawing
visually information in diagrams,

Process:

 A big sheet of paper, colour pencils / crayons of different colours are required
 The mind map is created around a single work or text placed in the Centre called central key work/idea
to which associated ideas words & concepts are added as bracnches
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  The individuals must use multiple colours throughout the mind map for visual stimulation & also to
encode or group ideas together
 Individuals can develop their own personal style of mind mapping

Six thinking hats

The 6 thinking hats philosophy was proposed by Edward De Bono. He identifies 6 distinct directions in which
the brain can be challenged; each direction is assigned a colour which signifies a direction of thinking, the
colours as follows

1. White hat - here the problems are analysed by studying the past of data & trends are noted to identified to
some solutions to the problem
2. Red hat – In this thinking process emotions, feelings etc., work to find creative solutions to a problem
3. Black hat – This thinking focuses on judgment & evaluation
4. Yellow hat – This a positive and optimistic way of thinking. It identifies & explores positive ideas for
benefits & value
5. Green hat - Focuses on possibilities alternatives new perception & concepts
6. Blue hat - The focus here is on control & looking at the big picture

Some of the other techniques of creativity are as below:

Lateral thinking

Synectics

Neuro-Linguistic programming

TRIZ

Fuzzy logic

Method 635

The morphological box

Attributes Listing

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 Questions

Section A (2 marks)

1. What is creativity?

2. State two characteristics of creativity?

3. What is brain storming?

4. What is attribute listing?

5. Factors affecting creativity

6. What it creative mind?

7. Any two elements of creativity?

Section B (6 marks)

1. State the characteristics of creativity

2. Explain the basic rules for brain storming

3. Explain the characteristics of creative person

4. Explain the factors affecting creativity?

Section C (14 marks)

1. Explain the characteristic features of a creative mind

2. Explain the components of creativity

3. Explain the various methods and techniques of enhancing creativity.

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 UNIT 4
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Meaning of Communication

“Communicate” is derived from the Latin word – “Communicare” meaning „to share‟ or „to participate‟ in
expressing / presenting and receiving ideas, facts, opinions and emotions.

The word “communication” has been derived from the Latin word “communis”, which means common; it is the
understanding by means of communion of minds and hearts of people involved.

Communication maybe understood as a two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which

participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas and feelings but also create and share
meaning.

This common understanding results not only through transfer of information and idea but also from
transmission of the attitude. Communication is complete when the receiver understands in the same sense and
spirit that the communicator intends to convey.

Definitions of Communication

D.E. McFarland, “Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction among
human beings. More specifically it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understanding is
reached among human beings.”

George Vardman, “Purposive interchange, resulting in workable understanding and agreement between the
sender and receiver of a message.”

Nature / Features of Communication

 It is a universal phenomenon
 Is a continuous process
 Is a short lived, purposeful process
 Multidimensional in nature
 Dispels misunderstanding
 Leads to achievement of the organizational objectives

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Objectives of Communication:

(General)

1. INFORMATION: Information consists of facts and figures and data which are important for conducting the
business. Information may be given orally or written. Both internal and external information play a very
important role in the running of business.

2. PERSUASION: Persuasion means making efforts to change or influence the attitude and behaviour of others.
Persuasion requires skill and ability to use words, both spoken and written, as well as non-verbal methods in
such a way as to have an influential effect on the target audience.

(Downward Communication)

3. INSTRUCTIONS: Instructions is about how to carry out a process or procedure. In most cases, this can be
done orally, individually or in groups. Oral instruction may be supplemented with written and visual materials.

4. ORDERS: An order is a formal assignment of a task. It may be in the oral or written form. It must be clear
and exact.

5. MOTIVATION: Motivation means providing a person with a motive, an incentive, an inner urge to make
effort to do his best. Communication is the most important and critical element in motivation of employees.
Managers constantly try to improve performance in the workplace by motivating the staff.

6. ADVICE: Advice is given by a superior to his subordinate on matters related to work on personal matters if
the relationship is close. Communication for advice is oral, face-to-face, informal and confidential. The person
giving advice must be tactful and have a sympathetic nature.

7. COUNSELLING: Counselling is formal and specialized advice given by trained specialists (practitioners in
psychiatry, medicine, law, etc.). Companies provide counselling service as part of employee welfare. Stress
tension and emotional problems can be treated and corrected.

8. WARNING: Warning means advising or cautioning someone of possible danger. It is also an authoritative
and formal notice of something unfavourable. It is given only after milder methods like advice, request,
instruction and order have failed to achieve results. It may be given orally or in writing; it is always
confidential.

9. APPRECIATION: Appreciation means showing and expressing praise for the work of others. It can be
expressed orally, in writing and by non-verbal methods.
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10. BOOSTING MORALE: People with high morale feel good about themselves and are highly motivated and
have the courage to face problems and meet challenges. An open communication climate helps to keep the
morale high.

(Upward Communication)

11. APPLICATIONS: Application is a written request giving full details of the matter and supported with
reason whenever necessary. For ex. Leave application

12. COMPLAINTS: Complaint is made when there are faults or defects in the system or goods/services
supplied. This may be written or oral.

13. SUGGESTIONS: A suggestion is a new idea proposed for consideration. Everyone develops ideas about
better ways in which to do their work to improve their conditions and environment. Many companies have
suggestion boxes as suggestions from employees are greatly welcomed.

(Horizontal Communication)

14. REQUESTS: Requests are informal and formal requests made among peer groups for suggestions, advice,
favours, etc.

15. CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Conflicts are unavoidable when different personalities work together. Regular
lateral communication can prevent and resolve conflicts that arise between departments or individual members
of a team.

Importance of Communication in Business:

1. Complexities of Business: Due to increase in size and scale of operations, business organizations have
evolved from simple networks to complex structures. Management has to ensure free and flawless
communication to coordinate and manage them effectively.

2. IT Revolution: This has transformed the business operations, they now have to installcommunication devices
that transmit the message at greater speed and care with minimum time loss and cost.

3. Growing specialization: Due to complex business operations, different organizational tasks are handled by
different specialists. These specialists are to be coordinated for accomplishment of organizational goals. Sound
communication is essential to build atmosphere of trust, cooperation and understanding among these
professionals.
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4. Global village: Due to liberalization and globalization, the world has been reduced to a global village where
organizations have to work in different countries. It has to ensure communications bridge the cultural gaps.

5. Growing competition: Globalization has increased competition among organizations.To create new
customers and maintain old ones,, effective communication strategies in the form of advertisements, personal
contracts and publicity campaigns are needed.

Elements /Process of Communication

SOURCE/SENDER is the one who initiates the action of communicating, has an idea / information to share.

AUDIENCE/RECEIVER is the person (s) for whom communication is intended

ENCODING is the process of putting idea into meaningful symbols and words

MEDIUM/CHANNEL is the means or method used for conveying the message

MESSAGE/CONTENT is the information conveyed

DECODING is the process of translating the symbols into ideas and interpreting the message, this is done by
the receiver.

FEEDBACK is the receiver‟s response to the communication as observed by the sender.

NOISE is any element of disturbance that does not allow for the communication to be effective.

Block Diagram of 2 Way Communication Process

Basic Types /Forms of Communication

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1) ONE-WAY AND TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
One-way communication is characterised by absence of feedback from the receiver to the sender. The
effectiveness of this communication depends upon the speakersinferential ability and the receiver‟s listening
skill.

Two-way communication involves feedback from the receiver to the sender, it is interactive and interpersonal
and allows better mutual understanding.

2) VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal communication is communication through spoken (telephone) or written words (letters).

Nonverbal communication means transmission of meaning other than oral or written words (facial expression,
eye contacts).

3) FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Formal communication is structured on basis of hierarchy and designed to ensure uniformity in dissemination of
information and to ensure accountability. Ex. Circulars, departmental meetings. It can be upward, downward,
lateral and crosswise / diagonal.

 Upward Communication: To send suggestions, complaints & grievances of the lower level employees to the
managers / top management. It is more participative in nature and results in increasing democratisation.

Example: A factory level employee offering a suggestion to the top management on how the packaging of the
product being manufactured by them can be improved to save resources and time.

 Downward Communication: Is based on the assumption that the people working at the higher levels have
the authority to communicate / give orders and relevant information to the people at the lower level. It
strengthens the authoritarian structure of the organisation.

Example: Quarterly Sales Targets to be achieved by the team is notified to the junior sales executives by the
manager.

 Lateral Communication: Communication can be seen taking place between persons working in the same
level or working under the same superior. Helps to maintain co-ordination and review activities assigned to
various subordinates.

Example – Functional managers working at same level in different departments.

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 Diagonal or Crosswise Communication: Communication takes place when the people working at the same
place interact with the people working at the higher level or lower level and across boundaries of their
reporting relationships.

Example: The manager of sales department seeking out information about the receipt of a client payment from
an executive of the finance department.

Informal communication is spontaneous, arising out of day to day routine and meetings among peers. Example:
Conversations at lunch or tea, employees traveling together to work etc.

4) INTERPERSONAL AND INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Interpersonal communication is communication among 2 or more persons.

Intrapersonal communication is internal dialogue occurring within the mind of an individual. It may be clear or
confused depending on the person‟s state of mind. Intrapersonal communication affects interpersonal
communication. Thoughts, views and attitudes which are a part of intrapersonal communication influence how
we speak/write and how we understand and interpret messages that we receive.

5) WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION

Written communication is used when the other person is not present and not available on telephone. It is
necessary for long and complex messages which may require repeated reading and reference; it serves as a
record.

Oral communication requires both the parties to be present and attentive at the same time. This requires certain
skills of both, each must be able to respond to other‟s body language and must be able to make immediate
response to what the other says.

6) INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Messages that move within the organization among its members are internal communication. The style and
quantity of internal communication affect the atmosphere in the organization and have an impact on the
business because employees who are comfortable and happy work better.

Messages that go out of the organizations and are received from outside are called external communication. The
style and tone of outgoing communication affects the organization‟s public image.

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7) GROUP COMMUNICATION

A group is an association of 2 or more persons who interact with each other in such a way that each influences
the other. Group discussion in organizations help in understanding a situation, in exploring possibilities and in
solving problems because it allows a multiple point of view. Groups may be formal such as committees, quality
circles which are formed voluntarily or intentionally to achieve specific goals. Informal groups are those that
emerge spontaneously without deliberate design to meet social needs.

8) PUBLIC COMMUNICATION

This involves speech by one person to a large group at a time. Ex. Speeches by political, religious or trade union
leaders.

9) MASS COMMMUNICATION

The process of communicating to the public at large through mass media such as television, internet,
publications, etc. It plays a pivotal role in boosting image of business organization and attracting customers, it
requires heavy investment.

Communication Gap

Communication gap is a failure of communication or miscommunication. The difference in understanding of

the same idea or information by different individuals and groups also leads to a communication gap.

Communication gap is defined by Naomi Karten as “a situation in which miscommunication, or the complete
lack of communication adversely affects the work as well as the relationships among the people carrying out the
work.”

The impediments / barriers (* explained below) to effective communication are majorly the reasons for the
communication gap to exist.

The consequences of communication gap can range from simple misunderstandings due to mixed or
contradictory messages to having damaging, puzzling and counterproductive impact on projects and
relationships.

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Impediments of Effective Communication / Barriers to Effective Communication

Communication is complete and perfect when the receiver understands the message in the same sense and spirit
as the communicator intends to convey, but in practice, this does not take place due to certain obstacles or other
factors known as communication barriers. These barriers can be classified into the following groups:

A. SEMANTIC BARRIERS: These are concerned with problems and obstructions in the process of encoding
and decoding the message into words or other impressions.
 The use of different languages
 Different interpretations of different words and symbols
 Poor vocabulary and poor grammatical knowledge
 Technical jargon and usage of new words

B. PHYSICAL BARRIERS: are the ones present in the environment that prevent the communication to be
effective.

o Noise is any disturbance or interference that reduces the clarity and effectiveness of communication is
called noise. It may be physical, psychological, written or visual.
o Improper time
o Distance
o Inadequate or overloaded information
o Channel issues
o Weather and climate

C. ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS: These are barriers that pertain to within an organisation and its
communication.
 Organisational Policies
 Rules and Regulations
 Status and Relationships
 Lack of Organisational Facilities
 Wrong Choice of Channel

D. SOCIO - PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS: Are barriers which arise from within the minds of the
sender and receiver that cause misunderstanding and hinder communication process.
 Attitude and / or Closed mind

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  Differences in perception
 Inattention
 Premature Evaluation
 Distrust
 Resistance to Change
 Cultural Barriers

E. Personal Barriers: Are barriers that exist owing to their roles and statuses and are mostly psychological
in nature.

i. Barriers in Superiors
o Attitude
o Fear of Challenge
o Underestimation of subordination
o Ignoring juniors
o Insistence of following proper channels

ii. Barriers in Subordinates

 Unwilling to Communicate
 Lack of Proper Incentive

iii. Poor Listening

 Egoism
 Emotions
 Selective Perception

Overcoming Barriers / Impediments of Communication (Or) Strategies For Effective Communication

CREATE SYNERGETIC ENVIRONMENT: Under synergetic environment, cooperation breeds cooperation

and trust breeds trust at accelerating rate. For this top management should initiate and ensure trust and
cooperation among employees at lower level. They will respond with trust and cooperation. When organization
is operation at high degree of cooperation and trust among employees, communication will automatically be
effective.

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ENCOURAGE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION: The organization should ensure 2-way communication with
sound feedback system to overcome communication gaps because of distortions, filtering, colouring, etc.

STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION FLOW& NETWORK: The organization should streamline and

strengthen communication flow through proper organizational structure, decentralization and delegation of
authorities. They should ensure timely dissemination of information through frequent meetings and social
gatherings.

ENCOURAGE OPENNESS / TRANSPARENCY IN COMMUNICATION: Lack of transparency and denial of

information breeds rumours in the organization and consequently harms the organizational environment. To
avoid this, management should make open door policy {employees are encouraged to approach superiors with
any matter concerning the organization and its people} and Manage By Walking Around {senior executives
should not restrict their operations by sitting in their offices but walk around the office to make contact with a
large number of employees}.

Principles of Communication (or) The 7 C’s Of Communication

1. CANDID: The message to be communicated should be candid – frank and straightforward.

2. CLEAR: The message, whether oral or written should be clear. Clear message stems from clear minds and
clear hearts. Clarity in expression is brought about by using simple, precise, and familiar words with effective
sentences and paragraphs.

3. COMPLETE: Completeness is necessary for effective communication. Provide all necessary information that
the reader needs for thorough and accurate understanding.

4. CONCISE: Conciseness means conveying the message in fewest possible words without sacrificing its
completeness and clarity. Use single and simple words.

5. CONCRETE: The communicated statement should not be vague. It should be concrete and specific. Use
specific words and figures. Avoid using words that lead to uncertainty. Use active voice rather than passive
voice.

6. CORRECT: The message to be communicated should be correct in spelling, grammar, format, contents,
statistical information, etc. Incorrect and inaccurate statements mislead the reader, lower his / her confidence in
the communicator and tarnish the image of the organization.

7. COURTEOUS: Courtesy plays a dominating role in maintaining a congenial and healthy communication
environment which is essential to ensure the effectiveness of communication.

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NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Introduction

Non verbal communication stands for the innermost, instinctual form of human communication. It includes all
things other than words and language that can convey meaning.

Non-verbal communication can be independent of verbal communication, but verbal communication is always
accompanied by non-verbal communication. Anything that appeals to the senses can be considered non-verbal
communication.

An understanding of non-verbal methods and aspects of communication helps a person to improve oral and
written presentation by using the methods and by gaining control over one‟s body language.

Importance of Non-verbal Communication

- Non verbal methods have almost instant effect because of quicker grasp by the receiver.
- Response to visuals and plain sounds is more powerful than language.
- Non-verbal communication is the best method to convey information to illiterates
- Non-verbal communication serves to reinforce the spoken message.

The different aspects / forms of non verbal communication are:

I. Body language (Kinesics)

It means the changes that occur in the body position and the movements that show what the person is feeling or
thinking. Much of it is involuntary and unconscious; most persons are not aware of their body language; but it
makes a powerful impact on others.

Body language always conveys meaning. It is:

o Omnipresent: It always accompanies spoken communication

o Emotionally Expressive: It expresses mainly the feelings of the speaker and also of the listener
o Dominates Interaction: It is more communicative than words
o Looks Trustable: It is usually felt to be more truthful than spoken words.

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Elements of body language include

Facial Expression

The face commands particular attention as a source of non verbal messages. The expression on the face is the
most obvious aspect of body language. It is the most difficult component of body language to understand. Facial
expressions convey attitude and reactions of the people communicating. An alert speaker can judge the
listener‟s reaction by the facial expressions that act as a constant feedback.

Surprise, shock, anger, sadness, fear, happiness and pleasure can all be expressed by means of facial expression.
Eyebrows and lips are the most mobile parts of the face; an eyebrow raised unconsciously can convey disbelief
or surprise. A cheerful and appreciative smile can be welcoming, just as pursed lips can indicate displeasure or
lack of friendliness.

A smile is a universal gesture; it is understood by everyone, is generally unmistakable and clears the
atmosphere; it is believed to release chemicals which create feelings of happiness.A smile can also be a useful
non committal gesture when it is better to be silent.

The five basic descriptions of facial expression are:

i. Neutral – Expressions such as pleasure, respect, attentiveness and thoughtfulness

ii. Relaxed – Expressions such as love, submission
iii. Tensed – Expressions such as fear, disgust, contempt
iv. Uplifted - Expressions such as happiness, shock, rage
v. Droopy - Expressions such as suffering, grief, depression

Eye Contact (Oculesics)

Eye movement is a key part of facial behaviour, directing other‟s attention or showing surprise or happiness and
other emotional displays. Eye contact (or the lack of it) is a very important communicative factor and can
convey a wide range of meanings. However, the degree of eye contact that is appropriate is influenced by
cultural and social norms and can vary cross culturally.

It is commonly believed that avoiding eye contact indicates that the speaker is lying or hiding something.
Persons who lack self-confidence also generally avoid eye contact.

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Guidelines on eye contact:

 While making an oral presentation it is important to create rapport with the audience with eye contact. A
sweeping movement of one‟s eyes, covering the entire audience, not dwelling on any section for more
than 10 seconds is appropriate.
 In individual interactions, maintain eye contact but avoid staring at the other person.

Gestures

Gestures are movements of arms, hands, head, legs and the body in total. They are natural accompaniment of
speech. Gestures are culture specific. Gestures are closely related to personality, no two persons make exactly
the same gestures; yet the general meaning is easily recognised.The occasions, the size and nature of the
audience influence speaker‟s gestures.

The different types of gestures are:

a. Emblems –Which serve as a substitute for words and phrases

b. Illustrators –Which accompany or reinforce verbal messages
c. Affect Displays –Those gestures that show emotion
d. Regulators –Which control the flow and pace of communication
e. Adaptors – Gestures that help release physical or emotional tension

Posture

Posture is the way we hold ourselves, the way we stand, sit and walk. It indicates something about our feelings
and thoughts, attitudes and health. Posture can indicate disregard or disrespect for others; polite and well bred
persons are usually careful of how they stand or sit in the presence of visitors and in formal situations. Slight
movements and postures of the body are more basic and more reliable as cues; they are not easy to manipulate
or control consciously as other body movements like fingers, hands, legs and feet.

An open stance posture i.e. erectness of posture, open hands, a firm handshake are indicative of a positive frame
of mind and attitude whereas a closed stance i.e. arms folded across one‟s chest / body, legs crossed and body
turned away from speaker indicates negativity, aloofness and rejection.

Appearance
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A person‟s general appearance depends on many things. The two important factors that contribute to appearance
are grooming and personal hygiene. Appearance makes the first impression; lack of neatness or cleanliness,
carelessness in grooming, clumsy look or clothes make a negative impression.State of health is very important
factor in a person‟s appearance.

II. CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES (ARTIFACTUAL COMMUNICATION)

Clothing is very important aspect of body language. The colour, design, cut and fitting combine to make up the
dress.Many organizations have a dress code for occasions in order to ensure that its representatives convey the
desired impression. Accessories like footwear, jewellery, ties & belts, bags / purses need careful selection.
Whatever you carry on your person or in your hand ought to look comfortable and gracefully carried; otherwise
it will convey a poor image.

III. SPACE (PROXEMICS)

The way we use space plays a subtle role in body language.Individuals naturally maintain a certain space
between themselves in various social and interpersonal situations.

The way people structure the space around them also conveys meaning. Example: A manager can use space to
create an impression of status, a spacious office, a large office desk, a large car suggest an important position.

It may be understood as:

 Feature Fixed Space - space utilization in the place where the communication is taking place
 Semi Fixed Feature Space - the arrangement of room/stage/office in which the conversation takes place.
 Personal Space – Intimate Zone (Physical contact to 18 inches), Personal Zone (18 inches to 4 feet),
Social Zone(4-12 feet) and Public Zone (12 feet and beyond).

An untidy, poorly maintained space is not conducive to cheerful and comfortable communication. Speakers
would be more relaxed and comfortable in a place which is clean, well ventilated and lit.

IV. TIME (CHRONEMICS)

Use of time is an even more subtle non-verbal factor in communication.Some people are in hurry and make the
other person feel uneasy by appearing to be hard pressed for time; others may get the impression that they are
not being given enough time and attention.

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Punctuality and respect for one‟s own time and other people‟s time conveys the impression of efficiency.A
sense of timing in conducting meetings, conveying good or bad news, in making presentations, all generate
respect and good will.

V. PARALANGUAGE(VOCALICS)

The non-verbal aspects of the spoken word are known as paralanguage.It is possible to control and use
paralanguage effectively by becoming aware of it and paying attention to one‟s voice and speech.

Paralanguage includes Voice, Volume, Pitch, Speed, Pronunciation, Accent, Tone, Stress, Non-fluencies and
Silence

Note: The above mentioned aspects are explained in detail in the section on Speaking.

VI. TOUCH (HAPTICS)

Touch is tactile communication. Where words fail, a simple touch can evoke myriad meanings. Pats on one‟s
back as a gesture of appreciation or a hug as a form of greeting and /or welcome are examples of Haptics.

However, haptics is influenced vastly by cultural and social norms. It is considered appropriate and should be
used only when all involved are comfortable and have the same understanding of the situation.

A handshake is one of the most common and visible aspect of this form of non verbal communication. The right
handshake can showcase one‟s confidence and attitude and also make the other person feel welcome.

ENERGY

Energy and enthusiasm as an aspect of body language is hard to describe, but most people experienced the
impact of a person with high level of energy.Some impress with high level of physical energy which is almost
infectious; some have high intellectual or emotional or spiritual energy.A healthy person is energetic and
maintains a certain level of enthusiasm in work.

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Listening

Listening is the receiver‟s activity in oral communication.Listening is the profound understanding of what is
being communicated, the process of absorption of meaning of the words and sentences.

A speaker has the responsibility to make effort to make the audience understand, so the listener has the
responsibility to be attentive and to make effort to understand the meaning of the speaker.
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The five steps of listening / The listening process

 Step 1-Hearing / Receiving: At this stage the listener simply attends to hear the message. This step may
fail if there is a great deal of noise or if the listener is occupied with something else.
 Step 2-Interpreting: This depends on listener‟s vocabulary, knowledge, experience and so on.
 Step 3-Remembering: Sorting of the message by listener for future reference, retain what is heard by
taking note or by making an outline of the speaker‟s key note
 Step 4-Evaluating: At this stage the listener decides what to do with received information. The
judgements you make at the stage of evaluation are crucial to the listening process.
 Step 5-Responding: The listener‟s response to the message may be in words or in body language. The
response lets the speaker know whether the listener has got the message and what his/her reaction is.

Importance of Listening

 Inefficient listening affects interpersonal relations as well as decision-making and employee relations.
 If an individual is expecting cooperation and willingness, positive responses from his/her team
members, listening to their ideas, suggestions and problems will pave the way.
 Listening with attention shows respect and wins good will

Benefits of Listening

o Helps us respond, get feedback or give feedback

o Lets us participate in another‟s storyand hear of others‟ experiences and insights
o To broaden our horizons, i.e. to learn
o To question and test the evidence and assumptions
o To create a relationship based on respect and value
o Learn about people and how their minds work
o Raise morale of employee
o Obtain suggestions and new ideas
o Discover why employees perform as they do
o Help with solving problems and resolving conflicts

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Bad Habits of Listening / Problems of Listening / Impediments to Listening

 Distractions in Mind: This is a great barrier to listening and must be firmly checked. It takes a great
deal of self control and discipline to stay tuned to another person, particularly when one‟s mind is
excited about something
 Wandering Attention: The natural difference between speaking speed and listening speed. Average
speaking speed is about 150 words a minute; the listener‟s mind goes off on various expeditions. To put
the mind‟s excess time to good use in reviewing the talk and connecting the various ideas that are put
across by the speaker.
 Planning a reply: The listener‟s mind gets busy planning what to say when the speaker stops. In
preparing a question to ask, an individual might miss the rest of the speech.
 Lack of interest: Not being interested in the topic can cause faulty listening. It might make an
individual reject the speaker or the subject as dull or boring. Such an attitude to the speaker arises from
narrow interests and closed mind.
 Tendency to criticise: Criticising the speaker‟s appearance, manner, voice and so on is another cause of
poor listening. Many people may not cultivate style but have good content/matter to share; by paying
attention to speaker‟s style, an individual may lose out on valuable inputs.
 Being Self-centred: Some persons are self centred and like to keep on talking themselves rather than
share a conversation with others. They want others to listen to them, but are not willing to listen to what
others have to say. They listen selectively; only to what interests them and ignore everything else.
 Avoiding what is difficult or boring/dry: If you are mentally lazy, you divert your attention when you
find the subject difficult to follow.
 Excessive Note-Taking: Trying to take down extensive note is a sure way to disturb your listening and
to miss some points. Cultivate the art of taking notes and limit it to writing down the general ideas.
 Emotional Block: Most people have “Deaf Spots” this is a tendency to ignore and block out ideas that
disturb your emotional comfort. This defect can prevent a person from taking in and retaining certain
ideas. Some people find it difficult to listen to stories of horror or destruction.
 Emotional Excitements: Getting disturbed by the speaker‟s use of certain words. Words and phrases
acquire different meaning and connotations in different culture. It is important to guard against getting
upset by words which may have been used quite innocently by the speaker.
 Impatience: We often have no patience to wait until another has finished speaking. We want to answer
or add our own points to the discussion, or narrate our own experience.

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  Personal Anxieties: If we have a serious personal worry or anxiety, it is difficult to get away from it. In
such circumstances, it is better not to engage in any important listening responsibility. The responsibility
may be delegated to someone else or it is worth seeking cooperation and requesting the other person to
excuse you until you are out of the worrying situation.
 Poor Health: Poor state of health reduces listening efficiency. Besides pain like headache or physical
pain, poor state of general health makes a person impatient, inattentive and unable to concentrate.
 External Noise and disturbance: If there is noise in the environment, it makes hearing difficult and
distracts attention.
 Speaker related barriers: Inappropriate accent, speed, pitch and tone, vocabulary, use of jargon,
mannerisms and body language of the speaker can impede listening.

Cultivating Good Listening Skills / Principles of Effective Listening

 Together with the speaker, decide on the goals of a conversation

 Stop talking and be attentive, eye contact with the speaker is a must while listening

 Have positive body language, understand speaker‟s non verbal cues as well

 Put in an appropriate remark or non-verbal sound. Ask interested questions for clarification or to encourage
the speaker, or to enlarge the scope of discussion.

 Take notes where possible, but not excessively so.

 Focus on the content , not on the person or the delivery

 Be empathetic, patient, objective and unbiased while listening,

 Avoid creating or allowing distractions and interruptions

 Reflect and understand the message, seek clarifications where needed

 Summarise what the speaker has said, without giving any judgement and look expectantly for more
information; the chances are that the person may add some more information. If your attitude and body
language appear interested and empathetic, the person is likely to speak up.

 Be a good listener and read in between the lines, whenever and wherever required

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Profile of an effective / good listener

 Considering listening as an opportunity

 Are aware of their personal prejudices and can avoid judging the speaker.
 Listen to the ideas behind the speaker‟s words
 Consciously notice the speaker‟s non verbal behaviour
 Indicates a positive attitude towards the speaker, shows readiness to listen, by means of body language
and gestures
 Is objective, patient and listens to the entire message without prematurely evaluating it, blocking it or
reacting to it.
 Listens with concentration and alertness, shuts out distractions.
 Asks probing questions, seeks clarifications
 Provides necessary feedback and appreciation to the speaker.
 Does not get overly affected by emotions, does not argue or get distracted.

SPEAKING

A good speaking gets attention and makes an impact on the audience.

Features of Spoken Language

There are significant difference between the language of oral communication and the language of written
communication

 The vocabulary of spoken language is simple and familiar.

 While speaking, we use shorter and more familiar words which can be easily understood when heard.
 Another feature is that a speaker often refers to one self and therefore uses self referencing pronouns
such as I or my or mine.
 The sentences are shorter and simpler. Long, complex sentences are not comfortable to speak out and
not easy for listeners to follow.

Pronunciation

 It means the way we make the sound of the word.

 English spelling does not always indicate how the word is pronounced; the mismatch between the
spelling and the sound of many words in English makes it necessary to learn correct pronunciation.
 It is important to be careful with words that sound similar and can be confused.
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Word Linking

 It is as important as pronunciation.
 When speaking each word in a sentence is pronounced separately. Several words are linked together.
 Examples: It‟s a fine day; I‟m going for a walk.

Stressing on a word

 Stress is the amount of breath force or energy that is put into a sound.
 Function words in a normal sentence are not stressed unless the speaker wants to indicate a specific
meaning.

Message in the voice

 Stress and tone are strong elements of speech and give meaning to the spoken word.
 The meaning and significance of a statement can be changed by shifting the stress from one word to
another.
 The tone reflects the speaker‟s attitude. The tone usually carries the emotion behind the words.
 Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice in speaking. Spoken English depends on intonation for large
part of the meaning. The meaning of a sentence can change if you change the intonation.
 Accent is the way a sound is made. Although most languages share a set of sound, there are variations in
the way the sounds are made.
 Rate of speech is the speed with which we speak. We usually change our rate of speech to express
different thoughts and feelings.
 Volume is the loudness or softness of your voice. Adjust volume of voice to the size of the audience.
 Pitch means the highness or lowness of the voice. When you speak at the same pitch it sounds
monotonous and listeners feel that you have nothing to emphasise.
 Pauses can be very effective; a pause can add interest, expression and feeling to speech when it is used
skilfully.
 Articulation is saying words distinctly and clearly. Ex: Saying artclation instead of articulation.

DEVELOPING MATTER FOR A SPEECH:

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A speech is a talk given to a large gathering. It is rendered on a social or official occasion such as an
anniversary, an inauguration, a farewell or some such event. Its purpose is usually to inform, encourage,
appreciate, congratulate or entertain; it is followed by applause from the audience. The tone of such speeches is
cheerful and congratulatory.

SPEECH PREPARATION:

1. Finding out about the surroundings

 The venue: Be familiar with the physical environment.
 The Occasion: It is important to know the occasion. It may be an anniversary, or a celebration or an
inauguration or a farewell. You will have to refer to it in your speech. The tone and style of your speech
must be suitable to the occasion.
 Time available: Always check before hand, the time that has been allotted to you. Preparation work
depends on the given time.
 The Organisers: Find out everything possible about the organisers; name of the organisation, names of
the president, the secretary, office bearers and any other important persons who will be sitting on the
dais.
 The Audience: Knowledge of the audience is the most important for any speaker. The speech must be
in a form and style that suits and interests the audience. The content and the tone of the speech depend
on the nature of audience.
o Factors to be taken into account are
 Size of audience
 Age group
 Status

2. Preparing the text

 The most important thing is to decide exactly what to say find out the required information and give it a
proper shape.
 It must have a smooth flow from one point to the next.
 For beginners, it is advisable to write down the whole speech, including the address, the opening
sentences and the ending sentences.
 Style: A talk must sound like conversation not like a written text. Speaking style is different from
writing style. In speaking use simple common words and short sentences to enable the audience to grasp
them at once.
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  Humour: Humour makes a speech more interesting and personal; it engages the audience, but it is not
easy to be humorous. Use humour only if you are definitely good at it and can tell it in your natural style
without feeling nervous or self-conscious.
 Style of addressing: A speech is presented at an organised meeting; the meeting has a chairperson who
must be addressed first; other members of the organization who are seated on the platform are addressed
next, in order of their seniority.

3. Composition of Speech

Thecontent of the speech must be carefully prepared. Preparation of a draft and correction of the same is
essential.Find a general theme suitable to the occasion; this enables the speaker to focus and give a good body
to the speech.

 Opening of Speech: Your first words are: greeting, self-introduction and expression of pleasure for the
opportunity to speak.You have 10 seconds in which to make a good starting impression. Smiling helps.
Don‟t start with a joke; it can back fire. Don‟t begin with apologies for anything
 Focus attention on the central theme of the talk. This may be done bymaking statements of facts and
figures, quotations and proverbs, telling a story / anecdote.
 Body of the speech: The main text depends on the occasion and the objective of the speech. The
objective of an inaugural or annual function is to encourage and felicitate; the speech may mention the
highlights of the achievements, elaborate on the value of the effort and express faith in the
participations‟ ability to do even better.
 Conclusion: The closing must leave a clear message. For a speech of encouragement, a good conclusion
is to express confidence in further achievement.

Speaker’s Appearance and Voice

 Oral communication comes with the speaker. One‟s physical appearance and personality make an
important impact.
 Your body language is noticed by the audience before you begin to speak.

Suggestions for taking care of Body language while making a speech

 Comfortable posture: While standing, balance your weight on both feet. Standing with your weight on
one foot, leaning on the table or the podium, or constantly shifting the weight from one foot to the other,
look uncomfortable.Never put your hands in your pockets while speaking; it is considered bad manners.

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  Eye contact: Eye contact is important for creating rapport with audience. Hold eye contact, for a
second, with a person in one corner of audience, then move your eyes to the opposite corner of the
audience, taking in the whole audience as you move your eyes making brief eye contact with as many
persons as possible.
 Movements: Too much movements or walking around distracts the audience‟s attention. Movements
must be natural and only as much as needed for establishing lively rapport with the audience.
 Facial Expressions and gestures: We all naturally make gestures and have expression on our face
while speaking. While making a speech, gestures and expression should be natural and friendly.
 Voice: If there is a mike, speak as you would to a person sitting across the table, keeping the mike 6
inches away from the mouth.
 Pauses: Speak at a comfortable speed. Fast speech, without pauses, overloads the listeners. A short
silence before making an important points helps to emphasise it. A pause after making an important
point gives the listeners‟ time to absorb it.
 Health: Health affects body language. If you are in good health your speech has energy and confidence.
Your state of health also affects your voice.

4. Practicing Delivery of the speech

 No matter how much time and care you have spent on preparing the text, the delivery is largely
responsible for the success of speech.
 One has to practice and rehearse till they are “conversationally comfortable” with the material.
 Never learn the speech by heart or attempt to memorize it; it creates dependence and if you forget even a
single word it can cause you great confusion.

BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS

A presentation is a talk on serious topic; its purpose is to inform, to explain, to present a point of view or to
persuade the audience. Presentation skills can be cultivated and developed with some knowledge of the formal
aspects and practice.

Elements of a Presentation

 The human elements include: the organiser or host, the audience and any other invited speakers.
 The venue, the equipment, the arrangements, the occasion and the time.
 The manner in which the speaker handles questions from the audience, the personality and style of the
speaker and the competence of the delivery.
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Designing a Presentation

 Finding out about the environment in which the presentation is to be made- The venue, the organisers,
the time allotted, other speakers on the occasion must be acknowledged, The audience needs and interest
and speaker‟s relationship with audience.
 Preparing text and visuals- Includes length of presentation, style of talk, humour
 Composition of presentation-A presentation has five parts and the composition of the same takes the
longest time, as material has to be collected, organised and formatted. The five parts of a presentation
are:
 Opening/introduction: Greeting, introduction of self, statements of facts and figures, appropriate quotation
or proverb to draw the attention of the audience.
 Preview of the presentation
 Body/Main part of presentation
 Summary – A brief summing up of all that has been presented
 Conclusion- thanking the audience, inviting questions from audience

Visual aids for presentation:

Visual aids may be used to make a greater impact on the audience. The visual aid can be Posters, Charts, OHP
sheets and PowerPoint Presentations

Making a power point presentation

It is most commonly used for sophisticated presentations. It is easy to use but requires equipments for
projection.A presentation must have simple slides that support the oral presentation.Visuals must fit well into
the presentations.

Guidelines for preparingeffective power point presentations

 Never put up entire paragraphs on the slide, keep the text to the minimum.
 Use good font types, size and font colours to enable the presentation to be audience friendly.
 All letters in UPPERCASE are difficult to read on the screen.
 Use graphs and pictures to communicate, but ensure that they are self explanatory to an extent.
 Avoid garish colour schemes, backgrounds and templates that serve to distract or irritate the audience.

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RESUME PREPARATION

A résumé is a brief document that summarizes one‟s employment history, education, and experiences that are
relevant to one‟s qualifications for a particular job.

Contents of the Resume:

Heading: Name of the candidate is to be highlighted and easily visible. The address (permanent and
temporary), phone numbers and e-mail ID to be written clearly and without clutter

Objective: Has to be specific, concise and clear. Not to be copied from another resume or the internet.

Educational qualification: Are to be mentioned in chronological order (Preferably beginning with the most
recently awarded degree and working backwards). The details to be given include:

Name of the degree or certificate programme

Name and location of the institution & University where the degree was granted
Year that the degree was granted
Percentage / CGPA / Scale

Relevant Work Experience: Are to be mentioned in chronological order (Preferably beginning with the most
recent employment details and working backwards as required). ). The details to be mentioned include:
Name and address of organization/employer
Dates of employment, Position title and Responsibilities
Skills learned (if job has little relevance to the position for which you are applying)
Accomplishments / Achievements on the particular job

Related Skill sets and Expertise: Put the most important skills at the beginning. If necessary, separate different
categories of skills (software, secretarial, laboratory skills etc.)

Don‟t overdo it! (Remember to only include skills which are applicable to the position.)

Achievements and Accomplishments: Mention Noteworthy awards, commendations received. By who, when
and why it was conferred on you?

Activities / Interests / Hobbies: Employers are interested in activities, professional affiliations, volunteer work
etc. Include hobbies that are not commonplace.

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Remember to limit your activities to those which fit one or more criteria: Shows leadership, communication,
creativity and is related to your field

References:Mention the references only if it is specifically sought. Else, just mention that the references will be
furnished upon request.

Personal Information:Keep it very brief and to the extent required. The Date of Birth, Gender and Marital
status can be mentioned here.

A declaration stating that all the information furnished is true maybe written after the personal details. The
resume, finally needs to be signed and dated.

Characteristics of a successful Résumé

 Is focused. Uses action words (design, develop, establish, streamline, coordinate, lead etc.) to define the
responsibilities of job-related experience.
 Easy to read (color of paper, font size and style are easy on the eye) and understand.
 Visually powerful (bullets, headings and sub headings are consistently present) and free of gimmicks.
 Has been accurately proofread to ensure that the grammar, spellings are all correct.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Group discussion is one of the important and popular techniques being used in number of personality tests. It
involves understanding listening, sharing ideas, experience, accepting others point of view and criticism.

It is a systematic oral exchange process. It is a systematic interactive process of exchanging information, views,
issues, problems, and opinions about a topic, or situation among members of a group.

Definition:Group discussion may be defined as a form of systematic and purposeful oral process characterized
by the formal and structured exchange of views on a particular topic, issue, problem or situation for developing
information and understanding essential for decision making or problem solving.

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BY PARTICIPANTS IN A GROUP DISCUSSION

1. Subject knowledge
2. Presentation
3. Language
4. Logical thinking
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5. Clarity in thoughts
6. Body language
7. Dress code
8. Exchange of information
9. Discuss each other‟s interpretation
10. Stay on topic.

Preparation for Interview - Interviewee‟s Perspective:

An interview is a formal meeting in which a person or group of persons question, consult, or evaluate another
person or group of persons. It is usually an oral face-to-face communication, sometimes might be telephonic or
video based.

The candidate must be physically, mentally and psychologically prepared for the interview because it is not
only the information & knowledge of the candidate that is assessed at an interview, the whole personality is
assessed.

Physical Preparation

The interviewee needs to groom oneself well prior to the interview. Clean and well cut nails, appropriately
styled hair and general personal hygiene are important. Well fitting clothes, neat footwear and a suitable
handbag or briefcase are required for appearing formal.

The candidate has to physically keep ready the following things before the interview:

 Personal identification – which serves to identify themselves at the venue security.

 Directions to the venue of the interview
 Names and details of contacts
 E-mail confirmation / interview call letter
 Notepad and two pens – to help one fill out any paper work to be done or to write down any information
collected
 Copies of resume
 A few passport and stamp sized photographs – to be furnished if required

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Mental Preparation
For new job seekers, it is necessary to revise subjects studied for the completed courses; knowledge in the field
of specialization must be up-to-date.

Current events and affairs of the country and across the world can also be the subjects in the interview.

Information about interviewing company, its‟ history and profile, details of owners, top management, products
and services, branches and presence across the globe etc. should be looked up by the candidate.

Psychological Preparations

Several situations or question during an interview can cause discomfort or embarrassment to the candidate.
Balance of mind is needed to deal with discouraging situations.

Honesty in answering questions is the best policy.Inability to discuss a topic makes a bad impression.
Preparation to talk of anything that maybe asked is required to be done.

Salary is a topic that must be discussed at the interview, without appearing to be bargaining or being defensive.
Having prior information about industry standards for the job being applied and ones qualifications, together
with ones honest self assessment is the psychological preparation needed by the candidate to be confident to
negotiate the compensation package.

Having clarity of purpose and seeking information about the nature of responsibilities, future prospects, other
benefits and any other information must be sort in an interview. Being psychologically prepared to ask the
questions is important.

Self – Assessment

Knowing of one‟s own strong points & weaknesses is very useful in gaining self- confidence. Self – assessment
takes time and needs to be done carefully and patiently. The help of family and friends can be taken to perform
the self – assessment. A SWOT analysis of the same maybe prepared; while strengths and weaknesses are
mostly internal and within one‟s control, opportunities and threats are in the external environment.

Preparation to Face the Interview ( D-day / Day of Interview)

An interview can be considered as having four parts all of which must be properly performed.

1. Pre-Entry – Arrival and Waiting: The candidate should arrive at the place of the interview at least 10
minutes before the scheduled time. The candidate is expected to be properly groomed and formally dressed,
well laundered and well fitting clothes, neat foot wear etc.
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The way a candidate carries oneself while standing, walking & sitting reveals a good deal about him/her, self
confidence, nervousness or over confidence are reflected in the posture & bearing of the candidate. Good
manners and conduct are necessary

2. Entry: The candidate walks into an unfamiliar room. He or she must be able to adjust quickly to the size and
appearance of the room, style of opening and closing of the door, walking greeting, and taking the chair will
show whether the candidate is clumsy, nervous, and well mannered.

Guidelines:

 Do not offer to shake hands unless it is offered by the interviewer.

 Do not sit until you are asked to sit down, if you are not asked to sit, ask for permission to sit.
 Take care while handling the chair, it should not be dragged.
 Either put your bag or briefcase on your lap or on the floor depending on its size.
 Do not place elbows or hands on the table.

3. Answering the Questions: The questions range from details about education and experience, family
background and circumstances. The questions are meant to test the candidates‟ information and knowledge as
well as personal qualities, character, attitude to work and life. Maintain comfortable posture throughout the
interview. Facial expressions and eye contact are to be maintained appropriately. If the candidate is encouraged
to ask any questions, the candidate has to make sure they ask such questions that are relevant and also showcase
their interest in the job.

4. Leaving: The interviewers generally indicated when the interview is over. They may say something like,
„Thank you‟, we‟ll get in touch with you later. Like the entry, leaving takes a very short time, but can be
confusing and uncomfortable for an inexperienced candidate. Leave taking should be responsive to the
interviewer.

Thank all the interviewers.

Collect and pack all papers and files.
Get up gracefully, without scraping the chair.
Wish them good day.
Put the chair back in its place.
Walk away with good bearing.
Shut the door carefully and noiselessly.

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 Questions
Section A (2 Marks)

1. Define communication.

2. List 4 impediments to effective communication.

3. What is the role of noise in communication process?

4. What is a group discussion?

5. What is communication gap?

6. What are presentation aids? Give examples.

Section B (6 Marks)

1. Explain the communication process in detail.

2. Write a note on the principles of communication

3. What are the principles of effective listening?

4. How to develop the matter for a speech?

5. How does a candidate prepare for attending an interview?

Section C (14 Marks)

1. Discuss the types and forms of communication in detail.

2. Explain in detail the impediments / barriers to communication. What are the strategies to overcome the
impediments / barriers?
3. What are the impediments to listening? How can we improve our listening skills?
4. What is meant by non verbal communication? Explain the elements of body language.

5. Prepare a resume to apply for the position of Finance Executive at Client Associates, Bangalore.

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 UNIT 5

CAREER PLANNING

Career

Career is a life time activity, referring to the progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime,
especially those related to that person's occupation. A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned
and work accomplished over a long period of time, rather than just referring to one position.

For example, an individual's career could involve being a lawyer, though the individual could work for several
different firms and in several different areas of law over a lifetime.

Career Planning

Career planning involves the setting of one‟s long term goals which direct him/her to choose a specific career
path.

According to Edgar Schein, “career planning is a continuous process of discovery in which an individual
develops his own occupational concept as a result of skills or abilities, needs, motivations and aspirations of his
own value system.”

Process of Career Planning:

Step 1: Self assessment / knowing yourself

You first need to ensure you know your own strengths and weaknesses, what interests you and what you are
good at. Many self assessment tests are available online and offline to assist you in discovering your true self.
Ask your friends and parents how they see you, and then see how this information correlates with the self-
assessment profile you have worked out.
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Step 2: Awareness of Career Options / Opportunities Available
This step is about exploring the various occupations, career opportunities and learning areas that interest you.
Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can research the specific skills and
qualifications required for those occupations.Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how your
skills and interests match up with these occupations?Where are the gaps? What options do you have to gain
these skills or qualify for these occupations? At the end of this step you will have a list of preferred occupations
and/or learning options.

Step 3: Making Decisions / Choosing a Career

This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and thinking about what suits you
best at this point in time. At the end of this step you will have narrowed down your options and have more of
an idea of what you need to do next to help you achieve your goals.

Step 4: Taking Action / Implementing and Reviewing Career Plan

Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action. Use all you have learnt about your skills,
interests and values together with the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your
plan and implement it. Make a concrete plan setting out the various goals and time scales (including deadlines)
for acquiring the qualifications you will require to work in your chosen profession.

Essentials to Plan A Career:

Do the home work – know and understand self, career options available
Be serious about academics, co-curricular and extra curricular activities.
Have a good and positive attitude
Have a clear idea of your vision and goals

Awareness of Different Careers ( For Ex: In Commerce, In Management Education)

Due to competition and challenging job profiles, there is enormous demand for managerial cadre in corporate.
In the field of commerce and management, one is taught to work with a team, in order to achieve some
predefined goals and targets of the particular organization.

Some career opportunities in commerce – Chartered accounting, company secretaryship, banking and financial
institutions based careers, accounting jobs and so on.
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Some career opportunities in management – careers in supply chain management, logistics, brand management,
disaster management, operations management, promotion and selling, market research, materials management,
quality assurance, industrial management, real estate management, production management, construction
management.

Sources of Information

The individuals must find out more ways to find a job that enhances the greater opportunities to succeed. The
sources of job information are:

Online job portals – the job vacancies are listed online through various job portals. Few job portals list
vacancies for a variety of jobs, while others have job in specific industries, such as IT. This saves money, time,
effort, as well as provide a lot of choices.

College placement cells- college placement services in today‟s scenario provide opportunities for college
students in resume and interview preparation and tools to practice and improve skills. They also arrange for
interviews in college campus and help employers in fulfilling their recruitment needs.

Newspaper advertisements and articles - many companies prefer to give the advertisements in the
newspapers. Newspapers have broader reach and this can be a tool for job search.

Libraries - it helps to provide the knowledge regarding the job opportunities through many magazines,
journals, newspapers, etc. people can make use of the resources available in the libraries to gain knowledge of
different job opportunities in the market.

Recruitment agencies - often advertise vacancies in newspapers, on their own websites on behalf of employers
etc. the candidate normally needs to register with an agency before they can apply for the vacancy. Recruitment
agencies will contact the candidates about the job if the candidate fulfils the basic criteria. It is an effective way
to access jobs that are not publicly advertised.

Career expos / fairs – many recruitment agencies, universities and industries hold job expos. In career expos,
we find many companies. The employers provide information about job opportunities at their companies and
list vacancies. The candidates have the opportunities to apply in many companies at once. The candidate must
take a few copies of their resume and they should be well prepared for interviews.

Personal reference – the individuals must talk to everyone they know and develop connections with people
who can either give them the information about potential job openings or introduce them to others who have
this information.
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Contact employers – contacting employers directly allows the candidate to tap into the large number of jobs
that are not advertised. Many of these jobs are filled by people who have friends, relatives or other contacts
through the organization. They are also filled by people who have taken the time to contact the employer or sent
an application. The candidate can get the contact details through the company websites.

Career Counselling

Career counselling consists of services that help people successfully manage their career development. It can be
offered to individuals or groups. It is to support an individual though his/her entire career.

Career Counsellors are those professionals who provide career guidance include career counsellors and career
development facilitators. Professional career counsellors through their expertise in career development and
labour markets can put a person‟s qualification, experience, strengths and weakness in a broad perspective
taking into consideration their desired salary, personal hobbies and interests, location, job market and education.

Through their counselling and teaching abilities they can additionally support people in gaining a better
understanding of what really matters for them personally, how they can plan their careers autonomously or help
them in making tough decisions and getting through times of crisis. Finally career counsellors are often capable
of supporting their clients in finding suitable placements or jobs.

Benefits of Career Counselling

The candidates are under a pressure to make a good life. The candidates are in need of suitable job opportunity
in order to fulfil their dreams. The career counsellors play a vital role in achieving these dreams. The benefits of
career counselling are – realize aptitude, guidance, evade confusion, determine strengths and weakness, goal
setting, job search support.

Questions

Section A (2 Marks)
1. What do you mean by career planning?
2. What is career counselling?

Section B (8 Marks)
1. What are the sources of job information?
2. What are the benefits of career counselling?

Section C (16 Marks)

1. What are the ways in which candidates can find sources of job information?
2. How to explore career opportunities in management?
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 MODEL QUESTION PAPER
III SEMESTER B.COM EXAMINATION 2016

3.7 PUBLIC RELATIONS & CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Time: 3 Hours Max Marks: 70

Section A
Answer any 5 questions. Each question carries 2 marks (2 X 5= 10)
1. a. What is positive thinking?
b. List 4 impediments of effective listening.
c. What is vision?
d. What do you mean by presentation aids? Give examples.
e. What is brainstorming?
f. What is career counselling?

Section B
Answer any 3 questions. Each question carries 6 marks (6 X 3= 18)

2. Explain the communication process in detail.

3. Explain the significance of interpersonal relationships in professional life.
4. Elaborate on the principles of time management.
5. Explain the elements of creativity.
6. Explain how to develop matter for a speech.

Section C
Answer any 3 questions. Each question carries 14 marks (3 X 14= 42)

7. What are the effects of negative attitude on professional life? How to overcome the same?
8. What is communication? What role does it play in our everyday life?
9. Explain the methods of enhancing creativity.
10. How to choose a career? What are the sources of information while choosing a career?
11. Prepare your resume to apply for the position of Finance Executive in JP Morgan Associates, Bangalore.

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