PSG INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED RESEARCH

NEELAMBUR, COIMBATORE-641 062

HS8581 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-2022

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PSG INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED RESEARCH
NEELAMBUR, COIMBATORE-641 062

HS8581 PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-2022

NAME ARAVIND B
REGISTER No 715519114008
BRANCH/YEAR MECHANICAL / III
SEMESTER VI
COURSE NAME & PROFESSIONAL
CODE COMMUNICATION - HS8581

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 PSG INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED RESEARCH
NEELAMBUR, COIMBATORE-641 062

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this is a Bonafide Record of work done by Aravind B

Of third year B.E. Mechanical engineering in the …Professional Communication
HS8581 …Laboratory conducted in this institution, for the 6th semester, during
the academic year …20212022…

Faculty in-charge Head of the English Department

Date :

University Register Number: 715519114008

Submitted on:

Internal Examiner External Examiner

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 CONTENTS
Ex. No. Title Page No Signature

1 Reading Comprehension (3 Passages- 5 5

Qs Each)
2. An essay on any current issue that had a 11
great impact on you. Give reasons. (300-
350 words)
3. Listening Comprehension (3 Short 12
Passages- 5 Qs Each)
4. Write a professional self-introduction. 16
(200-250 words)
5. Write an essay on the skills required for 17
effective presentation (300 words)
6. Select a suitable topic for GD. Discuss the 18
topic in a group of five. (Minimum two
exchanges for each participant)
7. Choose any one type of interview and state 19
the pros and cons. Mention which type of
interview you prefer and give reasons.
8. Printouts of one ppt on any topic in soft 20
skills. (4 Slides per page)
9. Listen to a TED Talk and write a 23
summary of the talk with your remarks on
the talk.
10. Write a professional write up about how 25
you see yourself eight years after
graduation
11. A write up on any one successful 26
entrepreneur and highlight what you
learnt from him/her.

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Ex.No.1

READING COMPREHENSION:
Passage 1:

"I Have a Dream" is a public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther
King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he
calls for an end to racism in the United States and called for civil and economic rights. Delivered
to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington,
D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement. Beginning with a
reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves in 1863, King
observes that: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free". Toward the end of the speech,
King departed from his prepared text for a partly improvised peroration on the theme "I have a
dream", prompted by Mahalia Jackson's cry: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" In this part of
the speech, which most excited the listeners and has now become its most famous, King
described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred. Jon
Meacham writes that, "With a single phrase, Martin Luther King Jr. joined Jefferson and Lincoln
in the ranks of men who've shaped modern America". The speech was ranked the top American
speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address

Q1. What issues does Martin Luther King’s speech address?

1. Continuation of racism

2.End to racism and civil and economic rights

3. Civil rights

4.Civil War

Ans – The second option is correct, as stated in the passage.

Q2. What pushes King to speak: “I have a dream”?

1. He reads out the Emancipation Proclamation

2.He is prompted by Mahalia Jackson

3.he is overwhelmed by the crowd

4.Licoln had asked him to give the speech

Ans- As mentioned in the passage, Mahalia Jackson had prompted him to speak about his dream

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Q3. From the last paragraph, give one word for “to leave”

1.Departed 6

2. Proclamation

3.Improvised

4.Address

Ans – The correct answer is ‘departed’

Q4. What is the name of martin Luther King’s famed speech?

1. The Emancipation Proclamation

2.An Improvisation

3. A Peroration

4.I Have a Dream

Ans – As mentioned in the beginning of the comprehension, the first answer is correct

Q5. In front of whom does King speak?

1. The civil rights supporters

2.His friends

3.Lincoln

4.The Negroes

Ans – As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the first option is correct

Passage 2:

“A principal fruit of friendship,” Francis Bacon wrote in his timeless meditation on the subject,
“is the ease and discharge of the fulness and swellings of the heart, which passions of all kinds
do cause and induce.” For Thoreau, friendship was one of life’s great rewards. But in today’s
cultural landscape of muddled relationships scattered across various platforms for connecting,
amidst constant debates about whether our Facebook “friendships” are making us more or less
happy, it pays to consider what friendship actually is. That’s precisely what CUNY philosophy

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professor Massimo Pigliucci explores in Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy
Can Lead Us to A More Meaningful Life (public library), which also gave us this provocative
read on the science of what we call “intuition.” Philosophers and cognitive scientists agree that
friendship is an essential ingredient of human happiness. But beyond the dry academic
definitions — like, say, “voluntary interdependence between two persons over time, which is
intended to facilitate socioemotional goals of the participants, and may involve varying types and
degrees of 7 companionship, intimacy, affection and mutual assistance” — lies a body of
compelling research that sheds light on how, precisely, friendship augments happiness. The way
friendship enhances well-being, it turns out, has nothing to do with quantity and everything to do
with quality — researchers confirm that it isn’t the number of friends (or, in the case of
Facebook, “friends”)

Q1. Name one change effected in the present situation which hassled to a rethinking of the
concept of friendship

1)Bacon and Thoreau’s theories are no longer available to read

2)The arrival of social media on the scene

3) There is more interest in the sciences

4) Friendships are not possible in the real world anymore, due to over-competition

Ans1) The second part is the correct answer, since the passage mentions ‘Facebook’ a social
networking website

Q2. Friendship leads to happiness. Is it true?

1)Yes, researches have proven that friendship does lead to happiness

2)No, there is no relationship between friendship and happiness

3)Friends cannot make each other happy

4)One needs to find one’s happiness alone, with peace of mind

Ans2) According to the given paragraph, the first answer is correct (as is mentioned in the
second passage of the RC)

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Q3.Did Pigliucci book discuss intuition too?

1)No, it only discussed friendship

2)It explained science and philosophy

3)It discusses Aristotle’s theories

4)Yes

Ans3) The book does discuss intuition, as stated in the first paragraph. Hence the correct answer
is the fourth option 8

Q4. Is the quality of friends important?

1) No, it is important to have a greater number of friends, quality does not matter

2) No, number of comments on social networking sites is important, not the quality of

friends 3)Yes, it matters

4)No, quality comes automatically with quantity

Ans4) The third option is correct, as stated in the last paragraph – quality matters over quantity

Q5. As per the first, paragraph what are the debates about?

1) They are centered around whether our Facebook friends are helping us become more or
less happy

2) There are no debates around friendship

3) The quality of comments of social media is debatable

4)Thoreau and Aristotle’s thinking is at loggerheads

Ans5) The first option is correct, as per the first paragraph in the given RC

Passage 3:

Today I Rabindranath Tagore complete eighty years of my life .As I look back on the vast
stretch of years that lie behind me and see in clear perspective the history of my early
development, I am struck by the change that has taken place both in my own attitude and in the

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psychology of my countrymen -- a change that carries within it a cause of profound tragedy. Our
direct contact with the larger world of men was linked up with the contemporary history of the
English people whom we came to know in those earlier days. It was mainly through their mighty
literature that we formed our ideas with regard to these newcomers to our Indian shores. In those
days the type of learning that was served out to us was neither plentiful nor diverse, nor was the
spirit of scientific enquiry very much 9 in evidence. Thus, their scope being strictly limited, the
educated of those days had recourse to English language and literature. Their days and nights
were eloquent with the stately declamations of Burke, with Macaulay’s long-rolling sentences;
discussions centered upon Shakespeare's drama and Byron's poetry and above all upon the large-
hearted liberalism of the nineteenth-century English politics. At the time though tentative
attempts were being made to gain our national independence, at heart we had not lost faith in the
generosity of the English race. This belief was so firmly rooted in the sentiments of our leaders
as to lead them to hope that the victor would of his own grace pave the path of freedom for the
vanquished. This belief was based upon the fact that England at the time provided a shelter to all
those who had to flee from persecution in their own country. Political martyrs who had suffered
for the honor of their people were accorded unreserved welcome at the hands of the English. I
was impressed by this evidence of liberal humanity in the character of the English and thus I
was led to set them on the pedestal of my highest respect. This generosity in their national
character had not yet been vitiated by imperialist pride. About this time, as a boy in England, I
had the opportunity of listening to the speeches of John Bright, both in and outside Parliament.
The large-hearted, radical liberalism of those speeches, overflowing all narrow national bounds,
had made so deep an impression on my mind that something of it lingers even today, even in
these days of graceless disillusionment.

Q1. From the first paragraph, give a synonym for ‘deep’:

1.Perspective

2.Profound

3.tragedy

4.Psychology

Ans – the word ‘profound’ is similar in meaning to ‘deep’

Q2. What helped the Indians to conceive of a notion of the Englishmen?

1.Their advanced weaponry

2.Their literature

3.Their orders

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4.Their administration Ans – As mentioned in the second paragraph, English literature helped
Indians to shape their ideas about the Englishmen

Q3. Who could read and gain from English literature?

1.The educated Indians

2. All the Indians

3. Only writers such as Rabindranath

Tagore 4.None of the above

Ans – As stated in the second paragraph, only the educated Indians could understand English
literature

Q4. From the third paragraph, give an antonym for ‘victorious’

1.Victor

2.vanquished

3.Belief

4.Persecution

Ans – ‘Vanquished’ is the antonym, it means defeated

Q5. Whose speeches did Tagore listen to, as a boy?

1.Shakespeare

2.Byron

3.John Bright

4.Macaulay

Ans – Tagore listened to John Bright’s speeches, as stated in the last paragraph

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Ex No .2:

ESSAY ON GENDER EQUALITY

Equality or non-discrimination is that state where every individual gets equal opportunities and
rights. Every individual of the society yearns for equal status, opportunity, and rights. However, it
is a general observation that there exists lots of discrimination between humans. Discrimination
exists because of cultural differences, geographical differences, and gender. Inequality based on
gender is a concern that is prevalent in the entire world. Even in the 21st century, across globe
men and women do not enjoy equal privileges. Gender equality means providing equal
opportunities to both men and women in political, economic, education and health aspects.

Importance of Gender Equality

A nation can progress and attain higher development growth only when both men and women are
entitled to equal opportunities. Women in the society are often cornered and are refrained from
getting equal rights as men to health, education, decision-making and economic independence in
terms of wages.

The social structure that prevails since long in such a way that girls do not get equal opportunities
as men. Women generally are the caregivers in the family. Because of this, women are mostly
involved in household activities. There is lesser participation of women in higher education,
decision-making roles, and leadership roles. This gender disparity is a hindrance in the growth rate
of a country. When women participate in the workforce increases the economic growth rate of the
country increases. Gender equality increases the overall wellbeing of the nation along
with economic prosperity.

Gender Inequality in India

As per the World Economic Forum’s gender gap ranking, India stands at rank 108 out of 149
countries. This rank is a major concern as it highlights the immense gap in opportunities in
women with comparison to men. In Indian society from a long time back, the social structure has
been such that the women are neglected in many areas like education, health, decision-making
areas, financial independence, etc.

Another major reason, which contributes to the discriminatory behavior towards women in India,
is the dowry system in marriage. Because of this dowry system, most Indian families consider
girls as a burden. Preference for son still prevails. Girls have refrained from higher education.
Women are not entitled to equal job opportunities and wages. In the 21 st century, women are still
preferred gender in home managing activities. Many women quit their job and opt-out from
leadership roles because of family commitments. However, such actions are very uncommon
among men.

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Conclusion

For overall wellbeing and growth of a nation, scoring high on gender equality is the most crucial
aspect. Countries with less disparity in gender equality have progressed a lot. The government of
India has also started taking steps to ensure gender equality. Several laws and policies are
prepared to encourage girls. “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” (Save girl, and make girls
educated) campaign is created to spread awareness of the importance of girl child. Several laws
to protect girls are also there. However, we need more awareness of spreading knowledge of
women rights. In addition, the government should take initiatives to check the correct and proper
implementation of policies.

Ex. No.3

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

PASSAGE 1:

Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is
conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through
the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary, and the
music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater
such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung
rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small
instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

1. It is pointed out in the reading that opera ----.

A) has developed under the influence of musical theater

B) is a drama sung with the accompaniment of an orchestra

C) is not a high-budget production

D) is often performed in Europe

E) is the most complex of all the performing arts

2. We can understand from the reading that ----.

A) people are captivated more by opera than musical theater

B) drama in opera is more important than the music

C) orchestras in operas can vary considerably in size

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D) musical theater relies above all on music

E) there is argument over whether the music is important or the words Is opera

3. It is stated in the reading that ----.

A) acting and costumes are secondary to music in musical theater

B) many people find musical theater more captivating than opera

C) music in musical theater is not as important as it is in opera

D) an opera requires a huge orchestra as well as a large choir

E) opera doesn't have any properties in common with musical theater

PASSAGE 2:

Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them
helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we
learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than
people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care
for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some
scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more
probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any
of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common
argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily
than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover
about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy
them.

1. It is clear from the passage that dolphins ----.

A) don't want to be with us as much as we want to be with them

B) are proven to be less intelligent than once thought

C) have a reputation for being friendly to humans

D) are the most powerful creatures that live in the oceans

E) are capable of learning a language and communicating with humans

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2. The fact that the writer of the passage thinks that we can kill dolphins
more easily than they can kill us ----.

A) means that they are better adapted to their environment than we are

B) shows that dolphins have a very sophisticated form of communication

C) proves that dolphins are not the most intelligent species at sea

D) does not mean that we are superior to them

E) proves that Dolphins have linguistic skills far beyond what we previously
thought

3. One can infer from the reading that ----.

A) dolphins are quite abundant in some areas of the world

B) communication is the most fascinating aspect of the dolphins

C) dolphins have skills that no other living creatures have such as ability to think

D) it is not usual for dolphins to communicate with each other

E) dolphins have some social traits that are similar to those of humans

PASSAGE 3:

Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the
passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have
happened. It was well designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper
number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage.
Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went
down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins,
had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard,
only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck
them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However,
there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and
why so
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many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women,
children and the elderly.

1. One can understand from the reading that ----.

A) the lifesaving equipment did not work well and lifeboats could not be lowered

B) design faults and incompetent crew contributed to the sinking of Estonia ferry

C) 139 people managed to leave the vessel but died in freezing water

D) naval architects claimed that the Estonia was unsinkable

E) most victims were trapped inside the boat as they were in their cabins

2. It is clear from the passage that the survivors of the accident ----.

A) helped one another to overcome the tragedy that had affected them all

B) were mostly young men but women, children and the elderly stood little
chance

C) helped save hundreds of lives

D) are still suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder

E) told the investigators nothing about the accident

3. According to the passage, when the Estonia sank, ----.

A) there were only 139 passengers on board

B) few of the passengers were asleep

C) there were enough lifeboats for the number of people on board

D) faster reaction by the crew could have increased the Estonia's chances of
survival

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E) all the passengers had already moved out into the open deck

Ex. No:4

SELF INTRODUCTION

Hello sir/madam,

It's my pleasure to speak with you. I am Aravind. Basically, I belong to Vijayawada. I have been
living in Coimbatore for 3 years. I stay here with my family. Besides my parents, there is a
younger brother in my family. Currently, I am exploring job opportunities in the Mechanical
field as I have recently finished B.E from PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research.

I am very interested in the Space vehicles/Rovers. Post that, my internship experience and other
practical projects in the college further boosted my interest in Mechanical field as a full-time
career option.

Not only am I passionate about the field I graduated in Mechanical, I am also inclined towards
creative activities such as drawing, sports etc. I have always been an active student in school and
college. I have participated in many cultural events during my school and college days and have
won many awards.

In my free time, I enjoy going out with friends and trying new cuisines. I also enjoy watching
movies, listening to music, reading, working out, and going on road trips.

I am looking forward to knowing more about this opportunity and I will be happy to answer
more questions.

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Ex No :5

SKILLS ON EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

PowerPoint presentations are quite common in both academic and professional settings, and,
because they are such an important part of how you’ll likely present your ideas and information
to an audience, it’s helpful to have some basic information on how to create an effective
PowerPoint presentation.

The basic purpose of a PowerPoint presentation is to give you a way to present key ideas to an
audience with visual support. Your PowerPoint presentation shouldn’t be full of text. It is meant
to provide you with speaking points, and detailed notes should be kept from your audience. You
want to keep your slides clear, clean, short, focused, and you want to keep your audience.

1. Remember to avoid too much text. You should keep your text brief and
include talking points only. Detailed notes can be inserted into the notes section of
PowerPoint but only you should see those notes, unless a professor asks to see your
notes to evaluate your PowerPoint as an assignment.
2. Be consistent and clear with your font choices. Make sure your font is
large enough that an audience in a room would be able to see your text, even if
audience members are sitting in the back of the room.
3. Be careful with your color choices for text and background. You
want to make sure your audience can read your text easily. Black on white text is
easiest to read but is also boring for a presentation. Still, when you add color,
just be sure you are adding color that works and doesn’t distract.
4. Being Personable.Being personable is a great quality for every aspect of
business, including presentations. People will listen more intently if they like you
and see you as relatable. Some good ways to be personable are by making eye
contact with your audience and smiling. These simple actions build rapport and
increase the chances of the audience feeling like they can connect with you.
5. Great Body Language.Your body language says more than you think. More
than three-quarters of communication is non-verbal. Though your speaking holds
the meaning, body language could determine whether an audience listens to you
and how they interpret your speech. Great presenters stand up straight and
confidently. They do not cross their arms in front of their chest, as this comes off
as cold and distant. They also avoid pacing or holding their hands behind their
backs because it makes them seem nervous. Keep your body language open and
welcoming, and your audience will see you as more credible and trustworthy.

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Ex.No:6

GROUP DISCUSSION
Are Driverless Cars Safe?

Speaker 1: Hi all. The topic for todays group discussion is "Are driverless cars safe"? There a
lot of companies which are investing heavily and it seems that they will take all precautions to
make the cars safe.

Speaker 2: I agree. Companies like Tesla, Toyota, Honda are investing billions of dollars as
they see a massive opportunity in this field. With good roads, GPS navigation, high speed
internet, self-driving driverless cars seems to be a good business idea.

Speaker 3: I beg to differ. While the concept is good, there are certain elements which a
machine or software can never predict. What is there is a malfunction in the program or loss of
internet or a sudden failure of car parts? All these cannot be predicted and can be catastrophic.

Speaker 4: I totally agree with Juhi. While it is a business proposition, it not be considered
safe. Even a plane that works on auto-pilot must have a human in the cockpit to ensure a
sensible, rational decision. There is a huge difference between being automated & being
autonomous.

Speaker 5: That’s true. An automatic car is where functions like navigation, gear changing,
speed control, viper, headlights, air-conditioning etc. are automated but still requires a human
intervention. On the other hand, an autonomous car is where car will travel without any human in
it. While an automatic car can be improved, the idea of autonomous vehicles is certainly not safe.

Speaker 2: Financial experts say that by reduction of car accidents more than $200Bn can
be saved in USA alone.

Speaker 1: More than money, globally 10million lives can be saved by preventing human
errors while driving.

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Speaker 4: These might be statistically true, but then if there is an accident or death in the case
of a driverless car, who will be responsible & accountable? The car owner or the car company?
And how will justice be served to the victim?

Speaker 3: Also, if it is a software or program, it will always be vulnerable to hacks or

security breaches or software malfunctions.

Speaker 5: In the concept of driverless cars, there will always be an ambiguity in terms of
human life.

Conclusion:
Leading auto companies as well as tech giants like Uber, Nvidia, Microsoft have been investing
billions of dollars in having self-driving cars. There are several benefits, including elimination of
human errors while driving a car. However, since these cars would be prone to hacks or
malfunction, that is a valid concern. Also, in case of an accident by a self-driving car, who will
be held responsible?

Ex.No:7

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS (FACE-TO-FACE)

My preference is face to face interviews.

Individual, face-to-face interviews are by far the most popular and efficient form of assessment.

Allowing you to get up close and personal with each candidate while keeping an eye on
their body language is far more effective than any other interviewing format.

Think about it: do you find it easier to build a relationship with someone over the phone or face-
to-face?
How Long Should It Take?
You can tell a lot about an individual interview, by how long it takes. As a general rule…

30 minutes or less would imply a less-than-average candidate. Either they didn’t grip you at all
and answered with the bear minimum or something was seriously wrong and you just wanted to
get them out of the room (or vice versa).

45 minutes is roughly average. This shows that the candidate is engaging in conversation,
expanding and answering with detail. These could be great candidates for the job.

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Over an hour. Candidates that are really impressive will keep you talking and before you know
it, the interview will have overrun. These super-engaging candidates are the ones to look out for.

Advantages:
 You can build rapport more easily
 You can thoroughly assess the individual
 You have opportunity to dig deeper
 You can read their body language
 You can test the candidate’s commitment
 You’re more flexible with location/ style (informal/ formal).

Disadvantages:
 Candidates can rehearse answers
 It’s time-consuming
 You’ll need a trained interviewer.
 Interviewer bias will affect the decision
 There’s no one present to assess the interviewer’s method
 Interview techniques could be inconsistent
 Possible interview fatigue

Ex. No.8

SOFT SKILLS

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Ex.No:9

TED TALK
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Grit is the combination of passion (a deep, enduring knowledge of what you want) and
perseverance (hard work and resilience). It’s about moving in a direction with consistency and
endurance, like having a clear inner compass that guides all your decisions and actions.
 Having a clear hierarchy of goals, sticking to your high-level goals consistently, and
aligning your goals at all levels. We also explain the 4 steps you can use to prioritize and
align your goals.
 Research background on how grit relates to genes, culture and experience.
Essentially, grit can be developed, with life experiences probably player a major role.
 Various research studies have proven that talent and intelligence alone don’t predict
success. In fact, talent can hinder performance, and aptitude tests tend to be poor
measures of true potential. On the other hand, effort (which is sustained by grit) is doubly
important. You must put in effort to hone your natural talents into tangible skills through
practice and improvement. You must also put in effort to apply those skills to solve real-
world problems to attain achievement.
 Contrary to popular belief, our interests, passions and calling are not inborn; they’re
cultivated over time. Grit paragons don’t suddenly discover their passion in a magical,
fireworks-filled moment, nor do they fall crazily in love with the perfect job. Instead,
they spend years exploring different interests before focusing on one area. As they
practice and hone their skills, they also develop a deeper understanding and appreciation
of their craft until it becomes a burning passion and a calling.

 In the initial stages, most people learn and practice something for fun, not to develop a
life-long career. Deep interest emerges with time, and comes from a blend of age, real-
life triggers, a period of interest development and support from others.
 Hard work alone isn’t enough. Cognitive psychologist Anders Ericsson found that experts
became outstanding not just from lots of practice, but how they practice,
 Purpose is “the intention to contribute to the well-being of others.” Both gritty and non-
gritty people seek short-term pleasures, but gritty people are drastically more likely to
also seek to contribute to others. They usually spend years developing their skills and
interest, before they discover their purpose later in life

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  Hope is “the expectation that our own efforts can improve our future”. It helps us to

persevere; it gives us the strength to get up each time we fall and to keep going
 Duckworth refers to parenting broadly as the act of nurturing the next generation. Every
grit paragon she interviewed had at least 1 person who, at the right time and in the right
way, motivated him/her to push through to the next level

 Grit and follow-through have been found to be directly correlated, and follow-through
has also been found to be the best predictor of whether young people attain high
achievement later in life. Developing a Culture of Grit Culture refers to a group’s shared
norms and values. Our cultures shape our self-identity, worldview and the way we think
and act.

My thoughts:

After leaving a high-powered job and transitioning to becoming a public school teacher in New
York City Public Schools, Angela Lee Duckworth began to see that “IQ was not the only
difference between the best and the worst students.”

She shares, “After many years, I came to the conclusion that what we need in education is a
much better understanding of students and learning from a motivational perspective, from a
psychological perspective.” She began to ask the question, “What if your ability to do well in
school and in life depends on much more than your ability to learn quickly and easily?”

These questions led her to graduate school where she became a psychologist who studied kids
and adults in a full range of challenging settings to determine who was successful and why.
Throughout these various contexts, “one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of
success.” This characteristic was not “social intelligence, good looks, physical health, or IQ – it
was grit.”

She defines grit as “having stamina” and focusing on pursuing your future goals and sticking
with those beyond a few weeks or months.

Instead, gritty people stick with their goals for years, “working really hard to make that future
happen.” They see life “as a marathon, not a sprint.”

Her studies took her to Chicago Public Schools where she found that “grittier kids were more
likely to graduate even when matched with characteristics like family income, standardized
achievement scores, or whether they felt safe at school.” Grit is especially important for kids at
risk for dropping out.

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She repeats one of the questions she is asked most frequently: How do we keep students
motivated?

Unfortunately, the answer is still unknown but it is apparent that talented students are not
always those who are gritty. In fact, she says, “many talented kids who simply do not follow
through on their commitments. In our data, grit is usually unrelated or inversely related to
measures of
talent.”

Angela Lee Duckworth cites an idea developed at Stanford University by Carol Dweck, PhD
on growth mindset as the best idea she has heard about building grit.

“Growth mindset,” she says, “is the belief that the ability to learn isn’t fixed. It can change with
your effort.” She shares Dr. Dweck’s work that when young people “learn about the brain and
how it grows in response to challenge, they are more likely to persevere when they fail because
they don’t believe failure is a permanent condition.”

Myanmar leaders are likely familiar with grit, perhaps without naming that characteristic.
Myanmar leaders have demonstrated perseverance through many challenging circumstances
already. As leaders of various industries, whether we’re working with youth or with elderly, with
disabled populations or business leaders, when we adopt a growth mindset and put our passions
toward pursuing our goals, we can develop grit.

In Angela Lee Duckworth’s words, “We need to take our best ideas, strongest intuitions, test and
measure them. We have to be willing to fail, to be wrong and start over again with lessons
learned.”

Ex. No.10

I have always set my priorities in life. Today I can say that those priorities have helped me
achieve various things. Those decisions have rewarded me with the opportunity to sit here in a
reputed organization. It is almost certain that I have set up priorities for the upcoming years. I
look forward to working here with a promising attitude.

I want to attain new heights in my career whilst taking forward the goal of this organization. It
is important for me to synchronize my targets with the objectives of this company. Then it can be
easier for me to work with my full potential. The five years that lie ahead can be marked with
milestones of progress, for me as well as the organization.

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Ex. No:11

SUCCESSFUL ENTTREPRENEUR – STEVE JOBS

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, unfortunately, his parents were
university students and they set him up for adoption. The gifted child was adopted by Paul
Reinhold Jobs and Clara Jobs. As Paul was somewhat involved in vehicle mechanics and
electronics, he taught Steve some things which developed his interest in technology and
mechanisms. Steve was talented in other areas as well; his mother taught him how to read even
before he went to school, which was another proof of his quick learning brain.

In school, Steve was a rebel and was not interested in formal education, which is very
characteristic of gifted children, as school seems simple and distant to them. He often got
involved it problematic situations, receiving a label of a troublemaker (Gilliam 15). His passion
for electronics got only stronger which led him to be in constant attendance of several electronics
clubs in a number of schools. Steve’s bad behavior forced the family to move around and change
schools, which turned out to be extremely beneficial. When his family moved to Los Altos,
California, he met a friend by the name Bill Fernandez. Steve Wozniak was another electronics
enthusiast whom Bill introduced to Steve. Wozniak and Jobs became good friends, as their
interest in electronics were mutual and equally consuming.

Steve’s next major step was to convince Bill Hewlett, one of the owners of Hewlett-Packard, to
give Steve computer equipment. Hewlett was surprised by Steve’s intelligence and gave him a
job on the assembly line; he was thirteen years old .At fifteen, Steve acquired a vehicle with the
money saved. The bargaining skills he gained from his adoptive father while selling cars and his
knowledge of electronics became very useful for him during his whole life. As Steve got older
and went to college, he encountered the same problem as in school and so he went off to search
for the “meaning of life” in India. There, he realized that to make something great out of an idea
there must be active and so, he decided to pursue his meaning in life by returning home and
resuming his passion in electronics, which happened in 1974

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When he worked at a company called “Altair” he was thought of as the very impolite and
impatient person who often insulted co-workers because they could not understand something or
complete a job fast enough. In 1975, he reunited with his friend Wozniak and saw the machine
that he had built. Jobs was fascinated by it and proposed to create their own company. In 1976,
the first step towards Apple was taken, and Jobs, Wozniak, and Ron Wayne, officially signed the
papers cementing their own company. Their first model was called Apple I and was made by
Wozniak. By the end of their first year in business, they have sold 150 units of Apple I. In 1977
Apple II became a model of mass sales. While at Apple, Steve was always thought to be separate
from the rest of the team, he pursued his own ideas and paid great attention to details, which
many times created problems by delaying the product for the market. In 1985 Wozniak resigns
from Apple and Jobs is replaced as chief executive.

In 1986 Steve Jobs decides to start another company called NeXT. His computer and software
were successful but too expensive and so, in 1993, he is forced to close the manufacturing plant
and focus his efforts on the software only. In1996, Apple realizes that Jobs is the “missing link”
and he returns. Steve is consumed by his work, focusing all his attention on the search for an idea
that must change the world (Lusted 20). He visits different departments to see their progress and
spends countless hours working on the new technology. In 1998 the world is introduced with
iMac, a computer with easy access to the internet, in 2001 the iPod comes out.

Steve continues to work hard, often being impatient, searching for the breakthrough. Even
though in 2003 Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he recovers and puts much effort
into that, which revolutionized the world. In 2007 Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone. This device
united several previous inventions in one: easy internet access, the cell phone, and the iPod.
Steve Jobs is known for his originality in designs, innovation, and persistence. Even though he
was sometimes impatient towards his co-workers, his perfectionist nature and attention to detail
made him the person he was. His ability to quickly change decisions was one of his great
strengths (Elliot 47). His entrepreneurial skills can be traced to his childhood and have lasted all
his life, making him famous.

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