Business Skills – 2

PERSONAL MASTERY

1. Introduction
2. Result Orientation
3. Ownership and Accountability
4. Collaborative Ways Of Working
5. How To Be A Good Team Player
6. Ability To Work With Various Stakeholders
7. Agile Mindset
8. DevOps Mindset
9. Developing The Consultative Mindset
10. Stress Management
11. Continuous Learning Culture

Introduction

• Personal Mastery is one of the 5 Learning Disciplines first promulgated by Peter Senge.
• Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision,
of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively. People with a
high level of personal mastery are able to consistently realize the results that matter most deeply
to them.”-Peter Senge-The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
• An essential ingredient for super-happiness in life is discovering personal mastery. It is
about our journey towards continuous improvement and seeing life from a different
perspective.
• “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”
―Henry David Thoreau

• Personal Mastery Principles :-

- To set goals for yourself
- To prioritize what is more important to you
- To develop self-confidence and self-esteem
- To deepen your commitment
- To adapt and work with change
- To accept harsh realities of life
- To let go of negativities like resentment and blame
- To deal with the most difficult and challenging situations

• 7 Pathways to Personal Mastery

➢ Personal Vision : Personal vision provides energy and impetus to change. It’s like a
point on the horizon you set to guide the path you take. Without it, you wander around
aimlessly.

➢ Personal Purpose : In many ways precedes Personal Vision. We all crave meaning in
our lives. We want to feel our lives matter and know how we make a difference, what
our special gifts, talents and contributions are and why we do what you do. Purpose
fuels passion. It’s energising.

➢ Personal Values : Being clear on values you consciously choose to hold – and
changing them if they ill-match – is at the heart of attributes like integrity and
authenticity.
➢ Personal Alignment : Is the degree to which our personal vision, purpose, values and
behaviours are congruent with each other. When these things match-up closely, huge
amounts of positive power and energy can be unleashed. and we find the creative
capacity to re-shape and re-new ourselves.
➢ Personal Perception : It’s also about your ‘self-identity’ and ‘self-concept’, which is
the source of your ‘self-esteem’ and the degree to which you learn to perceive yourself
accurately.
As we focus outwards, another question comes into focus: “Is how I see myself and what
I stand for the same as others see me?” This relates to how accurately leaders see
themselves, which also extends to how you see other people, events and situations too.
Our way of seeing impacts our way of being which links to personal awareness.
➢ Personal Awareness : Is how much you know (or are willing to know) about yourself
what makes you the way you are, your wants, drives, needs, desires and preferences. It’s
being able to step back and become an observer of what you’re really are.
➢ Personal Transformation : Is the creative capacity we all have to re-shape, re-new or
re-invent ourselves to be more in harmony with our personal vision, values and purpose.
 The ability to bridge those unavoidable gaps between personal vision and present reality
is a key action-element of Personal Mastery.

• The Link to Emotional Intelligence :

An individual who attained Personal Mastery would be able to raise the below -

As a concept, Daniel Goleman’s 4 Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence(EI) are closely

related to Personal Mastery.
 Result Orientation

• Result oriented is a term used to describe an individual or organization that focuses on

outcome rather than process used to produce a product or deliver a service. As such, a
number of processes are used where the most effective and economical process is
identified. The primary goal of a result-oriented individual or organization is to meet
objectives and realize positive growth.

• Delegation involves providing the responsibility (and at times authority) to perform a

task to a team member. While the task is originally assigned to us, delegation provides
an excellent opportunity to develop the skills of team while ensuring better prioritization
for ones tasks.

• 4 Ways to Become a Results Driven Worker :-

➢ Work on projects where you can measure the results

➢ Turn everything you do into a case study
➢ Find ways to measure outcomes
➢ Improve your work style

Ownership and Accountability

• Ownership & Accountability means individuals and teams taking accountability for the
quality and success of both the output and outcomes of their work. Both of these are
important, as ownership doesn’t mean perfection. It means knowing why you are doing
the work (the outcome) and making sure that what you produce (the output) is fit-for-
purpose. It also means understanding, learning, and challenging rather than mindlessly
following instructions.
• Accountability is to be held to account for the fulfillment of your duties and
responsibilities. Accountability requires answers and entails consequences.
Accountability is not a feeling like ownership or responsibility, rather accountability is a
process that is usually external. Someone holds you accountable, although a sense of
ownership means that you will also hold yourself accountable as well.

• Accountability v/s Ownership -

- Authority Moves from top to down

- Responsibility and Accountability moves from down to top (Junior to senior)
 An insight into Accountability
The accountability system is used to ensure that all employees understand what their
managers expect from them, what excellence looks like in action, how they are
performing against their targets. Managers hold employees accountable so projected
results are met.
An insight into Ownership
Ownership is not something that managers can demand – employees choose whether to
OWN their work, their department’s goals, and their organization's mission. Managers
need to create a work environment that improves the likelihood of high employee
engagement and ownership.

Collaborative Ways Of Working

• Collaboration is defined as the action of working with one or more people to produce an
output or reach a goal. If used well collaboration brings in strong synergy in teams and
helps achieve results much higher than what could be achieved by the individuals.
• “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is
success.” –Henry Ford
• 10 most common barriers to effective team communication:
➢ Physical Separation and Lack of Contact Among Team Members.
➢ Gender Differences.
➢ Generational Differences. ➢ A lack of Trust.
➢ Cultural Diversity ➢ Noise
➢ Language Differences ➢ Information overload.
➢ Differences in Values and Beliefs. ➢ Personal Biases and Prejudices.

• Six Steps to Breaking Down Communication Barriers

➢ Model Effective Team Communication.
➢ Clarify Your Expectations
➢ Observe and Record Team Communication.
➢ Gather Input from Your Team
➢ Identify Barriers to Effective Communication and Name Them.
➢ Explicitly Teach Communication Skills.

How To Be A Good Team Player

• Communicate
• Be a problem solver
• Know your role and your limits
• Take initiative
• Stick to your deadlines
• Know your strengths
• Support your teammates
• Share information
• Ideal Team Player have the below characteristics: 1. Humble 2. Hungry 3. Smart
• Behaviors of cohesive team - ● Trust ● Conflict ● Commitment & Result
● Accountability
• A good team player has following characteristics :- ● Accountability ● Flexibility
● Positivity ● Commitment ● Integrity

Ability To Work With Various Stakeholders

• Identify stakeholders
• Determine stakeholder interests
• Manage conflicts
• Prioritize outcomes
• Organize communication
• Establish reporting methods
• Be adaptable
• Use a stakeholder management platform
Agile Mindset

• Growth Mindset v/s Fixed Mindset -

• “Growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can
cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way in their
initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments, everyone can change and grow
through application and experience. This is important because it can actually change
what you strive for and what you see as success” – Carol Dweck
• “If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve,” - Debbie Millman
• “The more you seek the uncomfortable, the more you will become comfortable” -
Conon McGregor
• Ways to develop growth mindset :-
➢ Acknowledge and embrace imperfections - Hiding from your weaknesses means
you’ll never overcome them.
➢ View challenges as opportunities - Having a growth mindset means relishing
opportunities for self-improvement.
➢ Try different learning tactics - There’s no one-size-fits-all model for learning. What
works for one person may not work for you.
➢ Follow the research on brain plasticity - The brain isn’t fixed; the mind shouldn’t
be either.
➢ Replace the word “failing” with the word “learning.” - When you make a mistake
or fall short of a goal, you haven’t failed; you’ve learned.
➢ Stop seeking approval - When you prioritise approval over learning, you sacrifice
your own potential for growth.
➢ Value the process over the end result - Intelligent people enjoy the learning process,
and don’t mind when it continues beyond an expected time frame.
➢ Cultivate a sense of purpose - Dweck’s research also showed that students with a
growth mindset had a greater sense of purpose. Keep the big picture in mind.
➢ Celebrate growth with others - If you truly appreciate growth, you’ll want to share
your progress with others.
➢ Emphasise growth over speed - Learning fast isn’t the same as learning well, and
learning well sometimes requires allowing time for mistakes.
➢ Reward actions, not traits - Tell students when they’re doing something smart, not
just being smart.
➢ Redefine “genius.” - The myth’s been busted: genius requires hard work, not talent
alone.
➢ Portray criticism as positive - You don’t have to used that hackneyed term,
 “constructive criticism,” but you do have to believe in the concept.
➢ Dissassociate improvement from failure - Stop assuming that “room for
improvement” translates into failure.
➢ Provide regular opportunities for reflection - Let students reflect on their learning
at least once a day.
➢ Place effort before talent - Hard work should always be rewarded before inherent
skill.
➢ Highlight the relationship between learning and “brain training.” - The brain is
like a muscle that needs to be worked out, just like the body.
➢ Cultivative Grit- Students with that extra bit of determination will be more likely to
seek approval from themselves rather than others.
➢ Abandon the image - “Naturally smart” sounds just about as believable as
“spontaneous generation.” You won’t achieve the image if you’re not ready for the work.
➢ Use the word “yet.” - Dweck says “not yet” has become one of her favourite phrases.
Whenever you see students struggling with a task, just tell them they haven’t mastered it
yet.
➢ Learn from other people’s mistakes - It’s not always wise to compare yourself to
others, but it is important to realise that humans share the same weaknesses.
➢ Make a new goal for every goal accomplished - You’ll never be done learning. Just
because your midterm exam is over doesn’t mean you should stop being interested in a
subject. Growth-minded people know how to constantly create new goals to keep
themselves stimulated.
➢ Take risks in the company of others - Stop trying to save face all the time and just
let yourself goof up now and then. It will make it easier to take risks in the future.
➢ Think realistically about time and effort - It takes time to learn. Don’t expect to
master every topic under the sun in one sitting.
➢ Take ownership over your attitude - Once you develop a growth mindset, own it.
Acknowledge yourself as someone who possesses a growth mentality and be proud to let
it guide you throughout your educational career.

• What is an Agile Mindset ? -

"The core of Agile is recognizing that we need to get to and maintain an Agile mindset.
If I have an organization with an Agile mindset, and really rock-solid product
management, Agile processes and tools will evolve out of that. If you have the Agile
mindset and an awesome connection with your customers and are solving their
problems, things will evolve in the right way. You won't even realize you're being Agile.
It's just good business." - Todd Little, CEO Lean Kanban

• There are many definitions of an Agile mindset, but the general consensus is that it:

➢ Views setbacks as learning opportunities

➢ Embraces iteration, collaboration, and change
➢ Focuses on delivering value
• Agile values and principles: Iteration, collaboration, and change
• Agile Mindset Focuses on delivering Value
• Agile have : SCRUM, KANBAN, LEAN DEVELOPMENT

• What does it mean to have Agile Mindset?

There are several characteristics I believe make up the agile mindset:

➢ Positive attitude ➢ Pragmatism
➢ Thirst for knowledge ➢ Willingness to fail
➢ Goal of team success ➢ Continuous Improvement

To me, an agile mindset is "There is no failure, only feedback." It's about taking
everything as lessons, adjusting actions according to the feedback, and proceeding
toward desired outcomes, resulting in continuous improvement.
• Attributes Of Agile Mindset -
 DevOps Mindset

• The concept of DevOps is founded on building a culture of collaboration between teams

that historically functioned in relative siloes. The promised benefits include..,
➢ Increased trust ➢ Ability to solve critical issues quickly
➢ Faster software releases ➢ Better manage unplanned work.
• The more specific definition is that “DevOps is the engineering domain responsible for
the design, implementation and management of CI/CD (continuous integration and
continuous delivery) frameworks, which more recently has also subsumed responsibility
for container design and management.” - Joseph Pellegrini
• Tips to develop devops mindset -
➢ Build new interaction points
➢ Keep gathering feedback from stakeholders
➢ Fight the urge to build new silos
➢ Let metrics guide cross-organization improvement
➢ Invest in a culture of learning
➢ Set up an effective workspace
➢ Create a routine
➢ Connect, connect, and connect
➢ Focus
➢ Do not forget to stay healthy

• DevOps Culture -
 ➢ Clan culture : It is centered at collaboration within the team. The main thesis is that
keeping the team members satisfied and committed to a common goal is crucial to
ensuring high IT performance of the business. The main source of effectiveness is the
participation of the team members in the decision-making process and the team leaders
are the mentors and coaches, centered at helping the individuals and teams to improve
and move forward.

➢ Adhocracy : This is the breeding force of startups when the biggest value is given to
the innovative solutions that open new business opportunities. The teams with this
culture should be agile and adaptive, quick with adopting innovations, and the leaders
are innovators and visionaries able to inspire their staff.

➢ Hierarchy : This type of organizational culture is centered at following the rules to

ensure the timeliness and efficiency of the processes. The teams value task delegation to
remove redundancy and eliminate waste, thus increasing productivity. The leaders are
organizers oriented at overseeing strict workflow allegiance within the team.

➢ Market culture : This approach to business culture honors competition, both internal
and external above all. The teams are aimed at constantly improving their results
through devoting more effort in over to grow as a team and gain a competitive
advantage over other market players. The leaders in this culture must be good at
multitasking and invigorating their teams to achieve the goals despite any obstacles.

• 5 essential values for the DevOps mindset -

➢ Feedback from stakeholders is essential - Focus on our stakeholders and their

feedback rather than simply changing for the sake of change.

➢ Improve beyond the limits of today's processes - Strive to always innovate and
improve beyond repeatable processes and frameworks.

➢ No new silos to break down silos - Inspire and share collaboratively instead of
becoming a hero or creating a silo.

➢ Knowing your customer means cross-organization collaboration - Measure

performance across the organization, not just in a line of business.
 ➢ Inspire adoption through enthusiasm - Promote a culture of learning through lean
quality deliverables, not just tools and automation.

• 7 key principles for a successful devops culture -

➢ Foster a Collaborative Environment
➢ Impose End-to-End Responsibility
➢ Encourage Continuous Improvement
➢ Automate (Almost) Everything
➢ Focus on the Customer’s Needs
➢ Embrace Failure, and Learn From it
➢ Unite Teams - and Expertise
• Essential Component of Devops: ● Automation ● Transparency ● Talent

Developing The Consultative Mindset

• Difficult situations with customers are often the result of a reactive rather than a
consultative mindset. Would you like to eliminate many difficult client situations before
they even happen? Would you like to be consultative and inculcate the mindset to build a
trusted partnering relationship?
• Consulting Mindset : Shifting From The “What” To The “How” - One of the
fundamental shifts needed when you first start working in a consulting firm is to move
away from the expectation that you will be told what to do and towards a mindset of
learning the “how.”
• The consultative approach is actually a method used by many sales professionals and
is also referred to as ‘solution based selling.’ In the solution based selling model, the
salesperson spends time with a client to understand the primary problem they are
trying to address and then recommends an appropriate set of solutions to solve it. In
other words, the salesperson focuses on selling the solution, not the product.
• TOP 5 Practices to develop a Consultative Mindset :
➢ It is A Process! Not a One Time Event!
Having a consultative mindset gets the professional to understand that it is not an event
– it’s a process. Instead of solely focusing on short-term wins, fulfilling requests that
bring temporary client happiness, professional consultants take a more long-term,
strategic approach.
➢ Identify, design & Generate Value
 Understanding the dynamics in the Decision-Making Unit is crucial to identify & fill the
gaps towards creating a unified approach and vision in dealing with Stakeholders and
their requirements.
➢ Talk their language not your language
In order to deliver the best customer experience, consultants need to understand all
aspects of the individual and cultural expectations, thinking preferences, and needs
which must be addressed to develop appropriate solutions.
➢ Focusing on accountability and creative problem solving
Having a consultative mindset means the professional needs to develop a set of tools and
techniques, enabling him/her to conduct effective and creative problem-solving
behaviors.
➢ Show Empathy and Understanding
During the post-COVID-19 era customers are experiencing deep levels of uncertainty,
businesses are eager to move forward in a post-pandemic world. But so much has
changed that many people cannot simply return back to business as usual. A professional
consultant knows how to make sense of this complexity for their clients, offers genuine
empathy and develops a deeper interpersonal relationship with the client, which is built
on trust & credibility that help clients emerge stronger and return to growth.
• Imbibing a Consultative Mindset
➢ Do Your Homework (Prep up) ➢ Speak Up
➢ Pre-set Expectations ➢ Don’t be Defensive
➢ Probe ➢ Get Into Their Mind
➢ Enable a Conversation/Discussion ➢ Play Devil’s Advocate
➢ What’s The Big Bet? ➢ Seize the Moment
➢ Provide Assurance ➢ Identify your Champion (or Create One)
➢ Ratify Understanding

Stress Management

• In 'Occupational Stress,' Stephen Palmer wrote 'Stress is the physiological and

behavioral response by an individual when they perceive a lack of equilibrium between
the demands placed upon them and their ability to meet those demands, which, over a
period of time, leads to ill-health.' Stress is produced by your own feelings and reactions
to certain external events, rather than by the events themselves. And while you may not
always be able to control the external events that are causing you stress, you can control
your reactions to them and how you handle them.

• The VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and ambiguity) world we live and
 operate in, brings with it a typical health hazard of stress. Between juggling work,
family, and other commitments, one can become too stressed out and busy. No matter
how stressful your life seems, there are ways you can follow to relieve the pressure and
regain control. Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, but you can -- and
need to -- do it.

• Coping With Stress -

➢ Have realistic expectations: There is a limit to what one can do or achieve within a
fixed period. Set targets that are realistic and achievable for yourself as well as for your
team. Understand the fine line between a challenge and pressure. While accepting more
responsibilities can be challenging, ensure that it does not put undue pressure on you.
When the going is tough, learn to say “No”.

➢ Plan in advance: When planning a project or work, make provision for roadblocks
and delays in work. This ensures that you have time to troubleshoot or address problems
and yet meet the deadline. Anticipating problems will prepare you to handle them better
thereby causing lesser stress.

➢ Prioritize your tasks: Prioritize your tasks into what needs immediate attention, what
are routine and what can wait.

➢ Think delegation: Remember that you don’t have to do it all. There are others who
can pitch in to speed up things for you. Delegate tasks that can be done by others.

➢ Adapt to change: Sometimes, individuals find it hard to accept changes that take
place around them. They remain unwilling to adjust to the changing demands of the
organization. This only increases the stress factor. Being flexible helps to have an open
mind and ensures that you adapt to change smoothly.

• Dealing with stress (fight & flight) - ● Action based approach ● Acceptance based
approach ● Emotion based approach

Continuous Learning Culture

• Continuous learning is like blood in veins of an engineering organization. It means

analyzing needs and planning strategically before launching a learning initiative. It
means setting up diverse opportunities for acquiring, creating, and sharing knowledge.
And it means ensuring that employees have the chance to practice and apply what they
 have learned in a way that makes a significant difference to the business.
• A learning culture is a collection of organizational conventions, values, practices and
processes.
• Creating a learning culture involves : - ● Avoid ulterior motives ● Embrace vulnerability ●
Encourage genuine effort ● Invest in career development

• 5 steps to developing a continuous-learning culture -

➢ Create a mindset that is open to growth

➢ Teach people how to give great feedback

➢ Introduce 360-degree development reviews

➢ Set learning goals within teams

➢ Start a peer-to-peer coaching ecosystem

COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING

1. Introduction
2. Problem Solving Process
3. Analytical and Creative Skills
4. Framing The Problem
5. Problem Solving Tools and Techniques
6. Inventing Option
7. Holistic Approach
8. Multi-Dimensional Approach

Introduction

• A problem is a question or situation that presents doubt, perplexity, or difficulty. It's an

issue that needs to be corrected or overcome in order to achieve a desired state. Solving
problems involves goal-oriented thinking and action in situations for which no ready-
made solutions exist. While you already possess problem solving skills, it is possible to
sharpen them further by understanding the problem-solving process and acquire an
awareness of the challenges and pitfalls that impair the process.
• The “Butterfly effect” is an idea that says a small change can make much bigger changes
happen. The idea started from weather prediction. The term ’butterfly effect’ comes from
an analogy where a butterfly flaps its wings in Chicago and a tornado occurs in Tokyo
• Nailing The War - Benjamin Franklin offered a poetic perspective in his variation of a proverb
that’s been around since the 14th century in English and the 13th century in German, long
before the identification of the butterfly effect:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
• The lack of a horseshoe nail could be inconsequential or may indirectly cause the loss of a war.
In this context, let us delve into the subject beginning with understanding what a problem is. It
is important to identify and diagnose the correct problem in order to lead to the most effective
solution.
• “ If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem
and five minutes thinking about solutions.” - Albert Einstein
• Don’t wish it were easier
Wish you were better
Don’t wish for less problems
Wish for more skills
Don’t wish for less challenge
Wish for more wisdom
 Problem Solving Skills

• This article written by Wharton magazine covers the fundamentals of problem solving -
➢ Define the Real Problem ➢ Keep the solution simple
➢ Solve the Root Cause of the Problem ➢ Do not re-invent the wheel
➢ Use a Hypothesis ➢ Gain momentum in problem solving
➢ Get the Facts ➢ Consider time

• Here are the 6 simple steps to problem solving:

➢Define/Frame the Problem

Knowing what it is that needs to be solved is the most crucial step in solving a problem.
The clearer you know about the nature of the problem, the easier for you to be able to
find the best action plan to fix it.
Sometimes, we commonly mistake a symptom to be the problem itself. A symptom is a
circumstance that is the result of a deeper, underlying condition. Mistaking symptom as
the problem can cause a waste of time and effort trying to remedy the consequences
instead of the root cause of the situation.
Using gap analysis can help you dig deeper into defining a problem. This process lets
you compare your current state versus the future state you want to be in, and to identify
the gaps in between which you need to bridge by solving the problem.

➢ Analyze the Problem

The next important step is to analyze the problem. Here, you decide what type of
problem it is. Identify certain obstacles that you need to overcome, and determine which
path you need to take to reach your goal. You need to dig to the root causes of the
problem and see past the distracting symptoms to the real issues that need to be fixed.
The five-why analysis is a tool that will help you understand and identify the real
problem by asking “Why?” a number of times (ideally at least five times) to dig through
each layer of symptoms until you arrive at the root cause of the problem.

➢ Identify Potential Solutions

The third step is to identify as many potential solutions as you can, thinking of a lot of
possible ways to close the gap. Creative brainstorming is recommended.
Asking the what, where, when, who, why, and how about the causes will lead you to
various possibilities. This will also lead you to the most possible best solution.
“Every problem has a solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it.” - Travis
Kalanick
 ➢ Choose the Best Solution
Carefully evaluate the ideas that you have generated so you can choose the best solution.
Rate each possible solution you have come up with in the previous step according to the
following sample criteria:
How effective it will be
How much time and effort it will need
What is the cost of the solution
How likely it is to satisfy all involved parties
These criteria may vary depending on the problem you are facing and your current
situation.

➢ Create an Action Plan

As soon as you determine the best solution to your problem, map out your action plan
using the following procedure:
Determine the steps that must be taken
Delegate tasks to task-owners when necessary
Decide on deadlines for completing the actions
Estimate the cost on implementing such actions
Create a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Plan B often comes in handy.
This step lets you narrow down the best ways to implement your chosen solution, taking
into consideration the possible constraints that apply.

➢ Implement Solutions and Review Progress

The final step is to implement your best solution — this is an ongoing process. Make
sure that the needed resources remain available.
Monitor the progress of the situation, ensuring that you are getting closer to your desired
state. This is very important lest all your hard work will just go down the drain.
A checklist is a tool that will help you track what has already been completed, and this
will also serve as a reminder on what still needs to be done.

• Some key problem-solving skills include:

➢ Active listening ➢ Creativity
➢ Analysis ➢ Communication ➢ Team Building
➢ Research ➢ Decision Making

• Enhance Your Problem Solving Skills / Build Your Strength

➢ Focus on the Solution, Not the Problem ➢ List out as Many Solutions as Possible
➢ Adapt 5 Whys to Clearly Define the Problem ➢ Think Laterally
➢ Simplify Things ➢ Use Language That Creates Possibility
• Problem-solving Styles

• Barriers to problem-solving :
➢ Assumptions/Unnecessary constraints: When dealing with a problem, people can
make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions.
Thus, they may not even try some potential options.
➢ Functional fixedness: This term refers to the tendency to view problems only in their
customary manner. Functional fixedness prevents people from fully seeing all of the
different options that might be available to find a solution.

➢ Irrelevant or misleading information: When trying to solve a problem, it's

important to distinguish between information that is relevant to the issue and irrelevant
data that can lead to faulty solutions. The more complex the problem, the easier it is to
focus on misleading or irrelevant information.
 ➢ Mental Set : A mental set is a tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the
past rather than looking for alternative ideas. A mental set can work as a heuristic,
making it a useful problem-solving tool.

• Causes of problem-solving barriers :-

● Perspective ● Emotion ● Intellectual ● Environment ● Expression ● Cultural

• Problem-solving strategies :
➢ Algorithms – An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that, by following certain
"rules" produces a solution.
➢ Heuristics – Heuristics are shortcut strategies that people can use to solve a problem
at hand. These "rule of thumb" approaches allow you to simplify complex problems,
reducing the total number of possible solutions to a more manageable set.
➢ Trial and Error - A trial-and-error approach to problem-solving involves trying a
number of potential solutions to a particular issue, then ruling out those that do not
work.
➢ Insight - In some cases, the solution to a problem can appear as a sudden insight. You
are facing an issue in a relationship or your career when, out of nowhere, the solution
appears in your mind and you know exactly what to do.

• Biases of problem-solving :

➢ Confirmation bias - This occurs when we favour information that confirms our
existing beliefs. For example, during an election, people tend to seek out positive
information that puts their favoured candidate in a good light. The media use this to their
advantage all the time. They provide compelling points to encourage us to formulate an
opinion. Any other evidence that might contradict this is usually undermined, or not
reported.

➢ Recency bias - This is when we place greater importance on information that we’ve
recently acquired. A classic example of this is financial traders looking at only the most
recent events whilst disregarding older pieces of information which are equally
important (and sometimes more important).
 ➢ Framing bias - This concerns how we are influenced by the way information is
presented, as opposed to the information itself. For example, a yoghurt could be labelled
as 90% fat free or, alternatively, as containing 10% fat. Similarly, a burger could be
‘framed’ as being 75% fat free as opposed to being labelled as containing 25% fat.
Which of those options sounds the most appealing?

Analytical and Creative Skills

• Analytical skills or analytical thinking is an ability to collect, visualize, and analyze
information to see the bigger picture or trend behind facts and help in finding solutions
to common problems and make decisions in helping what to perform next.
• In order to analyze a question or problem and reach a solution, need the below key
aspects of analytical skills.
- Attention to Detail - Decision Making
- Critical Thinking - Researching Skills
• These skills are fundamental to a job because they demonstrate the individual’s capacity
to be an employee who can resolve problems on the job.

• Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical
connection between ideas. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent
thinking.
• Debating an argument is part of reaching a logical conclusion and solving problems.
One needs to use strategic thinking to identify and judge arguments, recognize logical
fallacies and persuasion techniques, and make effective arguments of your own.
• Critical thinking and creative thinking go hand-in-hand
• Creative thinking is the ability to look at things with a fresh perspective to be able to
generate new, unorthodox ideas which can help in solving problems. Creativity and the
need for it is not limited only to artists, designers or those in a creative profession. Each
of us can develop and benefit from it.

Framing The Problem

• Articulating a problem requires asking the right people the right questions.
• Root Cause Analysis - Root cause analysis helps identify what happened, how it
happened, and why it happened. It should not be mistaken for fault diagnosis, which is
the first level of investigation. For example, if the line has stopped operating, the first
step is to diagnose what has caused it to stop: is it the motor, the gearbox, the power
supply, a sensor? Conversely, RCFA (root cause failure analysis) recognises that
complete prevention of recurrence by one corrective action is not always possible.

• Framing the Problem You Need to Solve..,

 ➢ Match root causes of problems with the organizational level at which they typically
occur
➢ Recognize how to investigate root causes of problems using 5 Whys analysis
➢ Recall the steps in using a fishbone diagram to investigate the root causes of a
problem
➢ Use appropriate methods to get to the root cause of a problem

Problem Solving Tools and Techniques

• Norman Vincent Peale, who stressed the need for analysing a problem in detail, once
said, 'When a problem appears, study it until you are completely knowledgeable. Then,
find the spot, break the problem apart and the rest will be easy.' A fact-based, honest
analysis happens at two main steps in the problem-solving process: first, when you
analyse problems to identify the root causes and then, when you evaluate and analyse
potential solutions to determine the one that has the maximum chance of success.
• Objectives
➢ Identifying the real problem
➢ Generating possible solutions
➢ Selecting the best solution
➢ Recall how to keep a problem well defined using logic maps.
➢ Recognize how to use a 2x2 matrix to prioritize solutions
• Problem-solving and Problem analyzing tools -
➢ Problem data gathering tools
Brain storming
Gap Analysis
Employee surveys
➢ Potential problem analysis
FMEA Analysis (Failure Mode and Effective Analysis)
Plan Do Check Act Cycle (PDCAC)
Potential problem analysis to identify other problems or risk
➢ Problem Analysis tools
Fishbone diagram Pareto principle and Pareto charts
5 whys Process flow charts
Root cause analysis Problem Trees

Inventing Options

• Before generating alternative potential solutions to a problem, it's helpful to have a sense
of the 'ideal state' – what the situation would look like if people had a magic wand. This
provides some direction to those coming up with new ideas. Once ideas and alternatives
are on the table, evaluating which ones are the best to implement can be a daunting task
• Idea Generation Techniques : -

➢ SCAMPER - is an idea generation technique that utilizes action verbs as stimuli. It is

a well-known kind of checklist developed by Bob Eberie that assists the person in
coming up with ideas either for modifications that can be made on an existing product or
for making a new product. SCAMPER is an acronym with each letter standing for an
action verb which in turn stands for a prompt for creative ideas.
S – Substitute
C – Combine
A – Adapt
M – Modify
P – Put to another use
E – Eliminate
R – Reverse
➢ Brainstorming - This process involves engendering a huge number of solutions for a
specific problem (idea) with emphasis being on the number of ideas. In the course of
brainstorming, there is no assessment of ideas. So, people can speak out their ideas
freely without fear of criticism. Frequently, ideas are blended to create one good idea as
indicated by the slogan “1+1=3.” Brainstorming can be done both individually and in
groups. The typical brainstorming group comprises six to ten people.
➢ Mindmapping - Mindmapping is a graphical technique for imagining connections
between various pieces of information or ideas. Each fact or idea is written down and
then connected by curves or lines to its minor or major (previous or following) fact or
idea, thus building a web of relationships. It was Tony Buzan, a UK researcher, who
developed the technique “mind mapping” discussed in his book ‘Use your Head’ (1972).
Mind mapping is utilized in brainstorming, project planning, problem solving and note
taking. As is the case with other mapping methods, the intention behind brain mapping
too is to capture attention and to gain and frame information to enable sharing of
concepts and ideas.To get started with mindmapping, the participant just has to write a
key phrase or word in the middle of the page. Then, he must write anything else that
comes to his mind on the very same page. After that, he must try to make connections as
mentioned in the previous paragraph.
➢ Synectics - is a creative idea generation and problem solving technique that arouses
thought processes that the subject may not be aware of. It is a manner of approaching
problem-solving and creativity in a rational manner. The credit for coming up with the
technique which had its beginning in the Arthur D. Little Invention Design Unit, goes to
William J.J. Gordon and George M. Prince.
The Synectics study endeavored to investigate the creative process while it is in
progress. According to J.J Gordon, three key assumptions are associated with Synectics
research.
Invention processes in sciences and the arts are analogous and triggered by the very
same “psychic” processes
Group and individual creativity are analogous.
➢ Storyboarding - Storyboarding has to do with developing a visual story to explain or
explore. Storyboards can help creative people represent information they gained during
research. Pictures, quotes from the user, and other pertinent information are fixed on
cork board, or any comparable surface, to stand for a scenario and to assist with
comprehending the relationships between various ideas.
➢ Role playing - In the role playing technique, each participant can take on a
personality or role different from his own. As the technique is fun, it can help people
reduce their inhibitions and come out with unexpected ideas.
➢ Attribute listing - Attribute listing is an analytical approach to recognize new forms
of a system or product by identifying/recognizing areas of improvement. To figure out
how to enhance a particular product, it is broken into parts, physical features of each
component are noted, and all functions of each component are explained and studied to
see whether any change or recombination would damage or improve the product.
➢ Visualization and visual prompts - Visualization is about thinking of challenges
visually so as to better comprehend the issue. It is a process of incubation and
illumination where the participant takes a break from the problem at hand and
concentrates on something wholly different while his mind subconsciously continues to
work on the idea. This grows into a phase of illumination where the participant suddenly
gets a diversity of solutions and he rapidly writes them down, thereby creating fresh
parallel lines of thought.
Picture prompts help a lot when it comes to enabling one’s brain to establish
connections. These prompts can help to surface emotions, feelings and intuitions. This
makes them particularly useful for brainstorming solutions to innovative challenges
involving people, and issues with a deep psychological or emotional root cause.
To get started with using picture prompts, the facilitator distributes a set of pre-selected
images – each participant gets one. He also asks the participants to write down whatever
ideas come to their mind when they look at the image in their possession. According to
Bryan Mattimore (presently co-founder of The Growth Engine Company), the images
should be visually interesting, portraying a multiplicity of subject matter and must depict
people in lots of varied kinds of relationships and interactions with other people.
After this, participants pair off and use additional time, sharing and talking about the
ideas they have come up with and brainstorming more solutions to the existing
problem/challenge. Lastly, the various pairs present their ideas to the rest of the group.
➢ Morphological analysis - has to do with recognizing the structural aspects of a
problem and studying the relationships among them. For example: Imagine the problem
is transporting an object from one place to another by way of a powered vehicle. The
significant dimensions are: the kind of vehicle (cart, sling, bed, chair); the power source
(internal-combustion engine, pressed air, electric motor); and the medium (air, hard
surface, rails, rollers, oil, water). Thus, a cart-kind of vehicle moving over rough
services with an internal-combustion engine to power it is the automobile. The
expectation is that it would be possible to determine some novel combinations.
➢ Forced relationship - It is an easy technique involving the joining of totally different
ideas to come up with a fresh idea. Though the solution may not be strictly unique, it
frequently results in an assortment of combinations that are often useful. A lot of
products we see today are the output of forced relationships (such as a digital watch that
also has a calculator, musical birthday cards and Swiss army knife). Robert Olson
provided an example for forced analogy in his book ‘The Art of Creative Thinking.’ He
compares different aspects of a corporate organization structure to the structure of a
matchbox.
➢ Daydreaming - Though mostly not met with approval, daydreaming is truly one of
the most fundamental ways to trigger great ideas. The word “daydream” itself
involuntarily triggers an uninhibited and playful thought process, incorporating the
participant’s creativity and resourcefulness to play around with the present problem. It
enables a person to establish an emotional connection with the problem, which is
beneficial in terms of coming up with a wonderful idea. Plenty of famous inventors have
engaged in daydreaming in the past, thereby setting off ideas that contributed to life
altering inventions. The airplane is the most notable example for this. If the Wright
brothers had not let their imagination run wild thinking about flight, we would probably
still be traveling by ferry.
➢ Reverse thinking - As the term ‘reverse thinking’ itself suggests, instead of adopting
the logical, normal manner of looking at a challenge, you reverse it and think about
opposite ideas. For example: ‘how can I double my fan base?’ can change into ‘how do I
make sure I have no fans at all?’ An example for the latter is “I am never going to update
any of my social networks” changing into “I am going to always update all of my social
networks.”
➢ Questioning assumptions - The majority of industries have an orthodoxy – unspoken
but deeply-held beliefs that everyone stands by for getting things done. Sadly, they fail
to realize that by questioning assumptions at every step of service or product
development, they can actually enable the birth of fresh possibilities and ideas.
Here’s how Mattimore suggests one go about questioning assumptions: The participants
should start by settling on the framework for the creative challenge. After this, they
should produce 20 to 30 assumptions (irrespective of whether they are true or false). The
next step is to select several assumptions from the many generated, and utilize them as
idea triggers and thought starters to engender fresh ideas.
➢ Accidental genius - Accidental genius is a relatively new technique that utilizes
writing to trigger the best ideas, content and insight.
➢ Brainwriting - is easy. Instead of asking the participants to shout out ideas, they are
told to pen down their ideas pertaining to a specific problem or question on sheets of
paper, for a small number of minutes. After that, each participant can pass their ideas
over to someone else.
➢ Wishing This technique can be begun by asking for the unattainable and then
brainstorming ideas to make it or at least an approximation of it, a reality. Start by
making the wishes tangible. There should be collaboration among the members of the
team to produce 20 to 30 wishes pertaining to your business. Everyone’s imagination
 should be encouraged to run wild – the more bizarre the idea, the better. There should be
no restrictions on thinking.
The next step is concentrating on a number of these unattainable wishes and utilizing
them as creative stimuli to trigger ideas that are new but more practical. Mattimore
suggests getting the team to challenge the problem from diverse perspectives (imagine
how a person from another planet or from another industry or profession would view it)
or reflect on it. This type of role playing assists with moving away from conventional
thinking patterns to see fresh possibilities.
➢ Socializing - If employees only hang around with colleagues and friends, they could
find themselves in a thinking rut. Let them utilize all those LinkedIn connections to
begin some fantastic conversations. Refreshing perspectives will assist with bringing out
new thinking and probably, one or two lightning bolts. Socializing in the context of
ideation can also be about talking to others on topics that have nothing whatsoever to do
with the present problem.
➢ Collaboration - As the term indicates, collaboration is about two or more people
joining hands in working for a common goal. Designers frequently work in groups and
engage in collaborative creation in the course of the whole creative process.

Multi-Dimensional Approach

• Design thinking is a creative approach to problem solving with a human centered core.
The focus of this approach is on the user and it starts with asking the right questions.
• The five stages to design thinking process are :-
➢ Empathize
“To create meaningful innovations, you need to know your users and care about their
lives.”
Empathy is the centerpiece of a human-centered design process. The Empathize mode is
the work you do to understand people, within the context of your design challenge. It is
your effort to understand the way they do things and why, their physical and emotional
needs, how they think about world, and what is meaningful to them.
➢ Define
“Framing the right problem is the only way to create the right solution.”
The Define mode of the design process is all about bringing clarity and focus to the
design space. The goal of the Define mode is to craft a meaningful and actionable
problem statement – this is what we call a point-of-view. This should be a guiding
statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user, or composite character.
Insights don’t often just jump in your lap; rather they emerge from a process of
synthesizing information to discover connections and patterns.
➢ Ideate
 “It’s not about coming up with the ‘right’ idea, it’s about generating the broadest range
of possibilities.” Ideate is the mode of the design process in which you concentrate on
idea generation. Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts
and outcomes. Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building
prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
➢ Prototype
“Build to think and test to learn.”
The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of artifacts intended to answer questions
that get you closer to your final solution. In the early stages of a project that question
may be broad – such as “do my users enjoy cooking in a competitive manner?” A
prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a
gadget you put together, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard. Ideally you bias
toward something a user can experience. Walking someone through a scenario with a
storyboard is good, but having them role-play through a physical environment that you
have created will likely bring out more emotions and responses from that person.
➢ Test
“Testing is an opportunity to learn about your solution and your user.”
The Test mode is when you solicit feedback, about the prototypes you have created,
from your users and have another opportunity to gain empathy for the people you are
designing for. Ideally you can test within a real context of the user’s life. For a physical
object, ask people to take it with them and use it within their normal routines. For an
experience, try to create a scenario in a location that would capture the real situation. If
testing a prototype in situ is not possible, frame a more realistic situation by having
users take on a role or task when approaching your prototype. A rule of thumb: always
prototype as if you know you’re right, but test as if you know you’re wrong—testing is
the chance to refine your solutions and make them better

Holistic Approach

• Holistic means taking a comprehensive approach. It encompasses the whole of a thing,

not just the part. An example of holistic is health care that focuses on the health of the
entire body and mind and not just the parts of the body. One way to consider a problem
is to look at its constituent parts and get to the root of the issue. Once the root cause is
identified, one can search and develop solutions. The holistic approach involves looking
at the problem as a whole and viewing the big picture.
• In simple terms, “holistic” refers to the understanding of the relationship between all of
the parts of a whole. In problem solving, a holistic approach starts by first identifying an
obstacle, then taking a step back to understand the situation as a whole. When it comes
to healthcare, solving problems holistically can make a huge impact on the quality of
patient outcomes.

• Six ways holistically approach :

➢ Practice Functional Fluidity - There’s more than one way to look at, or solve, a
problem. Just because something worked before doesn’t guarantee it to work again.
When you’re stuck on a single way of looking at a problem or solution, and unwilling to
think about it differently, consider that there might be a solution you, or others, haven’t
thought of yet.
➢ Focus on Accurate and Relevant Information - Interpersonal blow-outs are often
rife with irrelevant information. You’ve probably experienced a conflict with a sibling,
significant other, or co-worker in which the actual fight was actually about something
very different. Holistic problem solving requires cool-headedness and accuracy. So start
by assessing what parts of the conflict are related to the issue at hand, and which are
about something else entirely.
➢ Make NO Assumptions - When dealing with a complication, people often make
assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions. Try to
examine everything you presume is true about the situation – and then consider that it
may not be.
➢ Refrain From Placing Blame - The fastest way to shut down the line of
communication is to place blame on someone else. If someone hears they’re wrong, it’s
natural to be defensive — which can actually escalate a conflict. Use “I” statements
rather than “you” statements to explain your position. It’s about staying neutral and
making the others involved in the conflict understand you at the most basic human level.
After all, the only person you can control is you.
➢ Listen Actively - Communication skills are essential to effective holistic problem
solving, and one such primary skill is active listening. Avoid taking a “you” vs “I”
approach when solving problems collectively. When someone vocalizes what they’re
feeling, make eye contact and repeat back to them what you heard. This is especially
helpful in speaking with patients. It reinforces the feeling that they’re being listened to
and creates empathy and appreciation. It’s also an opportunity for the patient to refine or
correct their statement to ease misunderstandings.
➢ Stick to Holistic Nursing Principles - In the medical world, solving for patient
issues from a holistic approach is quite specific. The American Holistic Nurses
Association has identified six principles to leverage when approaching problems in
patient care.
- A body of knowledge
- Defined standards of practice
- Evidence-based research
- A diversity of modalities from a broad range of practices
- Sophisticated skills
- A philosophy of living and being
Solving problems holistically means examining the whole behavior. The key to a
patient’s problem might not be obvious; the issue might be found in thoughtful
consideration of the whole person, their environment, and lifestyle.
PERSUASION

1. Building Blocks Of Trust

2. Understanding Persuasive Techniques
3. Principles Of Influence
4. Building Reciprocity
5. Story Telling
6. Negotiation Skills
7. Handling Conflict
8. Customer Conversation
9. Interviewing Skills

Building Blocks Of Trust

• The first step to any successful conversation is the ability to build a sense of trust.
• Let’s explore the key elements to building trust and its importance.
• The article below introduces some ideas about how you can work towards building or
restoring trust.
• “To earn trust, money and power aren’t enough; you have to show some concern for
others. You can’t buy trust in the supermarket." – His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• Six Building Blocks of Trust :-
➢ Reliability and Dependability: A person or group that is true to their word and
fulfills their commitments encourages trust.
➢ Transparency: People are anxious about unknowns and tend to assume the worst
when they’re not informed about a new development. When management meets in
secret or does not share important information, team members can easily become
distrustful. On the other hand, when people share their thoughts, feelings and
considerations, or when an organization, usually through its leader, tells its members
what is going on, everyone knows where they stand and trust can flourish.
➢ Competency: This is another element that is central to building trust. If you think a
person, leader or organization is not capable of doing what they are supposed to do, you
cannot trust them. Therefore, even when a person has a good heart or good intentions
and we like them personally, they cannot win our trust if they’re not capable of doing
what they promise.
➢ Sincerity, Authenticity and Congruency: People can often sense when someone
says something that is not aligned with what they are feeling inside. When a leader is
insincere or inauthentic, people don’t believe what he or she is saying. A leader who
says one thing but who acts differently is not congruent. For example, it is hard to
believe someone who says they want to listen but does not give you a chance to speak,
or someone who says she is concerned about people yet seems to have a plan to lay
people off. People may think they can hide their true feelings or contradictions, but
others can quickly detect a lack of sincerity or congruency. That’s when trust is eroded.
 ➢ Fairness: Some people act as if the needs and desires of others are not important, or
they don’t truly listen to or respect both sides. Trust cannot grow in a relationship where
it’s all about one person or in a workplace where all the energy is focused on the
company or leader.
➢ Openness and Vulnerability: If a person never says they are wrong and apologizes
or acknowledges their mistakes, other people do not feel comfortable disagreeing with
them or sharing their own thoughts. A leader who is “never wrong” never gets the truth
from others. Yet a timely apology or admission of being wrong is a powerful weapon to
build or rebuild trust.

• Once we have acquired the ability to quickly build trust with stakeholders, we can use it
to:
– Persuade
– Influence
– Negotiate
– Manage Conflicts
– Overall – have an excellent communication with client and partners

Understanding Persuasive Techniques

• The Greek philosopher Aristotle introduced a concept called the three “modes of
persuasion” He coined the terms Ethos, Pathos and Logos referred to as the three modes
of persuasion. They are means of persuading others to believe a certain point of view.
Aristotle’s modes of persuasion should be at the heart of almost every speech. They
build credibility, stir emotions, and prompt action

• Modes Of Persuasion - Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are modes of persuasion used to
convince audiences. They are also referred to as the three artistic proofs (Aristotle
coined the terms), and are all represented by Greek words.

Ethos - the ethical appeal, means to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or
character. An author would use ethos to show to his audience that he is a credible source
and is worth listening to. Ethos is the Greek word for “character.” The word “ethic” is
derived from ethos.

Ethos can be developed by choosing language that is appropriate for the audience and
topic (this also means choosing the proper level of vocabulary), making yourself sound
fair or unbiased, introducing your expertise, accomplishments or pedigree, and by using
correct grammar and syntax. During public speaking events, typically a speaker will
have at least some of his pedigree and accomplishments listed upon introduction by a
master of ceremony.
 Pathos - or the emotional appeal, means to persuade an audience by appealing to their
emotions. Authors use pathos to invoke sympathy from an audience; to make the
audience feel what what the author wants them to feel. A common use of pathos would
be to draw pity from an audience. Another use of pathos would be to inspire anger from
an audience, perhaps in order to prompt action. Pathos is the Greek word for both
“suffering” and “experience.” The words empathy and pathetic are derived from pathos.
Pathos can be developed by using meaningful language, emotional tone, emotion
evoking examples, stories of emotional events, and implied meanings.

Logos - or the appeal to logic, means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason.
To use logos would be to cite facts and statistics, historical and literal analogies, and
citing certain authorities on a subject. Logos is the Greek word for “word,” however the
true definition goes beyond that, and can be most closely described as “the word or that
by which the inward thought is expressed" and, "the inward thought itself" (1). The word
“logic” is derived from logos.
Logos can be developed by using advanced, theoretical or abstract language, citing facts
(very important), using historical and literal analogies, and by constructing logical
arguments.

• In order to persuade your audience, proper use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos is necessary.

Examples of Ethos, Logos and Pathos:

Example of Ethos:

“Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in
10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company
with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh —
a year earlier, and I had just turned 30...

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named
Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went
on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the
most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple
bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the
heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family
together.”

Stanford Commencement Speech by Steve Jobs. June 12, 2005.

 Example of Pathos:

"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations.
Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from
areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of
persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of
creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to
Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed."

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. August 28th, 1963.

Example of Logos:

"However, although private final demand, output, and employment have indeed been
growing for more than a year, the pace of that growth recently appears somewhat less
vigorous than we expected. Notably, since stabilizing in mid-2009, real household
spending in the United States has grown in the range of 1 to 2 percent at annual rates, a
relatively modest pace. Households' caution is understandable. Importantly, the painfully
slow recovery in the labor market has restrained growth in labor income, raised
uncertainty about job security and prospects, and damped confidence. Also, although
consumer credit shows some signs of thawing, responses to our Senior Loan Officer
Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices suggest that lending standards to households
generally remain tight."

The Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy by Ben Bernanke. August 27th, 2010.
• Essentially, persuasion is the ability to get another person to act on your request or need.
• Persuasion is about making sure your ideas get a fair hearing and get acted upon.
• It is crucial to be persuasive in a subtle way that takes advantage of natural human
psychology, and that doesn’t make you feel manipulative.

• Why Is Persuasion Considered An Art?

Many agree that the definition of art is both a process and product that:
- Expresses strong emotion
- May be intellectually challenging
- Can be complex and coherent
- Can convey a messages
- Shows an individual’s point of view
- Is original to the artist
 - Generally produces an object or performance that requires a high degree of skill
Persuasion, in our context isn’t an art form in the same sense as painting or music —
instead using finely tuned creative skills—or art—of language and communication to
create tangible change. It’s generally seen as intellectually challenging, complex,
expressive and completely authentic to a person’s individual personality.

• Factors To Consider In Using The Art Of Persuasion

- Conduct A Social Situation Assessment.
- Understand Implications Of Group Membership
- Consider Those Experiencing Low Self-Esteem

• How To Practice Persuasion: A Process

- Getting The Right Introduction
- Appreciating The Value Of Listening
- Be Agreeable When You Don’t Agree
- Embrace Subtlety
- Commit To A Committed Approach
- Consider Whose Conclusion Matters
- Evaluate Possible Ethical Concerns
- Avoid Falsifying Evidence

Principles Of Influence

• Persuasion is ethically winning the heart and mind of your target. Basically, you alter the
behavior of someone through reasoning.
• Influence on the other hand, is the ability to affect the manner of thinking of another.
• If persuasion is an action, influence is a state or condition.

• Influence is the ability to personally affect the actions, decisions, opinions, or thinking
of others.
• The ability to influence others is often a crucial factor that determines professional
successful.
• Understanding how you influence others is an important step as it identifies areas for
potential improvement.
• However, being able to influence in your workplace may require a variety of styles,
 depending on the situation. Research suggests that successful leaders typically use 5
influencing styles. The following article defines those and illustrates how and when to
use them.

• Five Influencing Styles

➢ Bridging

People who use a bridging style of influence tend to motivate by using reciprocity,
consultation, and personal relationships.

Identifying this style in yourself: Are you comfortable drawing on the connections of
friends and colleagues? Do you bring people together and invite relevant stakeholders
into your conversations to build consensus?

Scenario for identifying and working with this style: Your succession plan rests on
developing one particularly talented junior advisor. However, when you ask him to join
the advisory board, he says he's hesitant to take on too much at once, citing other junior
advisors who aren't participating. His referencing of peers tells you that he might be a
bridging influencer.

Because bridging influencers respond well to social proof, you decide to invite his
mentor to share her experience of serving on the board. After hearing about the value it
offered her, he now feels more confident in pursuing the opportunity. By bringing more
people into the conversation, you've used the bridging style that most resonates with the
junior advisor.

➢ Rationalizing

People with a rationalizing influencing style tend to use logic and reasoning to try to
persuade others.

Identifying this style in yourself: Are you analytical? Do you often use facts and data to
support your point of view?

Scenario for identifying and working with this style: A prospective client wants to
reorganize his retirement portfolio, but you feel that his specific strategy is at odds with
his long-term goals. When questioned, he cites data trends and all his research, revealing
that he might be a rationalizing influencer.
You shift to a rationalizing style, acknowledging the thinking that went into his strategy
and asking him again what his retirement goals are. You outline the costs and benefits of
several scenarios, allowing the prospect to follow the logic and conclude on his own that
his strategy may not be as ideal as he thought. By appealing to your client's trust in data,
you've helped open him to other options.

➢ Asserting

Those with an asserting influencing style tend to use authority and assurance as their
way of motivating others.

Identifying this style in yourself: Are you a straight shooter? Do you use your
confidence to help motivate others to act?

Scenario for identifying and working with this style: You're speaking with a professional
colleague to establish a new source of referrals. When you ask about his approach to
client service, he says, "We work with people who want to work with the best." From his
confident and direct manner, you recognize that he has an asserting style.

Rather than go deeply into all the reasons why you'd make a good fit, you meet his
asserting style by congratulating him on what he's built and stating your position
succinctly: "We specialize in what your clients need. I'm certain we're your ideal partner.
Let's put this in motion and get to work."

➢ Inspiring

Those with an inspiring influencing style use example and comradery to motivate
others.

Identifying this style in yourself: Are you a compelling speaker? Do you use stories and
metaphors to help people understand complex ideas, to offer encouragement, or to instill
a feeling of shared purpose?

Scenario for identifying and working with this style: You're in an estate-planning session
with your client and her 25-year-old son. Not long into the meeting, you notice the
young man looks bored because the discussion doesn't feel relevant. He's looking for
inspiration, but he's getting a dissertation.
 To make the information more relatable, you shift to an inspiring style and tell a story
about another young client who put properties into a trust, which opened up possibilities
he hadn't considered. You explore the idea that the young man may have kids someday
and may want to take them on adventures to his family's vacation properties. He
becomes emotionally invested in the conversation, and you've found a way in.

➢ Negotiating

People with a negotiating influencing style tend to search for a middle ground as a way
to motivate others.

Identifying this style in yourself: Are you a strong collaborator? Do you proactively seek
ways to satisfy different interests, make room for all voices to be heard, and create
consensus and harmony?

Scenario for identifying and working with this style: Your client is concerned that she's
not achieving the results she wants with her current investment strategy. But you're not
comfortable with the new approach she suggests. You notice that she isn't demanding as
much as seeking agreement—a negotiating tactic. There are hints she might be open to
changing course incrementally and testing the waters.

Rather than try to convince her that she's making a mistake, you look for a way to satisfy
her desire to explore something new while also protecting the long-term strategy. You
offer a complimentary portfolio audit and a timetable for switching strategies. This way,
if she doesn't see the results she's looking for, all is not lost. By taking a negotiation style
and creating an approach that includes compromise, your client feels heard and is
pleased with this new plan.

• There are many factors that influence us to say yes to others.

• Researchers have concluded that there are psychological triggers to understand how we
are influenced.
• “I think the power of persuasion would be the greatest super power of all time.” - Jenny
Cullen
• “Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” - Aristotle
• Here are the six persuasion techniques which increase conversions and influence. If
understood and used properly one can yield top notch results. Robert Cialdini’s
introduces the 6 principles of influence :-
➢ Reciprocity

One of the most basic principles of influence is to simply give that which you want to
receive. In other words, doing right by others is a good way to get others to do the same
for you. This idea of reciprocity is a powerful one.

There are a couple of ways to have this reciprocity work for you. Giving others small
gifts, treating others with respect, and doing favors for those in need, are all things that
can win you points with other individuals.

So a good approach is to always help others and be kind when you have the opportunity,
because you never know how it may help you down the line. Moreover, it is these small
acts of kindness that will be remembered and come in handy when you’re in need of a
favor yourself.

➢ Consistency

The principle of consistency is based on the power of active, public, and voluntary
commitments, which results in people actually sticking to their word. Let’s walk through
these requirements in a little more detail. The first part is an active commitment. By
active, Cialdini means something that is written or spoken to other’s. Having people say
they will do something is a start, but when they actively commit to it they’re much more
likely to follow through.

The next piece is making it public. When other’s witness this commitment, it adds a
level of accountability to the statement. And no one wants to go back on their word.

Finally, it has to be voluntary. If you force someone to make an active, public

commitment that they didn’t decide on themselves, you’ve accomplished nothing.

So how do you use this? Once you’ve persuaded someone to do something, get them to
make these types of commitments to implement the principle of consistency and ensure
there is a legitimate commitment to their words.
➢ Social Proof

People rely on social cues from others on how to think, feel, and act in many situations.
And not just any people, but peers. People they believe are similar to them. This is a key
point and what is called social proof.

So if you wanted to influence your interns or a particular team in your department or the
new hires, you need to get one of them to buy in first. When they see an employee like
themselves seemingly taking action on their own or following a new directive, they are
more probable to follow suit.

Having that first person take action makes all the difference and unlocks the power of
social proof.

➢ Liking

People like those who like them or who they perceive as friends. It’s a simple, yet
powerful idea. The principle of liking can be used in a few different ways.

One method is finding common ground with the people you meet. If you can connect
with them on their hobbies or interests, you’ll have a solid ground to build from. Being
observant of people is a great way to pick up on any clues that may lead you to such
common ground.

The other approach is genuine praise. Paying compliments and being charming can go
along way to building a positive rapport with others. A word of warning though, don’t
go overboard. The key here is genuine praise, don’t manufacture it to the point that
you’re clearly trying to butter them up.

➢ Authority

When you are perceived as an expert in an area, other’s will be more likely to defer to
you. Why? Often because experts are able to offer a shortcut to good decisions that
would otherwise take a long time to devise themselves. The idea then is to establish that
credibility of authority and expertise.

Many often miss this opportunity because they assume others will identify their
expertise automatically. You can’t leave it up to interpretation because it will often be
overlooked.

There are a number of ways to establish such authority. A quick and easy one is to make
visible all diplomas, credentials, and awards in the office or workplace to establish your
background. Of course this may not always be an option. Another approach is to convey
expertise through short anecdotes or background information shared in casual
conversations.

Just remember, your expertise isn’t always a known quantity, so be sure to convey it
when you get the chance.

➢ Scarcity

People value what is scarce. It’s just basic supply and demand. As things become more
scarce, they becoming more valuable to others. There are a few ways that you can use
the principle of scarcity to persuade others. One is simply to make offers limited-time,
limited-supply, or one-time, which immediately creates a sense of scarcity.

At the same time, how you present such opportunities matters too. If you focus more on
loss language, or language that demonstrates what you will lose out on rather than gain,
your message becomes more powerful.

Finally is the exclusivity approach. Providing access to information, services, or other

items to a limited set of people creates a sense of exclusiveness. This often gets
translated into being a favor to those people or that you value them more than others.
 If you can combine all of these to frame a situation, your powers of persuasion greatly
increase. So try to utilize limited offers, loss language, and exclusivity, to create a sense
of scarcity.

• Real influence is about forging deep connections quickly, stepping into someone’s world
authentically, and striving for consistent win/win outcomes.
• We all have encountered situations like getting worried when certain things go wrong.
We blame, complain and decide nothing can be done. Instead, why don’t we try and
influence the situation or the person?
- Stepping out of our cultural bubble
- Cultural awareness in an age of digital transformation
- Soft skills – a catalyst for reflection

• “Culture-savvy” refers to the ability to recognize cultural factors that influence people’s
thoughts and behaviours and to use this information in order to modify our approach
when interacting with others.
• “It is important to keep our culture-savvy skills sharp and in practice. It’s not something
we have but something we do.” says Louis Lima.

Building Reciprocity

• One of the most crucial principles amongst those that we have seen so far is - Building
Reciprocity.

• Has an old-time friend called you suddenly to just check on how you are doing?
• Did you receive a surprise gift from someone, unexpectedly? These people did
something nice for you and now you would like to return the favor by doing something
nice for them too. However, do you feel almost obligated to return the favors? Think
about it !
• This is the basic Principle of Reciprocity - we try to repay, in kind, for the favors
extended to us. Human’s thrive on this give and take relationship. Let us understand and
explore more examples about reciprocity and its principles.

• Reciprocity is a process of exchanging things with other people to gain a mutual benefit.
The norm of reciprocity (sometimes referred to as the rule of reciprocity) is a social
norm where, if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the
favor
• The reciprocity norm operates on a simple principle: People tend to feel obligated to
return favors after people do favors for them.
• There are three main types of reciprocity:
 ➢ Generalized reciprocity: This form often involves exchanges within families or
friends. There is no expectation of a returned favor; instead, people simply do something
for another person based on the assumption that the other person would do the same
thing for them. This type of reciprocity is related to altruism.
➢ Balanced reciprocity: This type involves a calculation of the value of the exchange
and an expectation that the favor will be returned within a specified time frame. For
example, someone might exchange something they have, whether it is a skill or tangible
item, for something of perceived equal value.
➢ Negative reciprocity: This form of reciprocity happens when one party involved in
the exchange is trying to get more about it than the other person. Selling a much-needed
item at an inflated price is one example of negative reciprocity.

• Research indicates that, while reciprocity may initially cause people to make a charitable
donation

• Examples of reciprocity in business include:

➢ A salesperson giving a freebie to a potential customer, hoping that it will lead them to
return the favor by purchasing something
➢ A leader offering attention and mentorship to followers in exchange for loyalty
➢ Offering customers some valuable information in exchange for signing up for future
marketing offers

➢ Picture this. You’re planning a party, and you’re mailing out invitations. You address
one to a co-worker who you don’t particularly like. You don’t actually want him to come
to your party, but he invited you to his party earlier this year, so you feel obligated –
even compelled – to invite him.
➢ Here’s another scenario. Crazy Aunt Susie sends you a Christmas card. You haven’t
heard from her in years. You’re not close to her, and considering her age, you might not
ever see her again. Still, you automatically add her to your Christmas card list.
➢ A website visitor who receives valuable information for free is more likely to feel
obligated to buy from that website or company
➢ You probably encounter scenarios like this all the time. You feel obligated, indebted
and duty bound to act a certain way. Why is that? The reason is because you’re a human
being governed by human psychology.
• Reciprocity is a widespread practice in organizations because it permeates human
exchange of every kind, thus promoting learning, improving productivity, and building a
climate and culture of trust at workplace. Reciprocity is an easy and powerful technique
to implement at work because most people, enjoy the experience of helping others.
• 3 Keys to Reach the Reciprocity Master Level
➢ Whenever possible, give first. Don’t wait to be asked for something. Be proactive in
giving.
 ➢ When it comes to gifts, make the employee feel special by giving things that are
unique and personal, making sure that they are unexpected. Remember, a “gift” is
different from a “reward.” For example, a Starbucks gift card would be appreciated by
your team coffee fanatic, but the latest bestselling business biography would be a better
fit for your team bookworm.
➢ Don’t be coy. Let the employee know the resource, reward or assistance is from you.
Reciprocity won’t work when the receiver can’t put a face with the kindness.

Story Telling

• Story telling is described as an art to communicate by introducing emotions into a

situation.
• The essence of a great story is its ability to make you forget your worries, your
problems, even your pain. A story helps you stimulate your imagination and enter a new
magical world that is extremely appealing.
• Stories remain a way in which the storytellers create their own styles of behavior and
thoughts are put into words, in which the audience can relate to the identity around their
message.
• “The world is shaped by two things — stories told and the memories they leave
behind.” - Vera Nazarian
• Inculcate the art of storytelling! Develop skills become a good storyteller. Master
storytelling skills by clicking the links below:

➢ Know your audience

This first step is crucial and will determine how long the story should be and what
language you should be using. Before beginning your story, spend 5 minutes thinking
about who you're targeting.

Who are you speaking to? How old are they? What do they care about? Are they looking
for a luxe experience or a budget-friendly one? Do you need to come across more
professional or will a friendly tone work better? Will it be published as a blog post, on
Facebook, or another platform?

These are very important aspects to consider to help you set the right tone and achieve
the best effects with your audience.

➢ Make them care

Whether emotionally, intellectually or aesthetically, you need to make your audience
care. This is important in our world, where people tend to gloss over posts and skim
through content.

Why should they be interested in the story? How is it relevant to your audience? Does
your story touch on themes beyond travel such as sustainability, free speech, climate
change? Make this clear in your mind when crafting the story, because if it isn’t clear to
you, it will not be clear to the reader.

➢ Set the scene

We experience the world through our senses and so, if you want to fully capture your
audience, you must engage their senses. Set the scene and provide your audience with
context for the story.

Where did the story take place? What did the air smell like? Did it smell like pine cones
at the edge of a forest? Or like the sea by the beach?

Where does the adventure begin?

By engaging the senses of your audience and setting the scene, you will achieve a more
immersive experience for your readers.

➢ Be creative with chronology

Sometimes you can choose to catapult the reader straight into the midst of all the action,
or to the end of the story to catch their attention. It is also one of the easiest ways to
arouse curiosity, suspense and tension in your story. Since your reader does not know
what is happening, they will continue reading to solve the missing pieces of the puzzle.

However, keep in mind that people do not want to play Sherlock Holmes on their
iPhone, so don’t make your story the new Rubik’s Cube.

➢ Know your punchline

What is the purpose of telling the story? Do not forget that although you are doing this
to eventually sell a product or service, it should not feel that way to the reader. The story
 can be funny, meaningful, emotional or a mixture of these, or something completely
different. Be creative, but don’t forget to always make it relevant and interesting.

➢ Engage your audience

• Erase the boundary between your reader and your story. Engage them with a question
(or two) and put them in the center of the story. This way, you create a first-hand
experience of the narrative, igniting the desire for the reader to actually have that
experience in real life.

➢ Use tension

Ever read a book that was so intense you simply had to read until you finished,
completely forgetting about time and space? This is what you are trying to achieve with
your story. Be descriptive when telling about the climatic moments in your story.

If you're telling the story in person, perhaps when sharing your first whitewater rafting
experience, be expressive and get excited about the story you're telling.

➢ End with a grand finale

Unless the story is to continue and you are intentionally building up the suspense, there
should be closure in the story. Whatever plot you've built should be finished and leave
no questions hanging in the air.

Add magic to your story by leaving your audience with a sense of awe, the sort of
feeling you get when you leave the cinema after a great film. You can do this by leaving
them with a "big question" about humanity or something similar to ponder about as they
make their way back to their hotel.

➢ Don’t be limited by words

A picture is worth a thousand words and videos all the more. They can support your
written stories and vice-versa. This is also to mean that you can create new words,
provided that they make sense and their meaning is well explained to the reader.
 Through this, you not only surprise and entertain your readers, but you can also build
your brand by using cleverly coined words and phrases, even turning them into unique
hashtags to promote your tourism business.

➢ Enjoy the process

As much as you enjoy creating the experience, you should also enjoy reliving the
experience in your stories. Think about it this way: the adventure you provide can live
on forever and can be enjoyed vicariously by everyone who reads or hears it.

• Based on Chris Anderson’s findings of what makes a story captivating, here are some
different storytelling techniques. These are used by many TED presenters, who are some
of the most inspirational speakers in the world. Remember to:
1. Immerse your audience in the story.
2. Tell a personal story.
3. Create suspense.
4. Bring characters to life.
5. Show. Don’t tell.
6. Build up to S.T.A.R. moment.
7. End with a positive takeaway.

• “A successful talk is a little miracle—people see the world differently afterward.” -Chris
Anderson,TED curator
• Story Telling Techniques : (TED Presenters)
➢ Immerse your audience in the story. - Richard Turun
➢ Tell a personal story. - leslie Morgan Steiner

➢ Create suspense. - Zack Ibrahim

➢ Bring characters to life. - Malcom Gladwin

➢ Show. Don’t tell.

➢ Build up to S.T.A.R. moment.

➢ End with a positive takeaway.

• Story telling isn’t just for fiction, it’s vital for your business too. In these courses the
authors walk you through the storytelling strategies, including, identifying your
audience, brainstorming, nailing down details, and turning your story into a reality. Be
 heard, be remembered and create the change you wish to see in your communication
with dynamic and entertaining storytelling.
• In other words, these are the three ingredients to a good story
- Holding Interest
- Building Connection
- Providing a Satisfying Conclusion.

Negotiation Skills

• Negotiations are formal discussions between people reaching a common ground. They
have different intentions during which they come to an agreement eliminating their
differences.
• Negotiating can be a challenging prospect for some people, especially if you go with a
“Win the War” approach. A key method to help us in such situations is to develop a
proper negotiation mindset.
• Interestingly , while you may not realize it, you probably already have a lot of
experience negotiating things in your everyday life. After all, negotiation is just another
form of communication, a means of problem-solving.
• When it comes to business, negotiation has become one of the most important skills and
ability. There must be a meaningful give and take that should happen in negotiation.
However, the most effective negotiator will be both competing as well as collaborating.
• Negotiation Skills :
➢ Discover The Other Person’s Interests
Instead of focusing on the position of the other person or what it is that they are saying,
really ask questions to learn about the real interests that they have. Get under the surface
and really understand what it is that they really need out of the negotiation so that you
can find a win-win solution. By getting to win-win, both parties will feel good and get
what they need. - Monica Thakrar, MTI
➢ Don’t Be Adversarial
Don’t have an adversarial, competitive mindset about negotiating. Instead, approach it
with the goal of achieving a mutually satisfying outcome for both sides. Conduct
yourself as though you’re certain that a great result can be achieved if you and the
person on the other side of the table work together as members of a team. Maintaining
positivity and an affable demeanor throughout is critical. - Carroll Welch, Carroll Welch
Consulting
➢ Believe In The Value You Bring
If you go into a tough negotiation feeling like someone will be doing you a favor by
giving you a raise or investing, you’ve already lost. Going in knowing the value you
deliver will give you the confidence to advocate for yourself. Put yourself in the other
person’s shoes and ask yourself what would impress you about that person who is asking
for the money. - Tim Ressmeyer, Ressmeyer Partners
➢ Study And Practice
It’s important to recognize that if you don’t negotiate for a living you likely aren’t aware
of all the things you might negotiate, their dollar value and the opportunity for upping
your salary. No one wants to excitedly take a job and realize they shorted themselves
tens of thousands of dollars annually! So, be sure to find a resource, such as a well-rated
book or coach, and learn and practice. - Laura DeCarlo, Career Directors International
➢ Always Ask For More
I’ve learned that when it comes to negotiations, always ask for more. If the employee
asks for more money, ask them for more productivity. If a client asks for a lower price,
sell them more products. It’s much easier to negotiate after the other person thinks they
won. Let them win the first negotiation, and they will usually be happy enough to let
you win two to three more. - Ryan Stewman, Break Free Academy
➢ Find Out What’s Really Possible
People can’t negotiate to provide things they don’t have. Figure out what the other
person has the power to provide. For example, I once negotiated around an impending
acquisition, trying to get off the “stay” list onto the “layoff” list. During the critical
conversation I realized the person had no power to change outcomes. So I quickly
shifted to negotiate our continued working relationship. - Ronica Roth, CA Technologies
➢ Manage Yourself First
Becoming an effective negotiator in any situation begins with ego and mouth
management by the negotiator. The good negotiator knows herself and her triggers well
so that nothing said or done can derail her objectivity or her goal of win-win for the
parties involved. - Judy Nelson, Judy Nelson Executive Coach
➢ Role Play The Other Side
If you practice or rehearse, do what is taught in school through improv and additional
techniques. Understand, articulate and play out the role of the person you intend to
negotiate with. Understand the points of the so-called “opposition” during or even
before you intend to argue your case for a raise, for investment or for any promotion.
This will allow you to build your case convincingly. - John M. O’Connor, Career Pro
Inc.
➢ Conquer Your Fear First
Most of the time when you have trouble negotiating it is either fear of conflict or fear of
being told “no” that stops you. First, identify what you are afraid of. Then ask yourself,
“If that happens, will I be okay?” This calms your brain’s automatic amygdala hijack
and allows you to be present in the conversation. Then, before you go into the
negotiation, write out the case for your deserving the money. - Janet
Zaretsky, Empowered Women Enterprisess, LLC dba Janet Zaretsky
➢ Make More Eye Contact
Make more eye contact. By looking them in the eye and holding their gaze, you will
signal you are serious and committed to your ideas. Eye contact also helps you analyze
the other person’s body language and gestures to determine how they perceive you so
you can adjust how you deliver your message. - G. Riley Mills, Pinnacle Performance
Company
➢ Remember Negotiations Aren’t Personal
 People often worry that they will be perceived as greedy, demanding or ungrateful when
they go into a negotiation, but negotiations aren’t personal. Negotiations are an
opportunity for everyone involved to get more of what they want. Ask for your desired
outcome confidently, with no attachment. Once you find out what the other person wants
and has to say, you’ll be able to meet in the middle. - Amanda Frances, Amanda Frances
Inc.
➢ Know What You’re Willing To Lose
A key for any negotiation is being able to know not just what you want, but what you are
willing to lose. Are you willing to lose an investor to keep a greater share in your
company? Are you willing to lose a chance at a promotion if it means you can get more
vacation time? If you know what you are willing to lose or give up, you will be better
prepared to push for what you are unwilling to yield. - Billy Williams, Archegos
➢ Be A Good Listener
Negotiations require two sides working together to arrive at a compromised outcome.
The best negotiators present their request and then listen, really listen, for feedback from
the other side. They listen for clues and cues and use the information to structure and
negotiate accordingly. When both sides feel they have received benefit, the close comes
easier. - Deborah Hightower, Deborah Hightower, Inc.
➢ Make It A Conversation
We’re negotiating for things all the time — where we want to go to eat for lunch, or how
much time we should spend on a project. We have these micro negotiations with
ourselves and others all the time. To become more comfortable, remember that you are
simply having a conversation to come to a consensus on what “right” will look like for
you and the other person. - Lynda Foster, Cortex Leadership Consulting
➢ Stay On Top Of The Latest Tactics
I highly recommend podcasts, books and even classes to stay on top of the latest
negotiation and sales tactics available today. My team trains every Tuesday for an hour
and then another hour one-on-one with a professional sales trainer who knows sales and
negotiation techniques. We currently use Sandler Training, but there are many to
recommend. - Gene Russell, Manex Consulting
• Negotiation Techniques :-
➢ Nibble
The nibble technique is used when a negotiator asks for concessions in small
“increments”. Your opponent is ready to close the deal, but you throw in one more
nibble.
➢ Vice
This technique asks the simple question, “Is that the best you can do?” The opposition
may come back at you with a lower price, and you haven’t even begun to negotiate.
Some sellers will ponder this question, and come back with a lower price. Or, the seller
may consider adding some concession to the deal. I use this on my children sometimes.
➢ Salami
It's called the salami because people eat salami in thin slices, and the person using the
tactic takes thin slices off the other person, just asking for small concessions, one after
another, and gradually, bit by bit, most of the value is taken off the other person before
they realize.
 ➢ Quivering pen
In quivering pen technique, you ask for something extra just at the end, but the big
difference is that you ask for the extra before you sign the deal, before you shake hands.
In fact, just before

• Negotiation Types : -
➢ Distributive Negotiations – The Fixed Pie
The term distributive means a giving out or a scattering of value. By the nature of the
business, there is a limited amount of what’s being distributed or divided. So, this type
of negotiation is often referred to as “The Fixed Pie.” There is only so much to go
around, and the proportion to be distributed is limited and variable.
How often has somebody shouted out, “Who wants the last piece of pizza?” Everyone
looks at each other, then two or more hands rush to grab the last slice.
In the real world of negotiations, two teams enter discussions with the goal of claiming
as much value as possible. The seller wants to go after the best price they can obtain.
The buyer wants to pay the lowest price to achieve the best bargain. It’s good old-
fashioned haggling.
A distributive negotiation usually involves starting talks with no pre-existing
relationship. A long-term relationship is also unlikely to develop. Everyday examples
include buying or selling a car or a house. The purchasing of products or services is a
simple business example. Here, distributive negotiation bargaining is often employed.
------Distributive Bargaining Basics
- Play your cards close to your chest
- The opposite is equally true
- Let the other side know you have options
- Make the first offer
- Be realistic

➢ IntegrativeNegotiations- EveryoneWinsSomething(Usually)
Integrative negotiations need a more developed type of business negotiation skills. For
this reason, we typically start our negotiation skills training with simple distributive
bargaining role-plays. We then build up to more complex team-based integrative
negotiation role-plays.
The word integrative means to join several parts into a whole. Integration implies
cooperation, or a joining of forces, to achieve something together. It usually involves a
higher degree of trust and a forming of a relationship. Both teams want to walk away
feeling they’ve achieved something that has value. Ideally, this means each team
achieving what they want.

------Integrative Negotiation Basics

- Multiple Issues
- Sharing
 - Problem Solving
- Bridge Building

• Steps of negotiation process :-

● Preparation & Planning – 1. Nature of conflict 2. History leading to this negotiation
3. Who's involved and their perception of conflic.
● Definition of ground rules – 1. When it will take place? 2. Time constraints 3.
limitations
● Clarification & Justification – Reaching at the initial demands and providing
documentation to support justification.
● Bargaining & Problem Solving
● Closure & Implementation

Handling Conflict

• At times negotiations and discussions can take a turn for the worse and head into
conflict. What should we do in such a scenario ?
• It’s all around us. Most of us aren’t comfortable dealing with conflict when it happens,
especially if it is at work. However, conflict is natural and happens, so we must learn to
manage it. Whatever be the disagreements and disputes, learning how to manage can
keep your personal and professional relationships strong and growing
• When conflict happens at work, do you jump to silence or violence? Neither are very
good options. Many of us don’t always handle conflicts well. And by handling it “well”
we mean handling conflict in an assertive, productive,respectful way. It would help if
you could use some new conflict management skills. Here are a few tips for you to
practice and follow. Check out the blogs and course to understand and learn how to
handle workplace conflict.
• 2 major causes of conflict:
- Communication
- Emotions
• The following tips will help to more effective handle conflicts in the workplace:
➢ Define Acceptable Behavior: You know what they say about assuming…Just having
a definition for what constitutes acceptable behavior is a positive step in avoiding
conflict. Creating a framework for decisioning, using a published delegation of authority
statement, encouraging sound business practices in collaboration, team building,
leadership development, and talent management will all help avoid conflicts. Having
clearly defined job descriptions so that people know what’s expected of them, and a well
articulated chain of command to allow for effective communication will also help avoid
conflicts. Clearly and publicly make it known what will and won't be tolerated.
➢ Hit Conflict Head-on: While you can’t always prevent conflicts, it has been my
experience that the secret to conflict resolution is in fact conflict prevention where
 possible. By actually seeking out areas of potential conflict and proactively intervening
in a just and decisive fashion you will likely prevent certain conflicts from ever arising.
If a conflict does flair up, you will likely minimize its severity by dealing with it quickly.
Time spent identifying and understanding natural tensions will help to avoid
unnecessary conflict.
➢ Understanding the WIIFM Factor: Understanding the other professionals WIIFM
(What’s In It For Me) position is critical. It is absolutely essential to understand other’s
motivations prior to weighing in. The way to avoid conflict is to help those around you
achieve their objectives. If you approach conflict from the perspective of taking the
action that will help others best achieve their goals you will find few obstacles will stand
in your way with regard to resolving conflict.
➢ The Importance Factor: Pick your battles and avoid conflict for the sake of conflict.
However if the issue is important enough to create a conflict then it is surely important
enough to resolve. If the issue, circumstance, or situation is important enough, and there
is enough at stake, people will do what is necessary to open lines of communication and
close positional and/or philosophical gaps.
➢ View Conflict as Opportunity: Hidden within virtually every conflict is the potential
for a tremendous teaching/learning opportunity. Where there is disagreement there is an
inherent potential for growth and development. If you’re a CEO who doesn’t leverage
conflict for team building and leadership development purposes you’re missing a
great opportunity. Divergent positions addressed properly can stimulate innovation and
learning in ways like minds can't even imagine. Smart leaders look for the upside in all
differing opinions.
Bottom line…I believe resolution can normally be found with conflicts where there is a
sincere desire to do so. Turning the other cheek, compromise, forgiveness, compassion,
empathy, finding common ground, being an active listener, service above self, and
numerous other approaches will always allow one to be successful in building rapport if
the underlying desire is strong enough. However, when all else fails and positional gaps
cannot be closed, resolve the issue not by playing favorites, but by doing the right thing.
• Tips to handle conflicts :-

➢ Talk Privately
➢ Listen to the Other Person

➢ Acknowledge Your Similarities

➢ Admit Your Mistakes

➢ Focus on Behavior, not Personality

➢ Be Selective

➢ Set a Positive Example

➢ Consider the Bigger Picture

➢ Avoid Escalating Tension

 ➢ Use a Mediator

Customer Conversation

• A key part of our role involves our interacting with the clients at various stages.
• While some may be transactional exchanges like sending a report, there are times when
we need to have some crucial conversations with our clients like understanding a
requirement better or getting an update or even a collaborative brainstorming session.
• Also, at different times the channel of communication would be different, like an email/
phone call/ face to face.
• We need to be prepared to ensure that we can leverage these situations to our maximum
benefit.
• Focus on the problem • The first thing to understand
• Define customer archetypes • Understand their role
• Develop an agile mindset • Agility will help keep the interview going to collect more
relevant and meaningful information.
• Be prepared to listen and learn • Stay fully engaged in the conversation while ensuring
you capture all the information
• Preferably conduct inperson interviews • Phone calls and video chats are convenient, but
nothing replaces face-to-face interviews.

• During customer interviews, it’s important to:

▪ Focus on questions that allow you to validate the problem. Who actually has the
problem? How do they deal with it?
▪ Develop questions that help you collect quantitative and relevant data that you can
later test. Avoid questions that lead to subjective or speculative answers.
▪ Tailor questions to better understand a customer’s habits. You may uncover important
information around how a customer thinks about a problem that you hadn’t considered.
▪ Finish each conversation with:
– “What did I not ask?” Always assume that you’re asking the wrong questions,
especially in the first interview. This allows you to capture what you missed.
– “Who else do you suggest I interview?” This is an excellent way to capture more
targeted contacts directly from individuals who work in the industry

• Asking the right questions and the questions in the right manner are both equally
important.
• While we are typically used to asking more of close-ended questions, it is the open-
ended ones that are best to start off with.
• Eventually, as we probe based on the information gathered in the open-ended questions,
we can move to close-ended questions.
• This is also referred to as the funnel technique
 Interviewing Skills

• If you want to find the best person for a job, then it is essential that your interviews are
as thorough and well thought out as possible.
• Conducting an interview isn’t as simple as it looks and there are several things that you
must consider before meeting any candidate.
• Your judgment may be impacted by qualities or experiences that don’t necessarily align
with the role you are hiring for, or overlook a shortage of the required skills.

• Tips on Conducting Great Interviews:-

➢ Start slow, safe and personal.
I usually begin with a question that focuses on the person and not the topic at hand, such
as: "Where did you grow up," or "what was your first job out of college?" First off, you
relax your subject and you humanize the interaction. This relaxes the atmosphere, starts
the conversation on safe ground, and let's you get a sense of the where your subject is
coming from. Second, you sometimes get a surprisingly good story.
Many years ago, when Oracle was a startup on a meteoric rise, Larry Ellison was
interviewed by a veteran magazine reporter. The subject was corporate strategies related
to database software. But the reporter started by asking Ellison where he was born an
raised. Ellison known for his aggressive and independent style, revealed that he was
raised by a single mom and spent much of his youth on the streets of Chicago. This, for
many years, became a key component of the Ellison persona and the Oracle's street-
tough competitive style.
➢ Coax, don't hammer.
The "shock jock" interviewer may get daytime TV audiences to cheer and jeer, but
chances are your audience is too sophisticated and businesslike for such low-rent tactics.
I prefer interviews who have the up-close, but soft style that coaxes revealing,
newsworthy, useful answers. For that reason, I am a huge fan of NPR's Terry Gross, host
of the long-running Fresh Air. She coaxes the most revealing content out of her subjects,
by adopting a very personal rapport and asking questions, in a "c'mon, you can tell me"
style. People tell her the most amazing stuff. I'll bet a few of them later wonder whatever
possessed them to reveal certain matters on national television.
➢ Make some questions open ended.
All interviews require you to ask specific questions that get answered with narrow data
points. "What was you last job title?" But, in my experience, the most interesting
responses I get come from open-ended questions, such as, "What is your vision for your
organization five years from today?" or one of my current favorites, "Do you worry
about any unintended consequences from what you are trying to accomplish?"
Years ago, I interviewed Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace a controversial segregationist
running for thepresidential nomination. I was no fan of his, but made it my business not
to show my personal animosity. I asked hom what he thought the voters of
Massachusetts shared in common with him. "They are as tired as I am of big
government stomping on hard-working folks butts," he said. This is a tired old saw
today, but that interview may be the first time a candidate personified "big government"
bullying everyday people. Wallace almost won that Massachusetts primary. His
campaign sent me a thank you note for giving Wallace the chance to state his case. I
have regretted it ever since, but it was where I learned my job was to get the interviewee
to tell his story and let the readers decide what they think of his or her ideas.
➢ Ask what you don't know.
There's a lawyer's tip that advises you to only ask witnesses questions that you already
know the answers to. I do the opposite. I ask questions on issues where I am clueless
what the answer will be. Lawyers hate surprises. As a journalist--or reader--I love them.
Surprises mean I have something that has not been previously reported.
➢ Let the interviewees wander a bit--but be careful.
Interviewers, in my view, try to hard to control the conversation, when the person in the
other seat is the one who can produce the news.
I recently watched Oprah Winfrey interview Sean Penn in a Haitian refugee camp on
television. Penn was in an uncharacteristically reflective mood. He obviously wanted to
talk about the recent dissolution of his marriage butWinfrey changed the subject on him.
Then he wanted to talk about the suffering of children, but she changed subjects on him
again. After that Penn seemed bored and detached. I don't blame him.
There is a danger, however. If you are conducting a business interview, the company
representative may resort to talking points and "Corpspeak" if you allow to much slack.
I usually stop writing, fold my arms and look out the window. They often trail off.
Sometimes I complain that I had hoped to get from the person something that I could not
have downloaded from the company site. Sometimes it work, sometimes it does not.
➢ Don't send advance questions.
Sometimes, time requires me to send email questions, and then I get written answers in
return. These are often adequate but the result is rarely as good as a face-to-face, candid
interaction. If I am going to have face time, I make clear the topics that I wish to cover
and even ask if there are other subjects the interviewee would like to discuss.
But I don't send questions in advance. The result feels far too scripted, and the answers
start feeling like they were written by a committee. The result is that very little new
ground is covered. It also eliminates my beloved follow-up questions, the ones that drill
down on what was or was not said in the response. Very often, the followup question
produces the lead to the story I report.
➢ Be prepared. Find the overlooked.
I used to spend days researching before conducting an interview. Thanks to Google, that
has been reduced to approximately an hour. I see what the subject has told other
reporters and bloggers and I figure out what can be added to those previous
conversations. I also look in forgotten cubbyholes. In searches I often go back to always
go to result pages 3, 4 and 5, where I may find surprisingly interesting content that no
one else has recently looked at.
I go into the room know the topics I want to discuss and trying not waste time of asking
for answers recently discussed. But I do look for updates and I do look for the questions
that someone else forgot to ask. I recently was scheduled to interview Yammer CEO
David Sachs for my Forbes column. I had planned to ask him about his $25,000 hiring
 bonus to Yahoo employees. Unfortunately, in the preceding week , other reporters got to
ask him all about it. I read them all and started my interview by asking Sachs how many
resumes he had received and how many offers he had made. As a result, I got a small
scoop, by asking the missed question.
Quite often, a subject's response to one question begs for a follow up. Many times the
follow-up question reveals more than either the interviewer or interviewee expected.
You just can't make that happen when you are following a script. When you do that,
your mind very often goes on to your next question and you are not listening carefully to
what your subject is saying.
I do come prepared and I let my subject know what subjects I want to cover. I also ask if
there are other topics she or he would like me to add. I even jot a few topics down to
make sure I remember them. But I do not write down questions and I stay poised to
change directions and topics based on what my subjects are saying.
➢ Listen, really listen.
The value of my interviews comes out of of what people say, not what I ask. If I ask a
question and the subject drifts off, there is often a good reason. I can get feist and retort
"Please anser my question," or I can see where the person wants to go. If it's into
Corpspeak and key points, I simply stop writing. If it's into an area that might interest
my readers, then I let the subject wander. They key is to pay close attention to what is
not answered and make on-the-spot judgements on why that area was skipped or
glossed. Was it uninteresting to the subject? Unimportant? Painfully embarrassing?
➢ There are dumb questions.
Try not to ask a question that your subject has already answered. It discloses that you
really weren't listening after all. Also try not to answer any questions that are answered
in the interviewee's online bios or company FAQ.
And remember above all, the interview is about the person you are talking to, not about
you. It's your job to reveal them, not to build them up or cut them down. Good night and
good luck.

ADDITIONAL CONCEPTS
• TEDX TALKS
➢ Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions – Brian Oshiro
➢ 7 steps of creative thinking – Raphael Diluzio
➢ Creative thinking – How to move out of the box of generate ideas – Giovanni Corazza

• Barriers Of Persuasion - ● No need ● No money ● No hurry ● No desire ● No trust

• Oz principle of problem-solving :-
● See it – Acknowledge problem
● Own it – Take responsibility for it
● Solve it – Determine what you can do
● Do it – Take action
• SMART – Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound
• Four types of communication : - ● Cliche ● Opinion ● Fact ● Feeling
• Other barriers of problem-solving :- ● Prejudice ● Deep-routed ● No bandwidth
• Persuasion – Direct – Need to push
• Influence – Indirect – Need to pull
• Elements of conversation :-
● Plan ● Prepare ● Listen ● Close ● Clarify
• Ethics , Fairness & Explainability of AI :-
● Ethics – AI should always follow and obey ethics
● Fairness – Practice of using AI without favoritism and discrimination
● Explainability – Ability to explain how or why a model makes a prediction.

QUOTATIONS

• “To be a model, Commit yourself to your own personal mastery” – Peter Senge
• “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man, true nobility is being
superior to your former self” - Ernst Hemingway
• “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company
work, a society work, a civilization work” - Vince Lombardi
• “Coming together is beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is
success” - Henry Ford
• “In complex problem solving, there is no recipe, there is only art” - Zafar Archi
• “Personal mastery is the discipline of personal growth & learning” - Peter Senge
• “Only type of leadership that will be counted in 21st century is personal leadership” -
Peter Drunker
• “Every sale has 5 basic obstacles no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust” - Zig
Ziglar

IMPORTANT EXPECTED QUESTIONS

➢ Identify the methods which are used to Identify root cause of a problem. Select All
that Apply.
1. Fish Bone Diagram
2. 10 Whys
3. Plan Action Chart
4. Pareto’s Law
➢ What are total number of steps involved in the process of Negotiation?
1. 6
2. 8
3. 4
4. 5

➢ Logic is used in which of the modes of persuation?

1. Ethos
2. Pathos
3. Ligos
4. Logos

➢ Who gave the idea of Personal Mastery in his book 'The Fifth Discipline?
1. Peter Senge
2. Peter Drunker
3. Sun Tzu
4. Henry David Thoreau

➢ Who said these famous Quotation “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I
would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.”
1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Peter Drunker
3. Albert Einstein
4. Steve Jobs

➢ Which of the following are not barriers to communication? Select All that apply.
1. Effective Communication
2. Clarity of Concept
3. Noise
4. Information Overload

➢ What are the number of pathways to achieve personal mastery?

1. Five
2. Six
3. Eight
4. Seven

➢ “7 steps of creative thinking” – TED Talk was delivered by ?

1. Ophra Winfrey – TEDx Cairo
2. Raphael Diluzio – TEDx Dirigo
3. Brian Oshiro – TEDx Dirigo
4. Brian Oshiro – TEDx Xiguan

➢ Which of the following would NOT influence your assessment of data, information or
evidence?
1. Assumptions
2. Conceptual Knowledge
3. Point of View
4. Implications

➢ Which among the following is not among the key aspects of Analytical Skills.
1. Attention to detail
2. Critical thinking
3. Negotiation Skills
4. Researching Skills

MAY & NOVEMBER QUESTIONS

➢ Which among the following is the second step in problem-solving.

1. Analyze the Problem
2. Define the Problem
3. Plan Action
4. Implement Solution & Review Progress

➢ Charities that send you lots of greeting cards along with a request to do donations for
them. Which mode of persuasion is used here?
1. Liking
2. Authority
3. Scarcity
4. Reciprocation

➢ Which among the following is not a barrier to problem solving

1. Assumptions
2. Confirmation Bias
3. Functional Fixedness
4. Consistency

➢ Which among the following is the famous speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther
King?
1. I have a dream
2. My Story
3. Life of black People
4. End of racial discrimination

➢ Which among the following are mental models for Agile software development.
Select all that apply.
1. Release based development
2. Decremental development
3. Continuous Improvement
4. Iterative development

➢ What are the elements of conversation?

1. Plan, Prepare, Listen, Close & Clarify along the way
2. Think, Learn, Know, Say, Close and Clarify
3. Think, Know, Say, Close and Clarify
4. Plan, Prepare, Close & Clarify along the way

➢ Which of the following would NOT influence your assessment of data, information or
evidence?
1. Assumptions
2. Conceptual Knowledge
3. Point of View
4. Implications

➢ What does teamwork mean?

1. To work hard with others
2. To communicate well with others
3. To work well with others
4. To work using soft skills

➢ Which among the following involves Pareto’s Principle.

1. Give 80% of your time to 20% most important and urgent tasks.
2. Learn to say no to less important tasks.
3. Discuss with the mentor about your personal growth.
4. Fill your calendar with the most important tasks.
5. Make time to do something new.

➢ When working to resolve an issue and achieve a win-win solution to a conflict, it is

most effective to use __________ and ___________ technique.
1. Compromise / Forcing
2. Competition / Forcing
3. Confrontation / Problem Solving
4. Forcing / Problem Solving
5. Competition / Confrontation

➢ Identify suggested techniques for overcoming time waste in the work environment.
Select all that apply.
1. Do the most important things later.
2. Be decisive and finish things.
3. Set a time limit for important tasks and projects
4. Perform multitasking of most important and least important tasks.
5. Procrastinate

➢ How we can be a good team player. Select all that apply.

1. By Communicating Well
2. Be a problem solver
3. Take initiative
4. Do only what is assigned to you and take rest

➢ What happens when there is trust between people? Select all that apply.
1. Trust makes people comfortable in taking advantage of anyone with.
2. Trust makes people feel eager to be a part of a relationship or group that
depends on each other.
3. People willingly contribute in what is needed, not just by their presence, but also
talent, energy and honest thoughts on how the relationship or group can grow.
4. People can share their confidential information with each other as well.
5. Trust doesn't make people comfortable in taking advantage of any other person.

➢ What are some of the steps you can take to manage multiple stakeholders? Select all
that apply.
1. Observe and analyze
2. Communicate
3. Analyze and communicate.
4. Prioritize Outcomes.
5. Time to review who will own benefits and be affected by dis benefits.

➢ Select the options applicable to Agile Mindset

1. Stubbornness
2. Positive Mindset
3. Thirst of Knowledge
4. Hard thinking
5. Goal of team success
6. Willingness to fail
➢ Which of the following is/are suggested way(s) of building good relationships with
customers?
1. When a customer complains, be defensive.
2. Place the company’s needs first.
3. Show care and concern for the customer.
4. Establish customer dissatisfaction goals.

➢ On his first day at work in the DIY Shop, Bill's manager asked him to sweep the
aisles
clean. In aisle three, a customer was examining two different decking products. "Excuse
me," he asked
the new employee. "Which one do you think is best? I want some decking that will last,
while looking
modern. Which one do you think is the best fit?" Taken aback and without thinking. Bill
answered, "I like the one in your right hand. It's a nicer color and seems pretty sturdy to
me."
Persuaded by what he thinks is an expert, the customer walks away with 50 pieces of
expensive decking. The above passage refers to which principle?
1. Reciprocity
2. Authority (Persuaded by what he thinks is an expert)
3. Social Proof
4. Liking (I like the one in your right hand)
5. Consistency

➢ It is Rubin’s 3rd year in the organization he already feels quite stressed out working
for more than his usual office hours the tasks that are assigned to him a repetitive and
the workload is high with strict deadlines however ruben’s Boss has high Expectations
on him and Rubin does not want to disappoint is boss proven expects a promotion the
next year while at the same time he has thoughts about quitting right away because of
the stress what should Ruben do in this situation
1. Ruben should sign up for a meditation course.
2. Ruben should take a one week vacation to an isolated hill station to assess his
mental Wellbeing. Get back with renewed commitments.
3. Ruben should cultivate a hobby like photography, travel, music or reading to avoid
monotony.
4. Ruben should enroll for the fit-for-life program.
➢ Peter is a hard-working team member and works more than 10 hours a day to
complete his deliverables. He has a faulty laptop but despite his technical challenges, he
manages to complete his task as per the deadline. His mother has also not been keeping
well and he, being the only breadwinner of the family, needs to lend his complete
support. Just a few days back he took few sick leaves. You are Peter's manager. How
would you like to support him?
1. You will assess his workload to see if he is overloaded, and if that can be delegated to
others.
2. Your immediate support will be to fix his laptop so that he is not stressed technically.
3. You will support him by giving him additional leaves if he requires.
4. You will pull him out of the project as he has personal challenges.
5. You will have a discussion with him and understand about his family health
status and provide him support.
6. You will give him less responsibilities so that he is a little relaxed.

➢ How can team creativity be promoted?

1. Relieve team members of accountability to promote creative ideas.
2. Establish challenges for the team.
3. Evaluate ideas during the idea generation stage.
4. Stress and deadlines to encourage intensity and focus.

➢ ___________, ___________ and ___________ are the suggested three practices to

be followed for effective problem-solving. Select the appropriate options to fill in the
blanks.
1. Scheduling
2. Retesting the solved problems
3. Analyzing
4. Planning
5. Prioritizing
6. Identifying our feeling

➢ The "vice technique" is a tactic of one of the following options. Identify the correct
answer.
1. Conflict Resolution
2. Negotiation
3. Persuasion
4. Storytelling

➢ Which principle of persuasion is related to titles, tailors and tune?

1. None of the options are correct
2. Consensus
3. Scarcity
4. Authority

➢ Identify the options that do not qualify as the feature of DevOps. Select all that apply.
1. It requires maximum downtime and minimal service backups.
2. Deployment needs less programming knowledge when compared to the development
of others.
3. Teams need to communicate in order to proceed to the next step.
4. There are separate teams for operations and developments.
5. DevOps is a tool which is solely automation

➢ Creativity is likely to occur when three components come together which involve
expertise, creative thinking skills, and.
1. Proper lightning in the work environment.
2. Extrinsically Motivating conditions in the work environment.
3. Right type of motivation
4. Stable economic conditions.

➢ Identify the aspects that could be improved by cultivating a growth mindset. Select all
that apply.
1. Rewards and recognition.
2. Performance and productivity
3. Performance and group think
4. Goal achievement and happiness
5. Connection and group think.
➢ Which of the following statements regarding delegation is false?
1. Some supervisors with a strong need for ego fulfillment try to do all the work
themselves so that they
get personal credit from their supervisors.
2. All team members should be delegated with all kinds of work with equal
responsibility for only then
they will get empowered.
3. A careful explanation of the task to be accomplished is important in successful
delegation.
4. Skillful delegating is bound to save time for a supervisor in the long run.

➢ Linda and her close friend were involved in an unhealthy argument recently, which
has caused a rift between the two. What should Linda do in this situation?
1. Linda should ignore the issue and move on with her tasks.
2. Should suppress her ego and invite her friend over for a cup of coffee or dinner.
3. Linda needs to wait for her friend to make the first move.
4. Linda should seek the help of a mutual friend to mediate.

➢ Some of the following are ways that can be used to improve your creativity, except a
few. Identify the exceptions, select all that apply.
1. Discipline yourself to think laterally.
2. Embrace mistakes.
3. Conduct brainstorming sessions.
4. Concentrate intensely on the task at hand.
6. Stick to the traditional mental set.

➢ Why is communication an important skill in problem solving? Select all that apply.
1. Communication generally hampers the troubleshooting process.
2. Communication enables us to articulate our solution.
3. It’s not important - Managers can do everything through email or texting.
4. We need to make others listen to us when we tell them what to do.
5. Communication is not that essential while gathering information about the problem.
6. Communication is essential in order to gather information about the problem.
➢ When resolving an incident, what kind of decision making skills, operations team
(application and infrastructure) adopts in addition to business impact:
1. Risk assessment
2. Fact based quality
3. Time bound decision
4. Monetary impact

➢ A development team often gets some production support requirements in addition to

the work in the sprint backlog. The team adapted their team composition and created the
sub team to support these ad hoc requirements. Which of the following statements is true
1. It is OK to create sub teams within a development team
2. It is not ok since there cannot be sub teams within a development team.
3. The team can complete the production support as one team since it is high priority and
then connect
back to the original sprint work

➢ Which Acronym is related to the GOAL setting? Select the appropriate option
1. TED (Tell me, explain to me, describe to me)
2. KISS (Keep it simple, stupid)
3. SMART (Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound)
4. WIIFM (What’s in it for me)

➢ A (n) ___________ is the existence of a discrepancy between existing and a desired

state of affairs.
1. Opportunity
2. Solution
3. Problem
4. Weakness

➢ When negotiating asking for something extra at the end, right before you make your
agreement is ___________.
1. Quivering Pen Technique
2. Vice Technique
3. Nibble Technique
4. Salami Technique

➢ Trust is instantly built. Is the statement TRUE or FALSE?

1. False
2. True

➢ Which of the following would NOT influence your assessment of data, information
or evidence?
1. Assumptions
2. Conceptual Knowledge
3. Point of View
4. Implications

➢ Maki was part of a new project. She was anxious to meet new team members and
experience her first job. On the first day, her manager presented her with a meeting full
of tasks and responsibilities. She felt overwhelmed as she must get all of these done and
was not sure where to start. What should Maki do to ease her anxiety and manage her
time effectively?
1. Take a break for 10 minutes, get back and calmly list down tasks on priority and
start solving them.
2. Accept the tasks and try to delegate them to team members.
3. Seek help from a senior associate to complete her tasks.
4. Get prepared for such hectic pressure as a routine matter.
5. Talk to the manager and explain that she is very new to the team, and it is difficult for
her to handle
all these responsibilities.

➢ _________ appeals to the audience’s emotions and _________ shows credibility and
makes one seem trustworthy and believable.
1. Ethos / Pathos
2. Pathos / Ethos
3. Ethos / Logos
4. Echoes / Logos
5. Pathos / Logos
➢ A specific type of argument that is based only on principles of logic and reasoning is
called Persuasion.
1. True
2. False

➢ To identify a problem one should ___________.???????

1. Compare one set of standards or goals to a second set of standard or goals
2. Compare the current state of affairs with some standard or desired future expectations.
3. Use intuition to see that things do not look right
4. Look for unhappy customers

➢ For connecting emotionally you need to reach the _______

1. Brain
2. Heart
3. Stomach
4. Lungs

➢ To develop your creativity you should _________. Select all that apply???????
1. Allow to have pressure to produce immediate results
2. Be willing to take risks
3. Reward your curiosity
4. Commit yourself to developing your creativity
5. Stick to your comfort zone and don't take new risks
6. Stick to the boundaries and go with the flow

➢ Aman’s team gathers for the monthly progress and problem report about reaching
individual and departmental objectives. Choose the option that best describes the
meeting.
1. Only a few team members are concerned about the impact of their presentation, they
attempt to
blame each other within the team
2. There is an open and realistic sharing of both progress and problems.
3. One clique exists within this team, and their presentations sound about the same
political stuff.
4. It is obvious that most members play the political game

➢ Ryan delegated some of his tasks to his colleagues. He carefully explained the tasks
to be performed and the performance standards by which the tasks would be judged.
How should Ryan follow up with his colleagues? Select all that apply.
1. He should set up a due date for the tasks and email reminders along the way.
2. He should appoint another senior employee to monitor the employee’s progress.
3. He should set a due date and allow the employee “space” to complete the tasks
without any interference
4. He should make himself available to answer further questions and provide
additional inputs if necessary
5. He should monitor the employee’s progress daily, correcting any performance issues
immediately.

➢ We have several theories of perception that are related to the head and the heart.
Select the most appropriate assumption.
1. People's behavior and action are extrinsically linked to their mother and father’s
parenting style, and
the behavior and actions of siblings.
2. People need a way to judge which stories are believable and which are not
3. How people process information about the world can play an important part in
what kind of message they find most persuasive
4. People need to understand messages regardless of who seeks to persuade them

➢ Tinoy and you are part of a project and you have been given certain responsibilities
to fulfill. Tinoy being a responsible team mate completed his task on time. He always
understands his role as a responsible team member and hence he flagged off his laptop
issue (some technical defect) much in advance so that when the project starts his work
can move seamlessly. You are also a highly responsible person and quite skilled. Your
work is to liaise with one of the team members from the COE team. However, due to
Poor health condition of the associate from the COE team, your work got stuck. This
impacted the overall project delivery. You are empathetic towards the associate from the
COE team as he stays all alone in Mumbai and hence you decided to be supportive of
him. Choose the correct option from below that fits into the above situation.
1. This situation tells us that you are a responsible person
2. We need to make choices many times. You chose to prioritize health, relationship over
work and
there is no harm in it.
3. You should talk to any other team member who is close to you and seek their help
4. You might be a responsible individual, however you did not display
accountability. You should have looked for an alternate option when you got to
know about the health issue of the team member from the COE team. Your timely
action could have helped the project to get completed in time.

➢ You are frustrated because your colleagues in North America keeps messaging you at
5:00 AM (your time). They send you seemingly urgent requests when you're sleeping or
just waking up, and you are sick of being bombarded with multiple requests even before
you start your day. You get the vibe that they do not like you much and you do not know
how to approach them. Which of the following statement fits to the above situation?
1. Rather than assuming one should have an open conversation with the team.
2. Does not know how to prioritize tasks.
3. Work comes first, hence time is irrelevant.
4. This Conflicting situation is because you have not understood the American culture.

➢ When an acquaintance of yours asks you, “How is business”? You respond saying
“stakes are up by 14% what about yours at this time?” What type of communication has
taken place between both of you?
1. None of the options are correct
2. Feeling
3. Opinion
4. Fact

➢ A few days after the sprint planning, the Product Owner finds that it makes sense to
develop another new functionality. Which two of the following statements are correct?
1. The Developers will add the new item to the Sprint Backlog
2. The Product Owner can add the new item in the product backlog in the next
sprint planning. Then the Product Owner can bring that up for the developer’s
selection.
3. If the Developers agree, the Product Owner can swap an existing functionality in
the current sprint, for the new functionality.
4. The Developers should obtain the Scrum Master’s approval to add this to the Sprint
Backlog

➢ Which technique of negotiation makes use of a 'divide and conquer' process of

threats and alliances to overcome opposition? Select the most appropriate.
1. Quivering Pen Technique
2. Vice Technique
3. Nibble Technique
4. Salami Technique

➢ How to apply analytical thinking while problem solving? Select all that
apply.????????
1. Adopt a creative approach.
2. Process and synthesis.
3. Be in this stage of gestation.
4. Think in layers.
5. Take a step back.
6. Always stick to the traditional approach.
7. Go with the flow of the problems.

➢ Understanding personality types helps to establish rapport and influence with others
in a business setting. Which of the following are the characteristics of the personality
type called regulators? Select all that apply.
1. Regulators may not seek formalized approvals of their achievements from those
in post.
2. Application of the regulator is logical and well-structured and the style lacks
emotions.
3. The first thing on the regulator's mind is how their ideas may affect their staff.
4. The regulator is extremely patient and does not expect immediate action.
5. The pure regulator is assertive and reserved in outlook.

➢ Choose the reason that classify the problem as complex problem

1. It is binary
2. It has high level difficulty
3. It has a very simple way of solving
4. It has many components
5. It involves too many unknowns

➢ Teams are effective for complex tasks because they produce a great number of ideas
andCommitment to the decisions.
1. True
2. False

➢ Product is the center of the ___________.

1. Project procedure model
2. Traditional and agile model
3. Traditional risk management model
4. Design thinking model

➢ One day a poet was requested to interpret an especially peculiar and obscure passage
within one of his own poems. His response was “at the time that I was writing that
particular verse, only God and myself knew its meaning. Now it is only God who
knows. What does the poet mean by his answer?
1. The poet has forgotten the meaning of his own words.
2. Poets do not often know where their creative inspiration comes from.
3. Most people cannot understand poetry.
4. God is much wiser than people are.

➢ The rule of reciprocity is a social norm in which a person feels obligated to return the
favor, if someone does something for them.
1. True
2. False

➢ Which among the following does not belongs to techniques of negotiation _______.
1. Quivering Pen Technique
2. Little Pie Technique
3. Nibble Technique
4. Vice Technique
➢ Which among the following are not the steps in the negotiation process.
1. Clarification / Justification
2. Brainstorming / Ideation
3. Evaluation / Feedback
4. Planning / Getting Ready
5. Behavior / Result

➢ Which of the following will you do while planning? If you are working towards
personal growth?
1. Give 80% of your time to 20% most important and urgent tasks.
2. Learn to say no to less important tasks.
3. Discuss with the mentor about your personal growth.
4. Fill your calendar with the most important tasks.
5. Make time to do something new.

➢ Agile software development is based on one or more of the following options. Select
all that apply.
1. Release based development
2. Decremental development
3. Incremental development
4. Iterative development
5. Linear development

➢ The technique of negotiation in which we keep asking for small items, one at a time,
until we are getting agreement that we have gotten a lot is Nibble Technique.

➢ From the given options , select the stages of successful ideation. Select all that apply
1. Implementation
2. Persuasion
3. Modification
4. Generation
5. Visualization
6. Collaboration
7. Selection

➢ Identify the barriers to problem solving.

1. Assumptions
2. Guided approaches
3. Differentiating facts from opinion
4. Data driven approach
5. Prejudice