The word communication is derived from

“communis” (Latin) meaning “common”. It stands for

a natural activity of all human beings to convey
opinions, feelings, information and ideas to others
through words (written or spoken), body language or
signs.
It is the art of imparting information. To
communicate means to impart, transmit, to
interchange ideas. It transfers thought from one
person to another.
It has also been defined as exchange of facts, ideas,
opinions or emotions of two or more persons. It is the
tool which helps one to achieve the purpose and
goals of an organization.
IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1. Smooth working of the organization:
Communication is necessary for the
successful, smooth and unrestricted working of an
enterprise. All organizational interaction depends
upon communication. Be it an activity of purchase or
sale, or production or finance, it is the process of
communication that makes cooperative action
possible.
2. Basis of managerial function:
Communication plays an important role in
discharging the various function of
management. No function of management is
possible without the communication process.
3. Prompt decision and its implementation:
In order to make prompt decisions, fact
collecting process is necessary. Information must be
received before any meaningful decision and, for this
purpose, communication is a primary requirement.
Thus, decision –making and its implementation
require an effective system of communication.
4. Building human relations:
Communication is two way traffic which helps
promote cooperation and mutual understanding
between the two partners of an organization.
Efficient downward communication helps the
management to tell the subordinates what the
organization wants and how it can be performed.
On the other hand, upward communication helps
the workers in putting their grievances, and
suggestions and reactions to the policies, before
the management. Thus, an efficient
communication system builds human relations.
5. Job satisfaction and good morale:
Morale is the human element that motivates
a man to work in the right spirit. Good
communication removes the possibility of mis-
understanding among the parties concerned.
Workers know what they have to do and how, it
creates a job satisfaction and builds up the morale
which in turn helps the organization in achieving
goals.
6. Avoids illusion:
Illusion is the great enemy of
communication. An efficient system of
communication aims at removing illusion and
misunderstanding by communicating facts and
figures. Thus, communication cements an
organization.
7. Contact with external parties:
Contact with outside agencies such as
customers, associations, other manufacturers,
advertisers, suppliers, trade unions, research
councils and institutions, etc.are necessary for
furthering the interest of the organizations. It
increases the goodwill of the firm and helps in
creating a favorable attitude towards organization.
Thus, communication contributes towards
maintaining good relations with the outside world.

MAIN FORMS OF ORGANISATIONAL

COMMUNICATION
1)Internal operational communication:
• Internal operational communication consists
of the structured communication within the
organization directly related to achieving the
organization goal.
• In other words all the communication that
occurs in conducting work within a business
is classified as internal operational.
• For example, the superiors make decisions
and transmit them to subordinates.
Departments exchange information, and
workers communicate working information
with each other.
• Internal operational communication takes
many forms. It includes the orders and the
instruction that supervisors give to workers,
as well as oral exchanges among the
workers about the work matters. It includes
reports that workers prepare concerning
sales,production,inventories,finance,mainten
ance and so on.

2)EXTERNAL OPERATIONAL COMMUNICATION

• External operational communication is that
part of the organizations communication
 structure which is concerned with achieving
organizations work goal. It deals with people
and groups outside the organization.
• It’s the organization communication with its
public, its suppliers, service companies,
customers, and the general public.
• Into the category fall all of the organizations
efforts at direct selling the sales
representatives sales talk, the descriptive
broachers, the telephone call backs and the
follow up service calls.
• It’s equally elementary that in today’s
complex business society, organizations are
dependent on each other in the
manufacturing and distribution of goods as
well as the sale of services and this
interdependence necessarily brings about
need for communication.

3)PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• Much of the communication in an
organization is without purpose as far as the
organization is concerned. Such
communication may be classified as
personal.
• Personal communication is all that incidental
exchange of information and feeling which
human beings engage in whenever they
come together. It is non-business related
exchanges of information and feelings
among the people.
• Much of the time friends spend with each
other is spend in communication, for it is
simply the thing to do when people get
 together. Even total strangers are likely to
communicate when they are placed in a
position together.
• Personal communication can also help to
form attitudes and beliefs, which are
stronger and have more lasting effects on
the mind than opinions. What they think can
affect their relationships with the
organizations. And what they think can have
a direct influence on productivity.
COMMUNICATION NETWORK OF THE ORGANISATION
A. On the basis of Direction of Communication:
a. Downward communication: It flows from top
of the organization down through various
levels to bottom along a scalar chain. This
type of communication is strictly formal and
relates to:
• Orders and instructions relating to a job
• Organizational policies,rules,programmes
and procedures
• It flows from the chief executive of the
organization to the lowest level through
middle management.
STRENGHTS:
• It helps in explaining the organization’s
policies, plans and programmes, work
methodology and other necessary
information to the members of the
organization.
• It helps the subordinates to know what
is expected of them and puts a check on
the unreasonable demands of the
superiors.
WEAKNESS:
 • The major weakness of the downward
communication is that the information
has to pass through various hierarchical
levels and is interpreted and
reinterpreted at each intervening level
• The message may possibly reach the
bottom in a distorted and changed
shape. This loses the very objective of
the communication
b. Upward communication: It is just the reverse
of the downward communication .It flows
upward from a subordinate to the superior
through middle managerial levels along the
line. Such communication is of two types:
• Feedback of information in which
subordinates convey a message to the
top executive in response to the latter’s
original communication.
• Voluntary communication from the
subordinates to convey their complaints,
grievances, suggestions and opinions.
STRENGHTS:
• It helps to know the attitudes, behavior,
opinions, actions and feelings of the
workers on the job.
• It creates confidence and trust of the
superiors in the minds of workers.
• It develops confidence among
subordinates that they convey their
feelings, grievances, complaints,
suggestions, opinions etc. to the top and
can contribute more to the achievement
of the organizational objectives.
WEAKNESS:
 • Generally upward communication is
ignored or distorted at the intermediate
levels because the top management is
quite unwilling to listen to the juniors in
the hierarchy.
• Another problem of upward
communication is caused by status
differences. The lower levels
functionaries hesitate in communicating
messages to their bosses freely.
c. Horizontal or Lateral Communication: This
type of communication refers to
communication between various
departments or units representing the same
level, or people within the same or different
departments, without having a superior-
subordinate relationship. It flows between
persons at the same hierarchical level.
STRENGHTS:
• Its helps in coordinating the activities of
different departments at the same level.
• Different departmental heads may sit
together and thrash out problems
without the wastage of time, money,
labour and material.
WEAKNESS:
• The main problem in lateral
communication is the differences in
approach and vision of different
functionaries.This affects the
productivity and effiency of the
organization adversely.
B. ON THE BASIS OF ORGANISATIONAL
STRUCTURE:
a. Formal Communication: This type of
communication flows through formal
channels i.e. officially recognized positions
along the line in the organization. This is
deliberately created to regulate the flows of
communication so as to make it orderly, and
thereby to ensure that the required
information flows smoothly, accurately and
timely to the points at which it is required.
ADVANTAGES:
• It helps in maintaining the authority of
line executives over their
subordinates who are responsible to
get the work done by their
subordinates and are answerable to
their bosses.
• An immediate superior has direct
contacts with the subordinates; so, a
better understanding is developed
between them and communication is
made more effective.
• Since an executive is better informed
about the organization and its
problems than the subordinates, a
better solution can possibly be found
easily and good relations between the
leader and his subordinates develop.
DISADVANTAGES:
• It increases the workload of the line
of superior because all the
communications are transmitted
through them. Thus it leaves the
superiors with little to perform other
organizational frame work.
 • Information is carried out through a
scalar chain and thus the information
to be delivered can be delayed or
even misinterpreted at different
levels of the organization.
b. Informal organization: also known as
grapevine is not planned or deliberately
created by the top management. It is free
from all formalities. No formal organizational
chart is followed to convey messages. It is
based on the informal relations of the two
persons, the sender and the receiver of the
communication.
ADVANTAGES:
• The communication travels faster
speed because there is no formal line
of communication.
• It is dynamic and reacts quickly
because informal channels have their
sanctions in the group and develop
within the organization.
DISADVANTAGES:
• It very often carries half-truths,
rumors, and distorted facts at an
alarming rate of speed. As there is no
mechanism for authentication of the
news and views, members of the
organization are likely to be
misinformed and misled by informal
communication.

C. On the basis of way of expression

a. Oral communication: It occurs through the
spoken word. In oral communication, the
sender and receiver, exchange their views
through the speech, either in face to face
communication or any mechanical or
electrical device such as telephone
etc.Meetings, conferences, lectures etc
are some other media of communication.
ADVANTAGES:
• It is faster form of communication and
saves time and money.
• It is more effective communication
system. Gestures, tones and facial
expression make communication
more impressive and effective.
• It allows parties to get immediate
feedback. They can know each
other’s reactions immediately and
can remove doubts, if any, in the
mind of the party.
• It is an only way during an
emergency.
DISADVANTAGES:
• There is no documentary proof of oral
communication and as such the
impact of verbal communication is
purely temporary.
• When the message to be conveyed is
too lengthy, oral communication is
not suitable.
• Sometimes oral communication is
time consuming, especially in
meetings and conferences where,
even after long deliberations, nothing
concrete may come out.
 • Serious thought is not possible
because the receiver has to take an
immediate decision in response to the
communication received.
b. Written Communication: It is often
resorted to by the the management for
messages that are lengthy and have to be
made permanent. It is also undertaken
when oral communication cannot reach to
each and every person concerned, either
due to a large number of communications
or due to geological distances between the
sender and the receiver. It includes written
words, graphs, charts, manuals, reports,
letters; circulars.Written communication
must possess four important
characteristics. It should be clear,
complete, correct and to intelligible.
ADVANTAGES:
• It can be used as evidence if any
dispute about the jurisdiction arises.
• When the sender and the receiver are
at distant points, even beyond the
telephonic range, written
communication is the only means of
communication.
• It gives more time to the receiver to
think, analyze and then decide upon
the right course of action.
DISADVANTAGES:
• It is very time consuming both in
terms of preparing the message and
also in terms of understanding it. It is
also very costly.
 • Everything cannot be put into writing.
• It is not flexible and may result in red-
tapism.
TYPES OF INFORMATION:
1. Advise: It means opinion given or offered as to
action to be taken, or counsel or information
given. Advice denotes some communication
which is aimed at bringing about a change.
2. Suggestion: To suggest means to cause (an
idea) to present itself. It also means
suggesting many ideas, stimulating reflection
on the theory or plan suggested insinuation of
a belief or impulse into mind of hypnotic
subject.
3. Warning: To warn means to give notice to, put
on guard,cautuion,admonish,to have one’s
caution excited etc.We often see notices such
as ,”DANGER”,”BEWARE OF DOGS”,”NO
SMOKING” etc. all these are warnings. They
are conveyed by some means of
communication.
4. Education: It means bringing up (of young),
systematic instruction, development of
character or mental powers; training etc.It is
through communication that education is
achieved.
5. Persuasion: To persuade means to convince
another of the fact that a thing is so, induce a
person to do, to go into action. Communication
intended to influence choice the conscious
attempt to modify thought and action by
influencing the motives of the people the
creation of a state of identification or
 alignment between a source and receiver that
results from the use of symbols.
MODEL OF PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
1. common sense model of communication it’s
the normal process of communication but
limitation in it is that the perception of the
people is different

2. more sophisticated model of communication

here perceptions are alike
3. Shannon-weaver model of communication
It is also called as mother of all
models.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
OR
MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION
Media richness is the value of medium in a
given situation.
1 ORAL MEDIA
Primary oral media include face-to-face
conversations, interviews, speeches, in-person
presentations, and meetings. Being able to see,
hear, and react to each other can benefit
Communicators, giving oral media several
advantages:
■ They provide immediate feedback.
■ They allow a certain ease of interaction.
■ They help you express the emotion behind your
message.
Traditional oral media are useful for getting people
to ask questions, make comments,
and work together to reach a consensus or
decision. However, if you don’t want or
 need all that interaction, then oral media can have
several disadvantages:
■ They restrict participation to those physically
present.
■ Unless recorded, they provide no permanent,
verifiable record of the communication.
■ They can reduce the communicator’s control
over the message, if people interrupt or ask
unanticipated questions.
■ They often rule out the chance to revise or edit
your spoken words.
2 WRITTEN MEDIA
Written messages take many forms, from
traditional memos to glossy reports that rival
magazines in production quality.Memos are used
for the routine, day-to-day exchange of information
within an organization. E-mail continues to replace
traditional paper memos in many circumstances,
although writers who want more formality or
permanence can
still opt for paper memos. Letters are written
messages sent to recipients outside the
organization,
so in addition to conveying a particular message,
they perform an important public relations function
in fostering good working relationships. Reports
may be distributed to insiders or outsiders,
depending on their purpose and subject. They
come in many
formats, including preprinted forms, letters,
memos, and manuscripts, in lengths from a few
pages to several hundred.
Written media have a number of advantages over
oral media:
 ■ They allow you to plan and control your
message.
■ They offer a permanent, verifiable record.
■ They help you reach an audience that is
geographically dispersed.
■ They minimize the distortion that can
accompany oral messages.
■ They can be used to avoid immediate
interactions, including emotional confrontations
when communicating controversial messages.
Disadvantages of written media include the
following:
■ Many are not conducive to speedy feedback.
■ They lack the rich nonverbal cues provided by
oral media.
■ They often take more time and more resources
to create and distribute.
■ Elaborate printed documents can require special
skills in preparation and production.
3 ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Electronic media span a diverse and expanding
range of technologies, from e-mail and IM
to blogs and podcasts. The growth of electronic
communication options is both a blessing and a
curse. You have more tools than ever to choose from,
but you need to choose the right tools for each
message. Although no hard rules dictate which tool
to use in each case, here are a few pointers that will
help you determine when to select electronic over
more
traditional forms:
■ Telephone calls are still the lifeblood of many
organizations, for both internal and external
communication. But even the humble telephone has
joined the Internet age, thanks to the emerging
capability to place phone calls over the Internet.
Through the use of webcams, video phone service is
now an inexpensive option for one-to-one phone
calls, teleconferences, and online meetings.
■ Voice mail can replace short memos and phone
calls when an immediate response isn’t crucial.
However, voice mail is a poor choice for lengthy,
complex messages, since the information is more
difficult for receivers to process.
■ Teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and
online meetings are best for informational
meetings and are less effective for highly interactive
meetings such as negotiation.
■ DVDs (and to a declining extent, videotapes) are
effective for sending audiovisual messages to a large
number of people. With the growing availability of
high-speed Internet service, many video messages
once delivered on tape or disk are now delivered
online.
■ Electronic documents include both word
processor files and Adobe’s widely popular Portable
Document Format (PDF). Computer users can view
PDFs on screen with free reader software, and PDFs
are more secure and less vulnerable to viruses than
word processor files.
■ Faxes have been replaced by e-mail and PDF files
in many cases, but they still play an important role in
many companies. Internet-based fax services, such
as eFax lower the cost by eliminating the need for a
dedicated fax line and fax machine.
E-mail offers speed, low cost, portability, and
convenience. It’s best for brief, noncomplex
information that is time sensitive. With such a quick
turnaround time, e-mail tends to be more
conversational than traditional media, but not as
conversational as
instant messaging.
■ Instant messaging (IM) allows real-time, one-
on-one and small-group text conversations via
personal computer. At technology giant IBM, for
instance, employees send more than 5 million instant
messages a month.6 IM is more versatile than a
phone call
and quicker than e-mail, and newer IM systems offer
file attachments, streaming audio and video, and
other enhancements. Text messaging, a phone-
based medium
that has long been popular with consumers in Asia
and Europe, is finally catching on in the United
States.Although it lacks many of the capabilities of
IM, text messaging does give businesses an easy
way to transmit simple messages between mobile
workers.
As you can see, electronic messages offer
considerable advantages:
■ They deliver messages with great speed.
■ They reach audiences physically separated from
you.
■ They reach a dispersed audience personally.
■ They offer the persuasive power of multimedia
formats.
■ They can increase accessibility and openness in an
organization.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Media
When choosing a medium for your message, select
the medium that balances your needs and your
audience’s needs .Just as critical, however, is
considering how
your message is affected by important factors such
as the following:
■ Media richness. Richness is a medium’s ability to
(1) convey a message through more than one
informational cue (visual, verbal, vocal), (2) facilitate
feedback, and (3) establish personal focus. The
richest medium is face-to-face communication; it’s
personal, it provides immediate feedback (verbal and
nonverbal), and it conveys the emotion behind a
message.Multimedia presentations and multimedia
webpages are also quite
rich. At the other extreme are the leanest media—
those that communicate in the simplest ways,
provide no opportunity for audience feedback, and
aren’t personalized, such as memos, posters, and
podcasts. Generally speaking, use the richest media
to send more complex messages and to help
communicate emotion. Use leaner media to send
simple, routine messages.
■ Message formality. Your media choice governs
the style and tone of your message. For instance, IM
and e-mail can be considered inappropriate for
formal messages.
■ Media limitations. Every medium has
limitations. For example, although face-to-face
communication is a rich medium, it’s one of the most
restrictive because you and your audience must be
in the same place at the same time. Similarly, instant
messaging is perfect for communicating short,
simple messages, but it is ineffective for sending
complex ones.
CHANNEL EFFECTIVENESS
It means which channel to be used in the
organization to avoid distortion and to effectively
communicate the organizational goals.
Channels are selected on the basis of message
(whether private or non personal).The most effective
is the use of shorter channels to avoid distortion.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The communication between two persons fails for a
number of reasons. A barrier to communication is
known as noise.
1. Perceptual and languages differences:
Perception means the act of perceiving, seeing,
understanding or noticing. It is the way one
experiences one’s universe. No two persons see
alike or experience the universe in the same
way. Each person’s perceptual processes are
unique. This is because of prejudices, past
experience, status, moods, roles and cultural
influences. These perceptual differences cause
mis-communication.
Different classes of people speak either a
sophisticated or vulgar language. These
differences may often lead to failure of
communication between two persons with
different language.
2. Restrictive environment:
In organizational structure there is a managerial
hierarchy and that creates distance between the
higher and lowers level managers. There is
bound to be mis-communication between the
chairperson of the company and the worker of
the organization because no two persons of
different levels have direct contact with each
 other and hence a barrier in effective
communication.
3. Distraction:
Messages are often not received or improperly
translated on account of several distractions
which surround the communicators. Distractions
can be of two types-Physical or Emotional. For
example: Sometimes while listening to another,
a person may be distracted from the message
because of some mannerism of the speaker.
4. Information overload:
Sometimes an employee receives so many
messages that he is unable to judge which one is
important and thus his evaluation of work can be
wrong. This is called information overload. This
barrier can be corrected by sending only those
messages which are important for the
completion of the task which leads to
achievement of goal.
5. Deceptive tactics:
Sometimes an organization hides the negative
points of the product being launched behind the
optimistic attitude. This act of their deceives the
audience and they can be mislead.
TOOLS TO OVERCOME BARRIER
1. Audience centered approach: We should have
a U attitude i.e. listening to others,
appreciating their talks so that it boosts up the
morale of an employee.
2. Open organizational climate: Their should be a
direct communication in the organization i.e.
between a superior and the worker of the
organization. Every individual should be able
to put forward his talks or grievances if any.
3. Commit to ethical communication: We should
not deceive our audience, speak which is truth
any let them decide their choice.
4. Create lean, brief and efficient message:
Message should be brief & simple. It should be
clear and no use of jargons so that audience
understands what we are communicating to
them.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
1. Clarity/Unambiguous: The principle of clarity
is most important in all the communications,
especially when you are involved in face to
face communication. To ensure that we
express ourselves clearly, we should use
accurate and familiar words with proper
intonation, stresses and pauses. Our spoken
word should consist of simple words and short
sentences. Thoughts should be clear and well
organized. We should know what we want to
say and why. It is a clear mind that can talk
clearly and effectively.
2. Candidness: In all business transactions, our
view of a matter should be honest, sincere and
straightforward. We should speak or listen
without prejudice or bias. Our guiding principle
should be fairness to self and to others
involved in the situation.
3. Two way process: The organization’s policy
should provide for two way traffic in
communication-upwards and downwards. It
brings two minds closer and improves
understanding between the two parties, the
sender and the receiver. A sound feedback
system should be introduced in the
 organization so that distortion and filtering of
messages should be avoided.
4. Completeness: Clarity is ensured also by
completeness of the message. The principle of
completeness requires that we communicate
whatever is necessary and provide answer to
all questions which could be raised. We should
be careful that we answer all the questions.
5. Conciseness: In business and professional
communications we should be brief and be
able to say whatever we have to say in
minimum words. We should avoid being
repetitive.
6. Concreteness: It means being specific, definite
in describing events and things. It also means
the vivid description of event. It also states
avoid using vague words.
7. Courtesy: Courtesy demands that we do not
use words that are insulting or hurtful to
listener. In business discussions it is necessary
that we respect other persons by listening to
him patiently. We should not interrupt and
wait for our chance to speak.
8. Result oriented/Objectivity

EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGE

Business message is a short message
which serves a specific business purpose
Different steps to make it effective
Provide practical information:
We have to come to the point which
wants to actually convey we don’t have to
superfluous in our message.
Providing facts rather than impressions:
We don’t have to make the use of the
words like I think so, or it may be or create any
suspension
Condense information:
Information can be condensed by
making use of graphs, charts etc
State precise responsibilities:
While giving any business message we
have to convey what the receiver is supposed to do,
the expectations are explained precisely.
Persuade others and offer recommendations:
Business message should be such an
effective so that receiver would get persuaded to do
the work and we should welcome the
recommendations giving by the receiver.

Drafting a Business Message

Whether you’re creating simple e-mails and instant
messages or complex reports and presentations that
may require weeks of planning and writing, your goal
is to create messages that have a clear purpose,
meet the needs of your audience, and communicate
efficiently. For every message you send, you can
reduce the time and energy it takes to achieve this
goal by following
a clear and proven three-step process:
■ Planning business messages. To plan any
message, first analyze the situation by defining your
purpose and developing a profile of your audience.
With that in mind, you can gather information that
will meet your audience’s needs. Next, select the
right medium (oral, written, or electronic) to deliver
your message. With those three factors in place,
you’re ready to organize the information by defining
your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting an
approach, and outlining your content. Planning
Analyze the Situation
Define your purpose and develop an audience profile.
Gather Information
Determine audience needs and obtain the
information necessary to satisfy those needs.
Select the Right Medium
Choose the best medium for delivering your
message.
Organize the Information
Define your main idea, limit your scope,select a
direct or an indirect approach, and outline your
content.

■ Writing business messages. Once you’ve

planned your message, adapt to your audience with
sensitivity, relationship skills, and style. Then you’re
ready to compose your message by choosing strong
words, creating effective sentences, and developing
coherent paragraphs.
Adapt to Your Audience
Be sensitive to audience needs with a “you” attitude,
politeness, positive emphasis, and bias-free
language. Build a strong relationship with your
audience by establishing your credibility and
projecting your company’s image. Control your style
with a conversational tone, plain English, and
appropriate voice.
Compose the Message
Choose strong words that will help you create
effective sentences and coherent paragraphs.
Completing

■ Completing business messages. After writing

your first draft, revise your message to make sure it
is clear, concise, and correct. Next produce your
message, giving it an attractive, professional
appearance. Proofread the final product for typos,
spelling errors, and other mechanical problems.
Finally, distribute your message using the best
combination of personal and technological tools.
Revise the Message
Evaluate content and review readability,then edit
and rewrite for conciseness and clarity.
Produce the Message
Use effective design elements and suitable layout for
a clean, professional appearance.
Proofread the Message
Review for errors in layout, spelling,and mechanics.
Distribute the Message
Deliver your message using the chosen medium;
make sure all documents and all relevant files are
distributed successfully.

Listening skills

"We were given two ears but only one mouth,

because listening is twice as hard as talking."

There is a real distinction between merely hearing

the words and really listening for the message. When
we listen effectively we understand what the person
is thinking and/or feeling from the other person’s
own perspective. Our own viewpoint may be different
and we may not necessarily agree with the person,
but as we listen, we understand from the other's
perspective. To listen effectively, we must be
actively involved in the communication process, and
not just listening passively.
Why we need good listening skills:

Good listening skills make workers more productive.

The ability to listen carefully will allow you to:

• better understand assignments and what is

expected of you;
• build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and
clients;
• show support;
• work better in a team-based environment;
• resolve problems with customers, co-workers,
and bosses;
• answer questions; and
• Find underlying meanings in what others say.

Listening skills fuel our social, emotional and

professional success, and studies prove that listening
is a skill we can learn. Active listening is really an
extension of the Golden Rule. To know how to listen
to someone else, think about how you would want to
be listened to.
While the ideas are largely intuitive, it might take
some practice to develop (or re-develop) the skills.
Here’s what good listeners know — and you should,
too:

Guidelines for improving listening skill:

1. Face the speaker and Maintain eye contact. Sit up
straight or lean forward slightly to show your
attentiveness through body language.

2.Minimize distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down

your book or magazine, and If your own thoughts
keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously
re-focus your attention on the speaker. Don’t talk
when someone is speaking.Stop fidgeting with
smething.

3.Respond appropriately to show that you

understand. Murmur (”uh-huh” and “um-hmm”) and
nod, Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as
“Really,” “Interesting,” as well as more direct
prompts: “What did you do then?” and “What did she
say?”. This shows that you are interested in what the
speaker is saying. And also helps the speaker in
building his confidence.

4.Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is

finished before deciding that you disagree. Don’t
evaluate without listening the speaker completely.
Focus on what the speaker is saying .

5.Listen with patience: Listen carefully what the

speaker wants to say , if having any doubt don’t ask
between the speech. Let him first complete then you
will be given a fair chance to ask.

6. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint

against you, wait until they finish defending yourself.
The speaker will feel as though their point had been
made. They won’t feel the need to repeat it, and
you’ll know the whole argument before you respond.
Research shows that, on average, we can hear four
times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability
to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for
more.

7.Don’t evaluate the speech: Try not to evaluate the

speech or give ant opinions rather try to ask
questions.

8. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification,

but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished.
That way, you won’t interrupt their train of thought.
After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to
make sure you didn’t misunderstand. Start with: “So
you’re saying…”

Types of listening skills:

1. Discriminative listening: Discriminative

listening is the most basic type of listening,
whereby the difference between difference
sounds is identified. If you cannot hear
differences, then you cannot make sense of the
meaning that is expressed by such differences.
We learn to discriminate between sounds within
our own language early, and later are unable to
discriminate between the phonemes of other
languages. This is one reason why a person from
one country finds it difficult to speak another
language perfectly, as they are unable to
distinguish the subtle sounds that are required in
that language.

Likewise, a person who cannot hear the subtleties of

emotional variation in another person's voice will be
less likely to be able to discern the emotions the
other person is experiencing.

2. Comprehensive listening: To comprehend the

meaning requires first having a glossary of words
at our fingertips and also all rules of grammar
and syntax by which we can understand what
others are saying. In this type of listening we
comprehend at the end what the speaker has
said. Comprehension listening is also known as
content listening, informative listening and full
listening.
3. Evaluative listening: In evaluative listening we
make judgments about what the other person is
saying. We seek to assess the truth of what is
being said. Evaluative listening is particularly
pertinent when the other person is trying to
persuade us, perhaps to change our behavior
and maybe even to change our beliefs. Typically
also we weigh up the pros and cons of an
argument, determining whether it makes sense
logically as well as whether it is helpful to us.
Evaluative listening is also called critical,
judgmental or interpretive listening
4. Appreciative listening: In appreciative
listening, we seek certain information which will
appreciate, for example that which helps meet
our needs and goals. We use appreciative
listening when we are listening to good music,
poetry or maybe even the stirring words of a
great leader.
5. Sympathetic listening: In sympathetic
listening we care about the other person and
show this concern in the way that we pay close
 attention and express our sorrow for their ills and
happiness at their joys.
6. Empathetic listening: When we listen
empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek
a truer understand how others are feeling. This
requires excellent discrimination and close
attention to the degree of emotional signals.
When we are being truly empathetic, we actually
feel what they are feeling. In order to get others
to expose these deep parts of themselves to us,
we also need to demonstrate our empathy in our
behavoiur towards them, asking sensitively and
in a way that encourages self-disclosure.
7. Therapeutic listening: In therapeutic listening,
the listener has a purpose of not only
empathizing with the speaker but also to use this
deep connection in order to help the speaker
understand, change or develop in some way .This
not only happens when you go to see a therapist
but in many social situations, where friends and
family seek to both diagnose problems from
listening and also to help the speaker cure
themselves, perhaps by some cathartic process.
This also happens in work situations, where
managers, HR people, trainers and coaches seek
to help employees learn and develop.
8. Relationship listening: Sometimes the most
important factor in listening is in order to develop
or sustain a relationship. This is why lovers talk
for hours and attend closely to what each other
has to say when the same words from someone
else would seem to be rather boring.
Relationship listening is also important in areas
 such as negotiation and sales, where it is helpful
if the other person likes you and trusts you.

Reading skills

Many people have trouble with reading. Reading

is a process of the brain where you look at symbols
on a page, and your mind sees the patterns of
characters and understands the meaning in them.
Reading skills enable readers to turn writing into
meaning and achieve the goals of independence,
comprehension, and fluency.

Reading skills are specific abilities which enable a reader:

• to read the written form as meaningful language
• to read anything written with independence,
comprehension and fluency, and
• to mentally interact with the message.

Kinds:

Here are some kinds of reading skills:

• Word attack skills let the reader figure out new words.
• Comprehension skills help the reader predict the next
word, phrase, or sentence quickly enough to speed
recognition.
• Fluency skills help the readers see larger segments,
phrases, and groups of words as wholes.
• Critical reading skills help the reader see the
relationship of ideas and use these in reading with
meaning and fluency.
1. Speed

To read well you need both speed and good

comprehension. Don’t mistake the term “speed” to mean
reading very fast. Speed refers to a pace which is requisite
for the reading task. For example, when you survey and
skim a text, you go very quickly down the page, trying to
get the gist. By contrast a slower, more methodical pace is
needed when reading for detail.
Regardless of the purpose for reading, slow readers
possess several common attributes. Firstly, slow readers
experience eye movement regression. That is, instead of
their eyes moving forward as fast readers do, their eyes
move forward but then backwards to material already read.
Secondly, slow readers tend to look at each word in a
sentence, something that is not necessary in English, a
language with a high level of redundancy.

2. Comprehension
To fully comprehend your academic readings at university,
you will need to:
1. Recognize different genres or types of writing e.g.
persuasive or argument essay, fiction, rhetorical analysis,
review, criticism, news article. Genres centres on audience
and purpose.
2. Understand and use different types of thinking: e.g.
deductive, analytical, and critical.
3. Have an advanced level of the English language: both
syntax (rules) & semantics (meaning). For more
information, refer to writer’s handbooks, English grammar
books, dictionaries, and thesauruses.
4. Read actively!
Retention
Strategies for Reading Retention:
Students have different ways to retain and recall
information. Some like to highlight text with coloured
markers; others jot down comments in the margins of their
books. Highlighting text can be a good start but needs to be
followed up by reworking and reviewing the information.
Otherwise, you will forget what you’ve highlighted and end
up rereading the text. The most popular, and arguably the
best, strategy is making a note while you are reading.
Research shows that that process of making a note might
aid recall. Regardless, reviewing your notes definitively
improves test results. So, the message here is do both for
maximum learning.
Other popular retention strategies are:
 Making and using cue or flash cards
 Reciting your information out loud
 Describing the information to someone else e.g. in a
study

Types of reading

Skimming : is used to quickly gather the most important

information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over the text, noting
important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to
speed on a current business situation. It's not essential to
understand each word when skimming.

Examples of Skimming:

• The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the

day)
• Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would
like to read in more detail)
 • Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get
informed)

Scanning

Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information.

Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of
information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting
plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If
you see words or phrases that you don't understand, don't
worry when scanning. Examples of Scanning

• The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper.

• A train / airplane schedule
• A conference guide

Light reading

Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding

of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure,
as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to
improve your general knowledge of business procedures.
Examples: The latest marketing strategy book ,A novel you
read before going to bed ,Magazine articles that interest
you.

Word by word reading : is used on shorter texts in order

to extract specific information. It includes very close
accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to
grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is
important that you understand each word, number or fact.
Examples :A bookkeeping report, An insurance claim, A
contract
Read to study: We research about the subject for
understanding. We do a complete research/ survey about
the situation. Steps:

1. Survey

2. Question

3. Reading

4. Recall

5. Review

Speaking Skills

Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. It,

like the other skills, is more complicated than it seems
at first and involves more than just pronouncing
words.
Listening Situations:There are three kinds of speaking
situations in which we find ourselves:

• interactive,
• partially interactive, and
• non-interactive.

Interactive speaking situations include face-to-face

conversations and telephone calls, in which we are
alternately listening and speaking, and in which we
have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or
slower speech from our conversation partner.

Some speaking situations are partially interactive,

such as when giving a speech to a live audience,
where the convention is that the audience does not
interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can
see the audience and judge from the expressions on
their faces and body language whether or not he or
she is being understood.

Some few speaking situations may be totally non-

interactive, such as when recording a speech for a
radio broadcast.
Better English speaking skills
Improving your English speaking skills will help you
communicate more easily and effectively. But how do
you become a more confident English speaker?

Practise where you can, when you can. Any practice is

good – whether you speak to someone who is a native
English speaker or not.
It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use
simple English sentence structure that you know is
correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your
message across.
Try to experiment with the English you know. Use
words and phrases you know in new situations. Native
English speakers are more likely to correct you if you
use the wrong word than if you use the wrong
grammar. Experimenting with vocabulary is a really
good way of getting feedback.
Try to respond to what people say to you. You can
often get clues to what people think by looking at
their body language. Respond to them in a natural
way.
Try NOT to translate into and from your own language.
This takes too much time and will make you more
hesitant.
If you forget a word, do what native English speakers
do all the time, and say things that 'fill' the
conversation. This is better than keeping completely
silent. Try using um, or er, if you forget the word.
Don't speak too fast! It's important to use a natural
rhythm when speaking English, but if you speak too
fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.
Try to relax when you speak – you'll find your mouth
does most of the pronunciation work for you. When
you speak English at normal speed, you'll discover
that many of the pronunciation skills, such as linking
between words, will happen automatically.
Remember, when speaking English…
Try to become less hesitant and more confident.
Don't be shy to speak – the more you do it, the more
confident you'll become.
Remember to be polite – use "please" and "thank you" if you ask someone to do
something for you.

Developing Job application

An application letter is planned like a sales letter:
gain attention and interest and ask for action. The
application letter shows your communication skills to
your potential employer .It needs to be written
effectively and should be brief. The three steps for
designing a cover letter are as follows:

First paragraph:

In the first paragraph you specify what job

position you are applying for and how you came to
know about it —like an advertisement.Also give the
reasons for your interest to work in that particular
company.

Second paragraph:

Give sufficient evidence of your ability for the

position. Explain why you are qualified for the job.

Third paragraph:

Suggest that you would like to come for an

interview at employers’ convenience.

Sample:
You are Edward Cullen. Recently you read an
advertisement for the post of a Mechanical Engineer
in ITC Technologies Ltd.,Manipal
Centre,Banglore.Write an application for this job
giving your complete resume separately.

122 Bharat Nagar

Mangalore
Dec, 21, 2009

The Manager

ITC Technologies Ltd.

Manipal Centre

Bangalore

Sir

Subject: Application for the post of Mechanical

Engineer

This is with reference to your advertisement in ‘The

Hindu’ dated Dec, 20, 2009. I would like to offer my
services for the post of a Mechanical Engineer in your
renowned company.

I am a young engineer graduate with a dream and

drive. I am not afraid of challenges and long hours of
hard work.

If ever given any chance, I assure you that I shall

work with all sincerity and dedication.Possesing good
personality, tact and understanding I will be able to
control the workers of my department and extract
the maximum amount of output from them.

Looking forward to building a career with you.

Yours

Edward

Edward Cullen

Encl.: Resume

RESUME
061-66544233
edwardcullen@gmail.com
Edward

Objective: To serve the society with the best possible

means.
Qualifications:
Academic record: Bachelors of Technology
(Mechanical Engineering) with 88% from P.T.U,
Jalandhar, India.
Technological record:
1. Certificate in AutoCAD 2000 from AutoDesk Inc’s
training center, Ludhiana, India.
2. TULEC Integrated Diploma for Engineers from
Tata InfoTech Ltd, Ludhiana, India.

Projects:
• Design and Fabrication of Engine Management
System
 (Monitors various Check points in an engine and
takes corrective action)

• Design and Fabrication of Vapor Compression

test Rig.
(Calculates theoretical and actual C.O.P for
experimental purposes)

• Quality improvement System at Punjab Tractors

limited, Mohali, India.
(Various quality improvement measures
implemented at Vendors’ end for minimising
rejections and Implementation of JIT)

Training:
Six Month industrial Training at P.T.L, Swaraj Tractors
Division, Mohali, India.

Skills:
• Programming Language:C,JAVA,HTML,DHTML,VB
Script

• Front-end Software: Developer 2000

• Application Software: AutoCAD 2000,Mechanical

Desktop,MS Office ,MS Access, Flash

• Operating system: Windows 9x,Windows

200x,Windows XP,Windows NT,UNIX
Extra Curricular Activities:
 • Organizing Committee member of Fiesta de
Athene ’05 held in Guru Nanak Dev Engineering
College, Ludhiana, India.

• Executive member of Indian Society for

Technical Education, Students chapter at
G.N.D.E.C, Ludhiana, India.

• Runner- up in State level Badminton

Championship.

Personal Details:
Name : Edward Cullen
Parentage : Dr. Carlisle Cullen
Date of birth : 6th July 1984
Street Address : House # 122 , Bharat
Nagar
City : Mangalore
State : Karnataka
Country : India
Phone : 061-66544233
E-mail : edwardcullen@gmail.com
Hobbies : Surfing the net, Reading books
Languages known : Hindi, English, French

References:
• Ms.Esme Watson
Managing Director,
P.T.L, Swaraj Tractors Division, Mohali
9858673342
 • Mr.Amar Singh
Principal,
G.N.D.E.C, Ludhiana, India
9853446780

Interviewing
An interview can be defined as a oral tool to test a
candidate’s traits for employment or admission to
premiere institution of learning. Being an oral test it
calls for your skills of oral and non verbal
communication to support your performance before
a panel of exports.

Negotiating a job offer:

Negotiation is a process of bargaining in which 2
parties each of whom have something that other
wants, try to reach at an agreement on mutually
accepted terms.

Business Letter Format

Block Format: Business Letter

Return Address Line 1 1
Return Address Line 2
Date (Month Day, Year) 2
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4
Subject: Title of Subject 5
Body Paragraph
1.......................................
.........................................
.........................................
...............................
Body Paragraph
2.......................................
.........................................
.........................................
...............................
Body Paragraph
3.......................................
.........................................
.........................................
...............................6

Closing (Sincerely...), 7
Signature 8
Your Name (Printed) 9
Your Title

Enclosures (2) 10
Typist Initials. 11
The block format is the simplest format; all of the
writing is flush against the left margin.
Other Business Letter Formats
Your Address 1
The return address of the sender of the letter so the
recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to.
Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not
needed if the letter is printed on paper with the
company letterhead already on it.)
Date 2
Put the date on which the letter was written in the
format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a
line between the date and the inside address (some
people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date).
Inside Address 3
The address of the person you are writing to along
with the name of the recipient, their title and
company name, if you are not sure who the letter
should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try
to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources".
Skip a line between the date and the salutation.
Salutation 4
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of
Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if
recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a
colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the
salutation and the subject line or body.
Subject Line (optional) 5
Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the
letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line
and the body.
Body 6
The body is where you write the content of the letter;
the paragraphs should be single spaced with a
skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line
between the end of the body and the closing.
Closing 7
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your
letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours,
Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma
after the end of the closing and only the first word in
the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the
closing and the printed name, so that there is room
for the signature.
Signature 8
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed
in black or blue ink with a pen.
Printed Name 9
The printed version of your name, and if desired you
can put your title or position on the line underneath
it. Skip a line between the printed name and the
enclosure.
Enclosure 10
If letter contains other document other than the
letter itself your letter will include the word
"Enclosure." If there is more than one you would
type, "Enclosures (#)" with the # being the number
of other documents enclosed that doesn't include the
letter itself.
Reference Initials 11
If someone other than yourself typed the letter you
will include your initials in capital letters followed by
the typist's initials in lower case in the following
format; AG/gs or AG:gs.
 Sample Business Letter

3519 Front Street

Mount Celebres, CA 65286
October 5, 2004
Ms. Betty Johnson
Accounts Payable
The Cooking Store
765 Berliner Plaza
Industrial Point, CA 68534
Dear Ms Johnson:
It has come to my attention that your company,
The Cooking Store has been late with paying their
invoices for the past three months.
In order to encourage our customers to pay for
their invoices before the due date, we have
implemented a discount model where we'll give
you 2% off your invoice if you pay us within 10
days of receiving the invoice.
I hope that everything is going well for you and
your company. You are one of our biggest
customers, and we appreciate your business. If you
have any questions, you can feel free to contact
me at (555) 555-5555.

Sincerely,
Signature
Bob Powers
Accounts Receivable

Sample Memo Format

 Company
Name
Company
Address
Date of
Memo

To: Recipient of Memo

From: Writer of Memo Writer's Initials*
Subje Title of Memo in Initial Capitals
ct:

Engineers and scientists use memos

to make requests, to give
announcements, and sometimes to
communicate reports. Memos that
make requests or announcements
are read quickly. For such memos,
get to the point in the first
paragraph--the first sentence, if
possible. In other words, state what
you want up front. In the format
suggested here, you should single
space your memos and use a serif
typeface. Skip a line between
paragraphs. The following link shows
this format in a pdf display.
In memos that make requests or
announcements, keep the sentence
lengths and paragraph lengths
relatively short. Sentences should
average fewer than twenty words,
and paragraphs should average
fewer than seven lines. Also, keep
the total memo length to under one
page, if possible.
Sometimes companies use memos to
communicate short reports (two
pages or more). For these types of
memos, the format changes, as
shown in the following example. For
instance, you often include
illustrations, attach appendices, and
break the memo's text into sections.
If references arise in the memo, you
include a list at the end. In memos
that act as reports, the style changes
as well. For instance, the sentences
and paragraphs are typically longer
than in memos that simply provide
announcements or make requests.
For all types of memos, space your
memo on the page so that it does
not crowd the top. Also, send copies
to anyone whose name you mention
in the memo or who would be
directly affected by the memo.
Finally, remember that final
paragraphs of memos that make
requests or announcements should
tell readers what you want them to
do or what you will do for them.

Attachments.
 Copy to:
Name to Receive Copy
Name to Receive Copy

*Initials should be written in ink

Report Writing

This is usually done after a study of particular

situations or problems. In this, the facts, reasons,
effects and recommendations are clearly and
precisely stated one below the other. This could take
the form of a newspaper report, letter report or a
simple report to your Department Head with your
findings and recommendations.
A letter report could take this form:
From: Your name
DesignationTo: The Designation
Organization or Department

Date
Suitable heading
Introduction
1. The problem
2. Reasons why the problem has arisen
3. Your recommendations
4. Conclusion
Your Signature
Your name
Designation
While writing a newspaper report we must, include
an eye-catching head line give a brief expansion of
the head line immediately under it write an opening
paragraph that will capture the reader's attention
include attractive sub-headings, eye-witness reports,
opinions of experts, and facts and figures to make
the report seem authentic and interesting. Here is an
example of a simple report written by a school
inspector to his superior, after inspecting some
schools in his area, as to what the causes of the high
dropout rate could be.
From,
Rajesh Tandon
School Inspector
To, The Director,
Corporation schools, Seethapur.
Date:-
Sub:
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL INSPECTOR ON THE
CAUSES OF HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN SEETHAPUR
DISTRICT
I visited the five Corporation schools in Seethapur
District during the last two months. I held meetings
with the Headmasters and teachers of each of these
schools. Having discussed various aspects of the
functioning of the school, I am of the opinion that the
main causes of the high dropout rate in these schools
are as follows:
Causes
1. The parents of these students do not place much
importance on education. At the least provocation,
they take the children out of school. Girl students are
especially vulnerable. For them the household chores
- carrying water, looking after siblings and marriage
are considered more important.
2. Poverty is the main culprit. If these children get
some odd jobs, school is given the go by.
3. Besides conditions at home, conditions in school
are also not favourable. Due to lack of even basic
facilities like books, black-boards and a clean place
to work in, it is difficult to sustain the interest of the
students.
4. The other major obstacle to sustaining student
interest is the syllabus. The teachers feel that it is
inappropriate, most of it is irrelevant to their needs
and the environment they come in contact with. If
the syllabus was so designed that it would be of use
to them in the immediate or near future, maybe the
other forces acting against school-going could be
counteracted.
Recommendations:
I feel that these problems are not insurmountable.
Our major task lies in the area of redesigning and
creating a meaningful syllabus. The other area we
would have to work in is the attitude of the teachers,
parents and students. This calls for hard work from a
team of enthusiastic, dedicated educators.
-----------------

(Rajesh Tandon)

School Inspector