UNIT 2

Skills of Speaking
[Link] Vijay Kumar
&
[Link] Sarkar

Speaking Skills
Speaking/Oral skills are speech enhancers that are used to produce clear sentences that are
intelligible to an audience. Speaking skills are used to enhance the clarity of speech for effective
communication. Communication is the transmission of messages and the correct interpretation of
information between people.
The six important pillars of speaking skills are:
1. FLUENCY:
Fluency is about how comfortable and confident you are in speaking in any language. If
you can speak for an extended period of time, that is an indicator of strong fluency. It is
also about showing a clear connection between each point that you are trying to make.
This skill means that the listener can follow what you are saying and does not get lost.
2. VOCABULARY:
Of course, if you don’t have the words to say what you want to say, then you cannot say
it. Being a good speaker means constantly growing you’re vocabulary. The more
interesting words you know, the stronger your speaking skills. The best way to grow
your vocabulary is to read and make a note of any new words that you encounter in a
vocabulary notebook.
3. GRAMMAR:
The dreaded G word! Grammar does matter and the fewer mistakes you make, the better
your speaking skill will be. However, do not worry about making mistakes either! A
good speaker does not have to use perfect grammar. Certainly, though, it is a good idea
to make sure that you have mastered the major tenses.
4. PRONUNCIATION:
Pronunciation is a complex area, with a lot of sub skills that can be practiced. The basic
rule of thumb is that an average speaker can speak and be understood. A skilled speaker
can use the sub skills of pronunciation to emphasise and make the communicative effect
of their speech more impactful. The sub skills of pronunciation include: word and
sentence stress, intonation, rhythm and the use of the individual sounds of a language. A
good way to practice your pronunciation is to copy! Simply listen to how someone with
good pronunciation speaks, and try to imitate them as closely as possible.
5. VOICE:
Another aspect of speaking skills in communication that is often ignored is your voice.
It includes pitch, tone, and strength. How you speak signals your emotional state. A low
voice and too many pauses could denote hesitation. Clarity and volume could denote
confidence. A strong and confident tone portrays conviction. People believe what you
say when you deliver it in a strong voice.
 Public speaking requires practice. You might be quite comfortable talking to small groups or
in informal settings. But that is not the same as addressing a large crowd, which is why
practice and rehearsals matter.

6. NON-VERBAL

The final aspect of speaking skills is not about speaking at all. Non-verbal
communication consists of body language. It includes facial expression, posture, eye contact,
and hand gestures. Your body language must match your words for your address to be
effective.
Your body language signals to the audience how invested you are into what you are speaking
about. It shows the passion behind your words and helps draw the audience emotionally to
your message and make them feel involved.

Importance of Speaking Skills:

The importance of speaking skills in communication has no limit. The ability to combine the
words in a meaningful way of reflecting thoughts, opinions, and feelings has the following
advantages:

Notify, induce, and direct power.

Ability to stand out from the rest.
Derivative ability to benefit
Personal satisfaction
Valuable at work
Helps your career progress
You can talk briefly
Builds better rapport with customers
Influences how you learn
Enhances your professional image

1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not
associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself.
Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and
ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time
to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material,
practice—a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as
much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level
of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.
3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.
Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose,
central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible.
Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most
devoted listeners.
5. Let Your Personality Come Through.
Be yourself, don’t become a talking head—in any type of communication. You will establish
better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have
to say if they can see you as a real person.
6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.
Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s
attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.
7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.
Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact
with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to
jog your memory and keep you on task
8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.
Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to
itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.
9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.
Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people
don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude
your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.
10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.
Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should
enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Communication within Teams Or Team Work

What are teamwork skills?

Teamwork skills are the qualities and abilities that allow you to work well with others during
conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations. Having teamwork skills is dependent
on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest. There are
many other additional soft skills that can help you be an exceptional teammate at work that we
will discuss more below.
Why are teamwork skills important?

You will be required to work alongside others in every industry at every level in your career.
Doing so in an empathetic, efficient and responsible manner can help you accomplish career
goals, grow your resume and contribute positively to your organization. It can also help you
build rapport with others. Buildingrapport can lead to deeper working relationships, new
connections and possibly new opportunities.

Being able to work in a team is essential when you are a part of a large endeavour. Though some
persons are natural team players, for others working in a team can be a learning experience. With
the right knowledge and aproach we can all be good team players. Here is information to help
you build the skills required to work well in a team.
Examples of Teamwork Skills:
Contribute
Teamwork requires each member of the team to contribute. A member can contribute in several
ways. For example, with strategy suggestions, ideas and effort. Of these, contributing effort is
very important, teams where effort is shared work better.
Cooperate
Teamwork requires cooperation. There will usually be several persons contributing and they will
need to have good coordination. As a team member you should be open to working together with
other members of the team.
Communicate
Teamwork requires good communication skills. Your team members will appreciate your inputs
best when you communicate them well. So put forward your thoughts clearly and in an easy-to -
understand way. If you feel you are not able to communicate well you should work on your
communication skills.

Assign roles & responsibilities

Teams usually bring together diverse talents. Therefore, assigning a proper role to leverage each
talent is important. There may also be hierarchy among the roles such as team leaders and group
leaders. For the success of team’s clarity of roles and responsibilities is very important. If you are
assigned a role, you should know it well and understand your responsibilities. You should
communicate openly with team members while following the established culture for respecting
hierarchies. You should also be ready to assign roles and plan hierarchies yourself. For this you
will need to have good delegation skills and communications skills.
Be respectful
When you work in teams you will find a variety of approaches, ideas, customs, opinions and
preferences. The diversity of opinions is a key strength of a team. A key aspect of being
respectful is listening attentively. You should give due consideration to the opinions of others.
You should comment on the opinions respectfully. This will enable you to participate in group
decision making.
Be open & share your thoughts
An open and free exchange of ideas makes sure a team evaluates a wide range of options. Do not
worry too much about how your ideas will be received. Speak your mind if you have something
to say. If there is criticism of your ideas don't take it personally. You can either defend your idea
or if the criticism is valid, learn from it. Good teams will encourage openness and benefit from it.
Accept team decisions
Not everything that the team decides will be aligned with what you had wanted. A broad
consensus is often not possible. One option is to be flexible, avoid conflict and let two different
outlooks co-exist. It is important that once a plan has been made, everyone works to make it
succeed.
Be reliable
Teamwork depends a lot on each person fulfilling their assigned tasks. Team members who can
be relied on, are valued highly. Being able to work in a team will give a person a lot of strength.
A person's self -belief will go up. Specially, when the person realizes that others depend on the
person and the trust is vindicated. A person's vision broadens with the realization that diverse
talents can work together towards a common goal.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Group Discussion (GD) is a process where an exchange of ideas and opinions are debated upon.
This process is mostly used for selecting candidates for admission to management schools
basically for MBA/Govt. Jobs/ Competitive Exams. It is widely used in many organisations for
decision making and problem solving. They are used widely as a personality test for
evaluating several candidates simultaneously. They help to shortlist candidates for a final
interview, to select personnel for positions of responsibility. Most reputed business schools
require students to participate in a GD before moving on to the final stage of the selection
procedure, the interview

A typical GD comprises of a small group of candidates. Each group is then given a topic for
discussion. The topic can be general or specific. Example: Kashmir Conflict or just a phrase
saying "Where there's a will there's a way".

Purpose/Objective of GD
 Exchange of information
Solve problems
Persuade
Take decision
Assess or judge personality traits
Procedure to participate in GD
Need to understand the team members
Discuss the given topic
Should come to common consensus
Different types of Group Discussion
1) Topic-based
2) Case Study based
Topic-Based Group Discussions are further divided into:
1) Knowledge Based Topics
2) Abstract Topics
3) Controversial Topics
4) Opinion Seeking Topics

Topic Based Study

Elaborating on each, let’s read what each type of topic-based Group Discussion is all
about:

1) Knowledge Based Topics:

Under this kind of group discussion, you require in-depth information about the topic been given
to you.
1) You should be able to support it with facts and figures
2) Your information should be substantial.
Examples:
a) Unique Identification Number
b) Cold War
c) Is terrorism the price we have to pay for democracy?
d) Globalisation and Privatisation
e) Is Mixed Economy preferred?
f) MBA or PGDM?
g) Privatisation of Universities/colleges/schools
h) Does India need a dictatorship?
i) MBA in India is overrated
2) Abstract Topics:
Under this type of a group discussion, the panellist gives a topic which is absolutely out of the
box. Abstract topics are more about intangible things. These topics test your creativity and also
to some extent your thinking ability.
Such topics can be interpreted in different ways by the candidates. In such topics, your
comprehension skills and communication skills are judged.
Example:
1) A Teardrop on my Guitar
2) Where there’s a will there’s away
3) 26 Alphabets
4) Infinite Numbers
5) A Walk to Remember
6) Six Billion and One Gold
Such topics do not require facts or figures but simply judge your imagination and how well you
can associate it with you day to day life.

3) Controversial Topics
Such topics can lead to an argument, they’re argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate
controversy and at the same time, judge the analytical skills of the participant to see if he/ she
can think rationally, without any bias and arrive at a harmonious conclusion.
Such topics are also given by the panelists so that they can judge the maturity level of the
students and they don’t start screaming at other candidates., If, as a student, you are not in
favour of what the another candidate is saying, then you should be smart enough to put across
your point candidly without / bashing the speaker.
Example:
1) Reservation should be removed
2) Quota System should be Abolished
3) Maintaining brotherhood is a social obligation
4) Beauty Pageants give a wrong impact on the women of India
5) Politics in India
6) Reality shows- Should children be banned from coming to such shows?
4) Opinion Seeking Topics:
In such topics, candidates are asked to put across their opinions, their point of views. The
panellists look for presentation skills when given such topics and also your ability to work in a
team which means that your leadership skills are also judged.
Example:
1) Women – boon to the society or bane to the society
2) Love Marriage or Arranged Marriage
3) Nuclear Family or Joint Family

Case Based Study

Under a case based study, a situation or a scenario is left to students for an open discussion. The
information about the situation will be provided to you, a problem regarding the same situation
will be given, all you will be asked for is to resolve it.

Topics given during this type of discussion are more management related, for example, the
panellists might give you a situation which could be a conversation/argument between an
employee and the boss etc.
These are open end discussions, wherein nobody is right or wrong, using their thinking ability
they decide what they can do in such situations etc.

The panellist under the case based study, look for the decision-making skills, his/her ability to
work in a team etc.

NOTE: IIM A, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based discussion rather than
topic-based discussion in their selection procedures.

TIP 1: Be updated with the latest current affairs which will provide you to give facts and figures
during a Group Discussion which will value addition for you.

TIP 2: Practice topics well in advance, manage a list of topics from various group discussions
held in the previous years, consult your friends or seniors who have been through the same
process.

Group Discussions also categorised into two forms: They are

a. Oraganisational GDs

In an organisation the GD is mainly used for decision making. GDs can help to
reduce the many problems inherent in the traditional interactive groups. The participants may
censor themselves and pressure other group members into agreement. In order to minimise this,
the following techniques may be used

i) BRAIN STORMING: It is a method of generating ideas and perspective. It is as uncritical as

possible because criticism inhibits the free flow of ideas. No criticism is allowed, and all the
alternatives are recorded for later discussions and analysis. They are two types

1. Story Boarding: The participants identify major issues and brain storm each of them . It is
often used to solve complex problems.

2. Lotus Blossom: A core thought is presented and participants provide eight ideas surrounding
it like the petals of a lotus blossom, as it were.

ii) NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE: It restricts discussion or interpersonal communication

during the decision making process and hence the term nominal group. In other words members
of the group before any discussion they silently write down their ideas on the problem given and
as his/ her turn comes , they present their version and it is recorded for future purpose. No
discussion takes place until all ideas have recorded.

iii) DELPHI TECHNIQUE: It is more complex and time-consuming alternative in group

decision making. It is similar to the nominal group technique except that it does not require the
physical presence of the group members.
b. GDs as a Part of Selection Process:

GDs conducted for the selection of candidates to any professional institutions are well-
formulated devices for judging the personality of candidates, their communication skills,
knowledge, and their ability to work as team. The evaluation components are

Knowledge: Depth and range of his/her knowledge as well as analytical and organizational
abilities are tested.

Communication Skills: The participant’s active listening skills, clarity of thought, apt language,
and appropriate body language will be checked. In addition to this tone, voice, articulation,
fluency, modulation, good delivery is also observed . Group behaviour and leadership skills are
checked thoroughly. The candidate who possess both functional ability and coordinating ability
will emerge as a leader.
Language Expressions for a G D
Stating an opinion
• In my opinion...
• The way I see it...
• If you want my honest opinion....
• According to Lisa...
• As far as I'm concerned...
• If you ask me...
Asking for an Opinon
• What's your idea?
• What are your thoughts on all of this?
• How do you feel about that?
• Do you have anything to say about this?
• What do you think?
• Do you agree?
• Wouldn't you say?
Expressing Agreement
• I agree with you 100 percent.
• I couldn't agree with you more.
• That's so true.
• That's for sure.

Dos and Don’ts of a Group Discussion

Dos
 • 1. Initiate the discussion if you are familiar with the topic.
• 2. Be gentle with your presentation
• 3. Say what you feel, without going in ‘favour’ or ‘against’ the topic
• 4. Intervene if the discussion is turning out to be hostile
• 5. Maintain eye contact
• 6. Speak to the point without repeating
• 7. Think before you speak
Don’ts
• 1. Don’t be aggressive
• 2. Don’t go overboard if you are familiar with the topic
• 3. Do not depreciate other speakers
• 4. Do not stop abruptly
• 5. Do not question
• 6. Do not get nervous if the previous speakers have presented their points in a better way.
• 7. Do not make mere statements but with facts and figures.

List of Group Discussion Topics

1. Which job you prefer? A lucrative private job or a secured Govt. Job?
2. Man or Machine?
3. City life Vs Rural life?
4. Daughters are more caring than sons?
5. Money makes as well as mars many things.
6. Nuclear family Vs Joint family.
7. Love marriages Vs arranged marriages.
8. Is science a boon or a bane?
9. Is cricket eclipsing other sports in India?
10. Brain drain
11. Is India a soft Nation?
12. How to deal with terrorism.
13. Are beauty pageants necessary when people are starving around?
14. Who is performing better - India or Indians?
15. Can we never be a corruption free country?
16. Are we living a better life or our ancestors?
17. Wisdom does not come from degrees.
18. Is social net working only a time pass activity?
19. Fate of Apple after Steve Jobs.
20. India – really a next generation’s super power?
21. Indian villages our strength or weakness?
22. Are we really a civilized society?
23. Which will be more useful smart or hard working?
24. Does Texting affect the spelling negatively?
25. Can India be made a corruption free country?
26. Abundance of food grains and hunger in India.
27. Is internet producing copy cats?
28. China - A threat to India.
29. Depreciation of India Rupee has only negative impact on Indian economy
30. India – really next generation’s super power?

Interview Skills
An interview is a psychological and sociological instrument. It is an interaction between two or
more persons for a specific purpose, in which the interviewer asks the interwee specific
questions in order to assess his suitability for recruitment, admission, or promotion, or for an
opinion. These interviews can be either face to face or telephonic
OBJECTIVES
The conduct of an interview depends very much on the reason behind it. Generally interviews are
conducted to achieve some of the following objectives.
• To select a person for a specific task
• To monitor performance
• To collect information
• To exchange information
• To counsel

Types of interviews
Depending upon on their objective and nature, interview can be categorized into the following
type:
➢ Job
➢ Information
➢ Persuasive
➢ Exit
➢ Evaluation counseling
➢ Conflict resolution
➢ Disciplinary
➢ Termination

Job interviews: The candidate wants to learn about the position and the organization. The
employer wants to learn about the applicant’s abilities and experience. These interviews
are usually formal and structured. But later, interviews may be relatively spontaneous as
the interviewer explores the candidate’s response.

Information interviews: The interviewer seeks facts that bear on a decision or contribute
to basic understanding. Information flows mainly in one direction. Eg- doctor- patient,
boss-subordinate

Persuasive interviews: One person tells another about a new idea, product or service and
explain why the other should act on his or her recommendations. These interview
require skill I drawing out and listening to others as well as the ability to impart
information.

Exist interviews: The interviewer tries to understand why the interviewee is leaving the
organization or transferring to another department.

Evaluation interviews: A supervisor periodically gives an employee feedback on his or

her performance. They may also discuss goals and evaluate areas that require
improvement.

Counseling interviews: A supervisor talks to an employee about personal problems that

are interfering with work performance. The goal is to establish the facts, convey the
company’s concern and steer the person towards a source of help. ( only trained
professional should involve in this for eg: substance abuse, marital tension, financial
problems.)

Conflict resolution interviews: Two competing people or groups of people with opposing
points of view explore their problems and attitudes. The goal is to bring two parties
closer together, cause adjustments in perceptions and attitudes, and create more
productive climate.

Disciplinary interviews: A supervisor tries to correct the behavior of the employee who
has ignored the organizations’ rules and regulations. The interviewer also reviews the
facts and explores the person’s attitude.
Termination interviews: A supervisor informs an employee of the reason for the
termination of the latter’s job. The interviewer tries to avoid involving the company in
legal action and tries to maintain as positive a relationship as possible with the interwee.

Employer’s expectations in face- to-face interviews:

Candidate’s Disposition: Appearance, clothes, facial expressions, gestures, manners, the
way the person is presenting him/herself.
Career objectives: the panel will try to gauze the candidate’s goal in the life. The panel
will try to evaluate the candidate’s career objective, consistency and reasons for a
change.
Subject knowledge: the candidate should be well versed with the subjects they had
pursued in the past or are currently pursuing.
General knowledge: A good general knowledge awareness is the primary requisite of a
candidate aspiring for a job today. The way each question is tackled is very important. It
is necessary to feel confident and develop a positive frame of mind.
Communication skills: The employer will try to assess how effective the candidate in
communicating his/her ideas to him both verbally and non-verbally and how intensely
the candidate can listen and comprehend.
Mental agility: The ability to quickly grasp the question and reply appropriately is a sign
of mental alertness.
Consistency: A good candidate has a positive, definite and well developed approach to
life. The candidate should stick to one opinion and make justification for the same coz the
interviewer may the same question in too many different forms.
Self confidence: It means trust in oneself. This generates self esteem and self respect.
Telephone Interviews
The telephone/mobile phone has a great deal of power. A telephone interview is
also an interview not just a phone call and it has it treated as any other face to face
interview and need to be prepared well in advance.
▪ Keep all the related documents within the easy reach of the phone so that it can
be referred if it is required.
▪ Have a note pad and pen to take notes.
▪ Try to match speaking rate with the interviewer’s tone and pitch of the voice.
▪ Have a glass of water handy, since one may not have a chance to take a break
during the call.

Ten success factors in an interview

Positive attitude towards work
Proficiency in the field of study
Communication skills (oral and written)
Interpersonal skills
Confidence
Critical thinking and problem solving skills
Flexibility
Self motivation
 Leadership
Teamwork
Proving one’s competence time to time

Ten failure factors in an interview

▪ Arrogance
▪ Apathy
▪ Uninhabited nervousness
▪ Lack of concentration
▪ Lack of social skills
▪ Lack of firmness
▪ Unsuitable personality

Preparation for the interview: Successful interviews begin with preparations. Go through the
mock interviews if possible, try to gather adequate inside information about the organization –
the recent the better. One should dress appropriately. The campus fashion and work fashion is
entirely different and one should be aware of it. Memorize the resume and quote the information
from the resume. Be punctual and atleast try to be 15 minutes before the interview. By the time
the interview rolls around the candidate he/she should be relaxed and be confident.
Answering Techniques:
1. Behavioural Answering Technique
Need to be prepare to use examples from work, classes and extracurricular activities.

2. Compelling story technique

Expand the answers by developing the specific examples into compelling stories with
personality, flair and interest. Do not however , be tempted into lengthy monologues that will
stretch the interviewer’s time.
3. Personality Matching technique
Should take a cue from the interviewer in terms of tome an approach. Do not be causal ,
even if the interviewer seems to be.
4. Parroting Technique
If an asked question is unclear it is absolutely appropriate to ‘parrot back’ the question in
own words to make sure to have the correct meaning.
5. Reframing technique
Reframe the original question to illustrate an area of your background that can further
enhance the overall image of the candidate.
6. Abraham Lincoln Technique
Point to one’s strengths instead of making excuses for shortcomings. First speak about
grades, credentials work experience etc., Abraham Lincoln while arguing in the court, would
usually argue both the sides of the case to the jury.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

 What are your strengths and weaknesses?

 Tell me about yourself.
 What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.
 Of the courses you have had at college which courses have you enjoyed the most?
 What is your GPA? How do you feel about it? Does it reflect your abilities?
 How have your educational and work experiences prepared you for this position?
 What work experiences have been most valuable to you and why?
 What have the experiences on your resume taught you about managing and working with
people?

 Of the hobbies and interests listed on your resume what is your favorite and tell me why?

 Where do you see yourself in five years?

 What goals have you set for yourself? How are you planning to achieve them?
 To what do you owe your present success?
 Why should I hire you?
 What makes you think you can handle this position?
 What is your most significant accomplishment to date?
 Why do you want to work here?
 Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you committed your time to it.
 In a particular leadership role you had, what was your greatest challenge?
 Give me an example of an idea that has come to you and what you did with it?
 Give me an example of a problem you solved and the process you used?
 Give me an example of the most creative project that you have worked on.
 Tell me about a project you initiated?
 Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities?
 Since attending college, what is the toughest decision that you have had to make?

 Tell me about your most difficult decision and how did you go about making it?
 What types of situations put you under pressure, and how do you deal with pressure?

 Give me a situation in which you failed, and how you handled it?
 Why are you interested in our organization?
 What type of position are you seeking?
 Where do you think your interest in this career comes from?
 What industry besides this one are you looking into?
 Why have you chosen this particular profession?
 What interests you about this job?
 What challenges are you looking for in a position?
 What can you contribute to this company?
 What motivates you?
 What turns you off?
 If I asked the people who know you well to describe you, what three words would they use?
 If I asked the people who know you for one reason why I shouldn't hire you what would they
say?
 When you take on a project do you like to attack the project in a group of individually?
 Describe the type of manager you prefer.
 Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution?
 Describe a situation where you had to work with someone who was difficult, how did you
handle it?
 What type of work environment appeals to you most?
 With which other companies are you interviewing?
 What charactersitics do you think are important for this position?
 Why do you feel that this company will be a career for you rather than a job?
 Name two management skills that you think you have?
 What characteristics are most important in a good manager? How have you displayed one of
them?

 Why did you choose this college and how did you arrive at this decision?
 What factors did you consider in choosing your major?
 Describe how your favorite course has contributed your career interests?
 Since you have been at college, what is it that you are proudest of?
 How have you changed personally since starting college?
 What has been your greatest challenge?
 If you could change a decision you made while at college what would you change and why?
 Why did you choose the campus involvements you did? What did you gain? What did you
contribute?
Presentation Skills

Delivering professional presentations includes planning, preparing and then performing.

Planning and preparing is as important as delivering the presentations as it gives the initial
amount of the confidence needed.

I Planning and Preparing a Presentation

This part as five sections:

• Why (the purpose)
• Who (the audience)
• What (the outline/organization)
• How (the methodology)
• Where and When (the venue and time)

Why (the purpose)

Here are some examples of the purpose of giving a presentation on HP
Precision Scan LT software.

At the end of my presentation, the audience will be able to describe three

advantages of using HP Precision Scan LT software.
(Informative Presentation)

At the end of my presentation, the audience will believe that the HP Precision Scan
LT software is the best software in the market.
(Persuasive Presentation)

At the end of my presentation, the audience will be able to use the HP Precision
Scan LT software.
(Demonstrative Presentation)
Who (the audience)
 Who are they?
How many will be there?
Why are they coming?
What do they know about the subject?
What is there relationship to you?
What (the organization/outline)

Helps you remember.

Helps the audience understand and remember.
Helps you keep to the point.
Helps you reduce your nervousness.

How (the methodology)

Use index cards

Print in big letters
Write only the keywords
Number the cards

Where and When (the venue and time)

Things to take Things to check

II Performing the presentation

While structuring the presentation, care should be taken that the sequence of the ideas should
be such that the listeners should follow them without straining themselves much

Beginning

• Allocating enough time for preparation is essential. If you have not had enough time
for whatever reason, never tell it to the audience.

• With a small audience, you should encourage interruptions to communicate well.

With a very large audience, you may want to ask them to keep the questions until the
end of the presentation.

• Unless the length of the presentation has already been announced, it is always a good
idea to tell them how long they can expect to be there.
 • In most cases you should prepare handouts and tell the audience that you will be
distributing the handouts (summary) after the presentation. Otherwise the listeners
may start taking down the notes rather than listening to you.
Middle

• Language:
-When one writes down one’s presentation as a part of preparation, one tends
to use formal words. This may distance the speaker from the audience.

-Using jargon (specialized vocabulary used as per the profession/field) with the
professionals is fine but otherwise the vocabulary should be simplified.

-Don’t utter sentences which are too long. (but as you are reading, you can go back
and read it again). There is a reasonable chance that the audience will have forgotten
the beginning by the time you reach the end.

• Visual Aids
• Visuals should support a presentation but not replace it.
• One should use a slide for not more than three minutes.
• The audience cannot read and listen at the same time so make sure that the
audience listens as you explain.
• Visuals should be simple.

Ending
• The ending can be memorized so that the presenter has the maximum impact.

• Never rush through the conclusion.

• Relate the conclusion to the beginning.

• Always finish on time.
Questions

• Tricky and nasty questions are rare.

• Questions help the presenter achieve his/her objectives.

• Never criticize or putdown a member of the audience.

• Use 80:20 rule of eye contact. When listening to a questioner, 80% of eye contact to
him/her, 20% of eye contact to the rest of the audience. But when replying, 20% of eye
contact to the questioner and 80% of eye contact to the audience.
 • If you cannot answer a question, tell the audience that you did not think from that point of
view.

• Paraphrase the question so that the rest of the audience understands it too.

Non-verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication refers to interaction among people without the use of language. It
includes body motion, characteristics of appearance, characteristics of voice, facial expressions,
eye-contact, gestures, distancing and touch.

The non-verbal symbols signify:

• Repetition: They can repeat the message the person is making verbally.
• Contradiction: They can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey.
• Substitution: They can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can
often convey a far more vivid message than words and often do.

• Complementing: They may add to or complement a verbal message. A boss who pats a
person on the back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message.

• Emphasis: They may emphasize a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can
underline a message.

The Non-verbal Cues

Personal Appearance: The audience starts judging the speaker from his/her personal appearance
and also try to visualize the way the speaker is going to speak. One should not wear too many
accessories while speaking at a public gathering. The dress code, personal hygiene, the perfume
used, hair style matter a lot in public speaking. One should wear clothes in which one feels
comfortable.

Posture: Postures are the positions adopted by the body. It is an important part of body language
and refers to the way one stands, sits and walks. The movement of the body, the position of
hands and legs reveal an individual’s personality – whether he is vibrant, alive and dynamic or
nervous and jittery. One should not lean over a wall, table or lectern for support, but can place
the hands on the lectern in a casual manner.

Gestures: A gesture is the movement of the head, arms or hands to illustrate or reinforce what
one says. A gesture increases the value of a spoken word and so as more impact on the audience.
A right gesture can drive a point home.
There are several types of gestures which people make while communicating orally:
a. Enumerative gestures: It is raising the appropriate number of fingers while mentioning
any number.

b. Descriptive gestures: Showing the approximate size of an object with hands away from
the body is a descriptive gesture.

c. Locative gestures: These gestures indicate location of an object or an area. For example,
you may raise your right thumb and tilt it backwards to refer to a chart behind you.

d. Symbolic gestures: The symbolic gesture is suggestive, conveying an abstract idea to the
audience. For example, to convey the idea of cooperation or team spirit, you can clasp the
hands in front with fingers intertwined. Similarly you may make the letter ‘V’ with your
fingers to indicate victory.

e. Emphatic gestures: An emphatic gesture is a definite or voluntary movement of hand or

arm to give emphasis to a point. For example you may use a clenched fist to show
determination.

Facial expressions: Face is supposed to be the index of mind. We communicate a range of

emotions like anger, discontent, disbelief, anxiety, so on and so forth. A smile (friendliness, a
frown (discontent), raising of eyebrows(disbelief) can add meaning to oral communication. A
warm smile always desirable. It gives you confidence, lets the audience respond positively,
and thereby sets the ball rolling with an ease.

Eye contact: Eye contact with the listener is the most important aspect of body language.
Stress is laid on continuous eye contact between the listener and speaker because it tells
whether the speaker is sincere and the listener is interested. Eye contact is means of gaining
feedback, enabling the communicator to alter, adjust, and refine his message while
transmitting it.

Distancing: Each communicator maintains a personal territory around himself. He normally does
not allow it to be invaded at the time of communication unless the relationship between him and
the listener is very friendly or intimate. The extent of space you create indicates either the
importance you have or the degree of formality you wish to maintain with the listener. Proxemics
is the study of set measurable distances between people as they interact.

Haptic communication is the means by which people and other animals communicate via
touching. A warm touch conveys friendliness and empathy towards the other person.
Paralanguage
Paralanguage refers to the non-verbal elements of communication used to modify meaning and
convey emotion while speaking. It is a part of oral communication. Paralanguage may be
expressed consciously or unconsciously, and it includes the pitch, volume, and, in some cases,
intonation of speech. Sometimes the definition is restricted to vocally-produced sounds. The
study of paralanguage is known as paralinguistics.

The paralinguistic properties of speech play an important role in human speech communication.
There are no utterances or speech signals that lack paralinguistic properties, since speech
requires the presence of a voice that can be modulated.

The elements of paralanguage

Pitch: As you tighten your vocal cords you raise your voice. Intense feelings of joy, fear, or
anger make your voice go up. When you are depressed, tired, or calm, the muscles of your voice
goes down. The pitch moves to the extreme when you are expressing intense feelings.
Tempo: The tempo or speed at which words are spoken reflect s emotions and attitudes. Fast
talkers convey excitement and can be expressive and persuasive. Speaking too fast, however can
make the listener nervous. Rapid speech can also signal insecurity or nervousness of the speaker.
Hence the language should be articulated clearly using appropriate pauses where necessary.
Volume: On the positive side, loud volume is usually associated with enthusiasm and
confidence. Negative connotations include aggressiveness, an over-inflated ego, or an
exaggerated belief in the importance of the message.
In everyday (informal) settings a soft voice is often heard as a sign of trustworthiness, caring and
understanding.
Rhythm and Intonation : Rhythm determines which words will be emphasized in a sentence. In
the question “what time is it?”, we generally emphasize the word `time’. The emphasis on a
particular word conveys the right message to the listener.

Leadership Skills

What is Leadership?

Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or
other members of an organization.

It is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work of others
towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the ability of a manager to
induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Leadership is the potential to influence behavior of others. It is also defined as the capacity to influence a
group towards the realization of a goal. Leaders are required to develop future visions, and to motivate the
organizational members to want to achieve the visions.

Characteristics of Leadership

1. It is an inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers towards
attainment of goals.
2. It denotes a few qualities to be present in a person which includes intelligence, maturity and
personality.
3. It is a group process. It involves two or more people interacting with each other.
4. A leader is involved in shaping and molding the behavior of the group towards accomplishment of
organizational goals.
5. Leadership is situation bound. There is no best style of leadership. It all depends upon tackling with
the situations.

Importance of Leadership
Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve
organizational goals. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a concern.

1. Initiates action- Leader is a person who starts the work by communicating the policies and plans to
the subordinates from where the work actually starts.
2. Motivation- A leader proves to be playing an incentive role in the concern’s working. He motivates
the employees with economic and non-economic rewards and thereby gets the work from the
subordinates.
3. Providing guidance- A leader has to not only supervise but also play a guiding role for the
subordinates. Guidance here means instructing the subordinates the way they have to perform their
work effectively and efficiently.
4. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor which can be achieved through expressing
the work efforts to the subordinates, explaining them clearly their role and giving them guidelines to
achieve the goals effectively. It is also important to hear the employees with regards to their
complaints and problems.
5. Building morale- Morale denotes willing co-operation of the employees towards their work and
getting them into confidence and winning their trust. A leader can be a morale booster by achieving
full co-operation so that they perform with best of their abilities as they work to achieve goals.
6. Builds work environment- Management is getting things done from people. An efficient work
environment helps in sound and stable growth. Therefore, human relations should be kept into mind
by a leader. He should have personal contacts with employees and should listen to their problems
and solve them. He should treat employees on humanitarian terms.
7. Co-ordination- Co-ordination can be achieved through reconciling personal interests with
organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and effective co-
ordination which should be primary motive of a leader.

Types of Leadership Skills:

1. Authoritarian Leadership

Authoritarian leadership styles allow a leader to impose expectations and define outcomes. A one-
person show can turn out to be successful in situations when a leader is the most knowledgeable in the
team. Although this is an efficient strategy in time-constrained periods, creativity will be sacrificed since
 input from the team is limited. The authoritarian leadership style is also used when team members
need clear guidelines.

Advantages:

• Time spent on making crucial decisions can be reduced.

• Chain of command can be clearly emphasized.
• Mistakes in the implementation of plans can be reduced.
• Using authoritarian leadership style creates consistent results.
Disadvantages:

• A very strict leadership style can sometimes lead to employee rebellion.

• It kills employee creativity and innovation.
• It reduces group synergy & collaboration.
• Group input is reduced dramatically.
• Authoritarian leadership increases employee turnover rate.

2. Participative Leadership

Participative leadership styles are rooted in democratic theory. The essence is to involve team members
in the decision making process. Team members thus feel included, engaged and motivated to contribute.
The leader will normally have the last word in the decision-making processes. However, if there are
disagreements within a group, it can be a time-consuming process to reach a consensus.

Advantages:

• It increases employee motivation and job satisfaction.

• It encourages use of employee creativity.
• A participative leadership style helps in the creation of a strong team.
• High level of productivity can be achieved.
Disadvantages:

• Decision-making processes become time-consuming.

• Leaders have a high probability of being apologetic to employees.
• Communication failures can sometimes happen.
• Security issues can arise because of transparency in information sharing.
• Poor decisions can be made if the employees are unskilled.

3. Delegative leadership

Also known as "laissez-faire leadership", a delegative leadership style focuses on delegating initiative to
team members. This can be a successful strategy if team members are competent, take responsibility and
prefer engaging in individual work. However, disagreements among the members may split and divide a
group, leading to poor motivation and low morale.

Advantages:
 • Experienced employees can take advantage of their competence and experience.
• Innovation & creativity is highly valued.
• Delegative leadership creates a positive work environment.
Disadvantages:

• Command responsibility is not properly defined.

• Delegative leadership creates difficulty in adapting to change.

4. Transactional leadership

Transactional leadership styles use "transactions" between a leader and his or her followers - rewards,
punishments and other exchanges - to get the job done. The leader sets clear goals, and team members
know how they'll be rewarded for their compliance. This "give and take" leadership style is more
concerned with following established routines and procedures in an efficient manner, than with making
any transformational changes to an organization.

Advantages:

• Leaders create specific, measurable and time-bound goals that are achievable for employees.
• Employee motivation and productivity is increased.
• Transactional leadership eliminates or minimizes confusion in the chain of command.
• It creates a system that is easy to implement for leaders and easy to follow by employees.
• Employees can choose reward systems.
Disadvantages:

• Innovation & creativity is minimized.

• Empathy is not valued.
• Transactional leadership creates more followers than leaders among employees.

5. Transformational Leadership

In transformational leadership styles, the leader inspires his or her followers with a vision and then
encourages and empowers them to achieve it. The leader also serves as a role model for the vision.

Advantages:

• It leads to a lower employee turnover rate.

• Transformational leadership places high value on corporate vision.
• High morale of employees is often experienced.
• It uses motivation and inspiration to gain the support of employees.
• It is not a coercive approach to leadership.
• It places high value on relationships.
Disadvantages:

• Leaders can deceive employees.

• Consistent motivation and constant feedback may be required.
• Tasks can’t be pushed through without the agreement of employees.
• Transformational leadership can sometimes lead to the deviation of protocols and regulations.
Role of a Leader
Following are the main roles of a leader in an organization :

1. Required at all levels- Leadership is a function which is important at all levels. In the top level, it is
important for getting co-operation in formulation of plans and policies.
2. In the middle and lower level, it is required for interpretation and execution of plans and
programmes framed by the top management. Leadership can be exercised through guidance and
counseling of the subordinates at the time of execution of plans.
3. Representative of the organization- A leader, i.e., a manager is said to be the representative of the
enterprise. He has to represent the concern at seminars, conferences, general meetings, etc. His role
is to communicate the rationale of the enterprise to outside public. He is also representative of the
own department which he leads.
4. Integrates and reconciles the personal goals with organizational goals- A leader through
leadership traits helps in reconciling/ integrating the personal goals of the employees with the
organizational goals. He is trying to co-ordinate the efforts of people towards a common purpose
and thereby achieves objectives. This can be done only if he can influence and get willing co-
operation and urge to accomplish the objectives.
5. He solicits support- A leader is a manager and besides that he is a person who entertains and
invites support and co-operation of subordinates. This he can do by his personality, intelligence,
maturity and experience which can provide him positive result. In this regard, a leader has to invite
suggestions and if possible, implement them into plans and programmesof enterprise. This way, he
can solicit full support of employees which results in willingness to work and thereby effectiveness
in running of a concern.
6. As a friend, philosopher and guide- A leader must possess the three-dimensional traits in him. He
can be a friend by sharing the feelings, opinions and desires with the employees. He can be a
philosopher by utilizing his intelligence and experience and thereby guiding the employees as and
when time requires. He can be a guide by supervising and communicating the employees the plans
and policies of top management and secure their co-operation to achieve the goals of a concern. At
times he can also play the role of a counselor by counseling and a problem-solving approach. He
can listen to the problems of the employees and try to solve them.

Leadership Traits
A leader has got multidimensional traits in him which makes him appealing and effective in behavior.
The following are the requisites to be present in a good leader:

1. Physical appearance- A leader must have a pleasing appearance. Physique and health are very
important for a good leader.
2. Vision and foresight- A leader cannot maintain influence unless he exhibits that he is forward
looking. He has to visualize situations and thereby has to frame logical programmes.
3. Intelligence- A leader should be intelligent enough to examine problems and difficult situations. He
should be analytical who weighs pros and cons and then summarizes the situation. Therefore, a
positive bent of mind and mature outlook is very important.
4. Communicative skills- A leader must be able to communicate the policies and procedures clearly,
precisely and effectively. This can be helpful in persuasion and stimulation.
5. Objective- A leader has to be having a fair outlook which is free from bias and which does not
reflects his willingness towards a particular individual. He should develop his own opinion and
should base his judgement on facts and logic.
 6. Knowledge of work- A leader should be very precisely knowing the nature of work of his
subordinates because it is then he can win the trust and confidence of his subordinates.
7. Sense of responsibility- Responsibility and accountability towards an individual’s work is very
important to bring a sense of influence. A leader must have a sense of responsibility towards
organizational goals because only then he can get maximum of capabilities exploited in a real sense.
For this, he has to motivate himself and arouse and urge to give best of his abilities. Only then he
can motivate the subordinates to the best.
8. Self-confidence and will-power- Confidence in himself is important to earn the confidence of the
subordinates. He should be trustworthy and should handle the situations with full will power.
9. Humanist-This trait to be present in a leader is essential because he deals with human beings and is
in personal contact with them. He has to handle the personal problems of his subordinates with great
care and attention. Therefore, treating the human beings on humanitarian grounds is essential for
building a congenial environment.
10. Empathy- It is an old adage “Stepping into the shoes of others”. This is very important because fair
judgement and objectivity comes only then. A leader should understand the problems and
complaints of employees and should also have a complete view of the needs and aspirations of the
employees. This helps in improving human relations and personal contacts with the employees.

From the above qualities present in a leader, one can understand the scope of leadership and it’s
importance for scope of business. A leader cannot have all traits at one time. But a few of them helps in
achieving effective results.

Leadership and Management - Relationship & Differences

Leadership and management are the terms that are often considered synonymous. It is essential to
understand that leadership is an essential part of effective management. As a crucial component of
management, remarkable leadership behaviour stresses upon building an environment in which each and
every employee develops and excels. Leadership is defined as the potential to influence and drive the
group efforts towards the accomplishment of goals. This influence may originate from formal sources,
such as that provided by acquisition of managerial position in an organization.

A manager must have traits of a leader, i.e., he must possess leadership qualities. Leaders develop and
begin strategies that build and sustain competitive advantage. Organizations require robust leadership and
robust management for optimal organizational efficiency.

Differences between Leadership and Management

Leadership differs from management in a sense that:

1. While managers lay down the structure and delegates authority and responsibility, leaders provides
direction by developing the organizational vision and communicating it to the employees and
inspiring them to achieve it.
2. While management includes focus on planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling;
leadership is mainly a part of directing function of management. Leaders focus on listening,
building relationships, teamwork, inspiring, motivating and persuading the followers.
3. While a leader gets his authority from his followers, a manager gets his authority by virtue of his
position in the organization.
4. While managers follow the organization’s policies and procedure, the leaders follow their own
instinct.
 5. Management is more of science as the managers are exact, planned, standard, logical and more of
mind. Leadership, on the other hand, is an art. In an organization, if the managers are required, then
leaders are a must/essential.
6. While management deals with the technical dimension in an organization or the job content;
leadership deals with the people aspect in an organization.
7. While management measures/evaluates people by their name, past records, present performance;
leadership sees and evaluates individuals as having potential for things that can’t be measured, i.e.,
it deals with future and the performance of people if their potential is fully extracted.
8. If management is reactive, leadership is proactive.
9. Management is based more on written communication, while leadership is based more on verbal
communication.

The organizations which are over managed and under-led do not perform upto the
benchmark. Leadership accompanied by management sets a new direction and makes efficient use
of resources to achieve it. Both leadership and management are essential for individual as well as
organizational success.