job cause stress-MANAGING OUR SELF

job cause stress-MANAGING OUR SELF

we should learn to recognize when you have outrun your abilities. we can fall back on the
leadership qualities that you have learned previously to take yourself to the next level in managing
yourself and others. If we open ourself to being transformed we can effectively listen to
others thereby, letting go old notions of leadership. When we cultivate a sense of self-awareness
we can understand what works for you better in a hardcore professional world. The easiest
way to manage our self is to be flexible enough to adapt with changes, people's mindset and stress factors.

Here is a set of questions that may help to find out if you are under stress. Answer them honestly.
1. Do you wake up tired first thing in the morning?
2. Have you lost the feelings of satisfaction, accomplishment and enjoyment that always inspired you to live your life to the fullest?
3. Are you more irritable and impatient than usual? Do you often feel like you are not yourself'?
4. Do your well-wishers and friends frequently ask you, "Are you all right?" or inquire whether
something is wrong?
5. Does taking a vacation give you a temporary sense of relief, but as soon as you return back
to your daily life you feel tired and have no energy or enthusiasm for work?
6. Do you take longer lunches and breaks than you used to? Is it hard to make yourself go
back to work once you are on lunch, or a break?
7. Does life seem like "all work and no play" ?
8. Do you often feel overwhelmed and too tired to do your work ?
9. Do you look for excuses to stop what you are doing (procrastinate), and do you welcome
interruptions ?
10. Do you spend time doing non-work activities so you do not have to face your work?
11. When you are doing your work, is it accompanied by a feeling of inescapable fatigue?
12. Do you daydream about "running away" and quitting your responsibilities towards life?
􀂄 If you answered "yes" to three or more of the questions, you should consider taking
action to reduce your stress at work.
􀂄 Four to seven "yes" answers means your attitude at work is suffering and serious burnout
is on the horizon, so you should take action now.
􀂄 Eight or more "yes" answers means you are experiencing acute burnout and shouldseek            
  help immediately.

Five ways to battle job stress

Five ways to battle job stress

1. Prevention is the key: Tend to your spirit, stay physically fit, have a life outside of work, get plenty of rest and avoid alcohol and drugs. If you are in good health, work will not overwhelm your life. Exercise helps ease tension and keeps the body and mind happier.

2. Meditate, pray, practice yoga or relax daily: Starts your day by meditating to get connected with "the Divine." The important thing is to feed your spirit frequently. Research has shown that meditation leads to a more productive day. Make it a priority, and you will begin to feel more balanced.

3. Prioritize: There are more demands on our time than ever now, with lots to accomplish. To avoid
getting overwhelmed, prioritize your workload at the beginning of the day, then reassess later if necessary. By creating priorities, you can better judge, for example, whether you should be replying to a friend's email or not while you are working to meet a deadline? (The answer is no.)

4. Breathe: It is really important to just pause, take a breath and think about your breath. Then pray or meditate.

5. Consider the root of the problem: If you have tried everything and you are still feeling anxiety over
work, maybe your job really is the problem. Using your support network of family and friends to help
develop an action plan, you can succeed in your efforts. You might also consider contacting a therapist if the problem persists.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Among the behavioral problems people face in at work, stress related problems are severe and requires immediate attention. In this unit, the basic problems of stress will be discussed, keeping in mind the regular demands of a professional life. After going through this unit, you will be able to:
􀁺 Know the causes of stress and learn how to tackle these causes to prevent stress related
disorders
􀁺 Develop a strategy that will not only manage stress but also make you aware of the techniques that can curb stress
􀁺 Bring a positive change in yourself following the tips of self-management, relaxation
techniques and assertiveness skills
􀁺 Plan your next steps as a gateway to a better life.

Stress is the biggest single problem of the 21st century. This is one major reason why so many people
get sick or die prematurely, not being able to handle the demands of modern life. Every health problem, from headaches to heart attack, from psychosomatic disorders to stroke can be linked to this great malady. There is no defined age at which one is at risk of suffering from stress. Anyone can be stressed at any time if they are not adequately equipped to balance work and home. Many psychologists say that in our frenzy to get into the rat race of becoming successful men and women we often neglect the vital issues of health and we become prone to stress. So, if we cannot get a grip on stress we will have to pay the price physically, mentally and spiritually. At the same time, studies show that even if one has a very demanding job, stress can be avoided. Psychologists and doctors point out that having unrealistic expectations of oneself and striving to live up to that expectation leads to the constant feeling of stress and causes health problems.

Stress is dangerous because many treat the symptoms of stress without realizing what triggers it. Poor health results in missing important deadlines and assignments and this has a negative impact on their professional growth. When peace of mind and productivity suffers their professional and personal life gets affected. This makes them worry more and become tenser as they constantly feel the pressure of having to live up to what the organisation and their family expect of them.

To add to this they have their own expectations to fulfill. Consequently when they feel better they slip
into the old stressful routine and the ailments reappear. Medication helps, but only temporarily and their health and mental well-being deteriorate. The vicious cycle continues. If we learn to manage our
expectations, both what we expect from ourselves and what others expect of us, we will be able to lead a stress-free life.

Stress and Fatigue & Inability to say "No"

Stress and Fatigue & Inability to say "No"

A particularly unpleasant source of stress comes from what is called "Hurry Sickness". Here you can
get into a vicious circle of stress, which causes you to hurry jobs and do them badly. This under performance causes feelings of frustration and failure, which causes more stress, which causes more
hurry and less success, and so on. Stress-creating behaviour can compound this, as can an inability to
relax at home or on holiday. If you do not manage long-term stress effectively, it can lead to long-term fatigue, failure and one of the forms of physical or mental ill health.
We can eliminate this sort of overload by effective use of time management, particularly by learning how to prioritise effectively. We can neutralise the associated stress by effective use of stress management techniques.

Saying 'yes' to requests for your time is not always a bad practice. In fact, the better you are at managing your time and your projects, the more likely it is that you will be chosen to handle important tasks that need to be completed quickly with quality and care.

Taking on and completing important projects can be very rewarding and can lead to promotions and
bonuses. The problem occurs when you say 'yes' to almost any request no matter what it is, who is asking, or how much work you already have on your plate.

Always saying 'yes' is a major source of overload and stress, and it can lead you away from your
priorities into less important tasks. If you want to avoid the work and stress associated with attempting too much, you need to decide carefully whether to accept new tasks or not.
The most common reasons for saying "yes" are a desire to please, fear of rejection, and guilt. You may be saying "yes" because of a payoff you are receiving or because of not wanting to confront the one who makes the request.
 "A 'No' uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble."

Unclear communication in management

Unclear communication in management

we often fail to do what we want to do for one single reason and that is when our objectives are not
clearly defined. our long term goals should impact on our daily activities and be included on our "to do" list. Without a clear-cut goal or objectives, people tend to just drift personally and professionally. It is generally hard to believe that there are managers who neglect this participatory approach and they tend to be their own worst enemies. They make the incorrect assumption that their
time-effective work habits will be clear to all and over time will be adopted by the supervisors reporting to them, the group as a whole, and other people and groups in the organization. But the reality is that such an occurrence is not automatic. Further, these managers' behavior may be misconstrued and may be seen as curt or abrasive. The resultant resentment may adversely affect work routine and productivity.

It is often difficult for a manager to recognize the impact that his or her actions have on others. Managers usually function with positive and constructive intent. But methodology of communicating the intent may not be appropriate, if one or the other is inappropriate, a manager's actions can be perceived as a real obstacle to achievement. Where the manager functions in a counterproductive manner with subordinate management, the subordinate managers not may be diverted from what is important may also misdirect their own subordinates.

Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture

The term "Corporate Culture" means the attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an

organization. It defines the standard norms of behavior for any person representing that

organization. Therefore it is also known as organizational culture. Corporate culture differs from

organization to organization. Every organization has its own set of behavior, expertise, skills and

knowledge to follow. Accordingly, every organization defines its own culture on the basis of the rules

and policies it lays down for itself. Organizational culture or corporate culture affects every single employee working for a particular work set up in different ways.

The management of an organization often determines the corporate culture for its employees. Whether or not this culture is acceptable, the management imposes it on the entire work force and makes each one of the employees answerable even for the minor infringements of this culture. They may wish to impose corporate values and standards of behavior that specifically reflect the objectives of the organization. In addition, work-groups within the organization have their own behavioral patterns, which, to an extent, affect the whole system. Members of an organization react in a common way to a given situation when the values of the organization are strongly instilled in them. This is how an organization fosters a strong corporate culture.

Many articles and books have been written in recent years about culture in organizations, usually referred to as "Corporate Culture." The dictionary defines culture as "the act of developing intellectual and moral faculties, especially through education." But this definition used in the context of an organization describes Corporate Culture as: "the moral, social, and behavioral norms of an organization based on the beliefs, attitudes, and priorities of its members".

Every organization has its own unique culture or value set. The process of creating culture in an

organization is not defined. The culture of the organization is typically created based on the values

advocated by the top management or the founders of an organization.

The importance of corporate culture is growing as the result of several recent developments. Companies try to inculcate a sense of ownership in the employees so that they become more accountable and responsible and act and think like owners. In exchange for more flexible work schedules, employees are expected to be always accessible to the call of the company duties. With the disappearance of more close-knit social groups (e.g. neighborhoods, etc.), companies are taking up the role of a community and are meeting the requirements of the employees. At the same time companies encourage teamwork and the formation of teams.

Therefore, organizational leaders should not ignore corporate culture. It should be highlighted as the

organization's mission, vision, and goal statements, and emphasized in company sponsored training and communication for the employees.

Body Language

Body Language

The effective delivery of a presentation is done not simply through words but also through the appropriate use of body language. It is very crucial to make a positive impact on the audience while giving a presentation. A presentation is all about verbal abilities, a visual and vocal impact. The following tips will help you to enhance your body language in a presentation.

􀂄 Stand straight, hold your head high and keep your shoulders straight and not drooping.
􀂄 A very normal standing posture will exude an aura of confidence about you, which is very necessary to keep your audience’s attention glued to you.

􀂄 While giving the presentation, your tone of voice should be well–controlled, the pitch should be
neither very high nor very low; the pacing between the key words should be about 3 seconds for
the audience to grasp your talk. A slower and lower tone indicates confidence and expertise,
which can only be attained with a lot of practice.

􀂄 Maintain eye contact with the audience but don’t stare hard at them to the point of making them
feel uncomfortable.

􀂄 Make use of the moving space that you get but that doesn’t mean you will frequently show your
back to the audience.

􀂄 Use hand gestures to emphasise your main points and integrate it with an open body language.

Some common errors that should be avoided:

􀂄 Don’t put your face down.
􀂄 Avoid all awkward gestures (crossed arms, tilted body, eyes down and no smile).
􀂄 Avoid fidgeting.
􀂄 Stiff body (Give your body a bit of movement to add a little variety to your speech so that the
audience feels like participating.)
􀂄 Talking too fast or too loud.
􀂄 Bad voice.

How do I make a presentation interesting?

How do I make a presentation interesting?

In any presentation, the introduction must have a tremendous impact to grasp the attention of the
audience. There are many ways to do this. You can begin with an anecdote that demonstrates or
highlights what you will present. You may also use quotations or statistics to highlight the significance of your topic. You may even use humour by starting with a joke, provided, of course, it is relevant and within appropriate and acceptable social norms. Many presenters play by the ear, so that they know when to modify what they say as they can ‘feel’ how the audience is reacting. If you are inexperienced, you should stick to the conventional path and start with a formal introduction. As you gain in experience, you can get more creative. Many good presenters start with something that is attention grabbing and yet relevant to the topic. They may use the picture of a contemporary work of art, a photograph from a magazine or newspaper, a film clip or even an interactive game to let the audience ‘warm up’ to the topic. But remember, simplicity is the key to success. Keep your presentation simple and it is sure to impress the audience. Simple, of course, does not mean boring. Pepper your speech with the right pauses, the right questions and the right examples and you will have a presentation that will stay in your audience’s mind.

Listening Tips

Listening Tips

􀂄 Usually it is important to understand the message and verbalize the content using your own
words. Simply parroting and reproducing the message word-by-word shows lack of proper
understanding on the part of the listener.

􀂄 Depending on the purpose of interaction, and understanding what is relevant, you could reflect
back the other person’s:

1. Account of the facts.
2. Thoughts and beliefs.
3. Feelings and emotions.
4. Wants, needs or motivation.
5. Hopes and expectations.

􀂄 Do not respond to just the meaning or the content of the message; look for the intent beyond the message. Try to look for the feeling associated with the meaning. The dictionary meaning or the surface code is not the message.

􀂄 Inhibit your impulse to answer questions immediately. The code may be in the form of questions. Sometimes people ask questions when they want to express themselves and may not be open to hearing an answer.

􀂄 If you are confused and know you do not understand, either tell the person you don’t understand and ask him/her to say it another way, or use your best guess. If you are incorrect, the person will realize it and will likely attempt to correct your misunderstanding. Try repeating key words and try and match the language of the speaker.

􀂄 Use eye contact and listening body language. Avoid looking at your watch or at other people or
activities around the room. Face and lean toward the speaker and nod your head, as it is appropriate. Be careful about crossing your arms and appearing closed or critical.

􀂄 Be empathic and nonjudgmental. You can be accepting and respectful of the person and their
feelings and beliefs without invalidating or giving up your own position, or without agreeing with the accuracy and validity of their view.

ACTIVE LISTENING

ACTIVE LISTENING

Expressing our wants, beliefs, needs and feelings is only half the part of the entire communication
process needed for our interpersonal effectiveness. The other half is listening and understanding mainly what is communicated.
“We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking.”
The process of listening is intricate and entails more than simply straining the ears to hear the sound along with the words accompanying the sound coming from a speaker. This implies that listening is hearing and at the same time understanding quite clearly what one has heard. When someone listens, he or she does it with the heart and the mind, not just with the ears. Let us now discuss the basic difference between hearing and listening in order to get a clear picture of how active listening functions as a formidable tool of communication in increasing effectiveness.

Hearing and Listening

Hearing is a natural and unconscious function of the ears. It is a simple, mechanical process that
enables us to hear all the sounds around us.
Listening is a conscious effort on the part of the listener. One has to pay attention to every detail
to listen.
When a listener activates his mind to listen, three basic modes of listening begin to work.
According to clinical psychologist, Dr. Larry Alan Nadig, Combative or Competitive listening happens when we are more interested to promote our own point of view then understanding what the other person is saying. In this process of listening, we listen to the other person solely with the aim of finding so that in turn we can attack the speaker with those weak points we have collected. As we pretendto listen, we also wait impatiently for an opening, or to prepare our plan for upsetting the  speaker by formulating a rebuttal and emerge a victor. Here, the motive of the listener is very obviously to compete or to combat.

In Attentive or Passive listening, we are genuinely interested in the other person’s point of view. We
listen attentively but passively to what the other person says. We show our full understanding of the
content or the message we have listened to, but we are quite passive in verifying our knowledge of
understanding.
Reflective or Active listening is the most single and useful listening skill. In active listening we are also genuinely interested in understanding what the other person is thinking, feeling, wanting or what the message means, and we are active in confirming our understanding before we respond with our own new message. We restate or paraphrase our understanding of their message and reflect it back to the sender for verification. This verification or feedback process is what distinguishes active listening andmakes it effective.

In Active Listening, our mind is focussed on all the sounds as well as the meaning attached to them. We not only hear the words with rapt attention but also concentrate on the feelings and emotions associated with those words. On listening actively we can ferret out the underlying intention or meaning of any message we receive from a speaker. Therefore, listening is akin to reading between the lines for a deeper meaning.

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. It is as if we were standing in the other person’s shoes, seeing through his/
her eyes and listening through the person’s ears. 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 listen passively.

We all act and respond on the basis of our understanding, and too often there is a misunderstanding
that neither of us is aware of. With active listening, if a misunderstanding has occurred, it will be known immediately, and the communication can be clarified before any further misunderstanding occurs.

In order to listen actively, you must –
􀂄 Concentrate
􀂄 Open your mind
􀂄 Pay attention to details
􀂄 Relate to the content or the ideas
􀂄 Focus on the hidden meaning
􀂄 Establish a relationship with the speaker for better understanding of the meaning of the message.
􀂄 Try to think about what the speaker is saying from his/her point of view.
􀂄 Not interrupt or finish sentences for the speaker. Be patient and let them finish.
􀂄 Focus on what is being said and not on what you are going to say in response.

COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

COMMUNICATION NETWORKS 

There are regular patterns of communication in an organisation. They are referred to as communication networks. These networks can be formal or informal. The formal network functions as a chain of command.
It enables the organisation to disseminate information throughout the organisation and also gather
information in the form of formal reports, letters, memos, announcements. In a healthy organisation
where there is exchange of ideas, information mainly flows in three directions: downward, upward and horizontal.

Downward communication occurs when decision makers such as top executives and directors or
CEOs pass down information related to organizational goals, mission, plans, or expectations from
employees or make any formal announcement. To avoid distortion of such communication it is essential for managers to use effective communication techniques (simple and appropriate language, clear instructions, brief points, no roundabout language) that remove ambiguities and misunderstandings.

Upward communication occurs when subordinates initiate discussions (seeking solutions, resolving
problems, raising an important issue, making the superiors aware of certain problems and issues ) with their superiors regarding their responsibilities. Face-to-face talk, emails, messages, memos and reports, and phone calls are used as channels for such communication. However, because of the hierarchical nature of the organisation there may be a perceptual difference regarding certain issues and a manager may not see eye-to-eye all the time with subordinates. As organisations recognize the potential and importance of information that comes from people on the floor, they encourage upward communication in the form of feedback or review meetings and have an ‘open door’ policy.

Horizontal communication occurs when employees working at the same level or peer group exchange
information. This works best within a congenial working environment when there can be free flow of
ideas, best practices are shared and colleagues are supportive of each other. An organisation can
benefit from such lateral communication when the people involved in them use it for productive purposes to exchange views, get feedback, ask for help or share knowledge. However, professional rivalry, ego problems or inability to use such channels appropriately may act as barriers to such communication.

STYLES OF COMMUNICATION

STYLES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication styles can be classified into the following types:
(1) Aggressive
(2) Passive
(3) Assertive
In Aggressive style of communication, one always stands up for one’s rights. Sometimes doing so
may result in the violation of the other’s rights.
Such communicators give the impression of being superior in attitude, domineering and self-important.
They think their feelings are more important than that of the other person. They ignore or dismiss the
needs, wants and opinions, feelings or beliefs of others and express their own in an inappropriate
way. They may have a loud voice and articulate mostly in the second person. Their non-verbal cues
are narrow eyes, clenched fists, pointing fingers, rigid posture and hard stares. These types of
communicators often face disrespect from others. They are the worst victims of low-self esteem. As
a consequence, they easily incur other people’s wrath and in the worst case people avoid them out
of fear. They give an impression that they have something to contribute and others have little or
nothing to contribute. The aim of aggressive behaviour is to win at any cost.
The Passive style of communication allows the communicator to put others’ rights before his and thus reduce his own self-worth.

Passive communicators always consider themselves to be inferior to others. They negate their
personal feelings, rendering themselves unimportant. They fail to express their needs, wants, feelings,
opinions and beliefs and express them in an apologetic and self-effecting manner. They have an
overly soft voice with an apologetic demeanor. They create a negative impression on others by
their non-verbal signals. They shy away from maintaining eye contact with people. Their downcast
eyes, stooping posture and excessive nodding of the heads may indicate lack of drive and motivation.
They suffer from poor self-esteem and are heavily dependent on others for support and recognition.
They are easily victimized and exploited at the same time, as other people tend to disrespect them.
The aim of passive behavior is to avoid conflict and to please others.
The Assertive style of communication teaches one to stand up for one’s rights while having respect
for others rights.

Those communicating in assertive style give equal importance to both others’ as well as to their own
rights. They deal with people on equal terms. They exude confidence in whatever they do and
always own up responsibility for their actions. Assertive communicators stand firmly on their foot
and don’t buckle under pressure. Talking straight on the face, looking directly, always at ease with
oneself and others, relaxed and smooth body movements are some of the strong characteristics of
any assertive communicator. Assertive communicators always buzz with life and activity wherever
they go. These people are positive with a high self-esteem. As they give respect to all they also get
it back in abundance. The aim of assertive behavior is to satisfy the needs and wants of any two
parties in a given situation.

Among these three distinctive styles of communication, the Assertive style of communication is
the one to strive for. Depending on your personal circumstances, you can make use of the other
two styles as well. In a situation, where being passiveness may drive home an important point or
may resolve an issue it is better to act passive. Likewise, aggressiveness also helps sometimes in
turning a situation in your favor, especially when you know you are not getting anywhere in that
situation.

The process of communication: the intent and the content

The process of communication: the intent and the content

Communication is a dyadic and cyclic process. Dyadic means that it is an interaction between two
persons (or two entities) and cyclic means that the process is not one-way: a message originates and
is transmitted via a common medium and code, and it is processed at the receiver’s end, after which
there is a to-and-fro transmission of messages from each end to confirm the understanding or react to
the message. This to-and-fro transmission of messages continues till there is mutual agreement on the
message and the process is then formally brought to a close.

In order to start the communication process ideas need to be conceived in the mind. These ideas,
when processed consciously, flow out in the form of spoken or written words. The concrete ideas
attain meaning as they are transmitted through a series of commonly understood codes (language or
other signs). When the message reaches the receiver, he processes the message consciously in his
mind to unravel the underlying meaning of the message. Once the meaning is deciphered the receiver
acts upon the message in a desired manner by leaving enough room for feedback. The reciprocation
or feedback given by the receiver to the sender of the message is important for the fulfillment of the
communication process. Thus the cycle of communication is accomplished. During dyadic
communication (face-to-face or telephonic interaction) all this takes place instantaneously, so there is
a great risk of miscommunication as there is not enough time to process or understand the deeper
meaning of what is being said.
In a nutshell, the communication process comprises the following elements:
􀂄 The sender
􀂄 The sender has an idea
􀂄 The sender encodes the idea into a message
􀂄 The message travels through a channel
􀂄 The barriers in the path of transmission process
􀂄 The receiver gets the message
􀂄 The receiver decodes the message
􀂄 The receiver provides the message
􀂄 The frame of communication between the sender and the receiver

Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation

Oral presentation is an effective communication between two or more persons. The competencies of
the presenter that will be tested are verbal and non-verbal communication skills, knowledge of making power point slides, ability to deal with inter-personal skills while handling questions and objections on differences of opinions and finally a word of thanks on a courteous note. Presentation demands multiple

communication skills. Remember the adage small things make perfection, but perfection is not a
small thing! Simple power point slides accompanied by excellent oral delivery make a presentation
perfect. But sometimes, oral presentation would also mean a face-to-face talk across the table. In this case, the topic of reference is explained without the use of any computer–based tool. In this kind of presentation, fluency and smartness are not the only factors. Presentation is about combining matter with manner.

When you know the matter, words come to you naturally. To put across a point to your listeners you
need a dash of sincerity and a seriousness of purpose. You can make your talk enjoyable once you talk with conviction and confidence. You can tweak the interest of your listeners by involving them.

Speaking to a small or large groups demand that you
a) handle your listeners well
b) know your subject well
c) sharpen your skills of speaking

PRESENTATION

PRESENTATION

Presentation is the process of presenting the content of a topic to an audience. It is the ability to speak
effectively on a particular subject within a given time slot to create an impact on the listeners. Presentations take place all the time in organizations. Generally, presenters take ample time to prepare a presentation.

Yet, there are times when a presenter has to make a presentation on the spot. A presentation may or may not be supported by visual aids depending on the nature of presentation. People give presentations in all kinds of ways and situations and for all sorts of reasons. The audience might be just one person, a group of hundreds or anything in between.For making a presentation successful, gathering a lot of information is not enough to ensure its success.It requires lot of behind the scenes preparation and good deal of concentration and hard work while actually giving the talk.

In order to make a good presentation one has to start with three P’s-Preparations, Planning and Practice.

The act of giving a presentation is a skill that calls for clarity of thought, concept, logic and expression. A presentation that lacks clarity becomes a dull and boring lecture without serving any purpose. Clarity depends on these three factors:

􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄 Appropriateness
􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄 Relevance
􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄􀂄 Confidence

Appropriateness suggests that the presenter must be familiar with the audience he is going to interact
with while giving the presentation. It is important to know the type and the profile of the audience before getting started. The speaker has to show a genuine enthusiasm for the subject, understanding clearly its inherent thought process as well as its concepts. Accordingly, a thorough preparation of the subject is the right way to get started for a presentation. In the preparation process itself, the presenter should be ready to invest a considerable amount of energy to shape up the presentation with immense clarity of thought and concept.

While working on the Relevance of a presentation, a number of details need to be included. The relevance determines the importance of the subject matter, the depth of treatment of the topic within a limited framework and the usefulness of the content to the audience. While concentrating on the planning of the topic, a logical progression has to be made from one sub topic to another sub topic. This will keep the speaker focussed on what he has to speak at the time of actual presentation without losing track of his points. While preparing the topic, the speaker should also prepare some footnotes and references for effective handling of questions that would come from the audience. Relevance of the topic boosts up the clarity of logic and also helps you to decide what to throw out or retain when writing the presentation.

For a presentation to be really good, the speaker should present the topic with full Confidence. After
adequate preparation and planning, the most important thing to do is to practice the presentation. As the saying goes, practice makes one perfect. In giving a presentation it is practice that makes the
presentation sound and perfect. Proper practice is nothing but rehearsing the sequence of the presentation, thereby making the speaker confident. The “clarity of expression” or “how the presentation is given” depends upon the confidence level of the speaker. The speaker’s body language, manner and tone, use of voice, his ability to build rapport with the audience, his capacity to manage properly the audio-visual aids and at the same time his ability to give satisfactory answers to the audience’s questions, reveal his clarity of expression.

How effective the presentation is depends to a large extent on the following factors:

􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 The presenter’s subject knowledge
􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 Logical thinking (the ability to organise information as pieces of content that can be                     presented according to a sequence or structure)
􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 Exposure and experience of public speaking (confidence)
􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 Ability to handle questions and answer them satisfactorily
􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 Ability to build a rapport with the audience
􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺􀁺 Ability to clearly articulate a thought or give an opinion without being judgmental

HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

As a professional, the demands on your time and job are many. You may be prepared for some of the demands and you may be given short notice for other requirements such as conducting a seminar, speaking at meeting, making a presentation or engaging in a group discussion or interview. All such situations require you to communicate your thoughts or opinion or idea to you. Here is a list of guidelines for how to communicate in such situations.

Face-to-face : Be simple and direct in your responses. Match your non verbal cues with what you are saying. Use hand gestures or other body language to give a positive impression about your intent. Even if you disagree about something, say so in clear terms but use appropriate language without getting too personal. Stay focussed on the topic, not on the person.

Public Speaking : Prepare, if you have the time, with good research and mentally organise your thoughts in a structured and cohesive manner. Articulate clearly as you will be speaking to an audience when people may have difficulty understanding your accent. Use audio-visual aids to support what you want to say. Make eye contact with different members of the audience but do not stay focussed on one person for too long or it will make them uncomfortable. Avoid long winded sentences. If reading out from a prepared speech, practice to get the right pause and modulate your voice accordingly. Underline the key points and emphasise them when you read them out. You must being a certain amount of passion into your speech or you will lose the attention of the audience. While taking questions, keep your responses brief and to the point. Do not show impatience even if the audience asks simple questions to issues that you may have discussed in your speech. Treat the audience with respect.

Group Discussion: In a group discussion, a small group of people interact face-to-face to exchange
information or attempt to find a solution to a problem. No one is assigned the role of a leader but as the discussion proceeds one person may emerge as the leader. For a group discussion to be an effective exercise it must have people with diversity of opinion, knowledge and skill, but with a shared, common agenda. To participate in a group discussion you must be sensitive to the group dynamics. Each participant must get a fair chance to speak and articulate their thoughts and opinions. Because of the semi-formal nature of such discussions, such discussions enable people to clearly articulate and express their opinions.
If you have to intervene, do so without annoying the speaker. You may make notes but remain attentive to what is being said. Your body language should show interest and openness to discussing things. A defensive posture will create a negative impression and may not take the discussion further.

Interview : An interview is usually associated with a job interview where one representing an organisation assesses the other person (the applicant). Some interview situations may have one interviewee and more than one inter viewer. Interviews are useful to elicit information that is not otherwise available in written records. Depending on the nature of the interview and the role you are playing (the one who is questioning or responding), you will encounter direct questions, open-ended questions, closed questions or loaded questions. Sometimes interviews are used as research techniques to collect data or gather customer feedback. When you use the interview method to gather data from the respondent or customer, you should keep a few things in mind. Never take on a superior attitude. Frame questions that elicit the required information. To make it easier for the respondent you may give choices to the respondent. In some cases when the respondent is not familiar with the terms being used or unable to understand the question, rephrase it, and repeat the question if required. During any interview do not enter into an argument or lengthy discussion. Avoid questions that may embarrass the respondent.

Meetings : Whether you are chairing a meeting or participating in it, follow certain protocol to ensure that the meeting achieves its objective. First you must clearly understand the objective of the meeting. If chairing, it is your responsibility to ensure that the objective is clearly articulated. Use simple language (The purpose of this meeting is to…, We have called this meeting to…). Explain why the participants are present and their role in the meeting. You will also have to act as a moderator and ensure that everyone gets a fair chance to speak. Know when to cut a discussion short or avoid heated arguments. As a participant, you must use active listening skills and demonstrate your interest in the topic with appropriate body language. Raise your hand or use appropriate gestures when you want to speak. Do not get too personal. Stick to the topic of discussion. Volunteer information, even if you think it is insignificant.

Sometimes that may be of value to the group. If you are chairing the meeting, always remember to close the meeting with an appropriate summary and action points so that there is clarity about who does what and by what time. Thank everyone for attending.