Communication Interpersonal Skills

7/13/2019 Communication Interpersonal Skills

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INTRODUCTION

When we communicate, we dont actually exchange ideas, e exchange symbols that stand for ideas. Words are just symbols

that do not have inherent meaning; we simply use them in certain ways to convey an idea or give it a caning.

Two important facts about interpersonal communication:1. Interpersonal communication is inescapable

2. Communication is not just spoken words.

INTRA/INTER PERSONAL COMMUNICATION IS CONTEXTUAL

In other words, communication does not happen in isolation, There is

(a) A Mental context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction.(b) A Relational context, which concerns your relations to the other person.

(c) Cultural context, includes all the learned behaviours and rules that affect the interaction.

(d) A Social context deals with the psycho-social where you are communicating.

By increasing your repertoire of interpersonal communication canon skills, you can increase your overall effectiveness Iperhaps your job satisfaction.

Sample from an example of Interpersonal Communication.

(a) At the first meeting, I hug the person.(b) At the first meeting, I wait for the other person to make the introduction first.

(c) At the first meeting, I introduce myself with a smile and offer a handshake.Best answer: (c) Its good to initiate the introduction | and introduce yourself with a handshake and smile. This is a typical

example of a communication 1 ability test which evaluates the status of your present interpersonal communications.

Written communication and interpreting written communication as a test of Interpersonal and CommunicationSkills:

As we have mentioned earlier, interpretation of the written word and understanding the context of communicationare an integral part of communication skills .

In the CSAT examination, since interpersonal and communication skills have been mentioned as a separate section

of the test, it becomes very important to understand what can be expected from the student in the examination in this

context.

Since the examination is in an objective-type format, subjective and written styles of communication will not be

tested directly but the context of interpretation of the written word becomes very important.Interpretation in the context of the words used and also interpretation in the context of the sentences that are created

forms an integral part of this structure. The student has to gear up to interpret contextual vocabulary, understand ideas that

are based on the topic, identify the relationship and flow of ideas, etc.

WHAT IS TESTED IN INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Language skills2. Understanding/Comprehending skills3. Psychological/Personality Traits

When these skills get tested in a written exam,the format gets changed drastically.To check your competence in: Ability 1 (Language), you will get straitjacketed questions of Sentence Correction and

Fill in the Blanksto test grammar, clarity of language and sense of language.

To check your competence in Ability 2 and 3 (understanding, comprehending and personality Traits) you will have tobe good at understanding the information given in questions and stick to the rules for solving a particular type of question,

which may test you for Sentence Completion, Para-editing, Critical Reading, Para-jumbles, Critical Reasoning,etc.

Thus the questions could be of:1. Word level

2. Sentence level3. Paragraph level

It is important to note that any type of question in this section has to be solved keeping in mind the rules for effective

communication and also the language nuances and expressions used.


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THEORY OF COMMUNICATION

In this part of our book, before we look at how interpersonal and communication skills can be tested, and the types ofquestions that can arise, we shall quickly provide a theoretical framework of what exactly we mean by communication and

interpersonal skills.In the following text, our objective is to provide a conceptual grounding on these two topics by

3. Understanding their definitions4. Studying the various theoretical models that have been developed in order to describe them.WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

The Evolution of CommunicationCommunication on our planet is perhaps as old as the existence of life. The moment two organisms started coexisting in this

world and became aware of the presence of each other, some sort of communication would have started. As we moved to amore and more complex world, communication became an important part of evolution, especially among human beings. For

humans, the need for communication has perhaps become as basic as the need for food, clothing and shelter. It is anindividual as well as a social need.

The word communication is derived from the Latin word communis which literally means common and is

perhaps so derived because the object of any communication is to put any information into the common domain. Asynonym for interchange, dialogue, sharing, interaction or communion, communication involves the passing of meaningful

messages and receiving of feedback.

Definit ion of Communication (as defined in various sources):The Merriam Webster lists the following definitions of communication:

1. Information transmitted or conveyed;2. A verbal or written message;3. A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs,or behaviour

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines communication as the exchange of meaning between individuals or groups through a

common system of symbols or language.Wikipedia defines communication as 'the activity of conveying meaningful information.

Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present

or aware of the senders intent to communicate at the time of communication.

In summary, human communication is the sending of meaningful messages from one person to another. The

messages could be oral or written, visual or olfactory or even a combination of these.

Methods and Stages of CommunicationMethods of communication could also be unwritten laws, practices, customs, ways of dressing, gestures and gesticulations,

etc.

Human communication went through different stages of development and was largely driven by the varying needs

of communicators. From the very first stage of human evolution, when the only human reaction was fight or flight, wherecommunication requirements were restricted to security or fighting needs, to the current state of human evolution where

technology has created multitudes of new dimensions of communication needs, the process and methods of communicationhave evolved at a blinding pace globally.

In the modem context, communication is carried out for essentially one of three reasons:

1. Communicating to inform;2. Communicating to convince;3. Communicating to entertain.

We will look at these in detail later in this book. Let us now take a look at the quantum shifts that human

communication has taken over the ages.

In broad terms, communication can be seen to have evolved under the following structures over the ages:


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Communication initially was restricted to signs and signals which was essentially communicated through visual

symbolism, i.e., either through physical gestures and gesticulations or through drawings in caves which was the earliestform of communication.

As human society grew more complex, and social interactions started increasing, human beings realised that they

have the unique capacity to produce similar sounds consistently through their vocal chords. Assigning standardised

meanings to the same sound structure every time is what created languages and dialects. As people started following

individual languages, the complexity of the languages grew, viz., from being able to describe the most basic human needs,

language and speech evolved to be able to describe a vast gamut of feelings, emotions and situations and later on even entiresubjects. So human communication evolved to include both signs and signals and speech and language.

About 5,000 years ago, hieroglyphic writing was developed by the Mayans and the Chinese. They used pictures

with a standardised meaning. The Sumerians developed a different form of writing that represented sounds by symbols. This

allowed information to be stored and for traditions to be passed on in writing. Clay, stone and later papyrus were developed

and used as portable media. Writing gave permanence to the spoken language. Writing was slow to develop because theclergy, who were the seats of power, wanted it to be their sole privilege.

The need to communicate across constraints of space and time is why humans invented the necessary symbolicrepresentations which could be written down and not just carried across constraints of geography but also across

constraints of time, i.e., messages and communications started getting carried from one generation to the following

generations. The lead in this regard was taken around 5000 years ago by the Mayan civilisation and the Chinese civilisation.

Writing was used to give permanence to thespoken language. Histories, geographies, sciences, social sciences and all subjects came into being only because of

the advent of the written word.

Thus, the introduction of the written word actually represented a quantum shift in the way communication wascarried out.

The next major quantum shift in communication happened with the introduction of printing.It gave a major fillip to

the scope of communication. Paper was in the 1st century AD, and the printing press came into being invented in the 15th

century. The printed word represented a new revolution in the history of communication as it created the possibility ofinformation being copied much faster and with far fewer errors. The availability of information took a huge quantum leap

and communication started crossing cultural and geographical barriers. With printing came books, pamphlets and

newspapers (17th century). The printed word changed the contours of human achievement forever. The explosion of

knowledge that we see around the world today can be traced back to the advent of printing. In fact, printed journals andnewspapers became an important cornerstone of various revolutions and freedom struggles across the world.

The 19th and 20 century saw the advent of mass communication with tools like newspapers and magazines

becoming widely available across the world, followed by the advent of telegraph, telephones and closely followed by theinvention of the radio and the television. The launching of communication satellites by countries across the world fuelled

the rapid growth of mass communication.

The final quantum shift in human communications has come about with the invention of computers and the internetsupplemented by mobile telephonyand the age we live in is rightly called the information revolution age.

The Process of CommunicationIn any human situation, communicationcan be described as the activity of conveying meaningful information. For

any meaningful communication to occur, three components need to be present:

(a) A sender(b) A message and(c) An intended recipient.

For communication to occur, the receiver need not be present or be aware of the senders intent.

Communication can be carried out in the following ways:(a) Verbal (with components of nonverbal communication, which is most common),(b) Written(c) Exclusively nonverbal communication

The goal of communication is to convey information and the understanding of that information. In other words, the

process of communication is basically the transmission fan idea/s from the speaker/writer to the listener/reader. Bpindividual who is the source of the communication could be communicating to another individual in which case the

communication is a one-to-one communication or to a group of people, i.e, a one-to-many types of communication.


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The flowchart here shows the standard process of communication.

Let us look at the key things to notice from the above Model.

1. Communication Starts with the Conception of an IdeaIn the given flowchart, please note that the start of the communication process is the conception of an idea in the

mind of the communicator (or sender). This is in contrast to the general conception of communication that it islimited Id how you speak and how you manage your body language and your vocabulary while speaking.

Remember always that the communicator starts from the conception of the idea and the clarity and

conciseness of the idea is one of the key dimensions of any communication activity. Thus, the responsibility of the

communicator starts from the conception of the idea. In other words, communication skills are not just how you

speak, but also what you speak.2. Encoding

Deciding the communication strategy which includes the exact words to be used, the manner of speaking, the pitch,

the intonation, the eye contact and a whole lot of other things. (Of course in any written communication it is just the

putting thoughts into words that is critical. This is what the encoding phase entails.)

3. TransmissionTransmission of message mainly refers to the media in use in order to communicate. It could be oral (use of

language), visual (sign language) written (paper, pen or printed), haptic (use of touch) or olfactory (use of smell).

4. DecodingWhen the message is transmitted through the media to the receiver/s, decoding takes place at the receivers end.

Decoding means making sense of the message. In some ways it also means downloading the communicatorsidea into the mind of the receiver.

5. MeaningAt the end of the decoding process, the meaning goes and settles into the mind of the receiver. The meaning of themessage settles in the mind of the receiver as a composite set of symbols/images in an organised fashion.

Successful communication would have occurred in case the set of symbols and images with their respective

relationships that have settled down in the mind of the receiver/s is the same as the idea conceptualised by the mindof the communicator.

Communication gaps get created when the two are different from each other.

In short in the process of communication: a sender transmits a message through a channel to the receiver.The sender first develops an idea, which is composed (encoded) into a message and then transmitted to the other

party, who interprets (decodes) the message and receives meaning.

Feedback in CommunicationEvery communication that is sent out by a communicator has a feedback cycle. The cycle might be as elaborate as a detailed

written response from the receiver to the sender or might be an oral response to the sender. At the other end of the extreme,feedback might also be restricted to a gentle nod of the head or even the wink of an eye, indicating agreement or

understanding of the senders message.

Feebdack is important in the process of communication because it is only through feedback that the communicator

gets to know whether his intended message has reached the receiver or not. Feedback is especially significant inadministration and management because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond to directives and plans. The

administrator also needs to know how work is progressing and how employees feel about the general work situation.

Effective Communication


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look at this model as a symbolic representation of human communications, the transmitter and the receiver are

normally seen as humanised elements.(ii) It typically signifies communication as a one-way process without actually recognising that communication is

actually always two-way. Thus, it missed the whole point of feedback that the sender receives as a simultaneous

process of communication (especially oral communication).

Later models of communication have tried to overcome these issues and have emphasised upon the dynamic and

evolutionary nature of the communication process rather than the components or the directions of influence.

2. Berios Source-Message-Channel- Receiver Model

In 1960, David Berio expanded on Shannon and Weavers (1949) linear model of communication and created the

SMCR Model of Communication.

The Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver Model of communication separates the model into clear parts and takes intoaccount various characteristics that define each of the dimensions of communication. Thus the senders messages

depend on their communication skills, cultural disposition, attitudes, knowledge and social system. These messagesare transmitted along channels, which can include any of the five senses. A receiver interprets messages based on

the individuals communication skills, attitudes, knowledge, and social and cultural system.

3. Frank Dances Helical-Spiral Model of Communication

Frank Dance in 1967 proposed the helical model of communication to further explain the communication processand move it out of the simplistic domain of the mathematical model proposed by Shannon and Weaver. Dance

thought of the communication process as being similar to helix (A curve on a conical or cylindrical surface that

would become a straight line if the surface were unrolled into a plane).

According to the Helical model Of communication, the process of communication is like a helix which

keeps evolving every day from the day of birth of an individual and throughout his life. Thus, a child when he/she isbornis able to communicate only through crying but as he/she grows into social interactions as a boy/girl, the

communication helix evolves to be able to encompass many more dimensions to the way the same individual cancommunicate with people around him. This evolution continues throughout life and is hence like an ever evolving

helix.

4. Lee Thayers Circular Model of Communication

In 1968, Lee Thayer offered an interdisciplinary approach to communication. According to Thayer, communication

was actually a circular process with the constant creating and recreating of information. His principal position wasthat our abilities and susceptibilities guide the way we acquire, process, generate and disseminate information. And

as we communicate we also constantly are part of what changes occur in the information itself.

5. Watzlawick, Beavin and Jacksons Sawtooth or Interactional Model Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jacksons (1967)Interactional Theory views relationships as patterns of interaction with each participant as a cybernetic system

trying to control its environment while interacting with other systems trying to control their environments as well,

thereby creating a complex system. Five axioms describe how these systems function!The model is based on the principles that:


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(1) One cannot not communicate in a situation. Everything one does is a message. Words, silence, activityand passive inactivity all have some meaning or the other and hence influence others Who themselves thenrespond to the communication.

(2) Every message has content as well as a relationship dimension to it, i.e., communication is not independentof relationships and many a times it is relationships that determine how a communications meaning is

taken. For example, when an elder tells you I am angry with you and when a small child of the family

tells you I am angry with you in exactly the same tone and pitch, the reaction from you might be totally

different because the message received at your end is totally different.(3) What the words mean and how the words were said create a vast difference. The model recognises that

there are a lot of dimensions to the meaning of a communication apart from the words themselves. These

may include but are not limited to nonverbal cues, pitch, intonation etc., of the words.

(4) The model also recognises that communication can actually be between equals or between superiors and

their subordinates in terms of the way the power relations between the participants are organised.

Let us now take a look at the nuances of verbal and non-verbal communications and their key elements.

Verbal CommunicationWhen we communicate verbally with others, either in a conversation or in a presentation, we are indulging in verbal

communication. In every verbal communication, our main aim is to make the listener/s understand exactly what we aretrying to say by using meaningful words that resonate correctly in the minds of the listeners.

Some principles of verbal communications are as follows:

1. Choose Your Words CarefullyUnlike written communication, in verbal communication you might do well to remember that the listener does not

have the facility of poring over the text multiple times and hence it becomes critical for you to understand that the

choice of words that you make while communicating (be it a conversation or a presentation) is important.

The wrong use of words in a communication is sure to undermine the content of the message. Consider thefollowing examples of poor communications leading to some disasters and in some cases some hilarious outcomes.

Perhaps one of the most graphic and tragic examples of poor communication skills has to do with the ship -

Titanicand its radio operator Jack Philips.

On the fateful night of the sinking of the Titanic, I around two hours before the fatal crash with the I iceberg, the ship

Californian, which was nearby and 1 had stopped for the night because of ice, also saw lights g in the distance, but its

wireless was turned off for the night. Just before the Californianswireless operator had gone off-duty at around 23:00, heattempted to warn Titanicthat there was ice ahead, but he was cut off by an annoyed Jack Philips. Occupied withI sending

backlogged passenger messages, Philips fired back an angry response, Shut up, shut up, I' am busy; I am working (the

Newfoundland wireless station) Cape Race.

Consider the following cryptic examples of a lecturers speech:Existing is being unique. Existence, reality, essence, i cause, or truth is uniqueness. The geometric point 1 in the centre of

the sphere is natures symbol of the | immeasurable uniqueness within its measurable effect. A centre is always unique;

otherwise it would not be a centre. Because uniqueness is reality, or that | which makes a thing what it is, everything that isreal | is based on a centralisation.

Or for that matter this from Scott Adams (The Dilbert principle):

I utilised a multituned tool to process a starch | resource;Translation : I used my fork to eat a potato.

Key problems in Verbal Communication:

1. Being bombastic2. Being verbose3. Wrong usage of words4. Being too cryptic for the listener to understand5. Lack of clarity6. Lack of coherence


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7. Lack of courteousness8. Losing credibilityNon-verbal CommunicationThese include but are not limited to:

(i) Body Language: The use of posture, gestures, eye movement and facial expressions to communicate in thephysical presence of other individual/s

(ii) Eye Contact:Is different from eye movement and specifically refers to the act of looking directly into someoneseyes, either in the context of a wholly nonverbal message or can also at times be a part of an overall communicationpackage that includes verbal and other components of nonverbal communication

(iii) Sign Language: A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, usesvisually transmitted sign patterns to convey meanings, simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and

movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speakers thoughts. The elements

of a sign are Handshape (or Handform), Orientation (or Palm Orientation), Location (or Placeof Articulation), Movement, and Non-manual markers (or Facial Expression), summarised in the acronym HOLME.

(iv) Para Language: It is something each one of us is conscious about either knowingly or unknowingly. Para language

refers to the non-verbal elements of communication which include dimensions of speech such as pitch, volume and

the use of intonation in speech. Mostly restricted to coyer vocally produced sounds, para language is essentiallyused to modify the meaning of a verbal communication through conveying emotion. Thus, the very harmless verbal

communication hello might change in its meaning due to the pitch, tone and intonation of voice.The study of para language is known as paralinguistics and is perhaps one of the most essential elements of

communication and interpersonal relationships management. All speech has a paralinguistic component to it as for

any speech to occur there must be a voice that produces the speech and any voice would always have its

paralinguistic components.At this point it might help us to look at intonation in a slightly more detailed manner - since linguistic

intonation is one of the key elements of language. Linguistic Intonation: Very simply put it is simply the rising and

falling sounds of the voice when speaking. This is something we are very well aware of as in the characteristicintonations of a questioning statement (So you met him versus so you met him?? as also the characteristic

intonation patterns for requests and statements. Intonations are the reason why when a non-native speaker speaks alanguage by pronouncing each and every word of the sentence as individual sounds the effect of the spoken

language is very different from the effect a native speaker has. Hence, in a lot of ways it is intonation which creates

accents and distinguishes one accent with another.

Pitch fluctuations might be either in terms of rising pitch or falling pitch.Generally speaking there are four principal kinds of intonations:

(a) Peaking (pitch goes up and then falls down)(b) Dipping intonation (falls and then rises)

(c) Rising intonation(d) Falling intonation

Intonation normally can serve different purposes in language:These can be:(a) Informational:Answering a question through the use of intonation

Did you like the food? Yes I liked it!(b) Grammatical:Use of intonation for converting a statement into a question.

The intoned version He saw a man in his backyard at that late hour? versus the flat He saw a man in his

backyard at that late hour!!(c) Attitudinal:Intonation is also used while speaking to convey the attitude of the speaker, i.e, show approval,

disapproval, dissent, assent, etc.

(d) Inquisitive:Seeking information by adopting a questioning intonation.,(e) Haptic communication:Simply put it is the use of touch to communicate.(f) Chronemics:Refers to the use of the time element in communication - and has components such as the

speed at which you speak, the use of pauses (and their individual lengths), the timings used for breaking a

sentence after a full stop or a comma (if it were in the written form).


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Once you understand what communication means and what the dimensions to communications are you can also

define a clear strategy for trying to develop communication skills.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

These are the skills a person uses to interact with others around him. Also known as social skills, interpersonal skills and

interpersonal effectiveness are perhaps the most critical elements of lifelong success.

People with strong interpersonal/social skills have learnt to identify the best ways of interacting with others in

different situations.Each individual has interpersonal skills - as he/she has been practising it right from birth. Most interpersonal skills

we have learnt have been learnt subconsciously from birth.

To put it straight, interpersonal skills are the skills we use to interact or deal with others. Interpersonal skills (also

called as people skills or soft skills) can greatly influence our outcomes in our personal and professional lives.

We all have interpersonal skills. Weve been learning them, usually subconsciously, since birth. We learn howpeople are likely to react to what we say and do. How these actions are likely to make them, and us, feel. People with good

interpersonal skills have learnt to identify the best ways of interacting with others in different situations.They are able to build long fruitful relationships with others, are generally liked by people in their social circles and

are able to extract positive behaviours from people around them effortlessly.

Good interpersonal skills teach us the most appropriate behaviours in various real life social situations. Thus, each

of the following situations tests your interpersonal/ social skills. For each of these situations think of the most appropriatething to do/behaviour pattern to adopt. As an exercise in interpersonal and communication skills, try to fill in the blanks

with your most appropriate actions.

Your friends father has been badly injured in an accident. You would:___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________

You have just passed your degree exams by topping the university. Your friends are congratulating you and demanding a

party. You would:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your boss has just asked you to cover for the absence of a colleague when the super boss of your department is coming forinspection to your region. You would:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are the district magistrate in a district and a woman has come to ask you for help. She has been running from pillar to

post in order to get the pension papers of her late husband released. When you question your subordinate you come to know

that the woman has not been able to submit a key document in order to claim the pension. You would:___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________

You are going for an important interview. The train which you are supposed to catch is chock a block full and the ticketcollector has asked you to pay a 200 rupee bribe in order to get a berth on the train. You would:___________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the district magistrate of a district as you are passing through the countryside after an inspection tour, you see a buswhich has fallen into a stream. You are all alone in your car with your driver and you are the first to arrive at the spot. You

would:


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___________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are a conservator of forests and on an inspection tour. You have halted for the night at the forest guest house. While

having dinner you realize that a beautiful piece of drift wood which adorned the shelf of the guest house is missing. On

enquiring with the caretaker and cook, you find out that the drift wood was taken away by the wife of the local

Superintendent of Police when they had come to the guest house. You would:

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION)Real time face to face communication with immediate feedback is what can be defined as interpersonal communication.

Needless to say interpersonal communication plays a large role in any administrators/managers day-today activity.

While dealing with others, managers must facilitate interpersonal communication within teams and reduce barriersto interpersonal communications. Common barriers to communication include the following:

Barriers while Encoding

Lack of sensitivity to the receivers culture, emotions and expectations Lack of basic communication skills Insufficient information about the subject Too much information about the subject Emotions over-ruling logic while communicating Expectations regarding the audiences familiarity with the subject. This could be counterproductive both ways, i.e.,

if the audience knows nothing about the subject, or if the audience knows a lot about the subject.

Preconceived notions and bias of the speaker Choice, understanding and use of words which might differ from the speaker to the receiverTransmission Barriers

Physical distractions Inappropriate channel of communicationfor example, trying to give detailed instructions orally Long communication chainBarriers while Decoding The receivers emotions Receivers lack of interest Poor listening skills Emotional interference during listeningFeedback Barriers

Closed and Tightfisted Speaker: Here the communicator is not soliciting feedback No provision to provide feedback Judgemental Feedback: Allowing ones tendency to be judgemental to overrule objectivity while giving feedback Delayed Feedback: Where the feedback comes too late, a long time after the communication is over.IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLSWhen trying to improve ones own communication skills and the communication skills of people around us, the following

framework might be a useful one to adopt.

(1) Divide communication skills into the dimensions of:

(i) Ability to write and communicate through writing;

(ii) Ability to communicate one-to-one or one- to -many;(iii) Ability to communicate one-to-many.

Examine each component of your communication in terms of its current quality versusits desired quality.

Ask yourself questions like:

How do I improve my verbal communication;


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How do I improve my nonverbal communication with all its nuances listed above, etc.Some elementary tips for improving your communication skills include (but are not limited to):

(i) Develop your voice consciously - Our voice is one of our most important assets. It is something that weconsistently evolve. It might be a good idea to model your voice on impressive speakers.

(ii) Slow down Chronemics - (defined earlier in this part) is the use of time in speech. Slowing down and using

pauses normally is one of the most effective Ways to improve the gravity of your speech. People will perceive you

as nervous and unsure of yourself if you talk fast. Besides, speaking too fast also creates the tendency of eating upsounds within words and making your pronunciation less impressive.

(iii) Animate your voice:The more intoned your voice is the better it sounds to the listener. Avoid speaking in a

monotone and use the four kinds of intonations mentioned above, i.e. rising, falling, peaking and dipping in order to

make yourself sound more emphatic and to create a stronger influence on the listener.

(iv) Pronounce each word and pay special attention to the vowel pronunciations within the words. Speak clearly.

Dont mumble. Make sure each of your words gets the proper time to be pronounced correctly. Apart from this,

avoid the tendency of eating up the vowels while speaking. Taking care of the vowels while speaking would go along way to improve the effectiveness of your speech.

(v) Use appropriate volume - Use a volume that is appropriate for the setting, adjusting it to make it loud when

required and softening it when required.(vi) Improve the quality of the words you use: Use evocative and graphic language in order to make the listener

see what you are saying. (See next part of discussion: using NLP to make communication more effective)(vii) Make sure you make eye contact with the listeners - Making eye contact while speaking is one of the key

ingredients for making communication more effective and sounding genuine. Having shifty eye contact with the

listener/s leaves the other party guessing about the genuineness of your communication. In one-to-many

communication, the idea is to maintain a continuously shifting gaze and engaging various parts of the audiences oneby one.

(viii) Make your messages cohesive, i.e., each part of your communication should match each other - Many a timeswhen we speak, our body language is not in sync with what we are speaking - and this has the effect of giving a

mixed message to the listener. Hence, try to always make your words, your gestures, your facial expressions, your

pitch and tone match the message which you are conveying. Thus, imagine regretting the loss of someones near

and dear with a broad smile on your face - the lack of genuineness immediately shines through in such a case.

7 Cs of Communication

The 7 Cs of communication is another useful way to look at the quality of ones communication. In administrativesituations, it is essential to have control of the 7 Cs listed below in order to be an effective communicator.

These include:

ClarityTo ensure clarity stick to the essentials of the message. Avoid putting too much onto the plate while communicating. There

is a tendency of losing out on the main message if you try to put too much information out. Your communication should not

require people to make assumptions or see beyond what is being said.

For instance lets assume you are talking to someone in your accounts department and you say: Please send me theinvoice. A much better way to communicate would be Please send me the invoice for the order I had placed yesterday, as

the first communication can be misunderstood in case there are many invoices to be sent by that person.

Conciseness

Administrative messages and communications should be as brief and to the point as possible. Avoid what is called beatingaround the bush.

Avoid filler words, using too many adjectives and get to the point in your communication as early as possible. Also,

avoid repeating your point too many times once it is understood by your audience.

ConcretenessYour message should have a tangible effect on the audience. Make sure you, do that with your communication. For example

consider this ad copy Set your pulse racing at our theme park. If this statement is accompanied by a background picture of

water slides, ferris wheels and other adventure sports the effect the message would have would be much greater than if themessage is just in words simply because the message becomes concrete with the accompanying pictures while it was

vague without it.


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CorrectnessMake sure that your communications are as correct - grammatically, factually as well as in the social context. Grammatical

incorrectness leads to unnecessary breakages in the smoothness of the message and hence is critical to have.

Factual correctness is important not just to make the message more impact-making but also to retain your own

credibility as a communicator. We are all aware of the famous tale of the child who always shouted The wolf has come to

the point where he ended up losing his credibility in his society.Social correctness refers to making the appropriate communication at the appropriate places. Thus, Let us go out

and enjoy!! might be a very good communication to someone who is in the mood for it - but an extremely poor

communication to someone who has just lost a close family member.

CoherenceYour communication must at all times make perfect sense to the audience. Losing coherence is the perfect way to make sure

that you lose your connect with your audience (be it written or oral communication.)

CompletenessConsider the following examples:

I will see you next week.I will see you next week, same time, same place.

The second communication is much more complete than the first one, because it specifies exactly where and when

you are going to see the audience.Needless to say, incomplete messages and communications lead to unnecessary confusion and loss of efficiency and

are extremely harmfulespecially in administrative situations.

CourteousnessLast but not the least - being courteous to others is an extremely critical component of being an effective communicator. As

an administrator, extending courtesies to other people and taking care of basic human values while you communicate would

take you a long way towards becoming a successful human being and a successful well- liked administrator.

Good Listening - an Integral Part of Your Communication Skills

Your communication skills are not just measured when you speak - they also come into play when you listen. Good

listening is an important and integral ingredient of good communication and interpersonal skills.Two major dimensions of good listening skills are:

(i) Active listening as against passive listening

(ii) Giving constructive feedback'

(i) Active Listening

The act of listening involves making sense of what is heard and active listening means getting yourself into the

mind of the speaker - so that you understand the message from the speakers view point. Some important indicators

of effective active listeners are:

(a) Exhibiting a keen involvement in the message and showing a genuine interest in what is being spoken(b) Genuinely seeking information and constructing a pictorial/ symbolic representation of the information as it

comes to you in your mind

(c) Being non-emotional and free from the baggage of negative emotions which incite you to attack the speakerin response to what is being said

(d) Maintaining eye contact with the speaker(e) Maintaining silenceand not talking in between the speakers communication(f) Not making distracting gestures like sighing, looking away, slouching your shoulders, hanging your head in

a disinterested fashion, etc.

(g) Asking relevant questions and from time to time (but not too often) paraphrasing what the communicator issaying to make sure that you are on the same plane.

(ii) Giving Constructive Feedback


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Every oral communicator requires consistent second to second feedback to come to him in order to be able to

modify what he/she is saying appropriately. As a listener we provide consistent feedback to the communicator byboth verbal and nonverbal cues. Hence, it is the listeners duty in a communication to manage the quality of his

verbal and non-verbal cues.

Some characteristics of good feedback are:

(a) It should be impersonal in nature and not attack any individual. In case you need to tell an individual where he wentwrong it is better to point to the specific behaviour that was incorrect under the circumstances rather than point to

the individual directly. Thus saying. I do not agree with what you said is a much better way to give feedback than

saying I do not agree with you because the communicator can change what he saidhe cannot change who he is.

In other words, negative feedback should be directed at behaviour that is controllable by the speaker.

(b) Feedback should be spontaneous and should come at the right time. For example giving feedback to a lecturer thatI did not understand this after he has finished is much worse than actually showing your lack of understandingthrough your eyes as you listen to the lectureso that he can clarify it then and there. Many a times it might not be

possible to reconstruct the whole context at a later time.

(c) Feedback should be objective and unemotional.USING NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) has three components as the name itself suggests.

Neuro: the human nervous system including the brain and the 5 senses;Linguistic: The verbal and non-verbal language we use to communicate;

Programming: The ability to structure our neurological and linguistic systems in the face of external challenges in order to

achieve the desired results in our personal and professional lives.NLP takes into account the fact that language (both verbal and nonverbal) is an essential element of the way we

structure our lives. Without language and symbolic representations there would be no information retention in our nervous

system. In fact language is so essential to our thinking that perhaps thinking itself is not possible without the language

associated with it.

Our nervous system (and hence the nervous system of every individual you communicate with in whatever form) isalways occupied by one or more of the following dimensions:

Visual: What we see

Auditory: What we hearKinesthetic: What we feel

Auditory Internal: Things that we say to ourselves in other words our self talkOlfactory: What we smellGustatory: What we taste

In communication situations, managing the first four of these in the other individual becomes critical. If we can manageeach of these four in our audience we have been successful in all round communication and really impacted the reader/s or

listener/s as the case might be. Thus, in order to make our communication really effective it is essential to engulf thereceivers neural network completely.

In order to do this our communication should:

(a) Make the receiver see, hear and feel the impact of our words. All great communicators are able to do that.(b) Besides, great communicators are also able to linger on in the minds of the listeners/readers by becoming an integral

part of their auditory internal communications.

Another thing that NLP makes us aware of is the presence of preferred representational systems. Amongst visual, auditoryand kinesthetic parts of our nervous system each individual has his own most preferred system. So you would find many

people enjoy seeing more than hearing and feeling, while others are people driven by the ear as their dominant

representational system is auditory. Still others are driven by feelings much more than by visual or auditory impulses.

In a one-on-one communication, recognising the dominant representational system of die listener becomes critical,

as you can achieve a much stronger connect and rapport with the receiver of your communication by talking to him in termsof his/her dominant representational system.

Listening in on the audiences communication will itself give you clues about the preferred representational system.

For example consider the following three statements by three different individuals who want to essentially conveythe same message:


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The Visual Dominant Individual: That looks good to me.

The Auditory Dominant Individual: Sounds good to me.

The Kinesthetic Dominant Individual: That feels good to me. I think I can connect with this plan.

Three different ways of communicating exactly the same message!!

Of course in one-to-many communication you need to take care that your language should be evocative in the

visual, the auditory and the kinesthetic sense all at the same time.

Besides this point, NLP also gives us various structures in order to make things go our way without offending thelistener. Some of these are:

1. Agreeing to DisagreeUse of I agree...but, I appreciate...but in order to show agreement but regret not being able to do what is requested/ askedfor.

Consider this conversation:

Structure 1:

One officer to another: There is a lot of work to do. We would need to stay late in office tonight in order to get

things completed on time.

Other officers response: I need to go home as I am done for the day. Let us do this tomorrow!!

In this case the first officer is bound to feel aggrieved as his entire communication has been crossed by thereply.

Structure 2:

One officer to another: There is a lot of work to do. We would need to stay late in office tonight in order to get

things completed on time.Other officers response: I agree there is a lot of work to do, but I need to go home as I am done for the

day!! Why dont we come back refreshed tomorrow morning and give it all we have got. It is likely that we wouldbe able to complete the work in half the time. If required let us reach office early tomorrow morning.

In this case, the message from the other officer is achieving the same result of communicating his

disinclination to stay back tonightbut by agreeing to the premise that there is a lot of work to do he has at least

conceded the point to the first officer and hence is likely to get a much more positive response from him.

2. Goal-oriented CommunicationShows the respondent another way to get his goal without actually giving what he asked for.

Consider this conversation.

Structure 1:

Son to mother: I want that toy. (crying)Mother to son: No you are not going to get that toy. It is too expensive and we cannot afford it.

Result: Breakdown of communication

Structure 2:

Son to mother: I want that toy. (crying)

Mother to son (realising that the sons requirement or goal is not to get the toy but to enjoy): We just bought you a

similar toy last month. Come lets play with it. We cannot afford to buy such expensive things every month.Result: The son has been shown an alternate way to get to his goal and given some time as his ego cools down

so would the crying.

3. What ifThe use of 'what-ifto suggest an alternative possibility Sample communication to show the use of what iF:

A to B: I am simply not good enough to clear this examination.

B to A: What if you go over the steps again and see what critical errors you made during your preparations. Rectify

them and give it another shot. You never know what can happen!!The response from B opens up endless possibilities for A to break his belief barriers and face and maybe

even ace the examination.

4. Using Positives in your Message and Avoiding NegativesCompare the following messages:

I have to lose weight.

Versus

I have to become slim.

Dont spill the milk. versus

Carry the milk properly.


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Dont miss the deadline versus

Make sure you complete the work within the time frame.In each of these communications the second way to phrase the instruction is always better because it gives the

listener the exact thing that he needs to do. When we use negation in a communication, the problem is that the

message is passed in two parts. Thus in the second example, the spill the milk is a separate message that gets

internally visualised by the receiver of the communication before he gets the dont do that message. Thus, the

visualisation is likely to make the exactly unintended outcome happen.

On the other hand Carry the milk properly gives the mental visualisation of taking enough care to ensurethat you do not spill the milk.Conclusion:The principles of NLP are a lifelong learning experience that each one of us should adhere to in order

to become better and more effective communicators.

CONCLUDING NOTECommunication and interpersonal skills are one of the cornerstones for making a good administrator and all

departments/occupations for which the UPSC hires aspirants require an abundance of communication and interpersonalskills.

The principles of good communication remain fixed over the ages. While there might be many ways to phrase/word

a communication, the principles of communication do not change. Thus all good communication and indeed, all good

interpersonal skills will adhere to the basic principles. Knowing the basic principles and applying them in our day-to-daylives becomes a critical component of our growth as individuals. The endeavour to improve our communication and

interpersonal skills is a lifelong imperative in any persons life.

The following chapters contain various kinds of questions that can be framed in order to test communication skillsof an individual. Please go through each question type carefully and try to develop your strategies in order to tackle each

question type.


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DECISION MAKING &

COMMUNICATION

1. Communication means.

(a) conveying ones ideas to another reservation(b) keeping ideas within oneself

(c) only getting ideas from others

(d) none of these

2. Creativity means

(a) creating some new object

(b) thinking differently without any reservations

(c) doing the same work in a manner practice already(d) none of these

3. Which of the following are communication barriers:

I. Communicator doesnt know the language

understood by the listener

II. Traffic sound on high pitchIII. Pre-occupation in the mind of listener(a) I only (b) II & III only

(c) I & III only (d) I, II & III

4. While working for an organization you will

(a) avail leave for the number of days eligible in a year

compulsorily

(b) avail leave only when essentially required(c) not avail whatever may be the reason

(d) none of these

5. While working for an organization you will

(a) resolve/decide not to use office machinery forpersonal purposes(b) use office stationary/machinery for personal needs

(c) use everything as my own(d) none of these

6. Internal conflict is the result of

(a) personal deficiency

(b) economic circumstances

(c) political operation

(d) economic conditions

7. What can be the cause of anger?

(a) interference in instinctive activity

(b) physical condition(c) social condition

(d) aggression

8. Decision making with group consensus results in

(a) quick decision(b) doesnt give satisfaction to group members

(c) involves all group members and gives a sense of

importance(d) cultivate and accommodate anger

9. What is prejudice?

(a) wrong judgement (b) wrongperception

(c) unfavourable emotion (d) Unfavourable

attitude

10. Inter-group prejudice can be reduced by means of

(a) changes in child-rearing practices(b) joint family

(c) un-cooperative behaviour

(d) selfish motives

11. Leadership is the process of

(a) influencing collectivity (b) collecting

people

(c) impressing people (d) public speaking

12. On what does leadership chiefly depend?

(a) Economic status (b) Office

(c) Authority (d) Personal

qualities

13. How does the leader determine the groupsconduct?

(a) Providing direction (b) Command

(c) Control (d) Domination

14. What does a democratic leader require?

(a) Persuasion (b) Power to control

(c) Planning (d) Organization

15. Organizational culture influences the of people in an organization

(a) morale (b) identify

(c) locate (d) none of these

16. An advertisement cannot

I. sell an overpriced or otherwise non-competitiveproduct

II. sell a poorly distributed product

III. sell a seasonal product out of season

(significantly)

IV. work overnight (immediately)(a) I and II only (b) II and III

(c) all of these (d) none of these

17. The first objective of any advertisement is to

(a) communicate effectively(b) stimulate exchange

(c) increase sales

(d) none of these

18. An individual can progress in his career

I. when he takes up the job entrusted with

commitment

II. equips himself by covering shortfalls in him, ifany

III. takes up challenges in work


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IV. enjoys doing work not only for money but also for

satisfaction of himself(a) I only (b) II only

(c) all the above (d) None of these

19. What obstructs thinking?

(a) language (b) emotion

(c) concept (d) superstition

20. Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he saw anapple fall. That led him to discover the law of

Gravity. What kind of an activity was his?

(a) Imaginative thinking (b) concept formation

(c) Abstract thinking (d) Purposeful thinking

21. Concept can be defined as

(a) a symbol

(b) an abstract form of past experience(c) an ideation

(d) a sign

22. The first step to start thinking is

(a) worry (b) concept

(c) problem or task (d) monetary gain

23. What type of an activity thinking is?

(a) linguistic activity (b) cognitive activity

(c) abstract activity (d) imaginative activity

24. What is the result of thinking?

(a) monetary gain(b) solution of a problem

(c) formation of a concept

(d) collection of experience

25. Invention requires

(a) analysis and synthesis

(b) comparison and perception

(c) intention to discover(d) symbols and concepts

26. Thinking is an

(a) affective process (b) overt activity

(c) internal process (d) emotional activity

27. Which of the following is a hindrance to thinking?

(a) emotion (b) reasoning(c) alertness (d) concept

28. Which one is favourable for problem solving?

(a) alertness and flexibility

(b) suggestion(c) ignorance

(d) development of concepts

29. Apple is a fruit. It is red and round. It is sweet. I makethis judgment because I have

(a) tasted and seen an apple

(b) a concept of apple

(c) the faculty of reasoning(d) commonsense as a human being

30. Feeling as others feel means

(a) empathy (b) sympathy(c) imitation (d) identification

31. What is the nature of thinking?

(a) learn and adjust (b) imagine andreason

(c) struggle and achieve (d) think and reason

32. What is the first step in creative thinking?

(a) suggestion

(b) collection of data(c) alertness

(d) illumination

33. What of the following is a not key characteristic ofcommunication?

(a) The process of communication is continuous

ongoing and dynamic.

(b) Communication beings with self

(c) Communication is reciprocal(d) Communication is repeatible

34. Which of the following are the types ofcommunication?

(a) Experimental (b) Theoretical

(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of these

35. Which of the following is not a type of non-verbalcommunication?

(a) Risking (b) Scapegoating(c) Blaming (d) Watching

36. Which of the following is not a communicationbarrier?

(a) Risking (b) Scapegoating

(c) Blaming (d) Watching

37. Which of the following is undesirable in effectiveclassroom communication?

(a) Treat each student as an individual and respect

them

(b) Project your experiences with feeling about or

expectation of an entire group onto any onestudent.

(c) Refrain from remarks that make assumptions

about the nature of your students families(d) Rectify any language patterns or case examples

that exclude or demean any groups

38. Which of the following is not a technique ofeffective classroom communication?

(a) Students be physically challenged(b) Well-organized lesson planning


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(c) Effective lecture presentation

(d) Invoking students participation

39. The process of communication enhances through:

(a) belongingness

(b) security and freedom to make choices(c) informality of meeting and avoidance of pressure

(d) All of these

40. Which of the following is not a principle ofinterpersonal communication?

(a) Interpersonal communication is unavoidable

(b) Interpersonal communication is irreversible

(c) Interpersonal communication involves noise(d) Interpersonal communication involves symbol

exchange

41. Which of the following skills has the largest share incommunication time in schools/college?

(a) Listening (b) Reading

(c) Writing (d) Speaking

42. Which of the following statements about interpersonalcommunication is a myth?

(a) Interpersonal communication is rule-governed(b) Interpersonal communication is always face-to-face

(c) Interpersonal communication is learned(d) Interpersonal communication is unavoidable

43. Every communication experience is:

(a) unique (b) unrepeatable

(c) irreversible (d) all of the above

44. Whey you turn away from someone, you are:

(a) communicating (b) having some effect(c) communicating (d) both a and b

45. At the cure of communication are two behaviours.They are:

(a) Collaboration and commitment

(b) Competency and civility

(c) Civility and chivalry(d) Coordination and compensation

46. Which of the following can not be a good way ofcommunication in promoting literacy among villagers?

(a) Demonstration (b) Reading and Writing

(c) Providing material on TV and film projector(d) Large group discussion

47. We learn how to communicate from our:

(a) teachers (b) parents

(c) friends (d) all of the above

48. Which of the following is not a myth aboutcommunication?

(a) Interpersonal communication solves all problems

(b) Interpersonal communication is unrepeatable

(c) Interpersonal communication is always a good

thing(d) Interpersonal communication is synonymus with

interpersonal relationships

49. Which of the following is not a successfulcommunicator?

(a) One who presents materials in a precise and clearway

(b) One who is able to adapt himself according to

language of the communicate(c) One who knows a lot but is somewhat reserve in

his attitude

(d) One who sometimes becomes informal before thereceiver develops rapport

50. Interpersonal communication involves thefollowing:

(a) Those interacting are in close proximity to each

other, large number of participants many sensorychannels used, immediate feedback

(b) Small number of participants, those interacting

are in close primity to each other(c) Small number of participants, those interacting

are in close promity to each other few sensory

channel immediate feedback

(d) Small number of participants, those interacting

are close to each other, many sensory channelused feedback in phases

51. What makes interpersonal communicationcomplicated:

(a) No of variables invovled(b) Exchange of symbols that stand for ideas

(c) Words of not have inherent meaning and no twopeople use the same word exactly alike

(d) All of the above

52. Dynamics of interpersonal communication are:

(a) Body language and facial expression

(b) Posture

(c) Movements(d) All of the above

53. An individuals use of space when communicatingwith others is known as:

(a) Paradigm (b) Proxemics(c) Space communication (d) None of these

54. Interpersonal communication is based on:

(a) Arena (b) Facade(c) Blind spot (d) All of the above

55. Which one of the following is a function ofcommunication?

(a) Creating departments(b) Promoting employees

(c) Integrating


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(d) Establishing Control

56. In which type of barriers, does premature evaluationfall?

(a) Semantic barriers

(b) Psychological barriers(c) Orgnaizational barriers

(d) Personal barriers

57. Visualization in the instructional process can notincrease:

(a) interest and motivation

(b) retention and adaptation

(c) stress and boredom(d) curiosity and concentration

58. Which one of the following factors does not generateemployees, objection to control?

(a) Curb on freedom

(b) Curb on creativity

(c) Curb on self control(d) Curb on undesirable behaviour

59. Communication is a:

(a) One way process (b) Two way process(c) Multi way process (d) None of the above

60. Effective communication is measured though:

(a) Feed back (b) Encoding

(c) Decoding (d) None of the above

61. Communication help to

(a) Increase productions

(b) Decrease production

(c) Increase labour turnover(d) None of the above

62. Which is most correct statement?

(a) Social change is the outcome of modernization(b) Modernization is the outcome of social change

(c) socialization and Modernization mean the same thing

(d) None of these

63. What are the basic elements of communication:

(a) Sender and receiver

(b) Message and channel of communication

(c) Response and feed back

(d) All of the above

64. The direction in which the formal communicationflows is always:

(a) Upward (b) Downward

(c) Horizontal (d) All of the above

65. Communication involves:

(a) Information (b) Understanding

(c) Both A and B (d) None of the above

66. Communication is an organization should ideally flow:

(a) From top to bottom (b) From bottom to

top(c) Both ways (d) None of these

67. Oral communication in an organization are:

(a) Formal communication(b) Information communication

(c) Discretionary communication(d) All of the above

68. Which of the following is not correct about theessential features of the internal communication

process in an organization?

(a) Communication involves shared meaning

(b) Communication involves people(c)

(c) Communication is symbolic

(d) Communication requires instruments like radio,telephone etc

69. Which of the following is not important hindranceof effective communication:

(a) Language difficulties(b) Status distance

(c) Resistance to change

(d) Employee relationship with the management

70. Communication can be:

(a) Upward (b) Downward

(c) Sideward (d) All of the above

types

71. . Communication is quite commonbetween line and staff functions:

(a) Cross-wise (b) Horizontal

(c) Vertical (d) Upward

72. Formal communication is based upon these

(a) Chain (b) Scalar Chain

(c) Grapevine (d) None of these

73. Which of the following cannot become a type ofwritten communication?

(a) Pictures and Visual aids(b) Meetings and conferences

(c) Letters and suggestions

(d) Rules and instructions

74. Which of the following statements explaininterpersonal skills?

(a) The skills that a person uses to interact with other

people

(b) People skills or communication skills(c) It explains how people relate to one another

(d) All the above

75. Which of the following is not a way to improveinterpersonal skills?


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(a) Think positively and enter the mindset to work well

with others and maintain good relationships(b) Criticise others or yourself

(c) Do not criticize others or yourself

(d) Be patient

76. Which of the following are the key elements of

communication?(a) Communication is a two way process(b) There has to be a message

(c) Commonness of understanding(d) All the above

77. Consider the following:

1. Communication is a two way process

2. There has to be a message

3. Commonness of understanding4. Modifying the beahviour of other individuals

5. Method of giving information

Which of the above are elements of communication?Answer using the following codes:

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 3, 4 and 5

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

78. Communication can be broadly divided into twocategories. Which among the following is not one of

them?

1. Verbal Communication

2. Non-Verbal Communication3. Intrinsic Communication

(a) 1 (b) 2

(c) 3 (d) All the above

79. Which of the following are not included in the tools of

verbal communication?(a) Speaking (b) Reading

(c) Writing (d) None of the above

80. How will you practice democracy in the classroom?

(a) Providing equality of opportunities to pupils

(b) Giving freedom for pupils in educational choices

(c) Providing special programmes for the disadvantaged

groups(d) All of these

81. Which of the following are included in the tools ofverbal communication?

(a) Listening (b) Reading(c) Writing (d) None of the above

82. Conversations, speeches, letters, newspapers,magazines, cassettes both audio and video, telephonic

conversation etc. are common forms of:

(a) Verbal Communication(b) Non-verbal Communication

(c) Both (a) and (b)(d) None of these

83. Communication between man and animals is:

(a) most verbal (b) mostly non-

verbal(c) only verbal (d) only non-verbal


1. Common frame of reference

2. Mutual interest

3. Common language4. Common environmentWhich of the above is/are feature/s of effective

communication? Answer using codes:(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 2 (d) 1 and 3

85. Critical listening/reading refers to:

(a) An awareness of both the content of the message

and style and method of communication(b) Displaying sensitivity to your audience in

organizing the presenting ideas, and responding

to feedback(c) Using appropriate technologies and techniques to

present information to an audience

(d) All the above

86. Consider the following statements:

1. People communicate with each other accordingto their nearness

2. People, who are stranger, do not express their

feeling very much and they converse in restrictedmanner. This is a low context communication

3. High context communication emerges between

people who are very intimateWhich of the above is correct? Answer using codes:

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3

(c) 2 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 3

87. What is true about communication betweenstrangers?

(a) They do not express their feelings very much and

they converse in restricted manner.

(b) The communication process develops slowly and

controlled(c) This is a low context communication

(d) All the above

88. What is true about communication between peoplewho are very intimate?

(a) It is high context communication

(b) The communication is more natural andsuccessful in this type of relationship

(c) These communication kinds take place also the

face work in daily life

(d) All the above

89. Consider the following statements:

1. person has to be more aware about environment

because we learn many things when we are more

conscious


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2. Person must modify his behaviour pattern with a new

strategy which is set of words or actions3. Person must identify his goal

Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding

improvement in interpersonal skill? Answer using codes:

(a) 1 (b) 2

(c) 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

90. When people talk to themselves, communication takesplace within the brain. What type of communication

can it be called?

(a) Interpersonal Communication

(b) Non-Verbal Communication

(c) Intrapersonal Communication

(d) Mass Communication

91. A communication between a family of three talking atsupper, or a meeting of an organization with just a few

members is an example of:

(a) Interpersonal Communication(b) Public Communication or Public Speaking

(c) Intrapersonal Communication

(d) Small Group Communication

92. When the speaker is doing most, if not all, of thetalking it would be an example of:

(a) Mass Communication

(b) Public Communication or Public Speaking

(c) Intrapersonal Communication(d) Small Group Communication

93. Sending messages to each other without talkingcommunicating through facial expressions, head

positions, arm and hand movements, body posture, and

positioning of legs and feet is an example of:(a) Mass Communication

(b) Public Communication or Public Speaking

(c) Intrapersonal Communication(d) Small Group Communication


To feel respected

To give or get informationTo be empathically understood and respected

To cause change of action

To create excitement and reduce boredom

To avoid something unpleasant, like silence ofconfrontation

What do the above indicate?(a) Needs for communication

(b) Skills in communication

(c) Types of communication

(d) None of the above

95. Non-verbal techniques include:

(a) Body language (b) Silence

(c) Touching (d) All the above

96. Verbal techniques include:

(a) I am listening cues (b) Disclosures

(c) Validating Statements (d) All the above

97. Verbal techniques to not include:

(a) Validating statements

(b) Statements of support(c) Good eye contact

(d) Reflection/mirroring statements

98. The factors distorting the clarity of acommunication are called:

(a) Distortions (b) Noise(c) Pollution (d) Obstacles

99. Which of the following can cause communicationroadblocks?

(a) The way minds work (b) Senders

behavior(c) Receives behavior (d) All the above

100.Which of the following can cause communication

roadblocks due to senders beahviou?

(a) Difference meanings of words

(b) Hiding Thoughts and Feelings

(c) The Sender may be blind to others emotions orblinded by them

(d) All the above

101.Which of the following techniques do we adopt tounderstand body language?

(a) Focus attention on the important clues

(b) Note discrepancies(c) Be aware of own feelings and bodily reactions

(d) All the above

102.What is called the ability of demonstrateunderstanding and sharing reaction in any given

situation?

(a) Empathy

(b) Conversation Management

(c) Conversational Involvement(d) Effectiveness

103.Which of the following statements are correct?

I. Interpersonal skills are skills that a person uses to

interact effectively with other peopleII. Interpersonal skills are essential to get success in

modern organizational set-up

III. Good interpersonal skills have nothing to do with

emotionIV. Interpersonal skills involve effective

communication skills(a) I and II only (b) I, II and III only

(c) I, II and IV only (d) All the above

104.The personality characteristic of a self-awareperson are:

I. discovery of what one is passionate about


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II. openness to experience

III. adjustmentIV. conscientiousness

(a) I and II only (b) I, II and III only

(c) II, III and IV only (d) All the above

105.Which of the following are domains of emotional

quotient?I. Managing your own emotionsII. Managing the emotions of others

III. Motivating yourselfIV. Motivating others

(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV only

(c) I, III and IV only (d) All the above

106.Which of the following behavioural traits are shown bya personal with high emotional quotient?

I. He/she deals with others with compassion

II. He/she is close to the ideas of others

III. The person has no balance between personal andprofessional life

IV. The person assesses the upcoming reactions of others

and acts accordingly

(a) I and II only (b) II and III only(c) III and IV only (d) I and IV only

107.A person with good persuading skills:

I. has patience II. uses a tactful tone

III. appeals to the emotions IV. uses logicalarguments


(c) I, II and IV only (d) All the above

108.Interpersonal communication includes:

I. listening II. persuasionIII. eye-to-eye contact IV. personal space



109.The main purpose of feedback in an organization is:

(a) to improve performance

(b) to initiate debates

(c) to criticize the speaker(d) to delay communication

110.Consider the following statements:

I. Feedbacks may be positive or negative

II. Listening skill may be learned and improved throughpractice

III. Questioning skill shows the ability to understand the

callers real needsIV. Use of stereotypes to explain the behaviour of

different cultures helps in cross-cultural

communication

Which of the above statements are correct?(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV only


111.Which of the following traits are important foreffective cross-cultural skill?

I. Understanding cultural diversity

II. Showing tolerance to other cultures

III. Use of simple language

IV. Taking help from the mediator(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV

only(c) I, III and IV only (d) All the above

112.Effective goal-setting skill:

I. helps to choose the way one wants to go

II. helps to accept your weakness

III. gives long-term vision and short term motivationIV. helps to organize time and resources

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV


113.Good decision-making involves?

I. identifying the purpose of the decision.

II. identifying principles to judge the alternativeIII. evaluating each choice in terms of consequences

IV. not taking any action on the decision taken

(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV


114.The common sources of conflict in an organizationare

I. values II. attitudesIII. expectations IV. personalities

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IVonly


115.A good conflict resolutions skill includes:

I. keeping people and problems separateII. evaluation of sources of conflict

Select the correct answer from the codes given below.

(a) I only (b) II only(c) Both I and II (d) None of the

above

116.Which of the following is/are likely to beunderstood as a desirable interpersonal skill across

cultures?

I. Greeting people with a smile

II. Maintaing direct eye contact while speaking by

anyoneIII. Offering a handshake as soon as you meet a

person

(a) I only (b) I and II

(c) I and III (d) I, II and III

117.Being asserting means


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I. to be clear specific in stating what you want.

II. directing your message to the person for whom it ismeant

III. encourage the other person/persons to give you

specific feedback on what you say

(a) I only (b) I and II

(c) I and III (d) I, II and III

118.All types of communication requires:

I. a sender II. words

III. a message IV. a receiverSelect the correct code from those given below.



119.Consider the following statements:

I. Communication is a process by which information ischanneled and imparted by a sender to a receiver

through some medium

II. Communication helps managerial planning to beperformed effectively

III. Communication is a means, not an end

IV. Management can be hindered by communication

Select the correct code from those given below.(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV only


120.The functions of communication include:

I. facilitating decision-makingII. making coordination possible

III. improving morale and motivation

IV. engulfing superior-subordinate relationshipSelect the correct code from those given below.



121.The process involved in a good communication include:

I. encoding II. decodingIII. giving feedback IV. reducing noise

Select the correct code.(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV only


122.You are a person of honesty and integrity. Suddenlyone of your colleagues tells you that someone has made

a complaint to the senior officer that you take bribes

and undue favours to do your work. You would:

(a) feel panicky that such a complaint has been made and

that the mud may stick however innocent you may be(b) ignore your colleagues worlds as a pack of lies

(c) go immediately to your senior officer and refute the

allegations

(d) wait for word from your senior officer and be readywith what you need to say

123.You are walking home in a hurry when you notice anold man looking vague and walking about aimlessly.

You accost him, but he does not seem to remember

anything. You would:

(a) go about your business as you are in a hurry

(b) collect some other passerby to help you find outwhat the old man means

(c) guide the old man to nearest police station and

explain the situation to the officer on duty

(d) take the old man home with you and see whoreports him missing

124.The daughter of a friend comes to youaccompanied by a young man who is an office

colleagues of hers. She says the two want to get

married but her parents are objecting because the

man belongs to a different caste. She asks you for

help. You would:

(a) tell her to do as she want, and that you will stand

by her as you are against caste discrimination

(b) tell her to convince her parents that her decision

is good and that you will help her in talking to

her parents(c) tell her you are sorry but you would not like to

intervene in her personal matters

(d) tell her that her parents are right and she shouldlisten to them


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ANSWERS

1 A 31 D 61

Communication Interpersonal Skills

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