2 PepNotes

AN INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING TOOLS
Participants in flexible learning programs have limitations on the nature of the

time they can spend on learning. Typically they are employed fully or partially,
pursuing higher studies or have other social and familial responsibilities.
Availability of time is a great constraint to these students.
To aid the participants, we have developed four unique learning tools as below:
 Bullet Notes : Helps in introducing the important concepts in each unit
of curriculum, equip the student during preparation of examinations and
placement interviews
 Case Studies : Illustrate the concepts through real life experiences
 Workbook : Helps absorption of learning through questions based on real life nuggets
 PEP Notes : Sharing notes of practices and experiences in the Industry will help the student
to rightly perceive and get inspired to learn concepts at the cutting edge
application level.
 Adults learn differently from B. School or college going

Why are these needed?
students who spend long hours at campus.

 Enhancing analytical skills through application related learning
kits trigger experiential learning
 Availability of time is a challenge.
 Career success increasingly depends on continuous learning
and success
 Practitioners can use their real life knowledge and skill to enhance learning skills.
What makes it relevant?
 Immediate visualization of the practical dimension of the concept will offer a rich learning
experience.
 Through these tools, the learning bytes are right sized for ease of learning for time challenged
How is it useful?
participants.
 The content starts from practice and connect to precept making it easy to connect to industry
and retain.
 They can be connected to continuous assessment process of the academic program.
 Helps stay motivated and connected.

Where does this lead to?
 Easier to move ahead in the learning process.

 Will facilitate the student to complete the program earlier than
otherwise.
 As and when you get 5 to 10 minutes you can read one of these and absorb and comprehend.
When is it useful?
Spending more time is your choice.

 You can use the time in travel, waiting for meetings, lunch time, small breaks or at home
usefully.
PEP Notes
Business Communication
 
& Soft Skills

© The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad,
April, 2015. All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spread sheet, or
transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without
prior permission in writing from The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad.
Ref. No. BC&SS-PN-IFHE – 042015

For any clarification regarding this book, the students may please write to The ICFAI Foundation for Higher
Education (IFHE), Hyderabad giving the above reference number of this book specifying chapter and page
number.
While every possible care has been taken in type-setting and printing this book, The ICFAI Foundation for
Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad welcomes suggestions from students for improvement in future
editions.
Our E-mail id: cwfeedback@icfaiuniversity.in
ii
INTRODUCTION
Participants in ICFAI University Programs are eager to apply theory to practice. They realize that application
orientation can enhance their learning and subsequent usage of management precepts and practices. Picking
out the principle behind real world events is critical to this learning. Towards this end the institution has
introduced the PEP Notes.
The PEP Notes (Practice, Experience and Perspective Notes) is a collection of annotative notes on practices,
experiences and perspectives from industry as appearing in articles from reputed sources such as Harvard
Business Review, Economist, Mckinsey Quarterly, Accenture, Bain Consulting etc.
Practice: Organizations follow practices based on their past learning
Experience: Based on changing context, they face fresh experiences
Perspective: Organization learns from the experience and the practice to gain fresh perspective
These notes connect the three dimensions of the real world to key concepts in the subject. Each note is brief
– about one to two pages and is adapted from the article referred to in the note. The concept underlying the
note is highlighted in a box. The concept is also connected to the article through an introductory abstract in a
box at the beginning.
The learning outcomes expected are:
1. Real world Application based approach significantly enhances absorption and retention.
2. Exposure to the current trends, practices and is illustrated and connected back to theory.
3. Thoughts from leading sources.
The PEP Notes may be used for Assessment.
iii
CONTENTS
Block I:
1. Communication Skills – The Lack of it 8
2. Communication Barriers – UK in USA 9
3. Body Language for Professional Success 10
4. Nonverbal Communication for Interviews 12
5. Tune in to Listen 13
6. Listening skills for leaders 15
7. Interpersonal Skills for Entrepreneurs 16
8. Conflict is Good for Business 18
9. Negotiation Tactics 20
10. Tactics for Internal Negotiation 22
11. Interview question: What is your greatest weakness? 24
12. Candid questions to ask the interviewer 25
13. Steve Jobs way of conducting meetings 27
14. Conduct productive meetings as the experts‟ do 28
15. How to make a Brilliant Presentation 30
16. Communication for Business Success 32
17. Expert tips for Effective Presentations 34
18. Ethos, logos and pathos in Persuasive Speeches 36
iv
Block II:
19. Tips to draft an email Business Letter 39
20. Routine credit letter to get better customer response 41
21. The Art of Conveying Bad News 43
22. 10 Guidelines for Communicating Bad News 45
23. Persuasion through psychology 47
24. Persuasion Techniques in Digital Marketing 49
25. Techniques to minimize mistakes in a résumé 51
26. Résumé inLinkedIn – A must for job aspirants 53
27. E-cover letter – the latest trend 55
28. Recruiter‟s Preference of a cover letter 57
29. Steps to write a bad news Memo 59
30. Microsoft Memo – what went wrong 61
31. The Case of a Complaint Letter 63
32. Formatting business letters for US and UK 65
33. Executive Summary – Why is it good or bad? 66
34. Influencing an investor with an Executive Summary 68
35. SMART Objectives 71
36. SMART Recommendations 73
37. Subtle data Presentation Techniques 75
38. Latest tools for data interpretation 78
39. 8 most ridiculous grammatical mistakes 79
40. Impact of poor grammar skills in business 81
v
Block III
41. Google: Is there a need for Managers? 83
42. Managerial Effectiveness – Bad, Good or Great 84
43. Manage stress as the successful do 85
44. Consequences of stress and ways to combat it 86
45. It is time to budget time 88
46. Productivity through productive use of collective time 90
47. Secrets of the #1 innovation company, Salesforce.com 92
48. Business and Creativity go hand-in-hand 94
Block IV
49. Emotional Intelligence Training in Leadership Development 97
50. EQ or IQ for Hiring Talent? 99
51. Competencies for Job Efficacy 101
52. Interpersonal skills through employee engagement 103
53. Traits of engaging leaders 105
54. An outsider to lead Infosys 106
55. Language strategies for communicating cross-culturally 108
56. German work culture – Less is more 110
vi
Block I:
Fundamentals of Communications
1. Communication Skills – The lack of it
2. Communication Barriers – UK in USA
3. Body language for professional success
4. Nonverbal communication for interviews
5. Tune in to listen
6. Listening skills for leaders
7. Interpersonal skills for entrepreneurs
8. Conflict is good for business
9. Negotiation tactics
10. Tactics for internal negotiations
11. Interview Question: What is your greatest weakness?
12. Candid questions to ask the interviewer
13. Steve Jobs ways of conducting meetings
14. Conduct productive meetings as the experts‟ do
15. How to make a brilliant presentation
16. Communication for business success
17. Expert tips for effective presentations
18. Ethos, logos and pathos in persuasive speeches
vii
PEP Notes: Business Communication & Soft Skills
1. Communication Skills – The Lack of it

60% of job applicants lack communication and interpersonal skills.
Employers and business leaders voice that the demand for talent is not met by the existing supply. Though
the students are quite knowledgeable in STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),
they do not possess the „soft skills‟ required for day-to-day functioning in a workplace. Managers feel that
candidates can‟t think critically and creatively, solve problems and write well. Employers feel there is a skill
gap crisis and find it hard to define whether it is the employment crisis or education crisis.
Adecco feels that the new talent has the gap of both hard and soft skill sets; absolutely required for all
employees, from the blue-collar workers to CEOs. Educational institutions must work towards imbibing
 Prepare students to lead, collaborate, and create positive change.

these attributes into the academic curriculum to produce industry-ready job aspirants:
 Develop skills like problem-solving, leadership, empathy, social and emotional intelligence.
 Ability to take ownership for tasks, attribute purpose to work, and possess personal and intellectual
humility.
14% of Google employees consist of people with no college education, but possess the above-mentioned
personal attributes which facilitates them to professional success. Hence, job aspirants with good GPAs
alone may turn out to be non-starters in an organization. The reason being the transition from an industrial
economy to a service economy and now to the purpose-based economy; which requires employees to
distinguish how they approach to work; prominence to team work and development of strong relationships.
An attempt is now being made by some universities in collaboration with some private institutions to
integrate business and education to engage students into professional occupations. They also insist that a
school accountability system should measure how students are being prepared for the various options after
their 12th grade.
A countrywide „talent management‟ strategy to develop a competitive workforce is the need of the hour.
This requires a collaboration of both industry and education institutions to address the ever-changing
workforce demographics and market relevant STEM skills and SOFT skills to bridge the gap between
education and employment talent crisis.
Effective communication skills play a key role in fulfilling organizational needs and contribute
significantly to individual as well as organizational success. Good communication skills help individuals
effectively to interact with others in an organization. These skills are important for career development as
they boost confidence; ensure clarity of thought and information flow. Good communication is a
prerequisite for good managers and is vital for organizational functioning.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is effective communication important in business?
(Hints: clarity of thought - information flow - internal and external communication)
2. How can educational and industry work in collaboration contribute towards decreasing the skills
gap?
(Hints: talent management strategy - training in STEM skills and Soft Skills)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2014/03/04/two-sides-of-the-same-coin-the-employment-crisis-
and-the-education-crisis/)
Unit/Section Topic Course

1.3 The importance of communication Business Communication and Soft Skills
8
Block I: Nonverbal, oral and Group Communication
2. Communication Barriers – UK in USA

Though Americans and British both speak English, communication barrier soccur due to diverse
communication styles and cultural contexts.
USA and UK are separated by a common language; English. A British, a native English speaker faces
confusion to adapt to American English. A few differences in the meanings of nouns of both British and
American English are: pavement = sidewalk, motorway = highway, boot = trunk, push chair = stroller,
nappy = diaper, etc. Americans are considered to be more direct and straightforward compared to the
obscured British.
While British are extremely polite, reserved, modest, diffident and indirect communicators, an American
prefers to be direct and bold. British‟s cultural context in being direct and bold means rudeness. Saying
„sorry‟ is a common phrase for the British, while in America it is understood to be admittance to guilt.
British expect their audience to read between the lines; for example when they ask „Are there any options to
consider?‟ it means „I don‟t like your idea‟. But an American might interpret it as „They have not yet
decided‟.
What a British says What does a British mean What is understood by an
American
I believe… It is A weak suggestion
May be Just do it Lack of confidence
I hear what you say… I disagree and do not want to discuss it He accepts my point of view.
further.
With the greatest respect… I think you are idiot. He is listening to me.
That‟s not bad. That‟s good. That‟s poor.
That is a very brave proposal. You are insane. He thinks I have courage.
Quite good. It is disappointing. Quite good.
Very interesting That is clearly nonsense. They are impressed.
I only have a few minor comments Please re-write completely. He has found a few typos.
I‟m sure, it‟s my fault. It was your fault. Why do they think it was their fault?
I almost agree. I don‟t agree at all. He‟s not far from agreement.
In business, a lot of miscommunication can occur due to varied cultural contexts and styles of
communication between British and Americans. Regional communication styles are seen between
Americans who belong to the west coast and the east coast. Thus communication not only means sending a
message and receiving it; but receiving it the way you want to deliver.
The process of communication is susceptible to many barriers. These can be categorized into: problems
caused by the sender, problems in message transmission, problems in reception, and problems in receiver
comprehension. The barriers to effective communication can be overcome by a thorough knowledge of the
subject, by focusing on the purpose, by knowing the audience and by organizing content.
1. What are the barriers to communication?
(Hints: message transmission –Sender/receiver –reception - comprehension- language – noise)
2. What are the language barriers when a British visits USA?
(Hints: cultural differences - difference in meaning of words - slang)
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/sungardas/2014/08/14/lost-in-translation-overcoming-the-language-barrier-as-a-
brit-in-america/)

1.6 Barriers to communication Business Communication and Soft Skills
9
3. Body Language for Professional Success

People perceive and relate to you based on your body language.
After getting inputs from over 200 businesses, universities, associations, and government agencies, the
following ten but powerful body language tips facilitate professional success.
Tip
Body Language Tip Significance
No.
1 Taking a deep breath, exhaling through your mouth and a
Before a meeting, breathe through your small „aah‟ sound removes the tension in the neck; shoulders
mouth and the jaw which would have made you look rigid and
aggressive.
2 Utilize the space near the podium for movement while
speaking during presentations, make use of different physical
For a presentation, move while speaking
positions in tandem with pauses in speech, and still position
while highlighting a point.
3 Open palms indicate that you are open for negotiations. Palms
Gestures to show authority down on table and using both hands while speaking shows a
definitive sign of authority.
4 If you look for an opportunity to discuss your views at the end,
Speak early if your words should be chances of your opinion being considered is lesser. To
taken seriously establish your identity and showcase your views, it is better to
begin early to gain audience attention.
5 People sit on the edge of the chair, or try to rise from their seat
Observe people who may want to leave
indicating that it is time to leave. Quickly observe and try to
early
complete your speech.
6 While at a conference table, push back and lean back from
your counterpart. He may also try to do the same. Then move
Make rapport, ease the negotiation forward, palms open, looking at his eyes with a smile
process demonstrating you are open for negotiation. The interaction
turns to be friendlier with a lot of openness between the two
parties.
7 Talking, singing, dancing with team members aids in
Team collaboration improves with body
synchrony between team members. It motivates the team
movements
members to work for the collective good.
8 Feet firmly on the ground, one-foot apart, body weight equally
distributed calms the nerves, allows you to breathe with ease
Amplify your voice to sound vibrant
and amplifies the voice. This body posture will help you to
relate your points energetically.
9 Backward motion increases cognitive control. The ability to
Step back to cope with difficult
encounter a difficult situation increases when the body steps
situations
back.
10 Emotional cues of the team leader are closely monitored by
the team members. A closed, angry body posture may inhibit
Work on your body posture to enhance
the team to perform. A relaxed posture, inclusive and open
employee productivity
body language enables the team members to be more
consistent, positive and productive.
Nonverbal communication is all those messages expressed through non-linguistic means. Nonverbal
messages primarily communicate emotions and attitudes. They can contradict, substitute for, emphasize
or regulate verbal messages. They can often be ambiguous, but they are more reliable as they are difficult
to fake. Non-verbal signals largely communicate a person‟s subjective responses such as anger,
appreciation, dislike or resentment to a particular situation.
10
1. What are the characteristics of nonverbal communication?
(Hints: regulates verbal messages – emotions – attitudes – subjective responses)
2. What are the powerful body language tips provided by experts?
(Hints: paralanguage – gestures – body movements - posture)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2014/01/02/10-simple-and-powerful-body-language-tips-for-
2014/)

2.3 Characteristics of Nonverbal Business Communication and Soft
communication Skills
11
4. Nonverbal Communication for Interviews

Nonverbal communication slip-ups can cost a job interview.
“A manager can read you the moment you walk in the door”, says the Managing Director of Harris Allied,
an American firm. The first impression traits that the employer gets within the first 30 seconds are critical to
get hired. How you present yourself, the clothes you wear, the handshake, the confident self-introduction can
make or break chances of getting into the company you desire.
What does the recruiter conclude about the candidate when he/she exhibits the below mentioned eight
nonverbal behaviors during an interview process?
Leaning back: Lazy and arrogant Looking away from the recruiter, touching hair, lying, low
Leaning forward: Aggressive in confidence
Slouching: Lazy Eye contact while shaking hands and answering questions:
Sit tall, back straight, hands open confidence, clarity and certainty
Pointing fingers, frowning, staring :

Closed arms: defensiveness and resistance
Aggressive, intolerant, creepy
Open arms: Approachable and open to new ideas
Use open palms, calm facial expression
Too much of nodding: Loss of focus Biting nails, fidgeting: Low in confidence, Nervous
Nod once or twice with a smile of agreement, can Avoid hands in the mouth, jingling of coins in the pocket,
reciprocate with eye contact playing with pen, legs shaking
Hands at the back, no gestures while speaking:

Mismatched facial expressions: hidden feelings, closed
Inhibits movement, stiffness, nervousness
minded, negativity
Open hand movements, hand gestures releases
Matched facial expressions: attitude, positivity, open minded
tension, easy flow of speech
Nonverbal communication is all those messages expressed through non-linguistic means. Nonverbal
messages primarily communicate emotions and attitudes. They can contradict, substitute for, emphasize
or regulate verbal messages. They can often be ambiguous, but they are more reliable as they are
difficult to fake. Non-verbal signals largely communicate a person‟s subjective responses such as anger,
appreciation, dislike or resentment to a particular situation. A good communicator is one whose non-
verbal cues authenticate and reinforce his or her words.
1. What are the components of nonverbal communication?
(Hints: kinesics – postures – gestures – facial expressions – eye contact)
2. “A manager can read you the moment you walk in the door” – Justify this statement.
(Hints: first impression – confidence – grooming - kinesics)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/pictures/lml45lide/10-body-language-interview-mistakes-2/)

Components of Nonverbal Business Communication and Soft Skills
2.4 communication - Kinesics skills
12
5. Tune in to Listen
We are trained to speak but not to listen.
According to a research on how much we can recall a conversation, it was observed that people remembered
only 10% of what was said during a face-to-face conversation. Multi-tasking and interruptions has
drastically reduced the listening skills of people. The mind of the listener wanders off twice as much as the
speed of an average speaker. The results of poor listening can be seen in meetings and discussions being
prolonged which might impede interpersonal relationships and growth in careers.
Barriers to listening:
 Filtering and judging other‟s talk based on pre-emptive assumptions, expectations and intentions.
 Listen only for the time it takes to distinguish whether the speaker‟s opinions match with their own.
 Critically listen when they assume that the speaker has little to offer.
 Interruptions, noise and different knowledge levels of speakers.
Listening has reduced from 53% (1980) to 24% (2008), due to increasing use of technology and internet.
The people believe that they can obtain the same information through googling.
Steps to listen to a conversation:
It is important to tune the noise out and tune in to listen by:
 „Mindful listening‟: Observe the body movements, emotions and listen to the speaker‟s words
without any interruptions (including mobile phones, computers), feel the meaning behind them.
Before the conversation During the conversation

List tasks, questions, topics that you wish to discuss. Avoid distractions, make notes during discussion.
Set the time limit of your contribution to the topic. Paraphrase what you have heard and make sure you
are in-line with the topic
Don‟t presume what is expected from the speaker. Ask relevant questions to focus and grasp the
intricacies.
Switch off phones, log off from computers and other Observe the nonverbal cues of the speaker for better
electronic gadgets. comprehension.
 Positive vibes: Positive vibes between the speaker and the listeners can happen when both think
positive of each other.
 Important terms: Try to note down the key terms of the speaker, ask questions in case of difficulty
in understanding the language and accent of the speaker; in case you have to talk to people of
different countries. Join the dots later and follow the message.
 Preparation: Prepare well on the topic of the conversation to make it more productive.
 Goal: Set a time limit of how much to speak and how much to listen; for example 25% of time to
give your inputs on the topic and 75% of time on listening to others inputs.
 Nonverbal cues: Eye contact, facial expressions, emotions, tone of the voice, pauses can assist to
absorb the contents of the message.
Listening is considered an important tool in business communication because people spend a good
amount of time listening to their bosses, peers or subordinates. Listening is the most frequent and
important type of on-the-job communication. Listening can improve work quality and boost
productivity. Listening skills can be improved through conscious effort by being motivated and
prepared to listen, being objective, alert to all cues, making good use of the thinking-speaking gap,
giving feedback, practising listening, and encouraging the speaker through verbal and nonverbal cues.
13
1. What are the barriers to listening?
(Hints: physiological – environmental – attitudinal – poor listening habits – lack of common
experiences)
2. How can you prepare yourself for an important conversation?
(Hints: preparation before – focus – paraphrase – nonverbal cues)
(Source :http://www.wsj.com/articles/tuning-in-how-to-listen-better-1406070727)

3.6 How to be a better listener Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
14
6. Listening skills for leaders

Employees want leaders to listen to them.
Leaders should listen to the employees to fulfil their individual needs, feedback and support for professional
development. Leaders, by listening, can en-cash on building team collaboration, trustworthy relationships
and employee loyalty. Listening also helps a leader in employee engagement by being compassionate and
manages a diverse, multigenerational, multicultural workforce. Listening is a 24-hour job due to the
uncertain demands and constant changes that can arise at the workplace.
A leader has to work on these 6 effective ways of listening to start with:
 Show concern: Don‟t consider employees as tools or objects which aid in your success but unique
resources and beneficial assets who have capabilities and attitudes and who can add value to your
growth. Employees also would like to be considered as part of the organization and be respected
for what they are worth, to be heard and cared for during their personal and professional hardships.
 Appreciate views: Engage the employees to share their views, ask questions, and persuade them to
explain to indicate that you listen to them. Provide your perspective and bring in active
participation, leading to a cordial relationship.
 Empathize: Try to understand the stress and work pressure, be approachable and empathize.
Empathy is the extreme form of listening. Your wholehearted attention will be appreciated and
enhances employee performance.
 Don‟t carry preconceived notions: Don‟t presume or criticize which only shows your immaturity
and inability in handling people. A 21st century leader should be an active listener, constant learner
and adaptable to change.
 Be aware of your environs: A leader is much watched upon and should act as a role model. You
should be able to listen and communicate beyond verbal and nonverbal communication. Your
dynamic presence motivates the employees and connects them to you in a unique way.
 Don‟t interrupt: Encourage two-way communication, don‟t interrupt. An employee gets
disengaged if they find you are not listening or paying attention. An employee would always want
a compassionate leader who listens.
Listening skills are more crucial in business as we spend 45% of our time listening, 30% talking, 16%
reading and 9% writing in one business day. 25% of what we have learnt is through listening and humans
generally listen at a 25% comprehension rate.
Listening is considered an important tool in business communication because people spend a good
amount of time listening to their bosses, peers or subordinates. Listening is the most frequent and
important type of on-the-job communication for leaders who might be listening for various reasons.
Depending on the purpose, a listener adopts listening approaches like discriminative, comprehensive,
critical, empathetic listening.
1. How can listening improve work quality and boost productivity?
(Hints: most frequent – being objective and alert – understand both verbal and nonverbal cues)
2. What are the ways a leader can enhance his listening skills?
(Hints: empathy – showing concern – no preconceived notions – appreciate – avoiding interruption
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/05/20/6-effective-ways-listening-can-make-
you-a-better-leader/)

3.6 How to be a better listener Business Communication and Soft Skills
15
7. Interpersonal Skills for Entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur should have two basic qualities – quality of work and interpersonal skills.
Interpersonal skills are those employed by individuals to interact and communicate with one another. Public
speaking, group tasks, project presentation, professional writing as in emails, reports, contract documents
require interpersonal skills. Development of interpersonal skills happens in disguise from the school itself.
Preparing assignments, presenting group presentations, debate and extempore sessions, organizing and
coordinating events, bringing-in sponsorships are some formal ways in which we hone our interpersonal
skills.
An entrepreneur or any professional would require interpersonal skills in his day-to-day functioning like;
handling meetings with employees or investors, dealing with customers or clients or advertisers,
interviewing candidates for various positions with the outcome of each of these activities depending on good
interpersonal skills. An investor just does not invest on the idea but also on the people who present the idea.
Though your product‟s value is more than its worth it may remain unsold due to poor interpersonal skills.
The foundation of building better relationships lies in good interpersonal skills. A few tips can help to
improve the skill-set and increase the ability to handle people efficiently:
 Keep your ego in check: Ego will lead you nowhere. Egoistic people may not find many takers and
people will think twice before doing business with such people.
 Be an active listener: Listen intently and show that you are paying attention through body language
gestures like nodding the head, leaning forward, maintaining eye contact and using paralanguage to
know if you share the same perspective with the speaker.
 Nonverbal language: Shaking hands, smiling, eye contact, grooming, personality traits can create
positive vibes even before you actually speak.
 Empathy: Imagine yourself to be in the position of the person before you and attempt to understand
his feelings. This will help you to respond easily and show that you care.
 Humor: You need not be always serious. Take care not to make snide remarks about anyone but
add humor in some contexts and make others smile. This will diffuse the tension prevailing in the
room and aids in audience engagement.
 Optimism: Open-mindedness, positive attitude and optimism will foster healthy relationships. It is
contagious and breeds teamwork and commitment.
 Think on your feet: Sharp thinking, quick responses and pro-activeness in understanding both verbal
and nonverbal cues will be an added advantage.
 Patience: Take time to discern if the opposite person is able to comprehend the topic as you desire.
Try to make him comfortable and provide assistance when he is not able to grasp your line of
thought.
 Practice: Take opportunities and try to talk to people of different age groups, professions, positions
and check your progress in cultivating interpersonal skills.
The ability of individuals to build and maintain positive relationships with other members of the
organization constitutes their interpersonal skills which are an essential part of effective
communication. The interpersonal skills of an individual determine the quality of his/her relationships.
Being open and empathetic towards others goes a long way in building positive relationships at the
workplace. The communication climate in an organization depends on the personal relations shared by
the employees.
16
1. How can „interpersonal skills‟ determine the communication culture in an organization?
(Hints: open communication - trust – empathy – problem solving - positive relationships)
2. What are the interpersonal skills an entrepreneur should essentially possess?
(Hints: ego in check – patience – attitude – optimism – active listening)
(Source : http://under30ceo.com/the-importance-of-interpersonal-skills-to-an-entrepreneur/)

4.3 Building positive relationships Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
17
8. Conflict is Good for Business

Conflict avoidance prevents team collaboration.
A multigenerational workforce is prevalent in today‟s organizations which give rise to unique challenges.
With a large pool of younger generation entering the workforce, there seems to be shift in the mind-set and
ways of doing a particular task. The youth are more independent in their outlook, focus mostly on short-
term goals and are aware of the global opportunities. Parents are now open and children are encouraged to
make decisions which has created dissonance between the home and work environment. The work place
functions mostly in a „plan, control and review‟ mode resulting in dysfunctional relationships, conflicts and
disengagement.
Conflict avoidance and disruptive behaviors are usually noticed in companies. People resort to grapevine or
form compatible groups to pursue their own agendas instead of dealing with differences and working
collaboratively. The theory of conflict resolution (developed by Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann in
1974) and a lot of management literature state that conflict avoidance is one of the five most preferred
strategies in conflict management. This is hardly an effective strategy as just a few people enjoy confronting
others; try to create anxiety resulting in a host of other problems and issues.
The ways to benefit from conflict are:
 Provide equal responsibilities:

– Align Individual business goals with organizational goals, incentives and performance
appraisals to enterprise goals. Initially creates friction among employees, may feel the
other person is not worthy – create a rule that every employee is accountable and the
effectiveness of the job performed will be measured.
– Improves individual and group‟s responsibility, develops mutual trust, may in turn solve
internal problems and begin to respect each other. Team bonding improves and the success
and effectiveness of the job will be considered as the entire team‟s responsibility.
 Focus on the issues rather than the person:
– Resolving issues is prime importance in the workplace than with dealing with the persons
who disagree. Tensions may escalate and the attention on the issues may get diverted.
– Try to figure out the internal intentions of the persons; do not allow blame-game. Interests
of the persons can be changed but positions cannot be changed. For example: the people
may feel there might be a decline in sales if they follow your promotional strategy, they
may feel their reputation is at stake, or they may feel the new norm may displease
customers.
– A common resolution which satisfies almost all the important needs after taking into
account their individual interests can be taken.
 Handle tough issues and bring in cohesiveness:
– Be courageous while handling tough issues; expect negative reaction from the co-workers
and accept criticism with grace.
– Explain the potential benefits clearly and how it aids in the company‟s success. Example:
When two companies merge, a lot of issues may arise in culture, working style, new
competition, reporting and may create a toxic work environment.
– Endeavor to undertake cohesive behavioral strategies to bring-in the best consciousness
among the people that their best effort would enable to achieve the desired growth.
A true leader is one who fosters an open environment, an honest and supportive culture and who unleashes
the potential in team cohesion; ultimately increasing the organization‟s productivity.
18
The ability of individuals to build and maintain relationships with other members of the organization
constitutes their interpersonal skills which are an essential part of effective communication. Dealing
with criticism in a positive and efficient way can help avoid conflicts and maintain good work
relationships. Avoiding, accommodating, competing, collaborating, and compromising are different
approaches that can be used to manage conflicts. One can use the strategies of restate, agree, refocus,
dissect, compliment, compromise, postpone, or exit for resolving conflicts.
1. What are different approaches to handle conflict?
(Hints: avoiding – accommodating – competing – collaborating – compromising)
2. How to handle conflict in business?
(Hints: equal opportunities – focus on issues – work towards cohesiveness)
(Source: http://fortune.com/2014/03/11/the-benefits-of-conflict-at-work/) and

(http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/indias-new-hr-challenge-managing-multigenerational-
workforce/)

4.6 Managing conflict Business Communication and Soft Skills
19
9. Negotiation Tactics
A negotiation is about give and take.
Negotiation consists of givers and takers who are at opposite ends of the process. Takers like to gain more
than what they get and givers pay attention to what they have to offer. Givers and takers have to first work
towards earning trust. Once the trust is established then a few steps have to be followed to gain a win-win
negotiation.
 Sharing information can sometimes prove to be risky and make you susceptible. Hence share only
Step 1: Receive and share information
selective information which will not put you in danger.

 Take care to share that information to showcase that you are trustworthy. The other party will
reciprocate and disclose a similar kind of information and the process of negotiation begins.
 Listing priorities in the discussion and emphasizing the relative importance of them may make the
Step 2: List your priorities
other party to understand your point of view. They would then list their priorities which can open
up opportunities to think towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
 Take care to put all the priorities on the table for discussion to enable flexibility to reach an
agreement and attain a win-win negotiation. If priorities get solved in a serial manner, a few
reservations can crop up between the parties and in some extreme cases, may perhaps defer the
negotiation process.
Step 3: Be the first one to offer
 The first offer acts like an anchor which sets the basis for further discussion. The party which
makes the offer first displays confidence and strength; creates a flexibility to offer concessions. The
counter party may be mentally attracted towards the offer.
 Take care to give a legitimate offer with a good analysis to support it. The first offer should be
made only after a lot of deliberations along with expert guidance, as in this information era, anyone
can obtain data from a host of resources. If the other party has a better knowledge about it and is
backed by facts and figures; finds your offer baseless and not worth it; then the first offer can
backfire. The counter party should not feel offended by the offer and lead to relationship damage.
Step 4: Don‟t provide too many reasons to support your offer
 Too many arguments to support your offer reveal the vulnerability of the person. Not more than
two reasons to support the offer should be given. If, say five reasons are given, then the other party
will look for a weak reason and acquire an advantageous position during negotiation.
 Take care to validate your offers with two arguments to gain advantage in a deal. When in cases
where there is not enough time to make the first offer, the counter party may start with an extreme
offer. In such cases, it is better to make an extreme offer hoping that the negotiation is achieved in
the midpoint of two offers. If you feel the negotiation is moving towards an extreme, it is better to
state that the offer is far off from the mark and it is better to sum it off.
In negotiation behavior, testing understanding and summarizing made up for below 9% of communications
of average negotiators and above 17% by skilled negotiators.
Negotiation plays a vital role in business, at all levels. Effective negotiation must result in providing
solutions to the parties involved. Negotiation is a delicate process, and requires a lot of thinking and
analysis. The parties negotiating must know their objectives, the variables they are prepared to concede,
and have complete data about the points on the basis of which they want to win. The tactics of
negotiation and interpersonal behavior also play a crucial role in the negotiation process.
20
1. What are the major elements in negotiation preparation?
(Hints: understand the people – objectives – conduct)
2. What are the steps to gain a win-win negotiation?
(Hints: trust – information – priorities – offer – no too many reasons)
(Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130603122628-69244073-the-bad-habits-of-good-negotiators)

5.4 The major elements of negotiation Business Communication and Soft Skills
preparation skills
21
10. Tactics for Internal Negotiation

Internal negotiation is tough as relationships are at stake.
Issues like disputes, conflicts, change management, budget and resource allocation, project management,
etc., require negotiation within a company. Internal negotiation is like throwing stones at our own glass
houses. Limited options and tactics can be employed since various inter-relationships are involved. Internal
negotiation gets manipulated by:
 Hierarchy: The hierarchy can induce the decision makers through peer pressure or easy access to
decision makers which can impact generating practical decisions. The people who made the
proposal may take dominance compared to the elements of the proposal.
 Approach to higher command: Easy access to higher authority can affect the negotiation decision.
Committed stakeholders in higher positions should listen to both parties for effective negotiation.
 Dependency: One department dependent on other department could slow down important
management decisions in business.
 Threat and consent: Employing threat and then giving consent proves that the person is using his
authority and power. Such tactics can only yield short-term solutions. A better way to show
authority is to heed to all parties, and even if it ends in a compromise, the parties should feel and
accept that probable options were considered and the solution provided was the best.
 Empowerment: Empowering managers to handle situations independently without escalating to the
higher authority should be encouraged. Expert-committee formation, direct accountability and
involvement of stakeholders to utilize negotiation tactics reduce the burden of the higher authority
in handling trivial situations.
 Identify interests, priorities and scope for creative solutions: Good interpersonal relationships
develops trust among employees who feel comfortable in revealing their real interests. The
outcome of providing creative solutions through collaboration reduces the disagreement among
members.
 Long-term perspectives: Long-term prospects while giving solutions can open a number of
possibilities and probable options.
 „How‟ approach: Instead of a „no‟ approach, a „how‟ approach opens a multitude of alternatives
like „give and take‟ or „making a concession‟ which becomes more acceptable.
 Stakeholders‟ interests: Consider all stakeholders without whom the negotiation cannot be done.
Planning, preparing, taking care of all interests and priorities, inviting proposals to offer innovative
solutions enhances transparency while taking decisions by alienating all unwanted perspectives.
The concept of preconditioning reduces resistance and unprejudiced decision-making criteria gains
backing and credence.
Negotiation plays a vital role in business, at all levels. Effective negotiation must result in providing
solutions to the parties involved. Negotiation is a delicate process, and requires a lot of thinking and
analysis. The parties negotiating must know their objectives, the variables they are prepared to concede,
and have complete data about the points on the basis of which they want to win. The outcome of
negotiation depends on the approach adopted: Bargaining orientation, lose-lose, win-win, or compromise.
22
1. What are the approaches to negotiation?
(Hints: bargaining orientation –lose-lose – compromise – win-win orientation)
2. What are the tactics to excel in internal negotiation?
(Hints: hierarchy – dependency – long-term perspectives – „how‟ approach – stakeholders; interests)
(Source : http://www.thegappartnership.com/insight/blogs/9-key-factors-influencing-internal-negotiation/)

5.4 The major elements of negotiation Business Communication and Soft Skills
preparation skills
23
11. Interview question: What is your greatest weakness?

Interviewers enquire about weaknesses to get an insight on the candidates‟ self-awareness.
Interviews usually begin as a casual conversation wherein the interviewer tries to understand the
interviewee‟s past experiences and job expectations. The interviewer tries to evaluate whether the candidate
is the right fit to handle the job responsibilities. He expects the candidate to give a straightforward and
honest answer but well worded with a positive tone.
Some strategies to handle the question, „what is your greatest weakness‟ are:
Strategy 1: Focus on the skills required for that particular job.

Avoid the question completely “This job entails to have skills like negotiation, conversational and
analytical skills. I believe I possess all these skills, whereas this job
requires me to use more of negotiation skills. In my previous job, I
had very little opportunity to develop this skill, but I will try to
work harder and focus on becoming a good negotiator”.
Strategy 2: Select the least skill required for the job.

Talk about minor/irrelevant For the job of a Business Analyst, you can say, “I am working on my
weaknesses networking skills”
Strategy 3: Don‟t make generalized statements like „I am hardworking‟ Instead put

Avoid general statements it in a better way.
“If the job requires me to work over the weekends to make up for the
project deadlines, I don‟t mind working hard.”
Strategy 4: Insist that you like to work on developing new skills:

Talk about past development “I am always interested to develop new skills. I am quite adept with
success Excel, but now I am learning how to use SAS.”
Strategy 5: Weaknesses to avoid:

Avoid mentioning important Don‟t ever say, “I am not a team player.” “I am not open to feedback.”
skills that you require for the “I find difficult to learn new technologies.” “I am bad at taking
present job initiation and working independently.”
An interview can be described as a goal oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer and
respondent, primarily undertaken to accomplish a specific purpose. While the opening of an interview aims
at putting the respondent at ease, the body includes the actual question-answer session, and the close
indicates the end of the interview and the future course of action that can be expected by the respondent.
Depending on the purpose, business interviews can be categorized as employment, performance appraisal,
counselling, disciplinary and persuasive interviews.
1. What are the types of business interviews?
(Hints: employment – personal appraisal – counselling – disciplinary - persuasive)
2. What is your greatest weakness – What will be your strategy to answer this question?
(Hints: focus on skills – developing new skills –no generalized statements)
(Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140318071857-64875646-the-toughest-interview-question-of-
all-and-how-to-answer-it)
6.5 Conducting an interview Business Communication and Soft Skills
24
12. Candid questions to ask the interviewer

Job aspirants rarely prepare to ask questions to the interviewer.
Job seekers generally prepare on how to answer „Frequently asked questions‟. When the interviewer asks,
“Do you want to ask us any questions?” some reply that they do not want to ask any questions or a few ask
one or two irrelevant questions; nothing related to the job designation. It is better for job aspirants to list
down a few questions which might help to gain clarity on their roles and responsibilities, the skill sets that
need to be mastered upon to succeed in the organization.
Asking thoughtful, insightful questions makes the interviewer think and may also appreciate your interest in
taking the job seriously. Some questions to ask the interviewer are:
 What skills are most critical for the challenges this position requires?
 It is a way to understand that the interviewer has identified that you possess those skills
and are interested to offer the job.
 It is important to know whether you are an expert in those skills or you need to hone them.
It also indicates if you are till now least focused on those skills, now is the time to work on
them.
 It provides a clue to you if your expectations from this job match your expertise.
 What is the career growth for this job?

 This job should not only entail you to apply your knowledge and skills, but also help you
to learn new things. This question helps you to know the company‟s involvement in
providing training programs for professional development.
 It also indicates to the employer that you are keen in developing yourself, grow and
succeed in the organization.
 Could you please tell me what team will I be working with?
 This question will enable you to understand the „culture‟ of the organization apart from
what you have observed from their vision and mission statements.
 It helps to make out if you are culturally fit and mentally prepares you that you might
stand a chance to gain this job.
 What gaps in my qualifications and skills that I need to work upon?
 This is a bold question to ask, which provides a direct feedback. The interviewer may get
the impression of your intention to fill the gaps, and if he does not answer, you may be rest
assured that you are chosen for the job.
 If he answers the question, this is again a candid way to know the industry requirements.
It acts as an eye-opener to you and you need to fill in the gaps as soon as possible.
Some candidates just pose insignificant questions like salary, benefits, time, etc. A candidate, if he feels he is
the best suited for the job, can stand out from the crowd and also demonstrate he is the best candidate and
not just a résumé in attack.
An interview can be described as a goal oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer

and respondent, primarily undertaken to accomplish a specific purpose. While the opening of an interview
aims at putting the respondent at ease, the body includes the actual question-answer session, and the close
indicates the end of the interview. The respondent gets an opportunity to ask relevant questions to the
interviewer. Lastly the interviewer may indicate through his words what can be expected by the
respondent in the future.
25
1. What are the guidelines an interviewee must follow?
(Hints: preparation – conduct – follow-up)
2. What questions can be asked to the interview panel?
(Hints: Career challenges – career growth – skills required – company growth)
(Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141124074017-64875646-job-interview-the-5-questions-you-
must-ask)

6.5 Conducting an interview Business Communication and Soft Skills
26
13. Steve Jobs way of conducting meetings

Every meeting that Steve Jobs headed resulted in action and was highly productive.
Apple is one of the most valuable corporations to work for. Apple is a company with zero tolerance for
imperfection. Steve Jobs was a ruthless dictator who maintained secrecy comparable to the CIA.
Maintaining secrecy helped Apple in introducing new product categories and gaining the market share even
before any other company could think of it.
It took nearly 3-years of top secrecy to develop the iPhone; a 3-year ahead of its rivals. An elite 100
employees would be chosen by Steve Jobs to attend a top-secret, 3-day strategic meeting at an undisclosed
location. The dates of the meeting nor the place would not be given to those elite 100. They would not even
be allowed to drive to the location of the meeting. A superior influential group would inform the growth
prospects expected of the company, a few would be allowed to present new products or strategies that
enhance Apple‟s growth. During one such meeting, the Apple iPod was disclosed to the employees.
Apart from these top-secret meetings, on every Monday, Steve Jobs would meet the executives to discuss
important projects and on every Wednesday hold meetings with the department of marketing and
communications. He did not tolerate an employee express any confusion after the meeting. An effective
meeting would conclude with an action list and DRI – directly responsible individual, who had to
accomplish the task.
When he would talk to senior employees like Vice-Presidents, they could not cite reasons for any
shortcomings. They could only bring in solutions but not problems. When Apple had introduced Mobile
Me web service in 2008, it faced several criticisms as the product was mystified with bugs and thousands of
buyers experienced email blackouts. The critics named it Mobile Mess. Steve Jobs was furious as Mobile
Me had brought Apple‟s reputation at stake. During the meeting, he named a new executive to run the
operations of Mobile Me and suspended many members of the team.
To ensure that Apple can run even without its visionary leader Steve Jobs, a program called Apple
University was launched. The Dean of Yale University, Joel Pod olny with his team of business professors
were assigned to prepare a series of case studies on Apple‟s significant decisions so that future leaders who
head Apple will continue to do; as successfully as their founder leader, Steve Jobs.
Communication among group members is very important, as it leads to group decisions. If these decisions
are to be effective, a group‟s members must be able to communicate freely and openly with the others.
Groups generally develop certain norms for discussion and group members develop roles that affect the
group‟s interactions. Effective meetings require skilful planning on the purpose, nature, composition,
location, and timing of the meeting. A leader‟s responsibility includes opening a meeting, conducting
business, concluding the meeting, and following it up. He can also choose which type of meeting should
be held depending on the objective of the meeting like informational, problem solving, or change
facilitating meeting.
1. What are the reasons for meetings to fail?
(Hints: planning process – conducting the right type of meeting)
2. How could Steve Jobs convert meetings to be productive?
(Hints: agenda – focus – size – time limit)
(Source :http://www.wired.com/2011/05/steve-jobs-magic/)

7.5 Effective meetings Business Communication and Soft Skills
27
14. Conduct productive meetings as the experts‟ do

Meetings need to be speedier, productive and enjoyable for all involved.
Several researches have been conducted on ways of productively conducting meetings with the least amount
of wastage of time and ending with decision-making. The tips mentioned below has taken into consideration
the science of psychology, backed by research; found to be successful in conducting productive meetings by
companies of repute.
Let us look at a few more suggestions from experts:
1. Set a timer: Meetings to not exceed 15 minutes.
a. It is easy to schedule on Outlook calendar or Google calendar.

b. People‟s attention span is around 15 – 18 minutes. Physical fatigue sets in if extended.
c. Presenters can organize their thoughts.
2. Conduct a stand-up meeting: Take the chairs away.
a. The longer you stand, the more uncomfortable you get, the more quickly the meeting ends.
b. Participants feel excited at the creative way of handling meetings, team bonding and
collaboration, sharing of ideas increases.
c. Meetings that are held for daily briefings, status updates, or latest happenings can adopt
this process
3. Avoid electronic gadgets: No laptops, no cell phones.
a. Hand-written notes to be encouraged.

b. Conceptual recall is higher when hand-written notes are made; factual recall is same
whether notes are prepared through hand-written notes or laptops.
c. No cell phones and laptops should be allowed inside the meeting hall as games, messages
and emails distract the attention of the participants during meetings.
d. Improves focus and attention of the participants.
Meeting tips from Google, Apple and American Express:

4. Keep a leaner participant list:
o Work time is more precious - Keep the list of participants to 10 per meeting, the more the
number, the time to complete the meeting is longer.
5. Assign a DRI – Directly Responsible Individual:
o Assign responsibilities for tasks and decisions; enhances accountability and ensures the
task is done
o Provides clarity of instructions for the team to follow.
 Provide silence breaks of 2-minutes in the midst of a meeting:
o Encourages thinking and development of new ideas, strategies, plans, solutions and
decisions.
 What’s the meeting about – in less than 5 words:
o Begin with every participant saying what and why the meeting is being called for in 5
words or lesser.
o Helps to understand if everyone is aware, brings focus and direction to the meeting.
28
Communication among group members is very important, as it leads to group decisions. If these
decisions are to be effective, a group‟s members must be able to communicate freely and openly with
the others. Groups generally develop certain norms for discussion and group members develop roles
that affect the group‟s interactions. Effective meetings require skilful planning on the purpose,
nature, composition, location, and timing of the meeting. A leader‟s responsibility includes opening a
meeting, conducting business, concluding the meeting, and following it up.
1. Why do effective meetings require skilful planning?
(Hints : pur pose – nature – composition – location – timing)
2. Discuss how Apple, Google and American Express conduct productive meetings?
(Hints: number – time – responsibilities – silence breaks – equal participation)
(Source :http://www.fastcompany.com/3033232/the-future-of-work/9-science-backed-methods-for-more-productive-
meetings)

7.5 Effective meetings Business Communication and Soft Skills
29
15. How to make a Brilliant Presentation

A presentation involves writing the script, repeated rehearsals and a lot of fine-tuning.
Presenters need not be born to speak confidently, but can be trained to render compelling speeches.
Presentation depends on three major things: the quality of the idea, the narration and the fervor of the
speaker. Before you actually plan to deliver the speech, conduct a basic groundwork:
 Prepare a story out of the topic:

– Identify whether the topic is worth talking about.
– Imagine and frame the topic into an interesting story-line
 Know your audience:
– To plan the start and the end of the story – analyze their subject knowledge.
– Using too much of jargon or being too technical may divert the audience interest.
 Breakup the topic:

– Introduce the topic quickly, explain why it has to be chosen and convince the audience to
listen to you.
 Set a time limit:
Audience Content
Research Send the report to the audience in advance, limit the presentation to just your
Findings important findings, be brief and to the point. The audience will refer the report if
they want more information.
Financial Present data with analysis, use visual representation of data, provide interpretation
Presentation to the data,
Product Launch Focus on the value the product brings than the features and specifications, tell
stories how the product can simplify their lives.
VC Pitch Well-prepared, crisp and compelling presentation to convey your idea in less than
10 minutes, plan enough time for Question-Answer session, prepare to clarify the
doubts in a clear and concise manner.
Keynote address Formal talks in huge events have to be handled with care, with high impact and
work on bringing emotional connect.
– Public speeches, unless otherwise necessary, should not exceed beyond 15 – 18 minutes.
To capture the attention of the audience it is best to finish in 15 minutes lest they
experience fatigue.
 Concentrate on key terms:
– Limit the scope of the talk, concentrate on key terms that you want to highlight and add
suitable examples to increase the comprehension of the topic.
 Prepare the audience to think:
– Don‟t provide the entire information to the audience. Keep the discussion open and allow
them to think and draw out suitable conclusions.
A few successful ways to engage the audience are mentioned:
 Delivering the speech:

– Three ways of doing it – reading the script word to word, writing key terms and explaining
each term, and memorizing the entire speech.
– If you are memorizing, it should not look like you are reciting it like poetry, it looks
audacious if you forget your lines and take a long pause to recollect it.
– Rehearse as many times you think it is necessary; work on the tone, pace, pauses and
emphasis that goes with public speaking. Rehearsing improves the flow of words.
30
– It is better to carry cue cards with key terms written on it and ensure a smooth transition
from one point to the next.
– Don‟t sound too authoritative, passionate, wise or powerful. Just be yourself and don‟t
force it on the audience.
 Work on nonverbal language:
– Don‟t pace around too much, don‟t swing on one leg by shifting your weight from one leg
to the other – distracts the audience
– It is better to stand in a position and use your hand gestures for providing emphasis to your
speech.
– A powerful way to establish audience connect is to maintain eye contact with people at
different points in the room, people normally look more at people sitting in the first few
rows – which shows your discomfiture in facing the audience.
– To handle nervousness before a speech take a few strides, stand tall and extend your hands
and legs and breathe loudly to provide the energy and mental strength to face the public.
 Plan your visual aids:
– Use a minimum number of slides. You have gone to speak there; the slides should not
convey the information that you would give in your speech. Key ideas on the slides also
act as clues; to expand your speech.
– Don‟t ever read from the slide.
– Make your slides interesting by putting photographs and illustrations. New software
options to get a 2D view and zoom can be employed to engage the audience.
– Auto changing of slides, using videos and speaking along with it can sustain the audience
interest and enhance the creativity of the speaker. But take care not to use a long video of 3
-4 minutes in a speech of 15 minutes. Keep the audio for the video only if it is relevant;
avoid self-promotional videos and info-commercials.
A presentation can involve speeches that are informative, persuasive or entertaining. Speeches can
be general or specific. A specific speech is made what audience wants to know, feel, believe, or do.
It should contain only one central idea; it should be clear and concise; and, most important, it
should be worded in terms of the audience response desired. Nonverbal communication plays an
important role in communicating verbal messages.
1. What does a presentation involve?
(Hints: speech – specific – audience centric – clear and concise)
2. What are the ways to engage your audience?
(Hints: delivering the speech – nonverbal language – visual aids)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation/)

8.4 Speech purposes Business Communication and Soft Skills
31
16. Communication for Business Success

Communication facilitates in personality, confidence and business to grow.
Communicating in business is extremely important to express ideas, opinions and to improve your overall
personality characteristics. Public speaking is an art which is challenging and worth the time and energy.
Public Speaking helps to:
Recipes to develop public speaking skills -honed through focus and practice:
 Make a beginning:
– Observe and listen to talks from famous personalities.
Inspire people To convey experiential learning and energize the audience.

To show that you care for your audience and their needs.
To build a true relationship when the audience approaches you for help.
Improve confidence To acquire positivity and excitement.
To learn the art of practicing and learn in the process.
To achieve more during meetings, conferences and sales-calls.
Increase personal To win the trust of audience indirectly.
impact To increase mastery in preparing the script, slides and speech delivery.
To prepare, practice and present with perfection, passion and enthusiasm.
Develop work To influence new audience for new business ventures.
relationships
Structure key To focus on key points when communicating with business partners and
messages and superiors.
augment personal To channelize your energies on better content and delivery
speaking abilities
Earn rewards and To engage and entertain people who matter the most.
enjoy attention in the To explore new opportunities and build-on new clients/ customers
process To progress towards long-term contracts and overcome current competition.
– Apply well-crafted and well-tested techniques of experts.
 Face fear:
– Plan and prepare the message after knowing the target audience.
– Practice speaking without the visual aids or notes to obtain self-confidence.
 Tell a story:
– Take help from trusted sources to list ideas for presenting the topic.
– Add a few relevant real-life examples.
Public speaking involves three types of speeches – informative, persuasive and entertaining.
Communication is generally initiated to convey a message. Clarity is required for effective conveyance of
the message. In public speaking, the speaker has a preconceived purpose. He/she must determine and
clarify that purpose before conveying the message. By doing this, the speaker can select better ideas,
language and delivery methods that will help in goal realization.
32
1. Explain the three types of public speeches.
(Hints: informative – persuasive – entertaining)
2. What are the tips to deliver an effective public speech?
(Hints: prepare – focus – practice – observe – apply)
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmcclafferty/2014/09/29/public-speaking/)

8.5 Methods of speaking Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
33
17. Expert tips for Effective Presentations

Effective presentations follow some rules.
Many speakers do not plan and present their speeches with visual aids that do not supplement the speech or
prominence being given to trivial matter. While presenting graphs or numerical data, the presenter usually
tries to prove the effort that has gone to collect the data rather than how the results obtained is relevant to the
target audience for further action. The effect of bad presentations is the audience engages with the speaker
for a few minutes and then turns busy with their smart phones. According to experts, effective presentations
follow a few rules:
Tip No. Tip Elucidation
1. Think like a GPS (Global Determine the knowledge of the audience, and plan the
Positioning System) while preparing route from where they are at present to where you want
content them at the end of the presentation.
2. Think analog before digital Take some paper and pencil, conceptualize and visualize
how you want the presentation to be and draw a
flowchart.
3. Slides should act as supporting cast Plan what you need to say, prepare material
meticulously and then design the slides. Focus more on
the speech than on slides. Even in cases when
something goes wrong with the presentation, you can
still deliver the speech, as your focus was more on the
preparation of the speech.
4. Choose the template depending on Decide on the template based on the fonts, slide design,
the information you want to present charts/ graphs it provides. High definition visuals can
add value to the concept. Color palettes and magazine
layout tools are available in Interest and Adobe Kuler.
Diagrams can be drawn using Freeform AutoShape.
Formatting for consistency in fonts, colors, alignments
should not be forgotten.
5. Design the slides to engage the Don‟t dump the entire word document of the speech on
audience the slides and then add bullet points. Excess text,
animations and fancy transitions will take away the
audience attention from you to the screen. Concise
headers, key terms of the speech, intelligent visual
representation with limited number of slides will be a
winner.
6. Guy Kawasaki‟s 10/20/30 rule A power point should have 10 slides, the presentation
should not last more than 20 minutes, the slides must
have font size not less than 30 points.
7. Encourage your audience to think Every slide should make the audience to feel and react as
you desire, animation can be used to emphasize at
strategic points.
8. Act as a news presenter Deliver the message with clarity, having simple
background graphics and a few words of text.
8. Set up the room to feel comfortable Have a copy of the speech, cue cards on your laptop or
tablet or smart phone. Work on optimum space
utilization between the screen, the system and the
audience; upload the presentation prior to check for any
technical errors or any other hardware and software
requirements. It is better to not use the podium as the
audience responds to the gestures and body language of
the speaker as well.
9. Say + show +give Say without slide scripts, show slides as visual signposts
and give handouts to the audience.
34
Organizing the contents of an effective presentation is helpful to both the speaker and the listeners.
Combining ideas, determining the way it accomplishes the purpose and that which matches to their
audience should be planned. An effective presentation includes the introduction, the body, and the
close. Visual aids increase the audience‟s ability to absorb and retain information. Depending on the
size of the audience, the speaker can choose the right medium to express ideas that cannot be expressed
through words alone.
1. How can you organize content in an effective presentation?
(Hints: ideas – purpose – audience centric – right medium)
2. What are the rules followed by experts for delivering effective presentations?
(Hints: plan – logical flow – visual aids – say – show – give)
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2014/08/15/20-world-class-presentation-experts-share-their-top-
tips/)

9.7 Visual aids Business Communication and Soft Skills
35
18. Ethos, logos and pathos in Persuasive Speeches

2000 years ago, Aristotle provided three basic ways to deliver persuasive speeches – ethos, logos and
pathos.
The thought of speaking in public sometimes unnerves even the professional speakers. Everyone needs to
develop their own toolkit to communicate confidently and persuasively be it within their company, to
customers or clients, to investors or to the media. Aristotle‟s three basic principles of ethos, logos and
pathos holds good even today to transform the public talk into an effective one.
Ethos, logos and pathos is good for public speaking, advertising, marketing campaigns, online content
development and for companies who have established a good reputation in the minds of the customers.
Ethos Logos Pathos

Aristotle says that if you find Logical thinking and rationality or Emotional appeal influences our
the speaker credible with good providing facts and figures rational judgments and thereby in
sense, morally and ethically persuades and emotionally decision-making.
responsible, and goodwill then connects the audience.
the audience get influenced by
his speech.
The speaker‟s ethos lies in the The audience should believe that The language and images impact
knowledge on the subject the facts presented are the truth the emotional appeal of the
matter he possesses to impress called rhetorical reasoning. audience.
his audience. As a speaker you should cite Small babies or puppies in a
If you are delivering a speech credible sources and data to marketing commercial have a
on „the ill effects of eating junk convince your claims, as a huge audience connect.
food‟, you can establish ethos if marketer you need to prove that
you introduce yourself as a your product has better functions
nutritionist and dietitian. compared to your competitor.
The writer‟s ethos lies in the Persuasion involves convincing Advertisements aim at making us
choice of his words, tone and people to accept our assumptions insecure with our physical
style of content preparation. as truth and take appropriate unattractiveness or social
A customer feels credible to action. acceptance and then offer a
purchase from a reputed online A marketing commercial which remedy by introducing their
marketing website; for example shows a soiled and stained cloth product.
Amazon in comparison to a appearing clean with the use of Fairness products, toothpaste,
lesser-known website. one brand of washing detergent in mouthwash, clothing and
comparison with another. A automobile campaigns.
logical customer prefers to buy
the brand that does a better job.
A few questions can help you A few questions can help you A few questions can help you
build your image or ethos: build your logical/ rhetorical build your emotional appeal and
What is the kind of image that I reasoning and logos: pathos:
should project to my audience? Are logical arguments better for Do emotions hamper /facilitate in
What background work should positioning or that which are built decision-making? When is it
be done to project this image? on authority and character? deceptive to use emotions to
Would the audience purchase a persuade people?
brand if it is endorsed by a
celebrity or an expert?
36
Organizing the contents of an effective presentation is helpful to both the speaker and the listeners.
Combining ideas, determining the way it accomplishes the purpose and that which matches to their
audience should be planned. The simplest form of persuasive speeches have a statement or point that
requires clarification, amplification, or proof and the materials that clarify, amplify, or prove the statement
to inform, persuade, or entertain the audience.
1. How are persuasive speeches different from other types of speeches?
(Hints: clarification – amplification – proof)
2. Aristotle‟s ethos, logos, and pathos in persuasive speeches. Explain
(Hints: credibility – logical thinking – rationality – emotional appeal – convincing – proof)
(Source :http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24283/six-public-speaking-tips-that-help-your-
marketing-too)

9.5 Organizing the Persuasive speech Business Communication and Soft Skills skills
37
Block II:
Written Communication
19. Tips to draft an email business letter
20. Routine credit letter to get better customer response
21. The art of conveying bad news
22. 10 guidelines to communicate bad news
23. Persuasion through psychology
24. Persuasion techniques in digital marketing
25. Techniques to minimize mistakes in a résumé
26. Résumé in Linked In - A must for job aspirants
27. E-cover letter: The latest trend
28. Recruiter‟s preference of a cover letter
29. Steps to write a bad news memo
30. Microsoft memo – what went wrong
31. The case of a complaint letter
32. Formatting business letters for US and UK
33. Executive Summary – Why is it good or bad?
34. Influencing an investor with an Executive Summary
35. SMART Objectives
36. SMART Recommendations
37 Subtle data presentation techniques
38. Latest tools for data interpretation
39. 8 most ridiculous grammatical mistakes
40. Impact of poor grammar skills in business
38
Block II: Written Communication
19. Tips to draft an email Business Letter

Business letters are posted through email, which has become the ubiquitous form of business
communication.
Email is the most useful form of business communication today in comparison with instant messaging (IM)
and social networks. According to a study done by The Radicati Group, the email traffic in the business
world in 2014 is over 108.7 billion emails being sent and received every day. Business users send and
receive about 121 emails per day in 2014 which may increase to 140 emails per day by 2018. The mobile
email market has also seen a rapid increase of having 1.1 billion users in 2014 due to the Apple IOS and
Google Android smart phones. Though writing business letters are being taught since high school, it is
observed many falter while writing business communication using emails.
Given below are tips on how to draft an effective email business letter:
 Clear Subject line– Should clearly convey what is expected in the body of the email.
 Brevity is the key - Keep your email content as small as possible. Give importance to what you
want to communicate in the first few sentences only, as nobody reads till the last line.
 Small sentences and small paragraphs - Use small sentences, in case the email is long, generously
break them into small paragraphs using clear concise language.
 Send the email to only whom you want to – Sending mails to groups may be disastrous as the person
who should not receive it will also be conveyed the information. This can prove costly if the email
contains some confidential information.
 While replying to a chain – Make others in the chain aware by keeping them in the loop about the
conversation that is happening, if you do not want others in the chain to know about your
conversation, take care to remove them from the chain.
 Make use of BCC – This helps the receiver not to know to who else the copy of the mail has been
posted and protects the email addresses of those people.
 Avoid use of „Reply All‟ or „Forward‟ – Reply only to who has sent you the mail, „reply all‟ and
„forward‟ might turn to be problematic to the sender.
 Acknowledge received emails – In case, you are being sent an invitation, or asked to respond to an
email, acknowledge the receipt of the email like for example: „Received your email, will get back
to you soon on it‟. This displays your courteous nature.
 Name the Attachment – Take care the attachment is given a proper name (depending on its contents)
before enclosing it in the email. A brief write-up of the attachment can also be added in the body of
the email.
 Size of the Attachment – Don‟t send photos or files which consume a lot of GB, try to minimize the
size by sending compressed files using jpg or WinZip formats.
 Not a substitute to face-to-face conversations - Email should be used judiciously taking care not to
initiate tough conversations and confrontations, where oral communication serves a much better
solution.
 No response means no – In case the email requires an affirmation and the reply does not come, it is
understood that it means no. The other person might not be interested in conveying his negative
response to you.
 Allot dedicated time to email – If email is taking most of your time and you are becoming
unproductive, slot definite hours to check your email. If any information needs to be passed
quickly an IM on phone would do.
39
Business correspondence is one of the most common forms of communication. However people
neglect to write business letters carefully, and may inadvertently antagonize customers, business
partners and potential clients. An effective way to write a letter is to understand the audience, know the
subject and purpose of sending the letter. Writing business letters using emails is most common and
writing an effective email is most desired by all companies.
1. What should a writer take care while drafting business letters?
(Hints: audience – subject matter – purpose)
2. Discuss the steps to draft and email business letter?
(Hints: cc and bcc – subject – content – closing – attachment – brevity)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2014/06/12/the-art-of-the-effective-business-email/)

10.5 Business Letters Business Communication and Soft Skills
40
20. Routine credit letter to get better customer response

Routine credit letters are written to remind customers of their outstanding credit balances.
The C2 Partnership Company was engaged by a famous UK lender company to work on their collection
letters for customer current accounts and mortgages. The letter had to convey all the statutory rules and
regulations and inform the customer on the new collection strategies. The letter was to be used to act as a
customer response and a collection tool.
The C2 Partnership Company worked on the project in the following manner:
 Meetings were conducted with the business leads to understand the client and the products; to
prepare specific content for the collection letter.
 Suggestions were offered in terms of the formatting, structure, content and tone of the letters to
capitalize on their main objectives, convey information clearly and obtain a positive response from
the customers.
 Several samples were worked out and discussed with the business leads before getting approval of
the final draft.
Changes made in the collection letters:
 Clear and visual appealing format – contact information, advice on handling difficulties in finance,
methods of payment looked more prominent in the letters.
 Wording– simple language that provided clarity with information drafted concisely.
 Content – prepared in such a way to receive immediate response from customers.
 Tone – customized each letter depending on the risk indicators in the customer‟s account.
 Managing responses – several gateways were opened for handling payments, SMS, email and
voice-messaging options were alternatively utilized if call center traffic was more.
 Compliance to regulatory requirements and guidelines on debt collection were followed.
Benefits observed after dispatching of this collection letters:
 Proved to be the most effective method to communicate to the customers on the collection
strategies.
 Reduction in costs to the lender with an increase in the rate of communication from the customers.
The tone (in some cases; a strong tone) and content (intense and powerful messages) varied with ample use
of assertiveness as well as empathy to gain as many positive responses from the recipients. Options to the
customer to fill in changes in personal information like address, contact number were provided in the
response form, responses were recorded and wherever possible, marketing of new products done.
Business letters not likely to generate any emotional reaction are called routine letters, which follow the
deductive pattern wherein the main idea is presented first, followed by certain supporting details.
Deductive pattern helps to gain the attention of the receiver, puts him in a positive frame of mind and is
easy to write. An option in a credit letter is the use of fill-in items. This enables the recipient to provide
the required information with a minimum amount of effort. An inductive approach is used when writing
about the unpleasant or when writing to persuade.
41
1. What are deductive and inductive approaches in drafting letters?
(Hints: main idea – receiver attention – positive – direct – unpleasant – buffer)
2. Discuss how C2 Partnership Company drafted the credit letter for their clients and the outcome?
(Hints: clarity – visual appeal – tone – wording – compliance – content – responses rate – cost reduction)
(Source : http://thec2partnership.co.uk/case-study-5-customer-communications.pdf)

10.5 Routine Letters about credit Business Communication and Soft Skills
42
21. The Art of Conveying Bad News

A manager should learn the art of conveying unpleasant feedback to his employees to facilitate them to
learn and grow.
Pratik Raghuram, Vice-President of „Design n Develop‟ Company receives a complaint regarding Rohit
Shah, Manager, who is excellent in his work under tight deadlines, but is not delegating tasks to his
subordinates and helping them learn and grow in the organization. Pratik aggressively reprimands Rohit for
not allowing the team to grow thinking that Rohit will accept his mistake. Rohit turns defensive and both try
to convince each other and retaliate. A minor discussion led to their relations turn sour due to the way they
handled the situation which can be explained as:
 Narrow – Where no alternatives were considered

 Binary – Either win or lose
 Frozen – Remain unchanged
 Restrictive – Demoralizing the manager
A manager can experience unfriendly responses, emotional flare-ups and negative conversations while
providing feedback or sending unpleasant information to his team members. By learning the art of
conveying unpleasant news, constructive relationships can develop that can lead to openness in
conversations, better productivity and performance in the organization.
Understanding people‟s behavior while providing feedback is equally important but errors in judgment may
usually occur:
 Fundamental Attribution error: Overestimate the person‟s temperament and capabilities and
underestimate the circumstances under which he is functioning like huge workloads, tight
deadlines, or additional responsibilities.
 Binary framing – People tend to react differently under stress, often without their knowledge to
obtain control of situations and win.
 False consensus effect – The consequences of the issue and its reality may be viewed differently by
two people. Generally bosses assume that the subordinate is also thinking as he is, but the case may
not be so; which may lead to varied interpretations of the issue.
 Frozen framing – Both devoting themselves to solve the issue in their own ways where they might
be left with no resources to listen, process and respond constructively.
 Restrictive framing – Stressful feedback conversations wherein the subordinate does not believe his
superior, may get demoralized and hamper his performance and professional relationships.
People‟s perceptions while accepting feedback:
 The person is reliable and has good intentions about them.

 Feedback process is fair – the person providing feedback has considered all the relevant details,
taken subordinate‟s clarifications and opinions, and follows company standards to deliver
criticisms.
 Feedback communication is fair – Respects the subordinate and considers his ideas and supports
him despite differences.
An employee may perceive that the feedback process was unfair (narrow framing), feedback was not
communicated fairly as the boss is biased, close-minded and unsupportive (binary/ frozen framing).
Therefore a manager has to develop a broad and flexible approach to communicate the fair practices of
feedback and to encourage an honest conversation for the team to learn and grow.
43
 How to approach the situation - which are the issues that need immediate resolution, which are the
components that are involved most or least, what is the information that needs to be conveyed to
solve the problem to attain a better outcome. The ways to do this are:
– Soften bad news with something good
– Use an indirect approach
– Carefully design the conversation
– Make the other person to not feel the pressure, feel ease and open-minded
Businessmen sometimes have to write bad news to the reader who can be either customers or employees.
The ability to communicate bad news as delicately and clearly as possible is an essential business skill. A
skilful manager will attempt to say „No‟ that the receiver supports the decision and continues to maintain a
healthy relationship. To do this successfully, the manager must try to understand how the recipient accepts
this unpleasant news.
1. What care should be taken while conveying unpleasant news for the reader?
(Hints: inductive approach – neutral idea – positive language –clear statements)
2. What kinds of errors in judgment are observed while providing feedback?
(Hints: fundamental attribution error – binary, frozen and restrictive framing – false consensus)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2002/09/a-better-way-to-deliver-bad-news)

11.3 Writing for the reader Business Communication and Soft Skills
44
22. 10 Guidelines for Communicating Bad News

A manager should follow some guidelines while communicating bad news at times of crisis
The once second largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, in its Chennai plant, was manufacturing 15 million
phones a month, having around 8000 employees working three shifts. On April 10th, 2014 the company
offered Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) option which was taken by 5000 employees knowing that the
company was on the verge of closure. On April 15 th and 16th, 2014, it laid off 750 trainees each day and
thousands of contract workers had been laid off in the past few months. Only 1000 employees are retained,
manufacturing around 2 million phones as of August 2014.
Managers at such times of crisis need to develop the skills of communicating bad news. A lot of research
has been conducted and below are 10 guidelines for managers who have to convey bad news:
1. Treat people with respect and dignity – Sometimes people are fired through a simple email
message or their name struck off from the rolls of the company; which indicate that people are not
given importance in the organizations. Companies which took extreme care while conveying
layoffs by maintaining transparency found workers working harder even before receiving the bad
news. The employees who survived also worked harder knowing how the company believes in its
people. It is business sense while communicating bad news appropriately to people.
2. Follow through – The Company needs to analyze the circumstances as to why they had to lay off
people, solve those problems in a rapid pace, keep the leadership continuously informed about the
progress and the methods employed, and fix the disaster as soon as possible. It is important to
convey the bad news that has turned out to be „good‟.
3. Take care of your stakeholders – Keep all the stakeholders (lay-offs, survivors, customers,
investors) informed. There should be no ambiguity in delivering the message as it will be closely
watched and interpreted.
4. Develop an action plan – a Probable solution for the bad situations that has occurred has to be
presented with élan to accentuate the efforts taken by the company and to avoid rumours.
5. Identify positives – List out the positives that have emerged due to the bad circumstances. Leaders
will find it easier to improve the employee morale and hope in the future of the company especially
during lay-offs, budget cuts and corporate turnarounds.
6. Justify - Recognize the specific reasons for the company turnaround and justify it.
7. Maintain written records – Records showcase the evidence and causes for the problems, warnings
issued to avoid exceptionally in cases of employee performances or product safety.
8. Never hide facts – Hiding facts may make the company lose its reputation, trust, faith by all the
stakeholders and the public.
9. Never delay in communicating bad news – Delay in communicating bad news can compound
problems letting conditions to worsen. It may prove to be costly to the company in rectifying it.
10. Keep the bad news informed – Timely information of the loss of a client, poor sales, or product
malfunction should be informed to the superiors and should not come as a surprise to them.
Conveying the employees of their performance and providing opportunity for corrective action
should be done as deemed fit without any delay.
These guidelines on communicating bad news may sometimes be difficult and challenging to follow, but in
the general interest and reputation of the company; these guidelines may provide direction for a timely
intervention, appropriate actions to be taken to emerge triumphant in times of crisis.
45
While communicating bad news, an inductive approach with no negative phrases, a positive tone and using
techniques like facts, analysis can minimize the receiver‟s disappointment, can convey diplomatically and
develop positive relationships. Sequencing the ideas to understand the receiver‟s needs and feelings
provides the communicator the likely reaction to a bad news message.
1. Why is sequencing of ideas essential while preparing a bad newsletter?
(Hints: understand receiver‟s needs – inductive and diplomatic approach – facts and figures)
2. What guidelines should managers follow while conveying bad news?
(Hints: identify positives – justify – respect – don‟t delay – written record)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/05/30/10-commandments-for-delivering-bad-news/)

11.3 Sequence of ideas Business Communication and Soft Skills
46
23. Persuasion Through Psychology

Persuasion can be obtained by the application of psychological theories.
Business is all about persuasion or creating an influence. Meeting the needs of customers, desire for
adulation from team members, and social media likes and tweets are all linked to psychology. Dave
Straker‟s „Changing Minds‟ website under the category „Persuasion‟ discloses the psychological theories
that help us to influence others or how we get influenced by others.
Situation 1:
Rishi, a salesman persuades Srushti to buy Samsung Alpha, informing about the latest features and the
discount she can avail. After buying the mobile phone, Srushti looks for the same phone at another
expensive outlet and gets confirmed that she has bought the phone at a bargain price.
Psychological Theory : Amplification hypothesis
When we have made a decision, we will look for things to confirm that our decision was right. After
making the decision, we also try to avoid things that disprove our confirmation.
How does a salesman use it:
A salesman persuades the customer to make the purchase and helps him feel good by citing examples of
getting the product at the best price, with the best features or an exclusive product that has just been
introduced in the market.
How does a customer defend it:
The customer checks and compares the price of the same product at another outlet. He may put off by
not listening to the salesman.
Situation 2:
Shiva, a salesperson at Electronics shows a sound system of high price and moderate quality and a low
priced one with better sound quality to Ajay, a customer. Shiva convinces Ajay to buy the one which is
low priced with better quality; Ajay feels happy that he has bought the sound system at a discounted price
and could still save some money.
Psychological Theory : Information Manipulation theory
Persuade by omitting information, telling lies, going off the subject, and confuse the other person, break
one of the four maxims:
Quality – Provide accurate information
Quantity- Provide complete information
Relation – Provide information relevant to the conversation
Manner of expression – Provide information in clear, easy-to-understand language supported by right
body language and tone.
How a salesman uses it:
A salesman offers discount and makes sure the product which is not sold is being cleared off the shelves.
He tries to convince the customer by breaking one of the four maxims discussed in the theory.
How can a customer not fall prey to it:
Question what you are told, look for details and evidence, and watch the body language of the speaker.
Situation 3:
Ruchika with her husband, Sagar visit a shopping mall before Diwali. She observes various shops
displaying signboards like: „Sale only for today‟, „Up for grabs‟, „Only till stocks last‟, „20% Discount
on existing stock‟, „clearance sale only for today‟, „Buy 2 take 1 free‟ offers
Psychological Theory : Scarcity principle
If something becomes scarce, we regret it for not being able to acquire it and the desire for it becomes
more. The desire increases even more when we realize that someone we know has acquired it and gained
social prestige that was lost to us for not reacting fast.
How companies use it:
Advertisement in newspapers, pop-up messages on websites, hoardings and signboards displaying offers
and discounts by using phrases like „ 50% offer only for today and tomorrow‟, „End of season sale‟, etc.
How should a customer defend it:
When something is scarce, weigh down if you actually need it and is it necessary to act fast and make
that purchase.
47
Marketing applies the three steps of Maslow‟s hierarchy theory – Safety, Belongingness and Esteem needs to
satisfy the physiological and self-fulfilment needs of an individual. These needs help a company to succeed,
relations to develop, match the family and team needs, and satisfy the individual.
Persuasion involves the ability to win others to your point of view. To persuade someone to buy your
product or service, knowledge of the product and service, the target audience and the purpose should be
identified. People are inclined to choose the item that has some advantage or not available at the same price.
Hence persuasion should win the mind of the customer to obtain the desired action. Using concrete language,
providing evidence, and informing what he is going to gain attracts the customer.
1. What are the tactics to persuade a customer into buying a product?
(Hints: knowledge of the product – target audience – advantages – language to attract)
2. Indicate two real-life situations where persuasive messages made you to make a purchase?
(Hints: discounts – gift coupons – free offers – psychological satisfactions)
(Source : http://www.fastcompany.com/3030173/work-smart/how-to-use-10-psychological-theories-to-persuade-people)

The Basis of persuasive sales messages – Business Communication and Soft
12.3
Identifying the objectives Skills
48
24. Persuasion Techniques in Digital Marketing

Persuasion is a conscious effort by a company to convince buyers to act as desired.
Rakesh, a technocrat is a regular online-shopper with Amazon and is looking for the best deals to purchase a
new television. Ankita, a rare online-shopper is comparing the prices Amazon offers for a new television
set. Amazon needs to persuade both the shoppers to initiate sale through its webpage.
Customer 1: Rakesh
Rakesh, since he is a technocrat is able to understand the product features easily. He is more attentive to the
page design and information presented. Amazon, on the other hand has to design appropriately to provide
the shopper all the necessary product-related features, easy surfing and sorting with testimonials of already
purchased customers. In short, it replaces the sales person‟s face-to-face interaction that happens in a
physical electronic store. Rakesh surfs and sorts all available TV brands from the highest to the lowest
ratings, reads the product reviews, decides and then clicks the „Buy now with 1-Click option‟. Since he is a
regular buyer, he trusts Amazon for its reliability and service. Amazon knows what persuasive factors work
since Rakesh‟s buying pattern was already assessed. Amazon also realizes Rakesh is a potential customer in
the future also.
Persuasion theory with respect to Rakesh:
When information is displayed on the webpage „elaboration‟ occurs. It means the receiver makes an effort
to understand, remember and accept the message. The persuasive message can change and influence the
attitude of the receiver depending on the „high‟ or „low‟ level of elaboration; central or peripheral.
In the case of Rakesh, Central Route Processing occurs where the elaboration is „high‟. It means Rakesh
paid more attention to the message, scrutinized and analyzed if any evidence is provided to prove whether he
can act further. When he becomes convinced, his attitude changes and the desire to make the purchase gets
reinforced. This reinforcement is long lasting and is resistant to counter-arguments. Amazon‟s webpage
design and the company‟s reputation succeeded in gaining Rakesh as a customer.
Customer 2: Ankita
Amazon, on the other hand cannot leave a casual surfer like Ankita without a purchase. The webpage‟s
visual design, picture of the product from various angles, broad categories to filter the product, price details
and comparisons, ratings, savings are highlighted. Ankita‟s curiosity is raised when she weighs the prices,
the „star‟ ratings, percentage savings, low-price guarantee offer, and free delivery-to-home option. The
peripheral route persuasion allures Ankita to click the „add to cart‟ option.
Persuasion theory with respect to Ankita:
In the case of Ankita, Peripheral Route Processing occurs where the elaboration is „low‟. Ankita is unaware
of the technical specifications and views the content of the message superficially. She looks for other
parameters like credibility, visual appeal of the webpage, how the information is presented, testimonials,
savings, etc. Attitudes are subject to change and continuous reinforcement is essential. Counter-arguments
may make her change her decision and she may not make the purchase.
But for Amazon, it is a win-win as it employs both the central and peripheral persuasion techniques to attract
both kinds of customers through its web messaging and design.
Persuasion techniques employed by online retailers:
In online marketing the web page persuades the customer to be engaged with the product initiating the
desired outcome. The web page designers use the following techniques: Colourful design and well-worded
communication to influence and entice the viewers, do not coerce but reinforce behavior.
 Communication – A strong, clear well-worded message from the company to the purchaser.
 Attempt to influence – By understanding the audience of their wants, the effort that most likely
helps to succeed, with no assurance of the outcome.
49
 Entice the viewers – Design and color of the web page, ease of use, or other factors that can
persuade the probable users.
 Don‟t use coercion tactics – Users are independent to make their choices either positive or negative.
It is better not to trick users and compel them for an outcome.
 Reinforce behavior – Inspire the users and strengthen their opinions from time to time to make them
regularly visit the page.
However, customer distraction can occur through frequent pop-ups, long loading time, lengthy disclaimer
statements that may delay the decision making process. An online marketer conducts audience research,
incorporate right content and design, central and peripheral persuasion techniques to appeal and gain
receptiveness of the customer.
All business messages are persuasion messages, for example sales letters and collection letters. An
inductive or indirect approach is effective while writing persuasive letters. The AIDA technique is usually
used while writing a sales letter – Getting the readers‟ Attention (A), Introducing the product and arousing
Interest in it (I), Generating Desire for the product through convincing evidence (D), and Encouraging
Action (A).
1. Explain AIDA technique that is used to write persuasive letters.
(Hints: attention – interest – desire – action)
2. How do online marketing companies persuade customers in making the purchase? Give two
examples.
(Hints : communication – influence – entice–coerciontactics – reinforce behavior)
(Source : http://alistapart.com/article/persuasion-applying-the-elaboration-likelihood-model-to-design)

The Basis of persuasive sales messages – Business Communication and Soft
12.4
Organizing the message Skills
skills
50
25. Techniques to minimize mistakes in a résumé

A minor mistake in your résumé can make you lose the most coveted job.
Some companies like Google sometimes get around 50000 résumés every week. Though some are brilliant,
some are ok; while a large number of résumés are terrible. In a highly competitive labor market, a poorly
drafted résumé might reduce the chances of an extremely suitable candidate to get noticed and the company
eventually also losing the right talent.
A few techniques to correct commonly observed mistakes are given below:
Mistake Presumption of the employer Techniques to minimize mistakes

towards the candidate
Typographical Not a quality conscious, not a Proofread your résumé from bottom to top or
errors – detail-oriented person make somebody proofread for you, focusing
Subject verb each line in isolation
agreement,
punctuation,
nonalignment of
dates
Length of the Lacks the ability to prioritize and „Rule of the thumb: One page for every 10
document – synthesize information, not being years of job experience‟, only convey the most
Longer the able to convey information in a important information that matches the job
résumé, most precise and concise manner. profile you are applying.
important things
might miss the
attention of the
recruiter
Formatting Does not care for cleanliness, Take care to use 10-point font, ½-inch
errors clarity and legibility. margins, white paper, black ink, consistent
line spacing, proper alignment of columns and
rows, name and contact numbers in every page
of the résumé.
Attach the document in your email and
preview the document for formatting errors.
Save your résumé in pdf to prevent distortion
of the document across platforms.
Sharing of Cannot honor confidentiality Never reveal any confidential matters of one
Confidential agreements, never hire those company to another competitor company.
information candidates.
Telling lies Dishonesty, may get fired even if Accurately state the dates of your
recruited as internet, reference employment, college years, GPA scores, sales
checks can reveal fraud of the figures, size of teams, etc. – as any blunder
candidate. can cost your dream job.
A concise, informative, easy-to-read résumé can become an effective advertising tool to market oneself in
the job market and make a mark in today‟s highly competitive world. A checklist of contents, style, contact
information, education details, work experience, accomplishments is mandatory before submitting the
résumé to the company.
51
1. Why a résumé is called a marketing tool?
(Hints: product features – concise – clear – facts)
2. What errors should be avoided while preparing a résumé?
(Hints: typographical – factual – formatting – confidential information – lies)
(Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140917045901-24454816-the-5-biggest-mistakes-i-see-on-resumes-and-
how-to-correct-them)

13.6 Content of the Résumé Business Communication and Soft Skills
52
26. Résumé inLinkedIn – A must for job aspirants

A résumé in LinkedIn gives exposure and opportunity to the job aspirants to capture the attention of
the recruiters.
Social networks and technology tools are used by hiring managers as pre-interview approaches to narrow
down the candidates for their job openings. Both the LinkedIn résumé and a regular résumé are screened
almost the same way but with a few differences. A HR manager not only looks for the job fit but also
considers the testimonials and endorsements in the candidate‟s profile in LinkedIn. The job profile hence
reaches the decision maker directly. An outstanding LinkedIn profile creates a brand image and enhances
chances for the job aspirant.
Tips to create a LinkedIn profile which depicts your real mirror image:
 Set your goals by finding answers to the questions below:

– Who is the target audience who might read your profile?
– What do you want to convey so that they feel appreciative of you?
– What do you expect them to do after reading your profile?
 Make a check-list to prepare the content:
– Accomplishments till date – Example: Conducted extensive research in 4 metros before
launch of a new product and suggested ways to promote the brand and the product.
– Super talent that differentiates you – Example: SAP certified Application Associate –
Enterprise Asset Management (Maintenance and Repair) with SAP ERP 6.0 EhP6, NCFM
– Macroeconomics for Financial Markets Module and Wealth management module.
– Facts, figures and statistics – Example: Well versed in 4 South Indian languages, English
French and Hindi, Experience in product management, supply chain management, logistics
and sales departments before becoming the Regional Head of Marketing.
– Awards and appreciation – Best Employee for the quarter (Jan to Mar 2014), Stood first in
Inter-collegiate Quiz competition during MBA, Best intern in MBA, Scored 10/10 CGPA
in MBA and 9/10 CGPA in Engineering.
– Values and principles – Example: Honesty, perseverance, assertiveness, integrity, loyalty
– Personality traits – Example: Team player, Work for long hours, Oratory skills, Numerical
skills
 Compile all the information:
– Heading or branding statement: Work on how creatively you can begin. Example: NSE
certified Investment Analyst Champion who is focused and results-driven.
– Organize all the above contents like a small story about yourself - use first person account
summary. Example: During my internship, I worked at ONGC in the ….. Department,
where I was involved in ……
– Close with what action you expect from the reader and provide your contact information.
– Work on the summary to be less than 2000 words, can add information through
multimedia (graphs, pictures, videos), scanned documents as proof and request
testimonials and endorsements from people you know.
– Build an internal network and join groups of like-minded professionals in LinkedIn and
become an active contributor on topics of interest to you.
The use of electronic résumés has grown over the years and individuals are using electronic résumé
database service companies to find a job. It is important for job aspirants to prepare his résumé in social
networks to entice the recruiter to read his profile and contact him for the next process of the interview.
53
1. What are benefits of writing an electronic résumé? What care should be taken while drafting an
electronic résumé?
(Hints: disbursement – job offers online – key words – regular update)
2. A résumé in LinkedIn gives exposure to the job aspirants to capture therecruiters‟ attention. Explain
(Hints: has a wider audience – job fit – testimonials – endorsements – scanned proofs)
(Source : http://www.ere.net/2013/09/05/linkedin-dominates-social-media-sourcing-and-recruiting/)
13.7 Electronic Résumés Business Communication and Soft Skills
54
27. E-cover letter – the latest trend

An electronic cover letter is effective while applying through a company‟s website, LinkedIn, email, or
social media.
Online communication and social media have set a trend not only in listening to news or connecting to
friends but also on the way the business is conducted. Business is relying on electronic means of
communication like emails, Skype and other tools to convey and express information at high speed. The HR
departments are utilizing websites, social media platforms and emails for recruiting processes. In this age of
information overload and low attention span, it is important for candidates to write an electronic cover letter
effectively while applying for jobs. The advantage of an e-cover letter is; it is short, precise, and reaches the
concerned person directly. The disadvantage on the other hand is; if it is ineffective and elaborate, the
recruiter can delete it just with the click of a button.
What are the features of an e-cover letter?
 Precise Subject Line:

– Include the job designation and your USP (unique selling proposition) or branding
statement.
 For example: Application for the position of Business Analyst; Knowledge of
business analytical tools and visual modeling and leadership skills
 Salutation:
– Give a proper salutation such as „Dear Sir‟, or „Respected Mr. Agarwal‟ before you begin
the letter. Always remember to use the surname or the second name when you write the
salutation by using the name of the person you are posting to.
 Attention grabbing opening statement:
– Inform how you can be an asset to the company, stating the metrics or facts of how your
performance benefitted your previous organization.
 For example: While working as a Floor Manager at one of the reputed retail
chains, there was a sales increase of 25% in the third quarter of 2014 due to team
collaboration, better customer management and inventory management.
– In case you are applying through a reference in the company who knows your
professionalism, mention the name of the person along with his designation. Chances of
being called for an interview are much higher.
 For example: Ms. Sonam Saluja, Senior Manager – Department of Avionics,
informed me about an opening in the Marketing Department. My 3-year
experience in B2B in a large organization coupled with an MBA from a reputed
university qualifies me for this position.
 Accomplishments in bulleted format:
– Mention your exclusive expertise and accomplishments during your previous job which
can add value for the job you are applying now.
 For example: Reduced consumer complaints by 50% by introducing quality
checks during packing and dispatching.
 Organized training and development programs for staff on technological
advancements in machinery and improved overall efficiency.
 Analyzed sales figures and suggested measures to increase sales in tier II cities
 Certificate in Lean Six Sigma – Green Belt from IASSC
 Clear conclusion statement requesting for a personal interaction:
– A closing statement telling that you would prefer a meeting to explain personally your
candidature.
 For example: I would appreciate a personal interaction in the near future to
discuss my credentials and how I can be useful for the company‟s success.
55
 Closing the letter:

– Signing off is as important as the salutation. „Thanks and Regards‟, „Truly yours‟,
„Faithfully yours‟, „Thank you for your consideration‟ can be used.
 Name and Signature:
– Your name, contact number, email id should be mentioned at the end of the letter.
LinkedIn URL can also be provided, in case you are a constant contributor.
 For example: NitishTandon,
Contact No.: +919123456789

Email id: nitish.tandon@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/nitish.tandon
A job application letter or cover letter is addressed to an employer who wants to see quickly why you have
written and how he should respond to you. The cover letter is planned wherein it contains what the resume
does not have, like your skills or expertise which was honed through experience. It is a kind of an actual
personal story. Writing an effective electronic cover letter is a challenge and extreme care needs to be taken
while drafting it.
1. What are the differences between a cover letter and a résumé?
(Hints: skills – expertise – personal story – interest in the job – facts – qualifications – achievements)
2. What are the features of an e-cover letter?
(Hints: precise subject line – attention grabbing opening statement – personal details – AIDA)
(Source : http://www.careerealism.com/effective-e-cover-letters/)

14.4 Letter plan Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
56
28. Recruiter‟s Preference of a cover letter

A cover letter should entice the recruiter to read your credentials and invite you for the job interview.
A candidate should be able to draw the attention of the recruiters that he is the right fit for the job who can
perform excellently. This can happen even before he personally meets the hiring manager – by writing an
effective cover letter by showcasing how he can add value to the organization. A cover letter with the
résumé should indicate the person‟s passion and talent for the specific job.
The following steps act as a guide for preparing an outstanding cover letter.
 C – Clarify why you are interested in the company:
– Convey to the company the reasons why you are applying, what interests you in the job
profile and how it can be a win-win for both in the long run. Companies feel special when
they are praised.
 O – Offer your strengths for the specific job position:
– Exhibit your personal and professional expertise that best match the job description
accentuating your past experience. You can also stress how those decisions helped you by
listing your achievements/ results after performing the task.
 V – Validate with a real example which is not in the résumé:
– Provide statistics of your achievement through numbers, percentages in the form of a
story. For example; boosting the employee morale during stringent deadlines, percentage
increase in revenue generation or customer footfall, etc.
 E – Explore to whom to address:
– Don‟t post the cover letter saying „To whomsoever it may concern‟ or „The HR
Department‟. Try various means to learn who the exact person is who is in charge of
hiring for your position, his designation and his office address. Recruiters appreciate if the
letter is personalized and addressed to them directly.
 R – Remain honest:
– Don‟t try to fool your recruiter by providing false information or statistics. Companies try
to verify the candidate through due diligence if they get any signs of the candidate‟s
dishonesty.
A cover letter should act as a complement to the résumé, containing information that is not in the résumé. It
provides an overall picture of how the candidate actually is. A cover letter should be restricted to one page,
precise to the point, should be custom-made and illustrating that you‟re a genuine applicant who is looking
forward to being a part of the company.
A well-written application letter also called cover letter can arouse interest of the employer in the résumé
and improve his chances of appearing in the job interview. It is addressed directly to the employer, wherein
he gets information of the personality traits of the candidate and how fit he is in handling his roles and
responsibilities.
57
1. How does a cover letter complement a résumé?

(Hints: contain info not in the résumé – precise – one page – custom made – genuineness)
2. What are steps to write a cover letter?
(Hints: clarify your interest – offer and validate your strengths – explore – remain honest)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2014/02/06/the-cover-letters-that-make-hiring-managers-
smile-then-call-you/)

14.3 Qualities of well-written application letters Business Communication and Soft Skills
58
29. Steps to write a bad news Memo

A manager should know how to draft a bad news memo without the employees feeling offensive.
Offices have been using email and intranet to communicate to its employees. But to communicate formally
to a large audience; for example regarding a new HR policy or introduction of fringe benefits, companies
extensively use business memos. Business memos follow a certain format; it contains a header or title,
opening, summary and closing. Business memos can be sent to the target employees through email, intranet
or hard copy.
Business memos can contain both positive and negative content. It is challenging to draft a bad news memo
without facing the resentment of the employees concerned. The employees should not express shock, need
to accept the facts and work towards the desired action expected.
The following steps are suggested while writing a bad news memo:
Step 1: Begin with a positive statement or a compliment or bring in facts related to the bad news:
– I appreciate the entire team for contributing to the brand awareness of the new product
with innovative promotion strategies leading to a 10% increase in customer queries in the
past quarter.
– I congratulate you on the 97% efficiency in the data analysis of Project X.
Step 2: Provide explanation of the unfavourable facts making the reader realize what to expect.
– Though there was an increase of 7% in customer queries compared to the second quarter,
the expected increase of 15% was not met. We need to work towards a more efficient
promotion strategy this quarter.
– Our company is known to deliver an efficiency of 98.7%, the employees need to work
harder and utilize their skills in improving the efficiency for Project X.
Step 3: Deliver the decision taken by the
company, which is the bad news in a positive tone:
 Buffer (pleasant, neutral
Bad-news memos: Inductive Approach
– Percentage of Incentive benefits to all
 Explanation
statement)
the sales managers to remain the same
as last year. (Instead of „there will be no o tactfully stated details
 Decision
o unfavorable facts
increase in percentage of incentive
benefits this year‟).  Positive closure
– Deadline for the project submission is o offer help and
suggestions
December 21st with 99% efficiency. o clearly state what action
(Instead of „you are ordered to complete is desired
o emphasize confidence
the project in 5 days with 99%
efficiency‟).
Step 4: Secure a positive response with a goodwill statement so that the employee perceives good
of you and the company. You can also add a statement of what you can do and what you can‟t.
– The sales managers can avail the details of the incentives earned on the intranet portal in
the next two days which will be paid with this month‟s salary.
59
– The employees who complete the project within the deadline with the acceptable
efficiency stand to win a gift voucher of Rs. 2000.
Step 5: Emphasize confidence in your team‟s capabilities which motivates to work as desired:
– Your contribution and efforts are being recognized by the company and hope to achieve
much more during the next few months.
– Your knowledge and skills are highly appreciated, and with a little bit of dedication, I
think we can win the „Best team award‟ for this quarter.
Step 6: Proofread and check the tone in the memo:
– The memo should be well worded with a positive tone throughout. It should communicate
what you wanted to convey in a positive manner.
– You cannot afford to have employees developing a negative impression about you.
A memo is a written message designed to provide a quick, convenient way for personnel to take action on
certain matters. A memo is written as it takes little time to write and read, can be maintained for future
record purposes and is easy to disburse. While writing memos about the unpleasant, inductive method
with a positive tone has to be used.
1. What are the characteristics of a memo?
(Hints: quick, convenient way to act – brief – record purposes – easy to disburse)
2. What steps should be taken while conveying bad news in a memo?
(Hints: buffer – what to expect – facts – goodwill – appreciate – positive tone)
(Source : http://smallbusiness.chron.com/present-bad-news-business-memo-39646.html)

15.5 Memos about the unpleasant Business Communication and Soft Skills
60
30. Microsoft Memo – what went wrong

Microsoft memo states that 12000 employees are laid-off as it is planning to be a leaner organization.
Microsoft, after acquiring Nokia, presently has 127,000 employees. Microsoft‟s CEO Satya Nadella in a
public memo on Jun 17th 2014 conveyed that the company is looking for a „leaner‟ business to focus mainly
on cloud computing and mobile friendly software. He indicated that 18000 employees (14%of the
workforce) will be laid off in the coming months. By this they want to drive more accountability and agility
among the employees in some strategic areas of operations. On July 21 st, 2014, Stephen Elop, Executive
Vice-President of Microsoft‟s Devices and Services Unit communicated through a public memo that 12500
employees are being laid off. This memo was received with much criticism due to the following reasons:
 The memo was drafted in a highly insensitive manner with ajolly salutation „Hello there‟.
 The length of the memo is over 1100 words.
 The purpose of the memo is not clear and the message is hidden – is the memo for informing
employees that they will soon be laid-off or is the memo providing future plans of Microsoft with
respect to Nokia phone technology developments or addressed to Nokia employees in particular.
 The sentences are too long and difficult to understand.
In the 2nd para of the memo – “While our direction in the majority of our teams is largely
unchanging, we have had an opportunity to plan carefully about the alignment of phones within
Microsoft as the transferring Nokia team continues with its integration process.”
 The memo has a lot of jargons.
In the 3rd para - “Whereas the hardware business of phones within Nokia was an end unto itself,
within Microsoft all our devices are intended to embody the finest of Microsoft‟s digital work and
digital life experiences, while accruing value to Microsoft‟s overall strategy.”
 Some sentences showcase unprofessional attitude of the writer.
In the 3rd para - “It is particularly important to recognize that the role of phones within Microsoft
is different than it was within Nokia. “
 Lack of clarity in some phrases and sentences.
“within an appropriate financial envelope”, “To align with Microsoft‟s strategy, we plan to focus
our efforts”, “While our direction in the majority of our teams is largely unchanging,”, “Our
device strategy must reflect Microsoft‟s strategy,”, “With more speed, we will build on our success
in the affordable smartphone space with new products offering more differentiation.”
 The memo mainly concentrated on what Microsoft plans to do with respect to the Nokia-Lumia
Series in the future;
From the 5th to 10th para and again from the 13th to 15th para (end of the memo).
 The memo informing the layoffs is in the 11th para – nearing the end of the document.
“We plan that this would result in an estimated reduction of 12,500 factory direct and professional
employees over the next year.”
 Negative tone of the memo after informing the layoffs showcases the company is least concerned
for its employees.
“These decisions are difficult for the team, and we plan to support departing team members with
severance benefits.”
After reading this memo, people perceived negatively of Stephen Elop as an insensitive person with no
empathy. Though he is good in strategy and product development, he is considered poor in maintaining
employee relations.
61
A memo is a written message to provide personnel in an organization with a quick and effective way of
communicating with each other. A memo is written as it takes little time to write and read, that can be
maintained for future record purposes and is easy to disburse. Good memos are organized and clear. Memos
that convey unpleasant or bad news have to be written carefully. The memo must manage to convey the
bad news inductively and end on a positive note. In case the memo is written to criticize or for layoffs, it
should be done tactfully without ridiculing or demoralizing the recipients. The Microsoft memo did not
follow the 7Cs of communication – clarity, conciseness, concreteness, courtesy, credibility, consistency and
correctness.
1. What care should be taken while drafting a bad news memo?
(Hints: positive approach – clear – concise – courteous – consistent – credible)
2. Stephen Elop did not follow the rules of preparing a memo. Explain
(Hints: wordiness – conveying of the bad news – casual approach –employee connect)
(Source : http://www.cnbc.com/id/101853076#.)
(Source of the memo: http://news.microsoft.com/2014/07/17/stephen-elops-email-to-employees/)

15.5 Memos about the unpleasant Business Communication and Soft Skills
62
31. The Case of a Complaint Letter

Structure for Letters of complaint is providing the background information, problem (cause and effect),
solution, warning and closing.
Complaint letters should be written with great care. The structure of a complaint letter begins by providing
the background information of the problem, the causes and effect on you, what solutions you are seeking,
what is the time frame to solve your problem, warning statement if your problem is not resolved and closing.
The tone should be positive throughout without any signs of aggression or insulting the people or company.
Complete details like the invoice number, date of purchase, and information of the product or service should
be indicated so that the company finds it easy to resolve your problem. Legal action should not be stated in
the first letter of complaint.
Case let Analysis
Subject: Harrassment and Refusing to pay for Cancellation of Tickets – Tours Wrong word usage with
n Travels Inc. wrong spelling harassment
Complaint No. 0331572/2014 Negative tone in the
subject line
Hello Salutation too casual Hello
Grammatical mistakes It
This complaint is regarding travel agency Tours n Travels Inc. It was supposed was supposed to be, fight
to be a simple refund for a trip to Srinagar which I have planned for my parents No buffer statement after
however, due to heavy floods and cloud burst in Srinagar, I had to cancel my salutation, language errors
parent‟s tickets.
I made my cancellation on 5th Sep, 2014 for a Srinagar flight dated 6th Sep, Details of the service
2014 on the online portal after punching in the login credentials. It was a availed/ ticket nos. not
natural calamity due to which the tickets had to be cancelled moreover; the clear.
same was displayed on NEWS channel regarding fight cancellations to
Srinagar.
Lengthy sentences
However I received an email confirmation of cancellation from Tours n
Beating round the bush.
Travels Inc. stating that my flight is cancelled. But when I checked my flight
status with BharatAir, the cancellation was never sent across to them for No distinct paragraphs.
processing by Tours n Travels Inc. and was considered as “No Show” by the
airlines subject to entire amount being forfeited. Format of writing a
After a brief discussion with Tours n Travels Inc. supervisor Ganesh complaint letter not
Subramanian and travel agent KirtiAgnihotrito my respite there was no help followed
with a very calm response stating we regret the inconvenience. Though, they
stated a call was made on 05/09 to confirm cancellation however, on checking Writing statements against
the records there was no such call which came across nor any sort of the company – no
correspondence was sent across. common sense by Tours n
With so much news coming across on TV channels and papers common sense Travels Inc.
by Tours n Travels Inc. was not used. When the cancellation was through Wrong punctuation???
Tours n Travels Inc. portal why is a further confirmation required by TnTto Capital letters used for
cancel the tickets??? entire sentences, spelling
DUE TO THIS NEGLIGENCE AND UNTOLERABLE CUSTOMER mistakes PAMENT
SERVICE THE BRUNT OF PAYING FOR SERVICE TO TOURS N Contact details notgiven
TRAVELS INC AND TICKET COST WAS ALL DOWN TO A REFUND 0F
APPROX Rs 650 WAS MADE WHERE IN THE TOTAL PAMENT OF Rs
8500 (Approx) WAS DONE.
Ref – Booking ID – NF2233342756920
Regards
Divyanshu Mehra
63
The structure and format of a complaint letter:
Subject: Complaint regarding the product/service [provide details specifically]

Dear [Contact Person]:
On [date], I bought [or had repaired] a [name of the product with model number or service], purchased
from [location, date, and invoice no.].
Unfortunately, the product is not working [state the problem]. To resolve the problem, I would appreciate
your [state the specific action you want]. Enclosed are copies of my records [receipts, warranties, model
and serial numbers] concerning this purchase/repair.
I look forward to your reply and a resolution to my problem. I will wait [set a time limit] before seeking
third-party assistance. Please contact me at the below address, by phone or by email.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Contact details]
A structured letter facilitates easy reading, appears neat, and is free of spellings, grammatical and
punctuation and spacing errors. Business letters are personalized by using letterhead stationery. Block,
modified block and simplified block formats are used while writing business letters. Standard letter parts are
heading, date, inside address, body, complimentary close, signature block, and enclosure.
1. What is the structure while writing a complaint letter?
(Hints: background information - problem – solution - warning - closing)
2. Rewrite the wrong complaint letter following the structure and format of a formal complaint letter.
(Hints: salutation – factual details – problem – specific action – time limit - closing)
(Source : http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0228-solving-consumer-problems)

16 Structure and layout of letters Business Communication and Soft Skills
64
32. Formatting business letters for US and UK

The standard format for a business letter varies from country to country.
Business letters are the mode of communication even with the improvement of technology. It may be a
contractual agreement, letter of transmittal, letter to clients or a cover letter with a résumé; business letters
are still in vogue. It is a better practice to adopt the format of the country to which you are writing the
business letter.
 Font preferred – Arial and Times New Roman

Common formatting techniques for USA and UK are:
 Font Size 10 – 12 points, single spacing between lines and a blank line before a new paragraph
 Never handwrite a business letter
 Don‟t use business jargon when writing to customers
 Maintain your letters as short as possible – preferably less than a page
 Keep the audience in mind before preparing the letter
 Always check your spelling and proofread before sending; as errors may offend the recipient.
Structuring and formatting a business letter for two countries USA and UK is shown below:
USA UK
123, Newtown
123, Fifth Avenue London
Phoenix, AZ 85020 SW1 3AA
December 31, 2014 dd/mm/yyyy 31st December, 2014

mm/dd/yyyy
Mr.George Harris Mr.George Harris
Ryan Inc. Ryan Inc.
ZIP Code after city name
678, Springfield 678, Brooks Avenue
Phoenix 85001 Cambridge
CB3 1GH PIN Code below city name
Dear Mr. Harris: Colon after the name
Dear Mr. Harris,
Comma after the name
Request for selection of product range Request for selection of product range
I am writing this letter requesting for the selection of the I am writing this letter requesting for the selection of the
product range from our brochure enclosed. We will product range from our brochure enclosed. We will
dispatch the products within two days of receiving the dispatch the products within two days of receiving the
selected products. selected products.
Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time.
Yours faithfully, Yours faithfully,

Phil Smith Phil Smith
Business correspondence is one of the most common forms of communication. However people neglect to write
business letters carefully, and may inadvertently antagonize customers, business partners and potential clients. An
effective way to write a letter is to understand the audience, know the subject and purpose of sending the letter. Business
letters follow different structure and layout in different countries. American or British format and structure are usually
followed by most countries.
1. What care should be taken while drafting a business letter?
(Hints: Letterhead – audience centric – subject clarity – purpose – concise – clear – formal language)
2. Mention the change in structure and format of business letters in US and UK with examples.
(Hints: right and left margins – address – salutation – punctuation – closing – tone – language)
(Source : http://www.dailywritingtips.com/letter-writing-101/)

16 Structure and layout of letters Business Communication and Soft Skills
65
33. Executive Summary – Why is it good or bad?

Executive Summary is a 1-minute version of the entire report which answers the reader‟s questions in
brief.
An Executive Summary is usually required in business, engineering and science reports or proposals. It is an
overview of the report restricted to a page. It is not an introduction to the project and can stand alone without
the remaining parts of the report. A good Executive Summary should inform the reader about what he can
expect in the report, persuade the reader to read the entire report, and provide crisp, precise and adequate
information. The reader can then access the findings and take action as intended.
Let us take some examples and analyze why it is good or bad:
Analysis
Executive Summary 1: Marketing
This report was commissioned to examine why the sales volume of Airfone Defining the
mobile phone instruments has dropped over the past two years since its peak in problem done
2012 and to recommend ways of increasing the volume.
Formal language
The research draws attention to the fact that in 2012, the market share of Airfone employed
mobile phones was 27%. The shares of their key competitors such as PhoneIn and
Airchoice were 18% and 15% respectively. The size of the mobile phone market Summarization of
then was $36 million. Over the next one year, although Airfone retained its Data done
market share the volume of sales in the whole market decreased to $29
million. Further investigations reveal that this market shrinkage coincided with Reasons why the
an increase in Chinese and local manufacturers offering mobile phone instruments problem occurred
with better features at throwaway prices. Since the second half of 2013, these discussed
phones were being sold through e-commerce outlets at huge discounts. These
phone manufacturers claimed that they offered customers with better features
Sentences are
worth their money. These factors appear to be the major cause of decline in sales
concise and
volume of Airfone.
precise, headings
given, paragraph
Slimette is the latest mobile phone range by the R & D Department of Airfone. division done
The report evaluates this range and concludes that this model is ideal to meet the
challenge presented by the market and could satisfy the new consumer demand. It
Suggestions
is priced less with a host of features like internet login, better camera clarity, and
incorporated
the latest android operating system to download apps. According to 87% of the
2000 customers surveyed, they agreed that Airfone has brought a better version
which is affordable and worth the cost. Recommendations
given
It is recommended that:
Bullet points used,
logical order
Airfone take immediate measures to and promote Slimette.
maintained
Slimette should satisfy its target segment of youth and college goers.
Product to be endorsed by renowned regional celebrities.
Slimette be available in e-commerce websites as well as in traditional retail
outlets.
Good
66
Executive Summary 2: Marketing Analysis

Every time a business or consumer purchases products or Long background to the
services they display forms of buyer behavior that are problem
influenced by many factors. The following report looks at the
‘bags, wallets and belts’ category and will analyze ‘Hike’ Outline of report given
products in this segment. It highlights what type of consumers is
buying or what behaviors are displayed in the purchase of this No clarity in the report, vague,
product and explain each behavior. This enables a conclusion to confusing statements and
be drawn from applying theory to reality. Although a full lacking numbers.
understanding of buying behavior is predictable, as individual
Data analysis, Suggestions and
exhibits different behaviors at different times, it may be
Recommendations not given
imperative to replicate on usual behavior patterns and try to
signal some positive behavioral revelations. Even Hike, which
is in this industry for nearly two decades, may find it difficult No bullet points used; no formal
to predict consumer-buying behavior. language, usage of negative tone.
No logical flow of sentences
Bad
An Executive Summary should be written in the last, after completing the entire report, in own words,
using formal writing style without jargons and repetition of text. The executive summary contains the
purpose and aim of the report, procedure or methodology adopted, data collection methods, results of the
study, and recommendations (if any). It should follow the same logical order of the titles in the report. It
should not exceed a page, using subtitles and bullet points make it easier for the reader to skim the text.
1. What is an executive summary? Where is it placed in a report?
(Hints: abridged version – one page – purpose and aim – methodology – results – recommendations)
2. How does the executive summary benefit the reader of the report?
(Hints: report in precise – adequate information – skim – action)
(Source : http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4bi1.html#Footnote1 )

17.3 The Elements of a report – The Business Communication and Soft Skills
Executive Summary
67
34. Influencing an investor with an Executive Summary

An Executive Summary needs to sell, convey its quintessence and capture the investor‟s interest.
An Executive Summary is written with every Business Plan or Business Report. In a Business plan, the
main objective of an Executive Summary is to create the right first impression of the project, secure the
interest of the investor, and convince him to invest. It should be clear, concise and persuasive. The
following rules can be applied while writing a persuasive Executive Summary.
Rule 1: „The opening statement‟
 A concise well-worded opening statement describing your idea; to generate curiosity in the
investor. It should be direct and specific, and not ambiguous. Include some interesting facts and
figures, the research that went in to design the idea, and people‟s names who were involved in
developing the idea; mainly how it can create the differentiation in the market.
 Example: Pied-à-terre, a terraquéorganique restaurant, will serve vegetarian organic and ethnic
foods, by procuring local produce and reducing dependency on fossil fuels for transportation.
Rule 2 : „Value Proposition‟
 A concrete statement on how the idea can solve an existing problem, how it can be used as an
opportunity to earn revenue, increase profits, improve efficiency, and reach the target segment.
Create a context on how this idea can click.
 Example: Pied-à-terre offers Bangaloreans, a trendy and social environment. Chef Abhinav
Khosla, with a large gamut of experience in sourcing ethnic ingredients for his authentic recipes,
will accentuate on healthy cuisine.
Rule 3: „The Resolution‟
 A credible information of what you are offering to which target group, is it a service or a new
product that can make people‟s life easier, what is the USP, what resources do you have, clearances
that might have to be taken, distribution channels whom you are familiar with should prove to the
investor on the background effort that been put by you and clear all his questions regarding the
project.
 Example: Pied-à-terre, to be located in the up-market area of Koramangala, would gratify to three
distinct groups – the high society clientele, the urban IT employees, and the „Page 3‟ ladies;
interested in the healthy offerings in the menu.
Rule 4: „A panorama of the prospects‟

 A clear view of the market, size and growth prospects, segmentation – a niche segment or a well-
defined target segment, reach, revenue earnings, break-even should be provided so that the investor
gets a picture-like clarity in your business plan.
 Example: Pied-à-terre will be managed by a strong management team who has huge experience in
the hospitality industry with Aditya Puri, a known face, heading the team. Abhinav Khosla and his
team have won several international awards in food fests. Abhinav Khosla has also published a
book on high quality, nutritious and grease-free cooking menus. Pied-à-terre will earn its break-
even in three years from the date of inception and is expected to earn a modest 15% profit margin
after one year, higher growth revenue earnings from the fifth year.
Rule 5: „The competitive edge‟

 A correct dimension of similar players in the market, how yours is different from the others, how it
can gain over competition, benefits of investing on it now should be conveyed.
68
 Example: Pied-à-terre, will be a great dining option, with exclusive interior design, intriguing
atmosphere and gastronomy delight for the niche target group. Customer contentment, investor
profits and employee satisfaction would be the primary motto of this restaurant.
Rule 6: „Your unique business model‟

 A concrete business model that will leverage your idea to prosper, withstand probable competition,
earn expected revenues, profit margins, sustain in the market, possible growth opportunities in the
next three to five years should be stated. The basic prerequisites like licenses, permissions,
registrations should also be mentioned.
 Example: Pied-à-terre will be a medium sized stand-alone restaurant in the prime neighbourhood of
Koramangala. Though the primary concern is to earn 30% profits in three years, huge significance
will be given to serving superior quality non-greasy food, high service-quality and clean
maintenance of its premises thus working on its brand value.
 For essential clearances, the management has appointed Keshav Natarajan, as Financial Advisor
who has already applied to the Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Pollution Control Department, Indian
Oil Corporation and Karnataka Electricity Board. The company is registered for service tax and
VAT, professional tax and income tax. After three years, based on the growth of this restaurant,
new outlets in other areas of Bangalore will be planned.
Rule 7: „People resources‟

 A list of all the people, their qualifications, expertise, experience, accomplishments who can add
value to the project can influence the investor.
 Example: Pied-à-terre will be headed by Aditya Puri, former CEO of Hotel Westland, Keshav
Natarajan, former Finance Secretary as Financial Advisor and Aditya Khosla, former Head Chef of
Hotel Sierra as the Head Chef. 8 junior chefs will be appointed by Aditya Khosla in the next 15
days.
Rule 8: „Assurance‟
 A summary of the financial projections highlighting the return of investment; a detailed analysis of
investment, working capital, cost of manufacturing, profits, expenses, taxes, distribution,
workforce, customers for the next five years should be calculated.
 Example: Aditya Puri and Keshav Natarajan have invested Rs. 25 lakhs for the lease of the location
for the next three years. Aditya Khosla has invested Rs. 10 lakhs for the interiors. An amount of
Rs. 5 lakhs has been taken as loan from SBI for the furnishing. Pied-à-terre would require a
working capital of Rs. 50 lakhs for one year of operations with 20 employees on board by the next
one month. It is expected to have served at least 200,000 customers in the next six months. A
profit margin of 15% is expected after one year, 25% by the end of second year.
Rule 9: „Proposal‟
 A bid for the amount that is required to cover all the major costs and to be able to reach a certain
milestone should be demanded. A mention should also be made if any capital would be required
further; to expand or diversify. It is better to put a proposal for a higher amount than to fall short
later.
 Example: Pied-à-terre would require a working capital of Rs. 50 lakhs for the next one year, 30
lakhs for the second year. At the end of three years, Pied-à-terre would increase the number of
outlets to 3 in different parts of Bangalore and would require an approximate amount of Rs. 1 crore.
The Executive Summary for a Business Plan can extend up to two pages with simple and specific sentences.
The entire summary of the business plan has to be put in a nutshell. Care should be taken to maintain a
positive tone in the value proposition and competitive edge statements. These rules are not rigid and can be
customized as per specific requirements based on the industry and sector.
69
An Executive Summary is like an „elevator pitch‟ which is edited to perfection. It can take
upto two pages and acts as a substitute to the main business plan. It should introduce you, the
company, and the product, which sells hard to your investor. It should convince the investor that
it is a great idea which is worth spending his time and money. The Executive Summary should
be written at the last, after the business plan is written.
1. What are the elements in a report?
(Hints: Executive Summary – Introduction – Objectives – Data collection – Analysis – Findings –
Recommendations – Conclusion)
2. How does an executive summary act like an „elevator pitch?
(Hints: substitute to the business plan – details of company and product –convince – interest – action)
(Source : http://www.garage.com/resources/writing-a-compelling-executive-summary/)

17.3 The Elements of a report – The Business Communication and Soft Skills
Executive Summary skills
70
35. SMART Objectives

An objective statement should be specific, precise, concise, clear and goal-oriented.
An objective statement in a report summarizes the goals on which the report is prepared and is placed in the
introduction of the report. The objective statements should be infinitive statements (beginning with „to‟) and
specific on the outcomes that has to be accomplished. Objective statements follow the SMART technique –
Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. The opening statements of the report begin like:
 This paper intends to / furnishes details on/ provides an explanation of/ confirms on/ discusses on…
 The purpose of this report/document/ research is to ….
Analysis of objective statements:
 To describe the changes that is observed in automotive industry.

– Vague and ambiguous, what changes are being observed, what aspects are taken into
consideration, will the report talk about the effects of these changes, what is the time
period being considered.
 This paper will cover the different ways this company can be organized.
– Obscure and misleading, what are „different ways‟, „company can be organized‟, which
company, lack of specificity,
Types of objectives are:

Behavioral objectives:
 To gain competency in AutoCAD software – Solid Edge V20 by the end of the course.
 To employ strategies to improve employee productivity in the sales department by June
2015.
Performance objectives:
 To increase sales of auto ancillary parts by 15% in the 4 th Quarter of 2014.
 To present two acquisition plans for auto clutch manufacturing units based on quality and
quantity by the end of this fiscal year.
Process objectives:
 To evaluate the workflow process for receiving and responding customer calls with the
objective of speeding up response times by January 31 st, 2015.
 To develop a system to monitor the quality review process by January 15, 2015.
Research objectives:
 To conduct research on the credit collection strategies and draft a report recommending
two thoroughly detailed and realistic options for changes of strategy that may mitigate the
current problem by the second week of March 2015.
 To identify factors and document social networks and communication channels that
facilitates rapid dissemination of product „Accelor‟ information and adoption of improved
practices before the commencement of the next financial year.
71
Writing a report requires careful planning. These four steps lay the foundation for any report -
defining the problem and the purpose, identifying and organizing the issues for investigation,
conducting research, analyzing and interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and developing
recommendations. Once the writer has determined the problem, he can write a clear statement of
purpose that will define the objective statements of the report and what it should accomplish. He
has to first identify the areas that need to be investigated by breaking down the objectives into its
related aspects.
1. State the steps in writing a report?
(Hints: problem – investigate – research – analyze – interpret – conclusion - recommendations)
2. Objective statements follow SMART approach. Explain by writing different types of objective
statements.
(Hints: specific – measurable – achievable – realistic – time bound)
(Source : http://faculty.washington.edu/ezent/imwps.htm)

18.4 Four steps in writing a report Business Communication and Soft Skills
72
36. SMART Recommendations

Recommendations in a report are a logical extension of the conclusions.
Recommendations are written only when it requires some decisions or actions have to be taken. Inclusion
of Recommendations in the Executive Summary section of the report is being widely accepted by time-
driven companies these days. Recommendations become relevant when the content and the style of
expression follow consistency and specificity. They are stand-alone pages which might be referred to at a
later date. Approvals for taking action are dependent on the „Recommendations‟.
The opening statements of the Recommendations page can be: It is recommended that…./ The board
resolves to approve….Bulleted or numbered points are to be used for clarity and record purposes as each
point may require different actions to be taken.
Scenario: Telephone is a telecom service organization. Lately a large number of customer complaints have
been received regarding their „VAS – value added services‟. The management hires two MBA interns to
conduct a research of its customers and provide recommendations. Let us analyze the recommendations
drafted below:
Recommendations Analysis
On account of the customer complaints received and Formal language, usage of modal verbs (should
lack of guidelines of untrained customer service and could) for action statements, would and will
persons attending to customers; the following for result statements to be used,
guidelines are made regarding compensating the Feasible recommendations should be only
customer, staff training, new staff monitoring provided:
techniques and revision of guidelines: Cost/benefit analysis:
Providing compensation to the customers, free
Customer compensation: Since it is a justifiable additional usage, and training for all customer
complaint, reimbursement should be given to the service personnel may prove expensive for the
customer to gain his goodwill, give him 7-days of company.
additional usage to force him to continue using our Opportunity cost:
VAS and thus maintain a good relationship with the It should be considered if it is profitable for all
company. staff to undergo training as the normal routine
Staff Training: Since the customer service personnel work may get disturbed - is the cost of solving
could not offer viable solutions, a special training problem more or the cost of training – which is
program should be embarked for all the customer more workable?
service personnel and a book of rules and regulations as Analysis of problem:
reference should be provided to them. Application of 5 „why‟s? to the problem:
Why did the customer complain?
New staff monitoring techniques: Every customer Why was the customer service person not able
service personnel should be accompanied by a CRM – to handle the queries?
customer relationship manager when they handle
Why didn‟t the customer service person follow
customers for at least two months. Strict rules and
guidelines of the company?
regulations as per rulebook should be followed by all in
Why was the customer service person serving
the company.
customers who was not familiarized with the
„VAS‟ services?
Why didn‟t the company anticipate this
problem?
73
SMART way of writing Recommendations:
SMART Impractical Practical

Specific- State the method We should increase sales. Applying a good marketing campaign,
the sales can be increased.
Measurable – Be persuasive as We should increase sales. By allocating 10% more on advertising
sometimes goodwill, reputation budget, and celebrity endorsements,
are difficult to measure sales will increase by 15%.
Achievable – should not involve All customer service Only customer service personnel who
too much money, resources, personnel should undergo do not meet standardized performance
facilities, or risk training. metrics should undergo training.
Realistic – result-oriented We should offer 20% more Customers could be given a single-use
statements service usage to customers test voucher for 3 days on new VAS.
Time-bound – realistic deadlines The customer service Customer service personnel should
for completion of personnel should not cater complete the practical 3-week training
recommendations to customers course before they serve customers.
Writing a report requires careful planning. These four steps lay the foundation for any report - defining the
problem and the purpose, identifying and organizing the issues for investigation, conducting research,
analyzing and interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and developing recommendations based on the
evidence gathered over the course of research. All the conclusions must be derived from the facts and
information contained in the report. A “conclusion” is an interpretation of what the facts mean; a
“recommendation” suggests what ought to be done about the facts. Recommendations must be based on
logical analysis and sound conclusions.
(Source : http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eiw/report_recommendations.htm)

18.6 Concluding the report Business Communication and Soft Skills
1. Write a few words on the steps to follow in writing the conclusion of a report?
(Hints: facts – interpretation – logical analysis – sound conclusion statements)
2. Recommendations also follow SMART approach. Explain with two examples.
(Hints: specific – measurable – achievable – realistic – time bound)
74
37. Subtle data Presentation Techniques

Four elements of „big data‟ efforts are data collection, data reporting, data analysis and data
presentation.
The best companies in the world provide an optimum allocation of time (15%), money (20%) and people
(15%) for data collection, data reporting and data analysis. But data presentation which generates
credibility and visual interpretation to the data and enables a leader to take strategic decisions is completely
being overlooked. Visual presentation of data through various tools is an art. Simple errors can limit the
effectiveness of communicating data. A good presenter should avoid these common errors while processing
data:
1. Treat your data presentation as your brand:
Customer Acquisition growth by channel US

US Customer Acquisition growth by channel;
% of customers
25 25 Organic
Organic
Search Search
20 Email 20 Email
% of customers
Facebook Facebook
15 15
Twitter Twitter
10
10
5
5
0
0
2009 2010 2011 2012 Q2 2013
2009 2010 2011 2012 Q2
2013
Source: Custora ecommerce acquisition Source: Custora ecommerce acquisition snapshot, 2013, McKinsey
Customer Survey 2012
snapshot, 2013, McKinsey Customer Survey 2012
2. Simplify and focus on data:
Problems on graph on LHS Corrections on graph on RHS

Title of the graph in two lines, placed weirdly Rephrased title for the graph, placed in the center
Description of Y-axis not given Description of Y-axis given
X – Axis represents years, but the last point is Assuming the data is considered for only two
showing Quarter 2 of 2013 only, is the data quarters in all the years
considered for only two quarters in all the years?
Source attribution font big and dark Adjusted source attribution with font small and light
color
Q3 2014 Cost-per-click Trending (in $) Q3 YOY Cost-Per-Click Change (in $)
Non-Brand Non Brand Brand

Desktop Mobile Desktop Mobile Desktop Mobile
Benchmark Q3 Y/Y Benchmark Q3 Y/Y Company 34% 16% -5% -45%
P
CPC Change CPC Change (14.5) (6.75) (1.51) (1.92)
Company P 14.50 34% Company P 6.75 -16%
Category 10.60 35% Category 5.45 45%
Category 35% 45% 15% 12
Brand
Desktop Mobile (10.60) (5.45) (1.67) (1.54)
Benchmark Q3 Y/Y Benchmark Q3 Y/Y
CPC change CPC change
Company P 1.51 -5% Company P 1.92 -45%
Category 1.67 15% Category 1.54 12%
75

Focus of the graph on CPC – Focus on Economic value and Profit rather than CPC; as one CPC can earn a
Cost per click profit of $20; (for example)
Lot of categories: Year on Focus more on YOY change as it more important for business decisions, and
year (YOY), brand, nonbrand, simplify the data representation for easy comprehension, use colors
desktop, mobile, company judiciously with bold font.
and category
3. Standardize data for easy identification:
Company Q Paid vs Organic view Company Q Paid vs Organic view

2500000 2500000
2000000 Organic views 2000000

Paid views
1500000 1500000
1000000 1000000
500000 500000
0 0
Video A received 5 earned views for every 1 paid Videos Earned Paid Organic
Video B received 1 earned view for every 10 paid A 500 100
views
Video C received 2 earned views for every 1.8 paid B 10 100
Video is almost 100% paid C 111 100
D 100
4. Get rid of confusions:

Bad formatted axis, time periods, cluttered info Decide what the focus of the graph is: Paid news in
this case;
Total views and % Earned
Additional effort to understand the text below the Use an index of 100, calculate in excel and paste in
graph the table
Research to Purchase
decision through
online
Awareness Consideration Purchase 100%
90%
80%
70%
When making the
When symptoms When researching which decision to purchase 60%
occurred? treatment to take? allergy medication? 50%
54%
40%
46%
Use online resources 30%
34%
20%
10%
34% 54% 46% 0%

Awareness Research on Making
of symptoms treatments Purchase
decision
Resources used to learn about health and treatment information

76

Bad pictures (magnifying glass) repetition of phrases Simplify the title, define the three processes to
(use online sources) arrow boxes and bad title three bars, focusing on online (red color), give
importance to data
5. Work on visualization than on textual descriptions:
Reach Your Audience through Search Search Opportunity

100%
Total Topic Mobile 90% 45
Searches Searches Audience 80%
100 45+ 42% 70%

60%
Mobile
Million Million searches on
50%
40%
10
Searches in Weight weight 30%
45
Company Z Management management 20%
related
topics in 10+ 55% 10%
0%
100 Million Company Z topics
2014
Million YTY growth
on mobile
Monitors searches on
monitors
Multiple agendas, complex to spot the parameters Identify the key point – Search opportunity, in this
case; simplify text to two main parameters: weight
management and monitors, use fading colors to
show increase in searches
The effort put for collecting and analyzing data, reporting in excel, dashboard, spread sheet or report should
be visually complemented by using the right techniques for making decisions in the right direction.
(Source : http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/data-presentation-tips-focus-think-simplify-visualize/)
(All graphs have been adapted from the source mentioned above)
Data presentation through visual aids helps to communicate the subject matter clearly. A graph or table is
easier for the audience to understand as compared to a paragraph. Visual aids clarify and simplify data. The
writers should know the techniques to make the data comprehensible and complex data easy to understand.
The most commonly used visual aids are tables, bar charts, line charts, pie charts, maps, flowcharts,
diagrams, and photographs. Floor plans, photographs, diagrams, cartoons, blueprints, are other visual aids.
The increased availability of graphics and sophisticated drawing software is leading to the inclusion of
more complex visuals in reports and oral presentations. The ease with which the software can be used has
also contributed to the increased use of visuals in internal reports of an organization.
1. State the advantages of representing data through visual aids?
(Hints: clarify and simplify data – comprehension – tables and charts – software drawings)
2. How can data presentation increase the understanding of complex data and reduction in confusion?
(Hints: simplify – focus – standardize data – avoid confusion – visuals better than text or spread sheet)

19.4 Selecting a suitable visual aid Business Communication and Soft Skills
77
38. Latest tools for data interpretation

Visualization of Data interpretation helps to draw attention and unearth patterns from statistical data.
The entire world is dependent on data and interpretation is a challenge for many. Visualization of data
enables to study the statistical pattern which ordinary tables cannot do. The clear information aids in
decision-making. New visualization tools are now available on the web depending on the need of presenter.
1. Dygraphs: Open flexible source JavaScript to interpret dense data. It‟s highly customizable, works
on all browsers, smart phones and tablets.
2. Wolfram Alpha: A „Computational knowledge engine‟ that intelligently displays charts and handles
data queries without the need for any configuration.
3. Visual.ly: A combined gallery and info graphics generation tool to get spectacular data visualizations
and allow the user to innovate on it.
4. jQuery Visualize: An open source, free download charting plugin to draw different types of charts,
with ARIA support and reader-friendly.
5. jqPlot: A solution for line and point charts, with an option to automatically generate trend lines and
interactive points which can be adjusted by the website visitor and update the dataset.
6. Cross filter: A great interactive tool for large amounts of data, able to restrict the range of data and see
other linked charts.
7. R: A powerful software environment for computing statistical data and graphics. It is a complex tool
and the user takes some time to get accustomed to it.
8. Weka: A powerful tool to explore, classify and cluster data based on various attributes – has the
ability to generate simple plots.
Visual aids in a presentation help to communicate the subject matter clearly. A graph or table is easier for
the audience to understand as compared to a paragraph. Visual aids clarify and simplify data. The writers
should know the techniques to make the data comprehensible and complex data easy to understand. The
most commonly used visual aids are tables, bar charts, line charts, pie charts, maps, flowcharts, diagrams,
and photographs. Floor plans, photographs, diagrams, cartoons, blueprints, are other visual aids. The
increased availability of graphics and sophisticated drawing software is leading to the inclusion of more
complex visuals in reports and oral presentations. The ease with which the software can be used has also
contributed to the increased use of visuals in internal reports of an organization.
1. How has technology helped in creating visual aids in a report?
(Hints: data representation techniques – software – apps)
2. Select any two visual data presentation techniques mentioned above which are useful for your
profession?
(Hints: jqPlot – line and point chart and trends – Dygraphs – compatible to all devices and browsers)
(Source : http://www.creativebloq.com/design-tools/data-visualization-712402)

19.4 Selecting a suitable visual aid Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
78
39. 8 most Ridiculous Grammatical Mistakes

Users of Reddit and Quora have listed the worst grammatical mistakes made in English.
People get aggravated when they come across grammatical mistakes. It is observed that people make
mistakes in the usage of possessive nouns, prepositions, adjectives, homophones and punctuations like
apostrophe. A list of the most common and frustrating grammar mistakes is provided below.
Mistakes Grammar Explanation Examples

„It‟s instead of It‟s‟ is a short form of „It is‟, It‟s that time of the year when discount offers
„its‟ „its‟ is a possessive noun to keep attracting the customers.
denote ownership The construction of the house is nearing its
completion.
„I‟ and „me‟ in „I‟ is used as a subject, „me‟ I am putting all my efforts to crack the technical
the wrong places as the object, me is followed interview.
by a preposition like on, of, Mr. Kaushik informed me of the change in
from, in, etc. timings in the working hours.
Apostrophe Apostrophe is not used for A boom in the markets was observed in the early
catastrophe possessive nouns like yours, 1990s.
ours; for verbs and for plural Microsoft‟s new CEO is Satya Nadella, an expert
verbs like 1960s, apples, etc. in cloud computing.
It is used for contraction of Rinu‟s and Vinu‟s projects have to be completed
words like „it is‟ „do not‟ „will by this Saturday.
not‟, etc.
„Than‟ and „then‟ „Than‟ is used for comparison The team finished the on-board formalities and
and „then‟ to denote time. then left for the training department.
Kiran is harder working than Souvik.
Homophones like Homophones are pronounced There is a contractual clause in their agreement
„their‟ and the same but have different formalities.
„there‟, „you‟re‟ meanings. You‟re requested to book your ticket for the next
and „your‟, morning flight to Bangkok.
„affect‟ and You will feel the effect of this medicine before
„effect‟, etc.: you reach home but this might affect your kidneys
if taken for a long time.
„Less‟ and Uncountable nouns use „less‟ Fewer students have chosen HR as their major
„fewer‟ and countable nouns use specialization.
„fewer‟. Please talk less so that I can concentrate on my
project.
„Loose‟ and „Loose‟ is an adjective I want a shirt in size „M‟, size „L‟ is too loose for
„lose‟ whereas „lose‟ is something me.
which you do not possess Keep your debit cards safely, or you may lose it.
now.
„Too‟ instead of „To‟ is a preposition or used The performance appraisal is too good to be true.
„to‟ to start an infinitive while To apply SPSS software and analyze the data
„too‟ is an adverb to express collection.
excess.
Writing skills and proper grammatical skills are important for a manager, as he/she has to manage a
large amount of communication within and outside of the organization. Proper grammar and punctuation
help readers extract meaning from a sentence and provide clarity. Proper paragraph division and logical
order of sentences improve coherence to the written document. Communication, both oral and written
must be clear, precise and thoughtfully structured, if it has to be effective. Usage of some words has to
done with proper care as it may prove the carelessness and ignorance of the writer.
79
1. Discuss the change in meaning of these homophones – there and there, desert and dessert, foreword
and forward, assent and ascent, diary and dairy, device and devise, pain and pane, signs and science,
principle and principal, quiet and quiet, advice and advise.
2. Discuss when and how to use apostrophe in a sentence with examples.
(Hints: possessive nouns – contractions)
(Source : http://www.businessinsider.in/15-Annoying-Grammatical-Mistakes-That-People-Always-
Make/articleshow/30238783.cms)

20 Review of writing skills Business Communication and Soft Skills
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40. Impact of poor grammar skills in business

Employees with good English grammar skills are critical to business.
An article in Harvard Business Review titled „I won‟t hire people who use poor grammar‟ incited a lot of
debate about how important grammar skills are for business. English grammar skills, is felt, to be directly
proportional to a person‟s attitude, his learning ability and job performance. Language skills help in
expression of ideas, thoughts and aspirations. The language, grammar and punctuation skills help to portray
ourselves and to build and sustain human relationships which are important in business as business‟s main
business is interaction between people.
Loss of „Fifteen minutes of fame‟ due to poor English grammar skills:
 A poor impression is formed about a person who makes mistakes in the spelling or punctuation in
his résumé, email, or a business report. He is thought to be lethargic, uninformed or too casual in
his approach. He is compared to a person who is dressed meticulously but cannot speak in a legible
manner.
 A person‟s brand image is dependent on the way he molds himself to both his personal life and
professional career. The right language skills depend on the environment, his beliefs and what
situation a person faces at that moment which adds to his credibility.
Reasons for the skill gap:

In a survey conducted among 430 employers by SHRM, 45% of the companies are training their employees
on language and English grammar skills. The reasons cited by them for the increase in the skill gap is that,
the present generation has grown up with a change of values; who are accustomed to tweeting, texting, or
messaging; and who think intelligence is not measured through spelling, punctuation and grammar but on
work performance.
Outcome of poor language and grammar skills:
 Limitation of opportunities for individuals who present a poorly drafted résumé and for employees
with poor language skills expecting a promotion.
 A survey of 100 LinkedIn profiles of English native speakers (belonging to the consumer packaging
industry) indicated that those profiles with significant language problems and grammatical mistakes
reduced their chances of climbing the career ladder and increased turnover.
English language and grammar skills are important for a manager as he has to manage a large amount of
communication within and outside the organization. Proper grammar and punctuation help readers extract
meaning from a sentence and provide clarity. Proper paragraph division and logical order of sentences
improve coherence to the written document. Communication, both oral and written must be clear, precise
and thoughtfully structured, if it has to be effective.
1. Writing skills and grammatical skills are important for a manager. Discuss
(Hints: manage oral and written communication – flow of thought – clarity – employee relations)
2. What are the reasons for the skill gap in English language and grammar skills in today‟s
employees?
(Hints: mother tongue influence – technology – attitudinal change)
(Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140615214931-35090767-why-good-grammar-matters)

20.5 Paragraphs Business Communication and Soft Skills
81
Business Communication & Soft Skills
Block III:
Managing the Self

41. Google: Is there a need for Managers?
42. Managerial Effectiveness: Bad, Good or Great
43. Manage stress as the successful do
44. Consequences of stress and ways to combat it
45. It is time to budget time
46. Productivity through productive use of collective time
47. Secrets of the #1 innovation company, Salesforce.com
48. Business and Creativity go hand-in-hand
82
Block III: Managing the Self
41. Google: Is there a need for Managers?

Efficient Managers work towards aligning organizational goals by ensuring employee satisfaction,
work-life balance and career development.
The founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin wanted to have a flat organization and believed that
their highly talented, handpicked engineers should work on design and innovation rather than
communicating with their supervisors. However; as the company grew, employees began directly contacting
them for trivial issues. This led to the commencement of Project Oxygen, a multiyear research initiative, to
analyze and develop management behaviors through hands-on guidance.
Project Oxygen dealt with bringing-in the best People‟s management practices validated through data
analytics. Qualitative and quantitative Google Geist interviews, annual employee surveys, and performance
appraisals were conducted across three major functions (engineering, global business, general and
administrative) to identify and select „The Great Manager‟. The key findings are:
 Eight key attributes of a Great Manager:

 Act as a coach and build trust.
 Empower engineers and do not micromanage them.
 Be a Strategic communicator (provide feedback, state clear goals, vision and strategy).
 Eliminate obstacles that prevent innovation.
 Be productive and result-oriented.
 Possess essential technical skills to give advice when needed.
 Understand individual needs and values to solve difficult situations.
 Work towards career advancement of the team.
 Manager‟s efficiency is directly proportional to team performance – greater job satisfaction,
innovation, work-life balance and career advancement.
Training and development sessions were conducted for low-scoring managers wherein a remarkable
improvement was observed in the areas of coaching, career development and providing better visibility to
ideas and strategy.
Project Oxygen brought a significant impact on the perception of Google‟s “A” level Knowledge workers in
rating the degree of collaboration, transparency of performance appraisals, commitment to innovation and
risk taking whilst gaining autonomy. It was also able to institutionalize and internalize the most essential
behaviors of highly effective Managers. The data analysis and responses at Google proved that there is
indeed a need for Managers who possess Soft Skills.
Efficient managers themselves and manage others, i.e., start at a personal level and then to the
personnel level. Efficient Managers can contribute by working towards goals and providing results,
establish values, develop commitment and work towards career growth of the team.
1. Efficient managers need to develop both personally and professionally. Explain
(Hints: goals – values – commitment – results – career growth)
2. Project Oxygen helped Google realize that there is a need for managers who possess Soft skills.
Identify the attributes of effective managers.
(Hints: trust – empowerment – communicator – visionary – drive results - coach)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-google-sold-its-engineers-on-management)

21.3 Managerial effectiveness Business Communication and Soft Skills
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42. Managerial Effectiveness – Bad, Good or Great

Effective Managers lead by example, influence and empower the team to learn and grow.
Managers should work towards employee engagement by creating an environment for people to take
initiative and function better. They should work towards generating more leaders by equipping them with
sufficient skills and experience. A good leader is one who is supportive and not authoritative. A manager‟s
effectiveness can be distinguished on the ways he functions with his employees and how they both work
together in congruence with the organization‟s goals.
Distinguishing Managerial Effectiveness based on how they function:
Organizations should also channelize their approach towards employees to be more consultative than being
authoritative. Instead of providing a „top-down‟ diktat of working styles, the stakeholders have to be
involved in different capacities to generate ideas, solve problems and make decisions. This leads to better
office environment, happier customers and better company reputation and identity.
Types Qualities Results

Bad Tell employees what to do Dysfunctional office
Dictates orders, commands and controls environment, Employees
Directs employees, not interested in explanation function as machines, lack
Zero tolerance for enquiries of employee engagement,
Works according to his whims and fancies quality, productivity ,
customer service, creates
fear
Good Explain why they need to do it Sense of ownership among
Does not force to accept change employees due to
Solves problems through collaboration involvement in solving
Encourages employees to provide solutions problems, both individual
Explains why something needs to be done and group functioning
Great Involve people in decision making and improvement Growth, learning and
Persuades employees to think beyond and generate ideas development, job
Need not tell people what to do satisfaction, accept
Engages them to design their working standards and challenges and work
continual improvement beyond their comfort zone,
Provides challenges to them to improve and bring-in treats them as adults,
change if required builds trust and creates a
Trusts and respects the employees win-win for all stake
holders in the organization
Effective managers identify the strengths of the team members, set high goals, motivate them, provide
constructive criticism and help them to improve. Effective managers concentrate more on the quality of
work and achievement of results rather than worrying about the tools and techniques that are used.
Managerial effectiveness is not only measured by personality traits but by the performance of the people
working under them.
1. What are the qualities of an effective manager?
(Hints: strengths of the team – high goals – motivate – constructive criticism – encourage
performance)
2. What are the qualities that define managers to be great, good or bad?
(Hints: authoritative – consultative – involvement – appreciation – trust – challenges)
(Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237470 and
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140911010334-81312-what-bad-managers-good-
managers-and-great-managers-do)
21.3 Managerial Effectiveness Business Communication and Soft Skills
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43. Manage stress as the successful do

Stress Management for successful people means combating their emotions by staying calm and
composed.
Stress brings about anxiety which leads to action. When the body is suffering from stress, new cells grow in
the brain which enhances memory. The attention span increases resulting in better performance of the tasks.
But this is only when the body feels moderately stressed. Prolonged stress causes distress. Risk of heart
disease, depression, obesity and low cognitive skills begin to surface. Successful people have developed
strategies to retain stress at intermittent levels and constantly boost performance. Employing these strategies
at the right instances or during stressful situations is the major challenge.
Successful people manage stress through these strategies:
1. Be grateful for what you have – reduces the stress hormone „cortisol‟ by 23%, and hence improves
mood, energy and physical welfare.
2. Don‟t ask “What if” questions – will lead you nowhere, create worry and stress.
3. Be positive – positive thoughts provide focus and direction, helps to avoid stress.
4. Go offline with electronic gadgets – switching off the telephone (example: during weekends), taking
email breaks at particular time slots lowers stress.
5. Reduce intake of caffeine – regulates the secretion of adrenaline, enhances rational thinking, and
lessens behavioral problems and “fight-or-flight” responses.
6. Go to sleep – recharges the brain, increases emotional intelligence, self-control, attention, memory,
and decreases the secretion of stress hormones.
7. Don‟t think negative – rub off all negative thoughts, develop a positive attitude, love yourself.
8. Confirm your outlook – unveil why some things went wrong, change your perspective and responses
and walk over the stressors.
9. Be mindful – let go all distractions, breathe easy and live for the moment.
10. Ask for help – talk openly, take assistance and strengthen relationships.
Stress Management arises due to the demands placed and the individual‟s inability to cope with those
demands. Stress is an involuntary physical reaction and causes harmful effects on one‟s body and mind. It
affects both the individual and the environment in which he lives. It may have its effect on the individual‟s
family, work, and society as well.
1. What is meant by stress? Differentiate between eustress and distress.
(Hints: physical reaction – body and mind – healthy – unhealthy)
2. How do successful people manage stress?
(Hints: healthy lifestyle – positive attitude – resting – exercising – offline)
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/02/06/how-successful-people-stay-calm/)

22.6 Strategies for coping with stress Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
85
44. Consequences of stress and ways to combat it

Stress management is required for the current workforce as they face undue competition, downscaling,
and erratic work schedules.
For the last fifty years, development of communication technology has resulted in employees constantly
adapting to new technology while being wired to their work 24/7. People have been facing work-life
imbalance leading to both physical and psychological stress. Companies have evolved from machine
productivity to human productivity. Personal success is directly proportional to personnel output. Other
external factors like materialism and social media are compounding to the stress levels. Several surveys
consisting of employees across the globe were conducted to understand the reasons and outcomes of stress.
Factors and consequences of stress:
 Inadequacy of personnel, feeling of anxiety due to stringent deadlines

 Techno stress due to being connected to work 24/7.
 Wanting to earn more to fulfil social status and materialistic wants – incentive based work culture
 Less employee engagement, productivity, high absenteeism, and rise in employee attrition.
 Increase of suicides related to acute work pressure among corporate workforce, farmers, students,
and athletes.
 Increase of stress over the past five years, domino effect of stress seen among the group members,
chronic stress leading to advancement of aging and serious health issues.
Companies employing ways to minimize stress:
 To consider an employee‟s social happiness – change of policies, leave for family medical care and
child care.
 To allow employees to design their work schedules for better commitment and loyalty
 To introduce stress relieving techniques like yoga, meditation and exercise, food and gym facilities.
 To analyze the real-time stress levels of employees, Niko Niko, a firm in San Francisco has
developed a „mood-analytics‟ software (used in 50 companies). Work-life balance, stress, and work
pressure is tested and this data has been used to suggest measures and monitor the employees‟ well-
being.
Suggestions on behavioral changes to deal with work pressure:
 Acceptance of responsibilities leading to better performance

 Showing optimism even when criticized
 Maintaining focus on work
 Being confident and enthusiastic, not feeling anxious.
 Taking care of health – considering minute things like body posture and sugar levels.
 Respecting and caring for others.
Stress Management includes handling stress effectively by planning, setting realistic goals, taking
regular breaks, exercising – to stay in control and gain work-life balance. Stress arises due to the
demands placed on an individual and his ability to face them. Sources of stress can be both internal
and external. Internal stress is due to the individual‟s personality, whereas external stress results from
the environmental influences surrounding him. Work-related stress, job stress, techno stress are some
types of stress experienced by today‟s workforce.
86
1. What are the different kinds of stress experienced by today‟s employees?
(Hints: personal - job – technical – time)
2. Identify some ways to minimize stress in everyday work routine.
(Hints: yoga – exercises – healthy food – regular breaks – focus – optimism – positivity)
(Source : http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/stressed-work-youre-alone/)

22.4 Sources of stress Business Communication and Soft Skills
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45. It is time to budget time

Time management can increase a company‟s productivity, innovation and profits.
Andy Grove, former Intel CEO once said, “Just as you would not permit a fellow employee to steal a piece
of office equipment, you shouldn‟t let anyone walk away with the time of his fellow managers.” It is
observed that employees spend a lot of work time on emails, instant messaging, telephones, video
conferences, and meetings. Bain & Company used Volumetric, an analytical tool to understand the time
budgeting of 17 large corporations and the results are as follows:
 Electronic communications – Metcalfe‟s law states that the value of telecommunications increases
exponentially with the size of the company. It is observed that an executive receives around 200
emails a day, i.e., 30,000 emails a year – which means he spends an entire day in a week on emails.
 Attending meetings – Executives are busy attending meetings both face-to-face and electronically
for 300,000 hours a year (15% of an organization‟s annual collective time) which does not include
the work time spent on preparation of these meetings. The “Ripple Effects” of Excom meetings is
calculated below:
– 1 executive committee (excom) meeting every week = 7000 hours a year.
– 11 unit heads meet with their senior advisors to prepare for the excom meeting;
 Each session = 1800 hours of employee time annually.
 11 such unit sessions = 20,000 hours a year.
– Each of 21 teams spend nearly 3000 hours every year to synthesize information from prep
meetings;
 21 team meetings = 63000 hours a year.
– More than 130 meetings of workers in team meetings amounting to 1500 hours per year;
 130 prep meetings = 210,000 hours a year.
 Importance is given to share information and there is limited collaboration and brain storming
activities across functions, inter department, and global businesses.
 Dysfunctional meeting behavior due to parallel processing (attending a meeting and working on
emails simultaneously) or double booking (choosing which meeting to attend to).
 No review of time considered while slotting meetings or for fixing problems.
 Senior executives‟ rate more than half the meetings as ineffective and unproductive.
Eight best practices for Time Management:
 Develop a clear agenda – Prioritize time to focus on urgent matters and avoid or postpone
unimportant activities.
 Design a time budget – Eliminate unimportant meetings.
 Consider incorporating new initiatives – by developing business cases.
 Reduce management layers – for easier flow of information and operational excellence.
 Empower specific people and save time – while conduction and preparation of meetings.
 Regulate decision-making process – for efficiency and reduction of time.
 Develop time controls for all employees – for all the above-mentioned duties.
 Explore time measurement metrics – time factors affecting employee productivity.
Time Management is essential, as it is a very precious resource, which cannot be stored for future use.
Efficiently organizing and prioritizing tasks improves both employee and organization productivity thereby
increasing in profits.
88
1. Time Management is essential as it is a very precious source. Explain
(Hints: organizing – planning - prioritizing –internal and external time wasters)
2. What are the best practices to manage time?
(Hints: time logs – time budget – time control – time measurement - empowering people – metrics)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2014/05/your-scarcest-resource/ar/1)

23.4 Analysis of time Business Communication and Soft Skills
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46. Productivity through productive use of collective time

Collective time management through connectivity and collaboration is the new challenge in today‟s
workplaces.
Today‟s workplaces expect employees to function 24/7 having constant connectivity through internet,
laptops and smart phones. It is easier to figure out how to manage one‟s individual time, but emphasis is
now more on how to manage collective team time productively. Varied experiments on effective
management of collective time were conducted in a range of organizations which enabled the teams to
increase their productivity.
Probable issues for some companies due to interference in time management and ways to solve it:
 For companies who work across different time zones, who need to work 24/7, who have rigid
deadlines, who need to work offshore as per client requirements, who need to be continuously
Sector Aim Strategy Result

Consulting To improve Permission to team members to Higher job satisfaction, better work-
quality of life spend one-week night out of life balance, learning more on the
office and completely unplug job.
from work.
Technical To provide Freedom to apply unique Improvement in team coordination

independence approaches to perform tasks and identification of innovative
for process with efficiency processes, better efficiency.
innovation
Pharma To eliminate Cancellation of meetings (both Saved commuting time, no corridor
interruptions face-to-face and virtual) for one discussions, better productivity and
day of the week, working from work quality. Meetings became
home smaller in size, shorter, focused, and
less frequent.
Retail To have Permission to employees to take Enhanced employee engagement,
„Control of our off one afternoon once in two productivity and collaboration –
lives‟ (COOL) weeks. reduction in time spent in doing the
same task from 4 days to 2½ days.
logged on to their technological devices - provide specific log off hours or consistent time
schedules
 For companies, which work for long hours on a regular basis / who work long hours during peak
times – reduce turnover by allocating, offs periodically in the normal workweeks.
 For companies where repeated interruptions during work; like cubicle/workstation discussions,
continual emailing and meetings- bring in a structured time allocation to maintain peaceful, noise-
free zones.
Empowering teams to take ownership in setting goals, provides autonomy in terms of planning and
streamlining the work process, delegation of tasks and meeting deadlines. Team collaboration enhances
during allocation of collective work time for meetings, executing specific group tasks, openness in
communication, experimentation, innovation, productivity and better functioning.
Time Management helps managers to analyze how they spend their time effectively and to identify their
pattern of time spending. Managers who maintain regular time logs will be able to identify the potential
time wasting activities in their workday. The next step is to plan time and resources as per the goals.
There are various strategies for planning time and attainment of goals like scheduling, delegating, and
controlling time wasters.
90
1. Time Management involves time planning as per goals. Discuss Stephen Covey‟s strategies to plan
time.
(Hints: time matrix - Urgent – Not urgent – important – not important)
2. How can companies empower teams in managing time effectively?
(Hints: goals – autonomy – streamlining – delegation – resources – controlling time wasters)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2014/06/manage-your-teams-collective-time/ar/1)

23.5 Planning time and resources Business Communication and Soft Skills
91
47. Secrets of the #1 innovation company, Salesforce.com

Salesforce.com focuses on making the customer‟s life easier by implementing innovative ideas.
Salesforce.com has earned the distinction of being the Forbes „#1 Most Innovative Company‟ for the last
four years (2011 – 2014). A research was conducted consisting of 526 companies who had a market value of
at least $10 billion (eligibility for the Forbes Award). An analysis of their „Innovative premium percentage
points‟ was done for the duration of 7 years (2006 – 2013). Some of the companies like Hindustan Unilever,
AT&T, and Godrej & Boyce had their Innovative Premium (IP) Score between 20% and 40%. Firms like
Salesforce.com, Google and Amazon.com had consistently scored above 40% in their IP score for at least 10
years since their establishment. Further study was taken up to understand how these companies have
maintained their IP score at such a high level.
It was understood that these companies deeply focused and gained expertise on „The Innovation Method‟:
1. Idea Management System – speculate which idea can be converted to innovation.
2. Design thinking principles –modus operandi to understand customer needs
3. Lean-start up principles –promptly develops and tests the prototypes on customers.
4. Work on the best business model to implement their innovations.
Salesforce.com has uniquely applied „The Innovation Method‟ in these ways:
 The product line – Customer Relationship Management

– Ability to obtain large clients who prefer attention to detail and customized solutions
– Brainstorm on converting ideas to solve real business problems into workable solutions
that customers can use.
– Bring in new versions of the same product as per need.
 Free-reign to employees – V2MOM –(pronounced as vee-two-moms)
– Building trust between employees and clients through vision, values, methods, obstacles,
and measures (V2MOM).
– Win – win: Select the top project, advocate employees to obtain essential resources, give
freedom to innovate (Example: CEO, Salesforce1, Force.com)
– Energize managers and engineers to have a free-reign and choose their own „projects‟.
– Retention strategy - Promote entrepreneurial abilities gaining on „job satisfied‟ employees
and preventing „brain drain‟.
 Articulating a broad vision
– The CEO Marc Beni off expresses his broad vision and tells his executives to map it to
make something out of it.
Sales force has also achieved on Corporate Identity in terms of:

– Philanthropy – 1 – 1 – 1 approach – giving back 1% of time, equity and product.
– Significant rise in stock prices for the last 10 years
The ability to create something new is called creativity. People use innovation and creativity as synonyms.
Creativity means bringing a new idea into existence while innovation means putting the new idea into
practice. Innovation transforms an idea into something that will enable others to use it. Creativity
stimulates innovation. Creativity can exist without innovation but innovation cannot exist without
creativity. Innovations can be revolutionary or evolutionary, scientific or managerial.
92
1. Differentiate between creativity and innovation.
(Hints: new idea – intellectual ability – knowledge - practice – enables others to use)
2. Salesforce.com is the Forbes #1 innovation company. Discuss
(Hints: innovation method – product line – free reign to employees – broad vision – corporate identity)
(Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2014/08/20/marc-benioffs-innovation-secret/)

24.3.1 Innovation and creativity Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
93
48. Business and Creativity go hand-in-hand

Creativity enhances the company‟s value, revenue, and customer base and employee morale in today‟s
volatile market.
Today‟s business environment demands creative ideas that lead to innovation, solve real-time problems and
add value to both the customers and the organization. Many a time, it is observed that ideas do not derive
the expected outcome resulting in loss of time and money. Leaders should possess the exceptional quality to
originate practical workable ideas from their team members. After a decade long research involving 1500
CEOs of several domains, the following seven steps have been proposed on obtaining desirable results from
ideas.
Steps 1 – 3: Try to broadly assess the problem:

Step 1: Recognize the problem and potential methods to arrive at a solution

Brainstorm on the problem and look for acceptable solutions

Define constraints that may cause deviation from the problem on-hand

Utilize the resources to focus on the problem, to come up with credible ideas that can be tested
Identify the component of the solutions that can be implemented in a given time frame

Step 2: Break the problem into simple segments

Reduce the complexity of the problem into simple segments

Outline a structured model to process each item of the segment
Distinguish barriers that may arise during the process

Step 3: Manage the problem with empathy

Consider each barrier with empathy and find probable solutions
Comprehend the problem in three ways – functionally, emotionally and socially
 Allow people to scrutinize the real problem and generate unique feasible ideas
Steps 4 – 6: Convert ideas to measurable solutions:

Step 4: Consider taking different perspectives to arrive at solutions

Invite people from diverse backgrounds to ideate
Give them independence to boost the flow of ideas, encourage new thought processes, and integrate
solutions

Step 5: Take into account all ideas both through individual thinking and group thinking
Instruct all participants to write the ideas in a given time limit – allows introverts to participate and
importance to all ideas before coming to a conclusion

Step 6: Macro and micro management of ideas
Sort the ideas into – broader and specific
 Permit the participants to reframe the idea in one page by providing real-time customized solutions by

concentrating on accessibility and sustainability
Weigh ideas on practicality than that are based on assumptions
Step 7: Transform ideas to action

Step 7: Combine integrated solutions to one comprehensive solution

Verify the solution obtained for feasibility and sustainability

Calculate the money and time required to implement the ideas into action
Observe the results of the action
While ideas can be generated from anywhere or at any time, primary consideration on knowledge of the
market situation, right choice of the business model and strategies to execute determines the effectiveness of
the idea.
94
The ability to create something new is called creativity. Creativity helps managers to be sensitive and
flexible to changes in the environment. Creativity is an important resource for achieving competitive
advantage. Creativity involves forming unusual relationships between diverse situations to create a new
solution that will meet specific requirements. Organizations are therefore encouraging employees to be
creative and putting creative ideas into practice.
1. Creativity can be developed by creating a need in people to innovate. Discuss
(Hints: work environment – team collaboration – purpose – values – techniques to enhance creativity)
2. What are the steps in transforming ideas into action?
(Hints: Problem assessment – measurable solutions – integrate – action – results)
(Source : http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-discipline-of-creativity/)

24.5 Developing creativity Business Communication and Soft Skills
95
Block IV:
Managing Others
49. Emotional Intelligence Training in Leadership development
50. EQ or IQ for hiring talent
51. Competencies for job efficacy
52. Interpersonal Skills through employee engagement
53. Traits of engaging leaders
54. An outsider to lead Infosys
55. Language strategies for communicating cross-culturally
56. German Work Culture – Less is more
96
Block IV: Managing Others
49. Emotional Intelligence Training

in Leadership Development
Productivity is through people. Leaders must understand what makes people work through emotional
intelligence skills.
FedEx is the world‟s largest cargo airlines company that follows “People-First” philosophy. The company
focuses on logistics and speed with a strategic vision –“P-S-P Philosophy” which means People-Service-
Profit.New managers at FedEx are trained for six months at their Global Leadership institute on integration
of emotional intelligence for leadership development for today‟s extremely fast-paced, task-focused
environment leading to sustained team performance. LEGACY, the training program, has „Emotional
Intelligence (EI) Training‟ as one of the core components of the module using the Six Seconds Model (2005)
and LEAD1 Model (2010 onwards) developed on the basic concept “Emotions drive people, people drive
performance‟.
The effectiveness of the Emotional Intelligence (EI) training is:
 Application of EI on a day-to-day basis

 The macro model is a 3-step process with specific learnable and measurable competencies where
leaders manage themselves first, are incharge of their own emotions and behaviors and thereby act
as influencers and role models.
 44% participants felt large increase in emotional intelligence competencies, 72% felt major
improvements in decision making, 60% in quality of life and 58% in influence
 20% increase in personal relationships, reuniting with family members, becoming better parents and
personal changes made to improve health and well-being.
 The companies can gain economic value of EI training in creating people-first leadership who
„Walk the talk‟
Pre-post comparison of
eight LEAD1 cohorts
Pu sue No le…
Empathy
Optimism
Int insi …
After
Navigate…
Before
Conse uentia…
Re ognize…
Enhan e…
100 120
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity to understand our own feelings and others.
Organizations use EI to develop both internal and external relationships. The two major
components of Emotional intelligence are personal competency and social competency.
97
1. What is emotional intelligence? What are the components of emotional intelligence?
(Hints: understand feelings and emotions – relationship building - personal and social competence)
2. How did emotional intelligence training prove beneficial at FedEx?
(Hints: goals – thinking – emotions – optimism – empathy – motivation – decision making – relationships –
quality of life – efficiency – influence – health)
(Source :http://www.6seconds.org/2014/01/14/case-study-emotional-intelligence-people-first-leadership-
fedex-express/)

Application of emotional Business Communication and Soft Skills
25.7
intelligence in the workplace skills
98
50. EQ or IQ for Hiring Talent?

A large number of companies are conducting Emotional Intelligence Quotient and psychometric tests
for hiring prospective candidates.
Interviewing and getting the right candidates on board is a skill. The recruitment process consisting of the
review of the Curriculum Vitae, face-to-face interviews, and reference checks are becoming obsolete. The
companies believe that the CVs are tailor-made to perfection and candidates are getting trained on how to
excel in an interview. IQ tests only measure the intelligence and technical capabilities of a candidate
through his academic grades. Companies want to be doubly sure in hiring „a cultural fit employee‟, and have
adopted psychometric and Emotional Intelligence Quotient Tests in the selection process, for promotions and
while assigning human resources for specific responsibilities.
Benefits of evaluating candidates through EQ tests:
 Showcases the candidates‟ job-related behavior.

 Candidates with high EQ exhibit high performance in their jobs.
– Know how to control emotions.
– Focus more on the tasks.
– Good at decision-making.
– Better relationships with peers and superiors.
– Are better leaders and inspire others in the team.
– Take initiative and build trust among peers.
 Ability to take decision on sourcing the right candidate to the right job at the right time.
 Elimination of unsuitable candidates resulting in lesser hiring and training costs.
 Ability to overcome issues on employee productivity and team morale.
 Easy to hire candidates who are fresh out of college, for entry-level jobs or with little experience -
who have no track record of their job experience.
 Aid in conduction of interviews in a systematic and structured manner and in taking decisions based
on judgement and not on opinions.
 Aligning the candidate‟s individual traits and principles with the company‟s culture.
Apprehensions of EQ tests:
 Reliability, validity and accountability – are the tests reliable: do the results show variation after a
certain period of time or under different situations (like pressure or stress), do they project correct
results or can they be manipulated.
 Resistance of candidates applying for senior positions to take EQ tests as they want their past
achievements to be taken into consideration.
 EQ tests cannot be a stand-alone process for judging the candidate, a measure of his hard skills and
professional experience should also be taken into account.
 The HR personnel who are evaluating the candidate should possess good Emotional Intelligence.
However, according to Travis Brad berry, a consultant and author of „Emotional Intelligence 2.0‟, behavioral
interview is one of the best ways to judge a candidate. He says, “The best predictor of future behavior is
past behavior.”
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for
motivating the self and for managing emotions in internal and external relationships. The two major
components of EI are personal competence and social competence. Positive emotions enhance the
performance of the employees whereas negative emotions should be dealt with before they hamper and can
become toxic. At the workplace, it is believed that emotional intelligence is twice as important as analytical
and technical skills. EI helps employees in career development, team building, and developing leadership
skills.
99
1. How is IQ different from EQ?
(Hints: intelligence – technical knowledge – academics –emotional, behavioral and social competencies)
2. What are the benefits of conducting EQ tests while hiring?
(Hints: behavior – emotions – focus – decision making – inspire – judgment – initiative – leadership)
(Source : http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/resumes-passe-enter-eq-test/)

Application of emotional intelligence Business Communication and Soft Skills
25.7
in the workplace skills
100
51. Competencies for Job Efficacy

A competency for an individual depends on the job, the situation and his interpersonal skills and not on
his level in the organization.
A survey was conducted on 332,860 superiors, peers and subordinates to analyze a competency model and
signify its effect on the individual‟s ability to attain success in his current designation. It was assumed that
an individual has to develop some important competencies to be able to perform as he climbs the higher
levels in the organization. The respondent has to choose the top 4 competencies out of a list of 16
competencies.
The analysis shows that:
1. A competency is not only dependent on the person‟s level, but also on the job, circumstances,
individual capacities, assignments and organizational needs.
2. Consistency was maintained on the following seven competencies; irrespective of the levels in the
organization:
– Inspiring and motivating others, displaying high integrity and honesty, analyzing and
solving problems, focus on results, powerful and prolific communication, collaboration
and teamwork and building relationships.
 The data collected suggests that there might be one or
two additional competencies that is important when a
person steps up the career ladder or at various points in Inspires and motivates others
time: Displays high integrity and honesty
Solves problems and analyzes issues
– If a supervisor moves to the level of middle
Drives for results
manager – „Problem Solving‟ is the most
essential competency. Communicates powerfully and
prolifically
– If a middle level manager moves to senior Collaboration and teamwork
management – „Communicating powerfully
Builds relationships
and prolifically‟ would be the second most
Technical or professional expertise
important competency.
– The top executives chose a new competency Develops strategic perspective
„Developing Strategic Perspective‟ as the Develops others
fifth most important competency. Takes initiative
1. The other nine competencies were chosen by half the Innovates
people in comparison to the top seven (mentioned in the Champions change
table) Connects the group to outside world
2. Developing skills in those important competencies can Establishes stretch goals
help managers to be successful in their present levels, Practices self-development
speed up the process of progressing or may attain
additional roles in the organization.
Managers need to be able to manage themselves, their feelings and actions and also motivate others in the
organization. Managers require a few interpersonal competencies to develop good relations and to
perform their job effectively and efficiently. Additional skills and competencies become more important as
the manager moves up his career ladder.
101
1. Write some of the qualities exhibited by employees with good interpersonal skills.
(Hints: respect – share knowledge – trust – willingness to train – conflict resolution – learn – accountability –
influence)
2. Managers require a few interpersonal competencies to develop good relations and to perform their
job effectively and efficiently. Discuss
(Hints: inspire – motivate – integrity – honesty – communication – team building – strategies)
(Source :http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2014/08/22/are-different-skills-required-for-senior-
executives/)

26.3 Introduction to interpersonal skills Business Communication and Soft Skills
102
52. Interpersonal skills through employee engagement

Companies are employing technology for enhancing interpersonal skills through employee
engagement.
Professionals are constantly wired into their technological devices to voice opinions, likes, unlikes, real-time
updates through various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, PInterest to
name a few. Mobile messaging apps like Line, WhatsApp, and Viber are available for smart phone users.
Companies, intending to be transparent, have capitalized on the intranet to facilitate communication,
generate better interpersonal relationships, build trust and employee loyalty.
A few of them are discussed below:
 PepsiCo – Inculcating CEO behaviors: Initiatives to encourage employee engagement and

inculcate behavior through Collaboration, Execution and Ownership (CEO).
– Lunch with the CEO – Interaction of the CEO D Shivakumar with employees of all levels.
– Responsiveness Survey – Rating teams on responsiveness every two months with verbatim
feedback relayed across the organization.
– Manager Quality Performance Index – Feedback for managers through reports.
– „Weekly Updates from Shiv‟ – Observations, experiences, and thoughts conveyed to the
employees by the CEO in a weekly letter.
 Vodafone – Their voice:
– People Engagement Index & Manager Index – Gets real-time updates from the ground.
– My voice – Collects feedback from new employees (new or one year old in the system) on
recruitment, compensation, performance management, training and engagement.
– Voice of Customer – Suggestions to the cross-functional management team.
– Website „Idea Space‟ – Suggestions and ideas from employees.
– Qualtrix – A survey tool to get suggestions on short-term initiatives.
 Sapient Nitro – Social Media Drive: Encourage participation in social media platforms.
– Soiree –Social Media Week to increase employees‟ digital quotient.

– Vox (Voice of people) – Easier intra-communication among employees across the globe to
share advice, opinions, solutions and information about technology, design, development,
trends, processes and personal interests. Vox is also used for social communications to
elicit feedback on business.
 Infosys – Radio Waves: Creates an energizing break for employees from day-to-day work.
– Internal radio channel – information on activities in the organization and ensures

motivation.
– Infy Bubble – Infosys enterprise networking platform to encourage social and professional
networking among employees in different time zones, improving leadership connect
through online chats.
 Philips – Chat over Coffee:
– Informal coffee corner sessions –Feedback, leadership meets, lunch sessions with leaders
and regional members, group discussions among employees on important business plans
before mail notifications.
– Internal retail portal – Discount offers on Philips products for staff members.
103
– „Connect Us‟ – Internal social portal to post updates on projects and discuss other areas of
interest.
 YES Bank – Deeper Engagement:
– My voice – Online platform to air grievances, log inquiries with in-built tracking and
escalation for monitoring and follow-up.
– „YES Connect‟ – Bond with colleagues, share best practices.
– „Joinee Feedback‟ and „Buddy Program‟ – Participation in formal surveys and to voice
thoughts.
– Multi Source Assessment 360 – Feedback about managers from peers and reportees.
Interpersonal skills are related to the ability to understand and manage one‟s own feelings, actions, and
motivations, and those of others in social contacts. These skills are critical for managers as their job
responsibilities include hiring, supervising, mentoring and retaining employees. Self-awareness, control,
motivation and communication skills are the interpersonal skills that managers should possess. These skills
are necessary to understand employee behaviors and to improve interactions between them.
1. What the ways to develop interpersonal skills for managers?
(Hints: assertiveness – responsibility – conflict resolution techniques)
2. How has technology helped companies in improving interpersonal skills among employees)
(Hints: intranet – social networking websites – mobile messaging apps)
(Source: Page 10 of The Economic Times

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/index.aspx?EID=31815&dt=20141205 dated 5th December, 2014)

26.4 Developing interpersonal skills Business Communication and Soft Skills
104
53. Traits of Engaging Leaders

Engaging leaders work towards both business performance and employee engagement in an
organization.
“Natural leaders are charismatic who actively interact with their employees, engage them in energetic
conversations, and listen as much as they talk.” A study conducted by Aon Hewitt and MIT consisted of
seven million respondents, which concluded that engaging leaders differentiate best employers. The traits
that define engaging leadership style were obtained through extensive interviews of both leaders and
employee focus groups.
It was observed that some internal traits were consistent in these engaging leaders:


Critical experiences Deep learning by willingly taking tough assignments

Operating through ambiguity

Attaining Success through the impact of actions

Guiding beliefs Core beliefs leading to specific personality traits

Behaviors and interactions with superiors and followers
Understanding that leadership is a responsibility and not a reward or status, where

emotions, relationships and trust matters most

Displayed behaviors Share their own engagement with a defined purpose and pro-activeness

Endeavor to stabilize and energize people around with positivity
Empower, enable, develop people – connect and conduct with authenticity for
mutual growth
The engaging leader thus develops his personality through “Experiencing, Believing and Doing.”
Leaders also need to be engaged themselves. For ordinary leaders, engagement is linked to pay, career
opportunities, recognition and the company reputation. Engaging leaders however are uniquely engaged by
the multiplier network effect, i.e., by their own senior leaders, the people and work processes that enable
them to do their job. Hence both internal and external traits lead to greater engagement and thereby business
performance.
Metrics to measure leadership engagement:
 Measure the level of engagement – Insight on where leaders need to focus and engage others.
 Appraise and select for engaging leadership – Providing high influential roles to engaging leaders,
identifying them through personality instruments and 360-degree appraisals.
 Develop engaging leaders – Getting the disengaged to be engaged through training and workshops.
Leaders should possess long-term vision, persuasion, change management and crisis management skills
to steer their organization towards success. Leadership is the act of influencing the behavior of others
to attain maximum business performance. There are several leadership styles but there is no one generic
style that can be used at all times or in all situations.
1. How can employees develop leadership skills?
(Hints: leadership development plan – audit – dedication – evaluation – perform)
2. An engaging leader thus develops his personality through Experiencing, Believing and Doing.
Explain.
(Hints: critical experience – handling tough tasks – beliefs – trust – accountability – relationships – behaviors
– pro-activeness – empower –develop)
(Source : https://hbr.org/2014/11/what-makes-someone-an-engaging-leader)

27.3 Leadership Skills Business Communication and Soft Skills
105
54. An outsider to lead Infosys

The major challenge for a new leader is aligning the company to the rapid transformation in the
industry.
Dr. Vishal Sikka, Member of the Executive Board of SAP, AG took over as the CEO and MD of Infosys in
June 2014. Vishal Sikka‟s selection was unique; as he did not belong to the 160,000 strong employee pool of
Infosys, he was an outsider. After his appointment, Infosys saw the retirement of the last three of its
founders; N R Narayan Murthy, Executive Chairman, S Gopalakrishnan, Executive Vice-Chairman and
CEO S Shibulal. The changes of leadership at Infosys due to its bad succession planning and the crisis it has
been through make an interesting case study.
Why did Infosys bring in a new leader from outside?
 The company had grown exponentially for the last 33 years, new entrants brought new competition,
and founders could not match the required leadership skills – the company did not concede the
difference between ownership and management.
 The company had not planned and invested in developing senior leaders, founders only held senior
positions in succession – leadership training was only provided for middle management level and
hence a crisis was experienced in choosing the CEO.
 The return of N R Narayan Murthy in 2013 with his son did not bring in the desired changes; the
company underperformed vis-à-vis its peers, increased employee disengagement, low employee
morale, attrition, disconnect among stakeholders, exodus of more than a dozen senior leaders who
were also in the race for the position of the CEO; showcasing a failure of corporate governance,
conciliation of values and loss of company reputation.
 The company‟s growth rate during 2011 to 2014 was not as expected, leading to a fall in company‟s
margins.
 A leader who is a visionary, who has knowledge of the industry, who has excelled in a similar
industry, who can bring in innovation, who knows the importance of big data; and bring in a
positive transformation in the company, without any interference from the founders.
 A leader with additional competencies like courage, determination and ability to take risks to steer
the company towards the next growth phase and to continue being competitive in the industry.
 A leader to change the processes and systems as per the changing times and infuse some fresh
perspectives.
Challenges for Vishal Sikka, CEO and MD, Infosys:
 To overcome financial instability, enhance employee engagement, sales and marketing; reduce
attrition, work more towards pricing strategy, customer service, and corporate governance.
 To connect the three stakeholders - employees, customers and investors emotionally.
 To rebuild the core senior team, to articulate his vision, be open minded, act as a team player, and
work as a consultative leader and convince the change that is going to happen.
 To get adapted to work for a services company, as he was mostly associated with a products
company and envision new growth opportunities.
 To work in tandem with the COO, U B Pravin Rao – an insider with Infosys for 28 years to remodel
and accelerate the transformation.
106
Leaders are expected to act as change agents who are able to create an atmosphere for Implementing
changes. They will not enforce the change forcefully but help in smooth transition. Communicating the
benefits of change, handling objections, measuring the progress of change quantitatively are the traits of
leaders who act as change agents. Leadership is the act of influencing the behavior of others so that they
perform the functions of the organization. Leadership skills like long-term vision, persuasion, change
management, and crisis management skills are those that differentiate a successful organization from
others.
1. How can a leader act as a change agent?
(Hints: atmosphere – transition – communication – objections – progress of change – influence behavior –
persuasion – crisis management)
2. What are the challenges for Vishal Sikka, CEO and MD of Infosys?
(Hints:services to products – employee engagement – stakeholders‟ interests – profitability – corporate
governance – trust)
(Source : http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/icon-idle-leadership-challenges-facing-infosys/)

27.4 Change Management Skills Business Communication and Soft Skills
107
55. Language strategies for communicating cross-culturally

Organizations have to invest in integrating language training and multi-cultural communication skills
to gain competitive advantage and reduce cross-border frictions.
A common language is requisite for any business to communicate and collaborate for the diverse functions
among teams and business enterprises across the globe. Multilingualism creates a host of problems like
inefficiency among employees, descending sales and thwarting competition for many multinational
corporations. Comprehensive language strategies help to convert vulnerability for competitive advantage,
for employee efficiency and achievement of planned outcomes.
Strategies for developing language and cultural intelligence:
 To identify, choose and strategize the need of local language and adapt to the local culture based on
the business unit and region.
 To match the language strategy with the company‟s vision and mission while considering language
for managing the core talent practices.
 Hiring, training and evaluating: While hiring and evaluating top talent; accept limitations on
language proficiency if the candidates‟ skills, knowledge of markets and cultures are as per the job
requirements. Provide essential training to meet global and local language needs thus developing a
cohesive business culture irrespective of the organization adopting the same common language.
 Clarifying accurate roles to expatriates: Assign expatriates to select people from local regions to
handle leadership roles; by hiring, training and allocating tasks in accordance with the company‟s
products, processes, organizational culture and regional language, culture and business practices.
 Managing communication:
– To reward professionals based on performance and progression and not on the basis of the
knowledge of local „lingua franca‟ while assessing both native and non-native employees.
– To develop trust and effective communication between native and non-native speakers –
by coaching primary-language speakers to speak less and second language speakers to
participate more by preparing an agenda and deciding the mode of communication.
– To adopt a shared language if the company is collaborating across cultures (which includes
transfer of information, coordination, and following best practices) and during cross-
border merger/acquisition (which expedites the integration of the companies)
 Building cultural awareness:
– To understand the cultural background, management styles, and business practices – role
of company, products and services, and customers to fit into a multicultural environment.
– To train employees on negotiation skills, decision making, changes in cultural behavior
and encourage participation in social events.
Managers have to manage a diverse workforce which makes it necessary to have multi-cultural
communication skills and cultural fluency to perform functions efficiently. The culture of a
particular country influences the designing and marketing of the products and services for success
in international business.
108
1. How can multi-cultural skills be enhanced?
(Hints: objectives – style of communication – integrity – message – language barriers)
2. What are the strategies to develop language and cultural intelligence?
(Hints: local language and culture – organization culture – shared language – business practices)
(Source: https://hbr.org/2014/09/whats-your-language-strategy) and https://hbr.org/2012/05/global-business-

speaks-english/ar/1

28.7 Enhancing Multi-cultural Business Communication and Soft Skills
communication skills skills
109
56. German work culture – Less is more

Higher employee productivity and superior work ethics are the hallmarks of German work culture.
Germany is one of the healthiest and the most stable economies in Europe. Germany was the least affected
during the Euro crisis of 2012. This is because of their ability to manufacture high quality goods and
exporting to Asian countries, keeping their markets open for new businesses and maintaining low
Government debt. The main reason, why Germany could withstand the Euro crisis is the unit labor cost – the
amount of compensation that is paid to a worker for labor productivity. From 1999 – 2010, the change in
labor cost in Germany is barely 0.6%, whereas in other European countries, it ranged from 5% to 25%.
Germany encourages part-time working and work sharing in order to decrease the unemployment rate (5%)
and as an alternative for lay-offs. German workers have incomparable worker protection laws which include
„Kurzerbeit‟ – where the State partially reimburses workers for their lost wages.
Germany is deemed the most employee productivity country for putting in the least number of working hours
– 35 hours/week and 24 paid vacation days. This is due to the German work culture that emphasizes on:
 100% concentration on work: Logging into social media, private emails, pretending doing
work is totally unacceptable, with zero-tolerance for such inconsequential activities.
 Focus on the job and direct communication: No beating around the bush, speaking directly
with no icebreakers – in meetings, performance reviews, etc.
 Follow work – life balance: Devote completely while working and enjoy the after-work
hours, no work-related assignments/ emails after 6 pm even in today‟s constant electronic
connectivity.
 „Freizeit‟ – leisure time pursuits: Socialize in their community through choirs (music and
singing), and clubs (sports, hiking, breeding, collectors, etc),
 Benefit from vacation days: Family time through 25 -30 days of paid vacation every year.
 „Elternzeit’ – close connectivity with family: Parental protection policies and maternity
policies.
Employees are taken on contract for 12 months and are eligible for „Elternzeit‟ benefits, can also avail 3
years unpaid „sleeping contract‟. Employees can work up to 30 hours/ week during leave and must be
offered full-time job at the end of parental leave. Any of the parents are also allowed to postpone their leave
up to one year until their child turns 8 years of age. The State also pays 67% (cap of 1800 Euros per month)
for 14 months and parents may alternate while taking leave.
There are many things to learn from German work culture like clearly separating work from life that may
result in a more balanced life, low mental stress due to switching off the phones/ logging off social media
and feeling exuberant at work the next day. Communicating directly brings in clarity leading to more
efficiency.
However, there are downsides in some of the HR policies as well – Germany is mostly a male dominated
workforce, since the financial benefits of staying home under parental protection and maternity policies are
too good. Women may prefer to abandon their careers although some efforts by the German Government are
being considered in this direction.
Cultureis the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group from another.
The culture of an individual has the impact on the way he behaves in a certain situation. Managers today
need to manage a diverse work force and multi-cultural communication skills enable them to perform
effectively. Every business function is influenced by culture. The culture of a particular country influences
the designing and marketing of products and services. Cultural fluency and cultural intelligence help to
identify, understand, and apply cultural variables that influence the communication behavior of members in
different cultures. It helps companies to build partnerships and tap unexploited foreign markets.
110
1. What do you understand by the term cultural fluency?
(Hints: identify – understand diversity – apply cultural variable – behavior – communication - stereotypes)
2. Higher employee productivity and superior work ethics are the hallmarks of German work culture.
Explain.
(Hints: concentration – direct communication – work life balance – going offline)
(Source : http://knote.com/2014/11/10/why-germans-work-fewer-hours-but-produce-more-a-study-in-
culture/)

28.8 Cultural fluency Business Communication and Soft Skills
skills
111
The ICFAI Group
ICFAI was established in
1984 as a not-for-profit ICFAI practices the value of academic integrity at all
society with the broad levels.
objective of empowering
The ICFAI Group's culture of teaching and learning
citizens through world class
supports and fosters intellectual and personality
quality education. Since its
development among its graduating students. They carry
establishment, ICFAI Group
an attitude of ownership of their work. ICFAI Group strives
has made a significant mark
to make the students - DOERS. ICFAI Group system,
in the Indian educational
strongly believes in developing an 'entrepreneurial
field with a pan Indian
network and presence.
Subsequently, there was a
big leap when ICFAI Group
started its chain of business
schools (IBS) across India in
1995 to offer management
program. Since its
inception, IBS has been
consistently ranked among
the top ranked B-Schools of
India providing excellent
academic delivery and
infrastructure to its students
and transforming them into
leaders for the future.
ICFAI Group has 3 Strategic
Institutional Units, the ICFAI
Universities, the ICFAI
Business Schools and the Flexible Learning Programs
(Distance Mode). In all the programs offered across these
units, the emphasis is on adherence to academic rigor mindset' among its
and differentiated curriculum that bridges the industry graduating students.
–academia gap.
The alumni of ICFAI
Flexible and tech enabled learning also plays an Group are working in
important role in ICFAI's teaching methodology. The renowned companies
delivery takes place with the use of hi-tech learning world-wide. Collectively,
management system at campus programs and content ICFAI Group alumni
delivery for distance learning through online medium. contribute significantly to
the growth story of India.
Awards won by ICFAI Group

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AN INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING TOOLS

Participants in flexible learning programs have limitations on the nature of the

 Adults learn differently from B. School or college going

students who spend long hours at campus.

 Helps stay motivated and connected.

 Easier to move ahead in the learning process.

Spending more time is your choice.

Ref. No. BC&SS-PN-IFHE – 042015

Our E-mail id: cwfeedback@icfaiuniversity.in

1. Communication Skills – The Lack of it

 Prepare students to lead, collaborate, and create positive change.

Unit/Section Topic Course

2. Communication Barriers – UK in USA

Unit/Section Topic Course

3. Body Language for Professional Success

Unit/Section Topic Course

4. Nonverbal Communication for Interviews

Pointing fingers, frowning, staring :

Hands at the back, no gestures while speaking:

Unit/Section Topic Course

It is important to tune the noise out and tune in to listen by:

Before the conversation During the conversation

Unit/Section Topic Course

6. Listening skills for leaders

Unit/Section Topic Course

7. Interpersonal Skills for Entrepreneurs

Unit/Section Topic Course

8. Conflict is Good for Business

 Provide equal responsibilities:

(Source: http://fortune.com/2014/03/11/the-benefits-of-conflict-at-work/) and

Unit/Section Topic Course

selective information which will not put you in danger.

Unit/Section Topic Course

10. Tactics for Internal Negotiation

Unit/Section Topic Course

11. Interview question: What is your greatest weakness?

Strategy 1: Focus on the skills required for that particular job.

Strategy 2: Select the least skill required for the job.

Strategy 3: Don‟t make generalized statements like „I am hardworking‟ Instead put

Strategy 4: Insist that you like to work on developing new skills:

Strategy 5: Weaknesses to avoid:

12. Candid questions to ask the interviewer

 What is the career growth for this job?

 Could you please tell me what team will I be working with?

 What gaps in my qualifications and skills that I need to work upon?

An interview can be described as a goal oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer

Unit/Section Topic Course

13. Steve Jobs way of conducting meetings

Unit/Section Topic Course

14. Conduct productive meetings as the experts‟ do

a. It is easy to schedule on Outlook calendar or Google calendar.

2. Conduct a stand-up meeting: Take the chairs away.

3. Avoid electronic gadgets: No laptops, no cell phones.

a. Hand-written notes to be encouraged.

Meeting tips from Google, Apple and American Express:

5. Assign a DRI – Directly Responsible Individual:

 Provide silence breaks of 2-minutes in the midst of a meeting:

 What’s the meeting about – in less than 5 words:

Unit/Section Topic Course

15. How to make a Brilliant Presentation

 Prepare a story out of the topic:

 Breakup the topic:

A few successful ways to engage the audience are mentioned: