Managerial & Communication Skills

Chapter 1
• Imagine any professional you know in any
capacity…… What skills, attitudes and
qualities do you appreciate over an above the
obvious job related expertise?

• Think about it…

 Professional Work Environment
What is it ???
• Work environment is used to describe the surrounding
conditions in which an employee operates.
• The work environment can be composed of
- Physical conditions
- Work processes or procedures
- Social interactions at the workplace
Professional Business Environment
Business Environment
• Business Environment is sum or collection of all internal
and external factors such as employees, customers needs
and expectations, supply and demand, management,
clients, suppliers, owners, activities by government,
innovation in technology, social trends, market trends,
economic changes, etc. These factors affect the function
of the company and how a company works, directly or
indirectly.
Professional Business Environment
Business Environment
• Business environment helps in identifying business
opportunities, tapping useful resources, assists in planning,
and improves the overall performance, growth, and
profitability of the business.
 Components of Business Environment
• Internal Environment: Factors which affect an organization directly.
Organization can control them and change it to their suitability.
Eg.: Value System, Mission, Organization structure, policies, culture
etc.
• External Environment: Factors which affect an organization directly
or indirectly. Organization have no control over them.
• A) Micro factors: These factors are in the immediate periphery of
an organization like Customers, Suppliers, Competitors,
Employees, Media etc.
B) Macro factors: Political & legal environment, Technological
environment, Economic environment, socio-cultural environment
etc.
Professional Business Environment
• Modes of entry:
• Campus Recruitment
• Self efforts
• As entrepreneur
• Family Business
Professional Business Environment
How to understand this???
• Observation
• Interaction with Seniors/colleagues/Supervisor
• Listen more speak less
• Go through the mission, goals and value system of an
organization
• Historical information of an organization
Professional Business Environment
Expectations of the Corporate world:
• Positive Outlook
• Respectful attitude
• Honesty & Integrity
• Responsible behavior
• Discipline
Professional Business Environment
Expectations of the Corporate world: (Cont.)
• Professional conduct (On / Off duty)
• Follow laid down systems and process
• Passion to learn
• Quick to understand and learn
• Perform work in a reasonable manner
• Good Presentation & Communication Skills
Professional Business Environment
Preparation:
• Identify your weak areas through
introspection & Self –audit
• Conceptual knowledge of core areas
• Technical understanding
• Understanding of business environment
• Assertive Behavior
• Business Communication
What is Business Communication?
• According to Prof. J. Haste, “Communication occurred
between two or more businessmen for organizing and
administering business efficiently is called business
communication”.

• Professor W.H. Meaning opines that, “The exchange of ideas,

news and views in connection with business among the
related parties is called Business Communication.”
What is Business Communication?
• According to Mr. Brennan, “Business Communication is
the expression, channelling and interchanging of ideas
in commerce and industry. It is the exchange of
business related ideas and information to achieve the
organizational goals.”

• William G. Scott opines, “Business communication is a

process which involves the transmission and accurate
replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the
purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish
organisational goals.”
What is Business Communication?
• “Business communication is used to promote products,
services and organizations and to communicate with all the
stakeholders of the business. It is an appropriate
communication in the business environment with an objective
to achieve the organizational goals. “
Communication Skill Assessment
(CSA) & Development Plan
 Why Work place skills
• Provides foundation for learning all other skills
• Provides a corner stone for life –long learning
• Your career options are limited without these
essential workplace skills
 What are the top ten skills that employers want?

1 Verbal Able to express your ideas clearly and

Communication confidently in speech
2 Teamwork Work confidently within a group
3 Business Understand the commercial realities
Awareness affecting the organisation
4 Analytical Skills Gather information systematically to
establish facts & principles. Problem
solving.
5 Initiative/Self Able to act on initiative, identify
Motivation opportunities & proactive in putting
forward ideas & solutions
 What are the top ten skills that employers want?

6 Drive Determination to get things done. Make

things happen & constantly looking for
better ways of doing things.
7 Written Able to express yourself clearly in
Communication writing
8 Planning & Able to plan activities & carry them
Organizing through effectively
9 Flexibility Adapt successfully to changing
situations & environments
10 Time Management Manage time effectively, prioritising
tasks and able to work to deadlines.
 Other skills that were also seen as important

11 Negotiation & Able to influence and convince others,

Persuasion to discuss and reach agreement.
12 Leadership Able to motivate and direct others

13 Numeracy Multiply & divide accurately, calculate

percentages, interpret graphs & tables.
14 Creativity Generates & applying new ideas &
solutions
15 Interpersonal Recognises & respects different
Sensitivity perspectives. Open to the ideas & views
of others
 Other skills that were also seen as important

16 Self Awareness Awareness of achievements, abilities,

values & weaknesses & what you want
out of life.
17 Confidence Presents a strong, professional, positive
image to others which inspires
confidence & commands respect.
18 Decision-Making Determines the best course of action.
Evaluates options based on logic & fact
& presents solutions
19 Stress Tolerance Maintains effective performance under
pressure
20 Integrity Adheres to standards & procedures,
maintains confidentiality and questions
inappropriate behaviour
 Enhancing your Oral Communication
• Proper control of Breathing : Relax your sound-producing organs
and prepare them for speaking by taking a few deep breaths

• Proper control of Jaw, Tongue and Lips

• To free your Jaw: Practice freely flexing your jaw by saying idea, up and
down, sky is blue, count from 91-99 and say fine, yes, no, pay, buy

• To free your Tongue: For practice say either, left and wealth, health, thin,
think alive and luck.

• To free your lips: say when, where, be and back, west, window, puff, lips

• Use your Voice Effectively

• Voice modulation, Volume, Speed, Pronunciation
 Teamwork
When teamwork is in place we tend to see:
• Everybody pulling their weight
• Everyone pulling in the same direction
• Depending on your colleagues to deliver what they said
• Getting help when it’s needed,
• Sharing an exciting vision of the future.
• Co-operation and blending of each others strengths
When teamwork is flourishing it’s supported by behaviours
demonstrating what we value such as:
• Actively listening,
• Giving the benefit of the doubt,
• Supporting others,
• Providing encouragement,
• Persuading and building consensus,
• Resolving conflict,
• Communicating openly
 Importance of Teams in Business Organization

• Improved output due to Positive Synergy

• Improved Organizational Communication
• Enhanced Employee Motivation
• Organizational Flexibility
• Satisfaction of Social Needs
• Commitment to Team Goals
 Business Awareness

• Business awareness is one of the key skills regularly flagged

up by employers as a skill they need, but which too many
graduates lack.
• Broadly 2 areas:
• Understanding an occupation:
Understanding what the job involves, what activities you are
likely to be involved in, and the skills and attributes you will
need to be successful.
• Understanding the business environment:
Understanding how an organisation/company/economic
sector operates and how it is influenced by local, national and
global politics and economics.
Finding answers to questions like these will help
you to develop your business awareness.
• What products or services does this organisation provide?
• Who are these products/services targeted at?
• How does this range of products, or level of service, compare
with that provided by other similar organisations?
• How is this organisation structured?
• How does this organisation see itself? What is its
ethos/culture? (e.g. industry leader; work hard/play hard
approach; democratic style, family friendly policies.)
• What are the key issues facing this organisation and other
organisations in this sector?
• How is this organisation affected by external factors (e.g. the
state of the economy and the current political context?)
• What have you discovered about the career opportunities
offered by this organisation?
 Writing skills

• Writing up a project or dissertation

• Writing for the student magazines
• Essays, dissertations, project reports
• Coordinator of student placement committee
• Publicity materials for a charity
• Letter to raise sponsorship for an event
 Speaking skills

• Joining cultural group

• Public speaking or debating
• Class presentations
 Team skills
• Working on a group project
• Team building events
• Team sports
• Spending time with team and understanding
every member
 Analyzing skills
• Analysing data from an experiment
• Creative solutions to coursework problems
• Chess, role playing
 Planning and Organizing skills
• Planning a trip with friends
• Managing a course project
• Organising sports events
• Organising charity events
 Leadership skills
• Leading a group project
• Captaining a sports team

Negotiation skills
• Negotiating the rent with your landlord
• Resolving an argument between friends
 What are your strengths?
• Find your positive attributes
• Flow activities: sense of energy and
engagement
• you want to do things that use your
strengths: even when you are
tired or stressed.
 Action Planning
• Identifying your objectives
• Setting objectives which are achievable &
measurable.
• Prioritising your tasks effectively.
• Identifying the steps needed to achieve your
goals.
• Using lists.
• Being able to work effectively under pressure.
• Completing work to a deadline.
• Having a contingency plan
 Action Planning Model
• Action planning is a cyclical process, and once you have been
through one cycle, you can start again at the beginning. The stages
are as follows:
• WHERE AM I NOW? This is where you review your achievements
and progress, and undertake self-assessment.
• WHERE DO I WANT TO BE? This is where you decide your goals.
• HOW DO I GET THERE? This is where you define the strategy you
will use to achieve your goals, and to break down your goal into the
smaller discreet steps you will need to take to achieve your target.
• TAKING ACTION. implement your plan!
• WHERE AM I NOW?
 Action Plan
Now write your own action plan ...... My
MY OBJECTIVE IS: Date I reward
expect to for
TO ACHIEVE THIS I NEED TO: complete completi
List the steps you need to take. Be detailed and specific (not ‘‘I'll contact some employers’’, this step ng this
but ‘‘Find email addresses of 5 local employers who have marketing departments & contact by step will
them" be

I will tell my plan to:

I will start my action plan on (date):
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

What problems am I likely to face? What will I do to overcome these?

 Workplace Politics
• Name given to competitive environment that
exists within the corporate culture.
• May be for tangibles (pay raise, promotions )
• May be for intangibles (status or influence)
• Constructive Workplace Politics (further the
mission of organization)
• Negative Workplace Politics (advance
personal goal)
 Example
• Tony and Victor were assigned to work on an
important project, one that could have major
implications for their careers. They didn’t
always agree on how to approach the task or
the best solution to the problem, but both
were satisfied with the final product.
• When Tony and Victor presented their
proposal to the five-member management
team, it was not received well. Several
weaknesses were cited, and the men were
asked to modify it. After the meeting, Tony
made appointments with each manager to
discuss his or her concerns. He acknowledged
the report’s weaknesses, asked relevant
questions, and gathered useful information.
• Victor looked for causal opportunities to
interact with the two managers he thought
were most influential. He tried to distance
himself from the proposal by suggesting that
he wasn’t really happy with it but had been
pressured to accept Tony’s solution.
• Both men were trying to maintain or improve
their professional status within the
organization – one took a positive political
approach, the other a negative one.
It takes more to be successful in
the workplace and in overall
society
 Discussion Questions
• What is Business Communication?
• How to improve Analyzing Skills?
• How to improve Negotiation Skills?
• How to develop presentation skills?
• What is action planning model?
• What is workplace politics?
 References
• C.L.Bovee, J.V.Thill , Business Communication Essentials:
Fundamental skills for the Mobile-Digital-Social workplace,8th
Edition, Pearson Education, 2018
• R.V. Lesikar, & M.E. Flatley, Basic Business Communication
Skills for Empowering the Internet Generation, 10th
Edition,Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company, 2005