10 Tips to Improve Listening Skill

The ability to listen more effectively may be acquired through discipline and practice. As a listener you must be physically relaxed and mentally alert to receive and understand the message. Effective listening requires sustained concentration (regardless of the length of the message), attention to the main ideas presented, note-taking (if the conditions are appropriate), and no emotional blocks to the message by the listener. You cannot listen passively and expect to retain the message.

If you want to be an effective listener, you must give the communicator of the message sufficient attention and make an effort to understand his viewpoint. Here are some practical suggestions for effective listening, which, if followed, can appreciably increase the effectiveness of this communicative skill.

Here are the 10 Tips to Improve your Listening Skill;

1. Realize that Listening is Hard Work:
   You must appreciate the art of listening, and make conscious effort to listen others.
   Prepare to listen: To receive the message clearly, the receiver must have the correct mental attitude. In your daily communications, establish a permissive environment for each communicator.
2. Have Positive Attitude:
   If you have to do it, do it with a positive attitude.
3. Resist Distractions:
   Tune out internal and external distractions by facing and maintaining contact with the speaker. If you experience some negative environment factors, you can sometimes move to another location in the room. Good listeners adjust quickly to any kind of abnormal.
   Listen to understand, not refute Respect the viewpoint of those you disagree with. Try to understand the points they emphasize and why they have such feelings (training, background, etc.). Don’t allow your personal biases and attitudes to influence your listening to the message.
4. Keep an Open Mind:
   A good listener doesn't feel threatened or insulted, or need to resist messages that contradict his beliefs, attitudes, ideas, or personal values. Try to identify and rationalize the words or phrases most upsetting to your means.
5. Find an Area of Interest:
   Good listeners are interested and attentive. They find ways to make the message relevant to themselves and/ or their jobs. Make your listening efficient by asking yourself ‘what is he saying that I can use? Does he have any worthwhile ideas? Is he conveying any workable approaches or solutions? G. K Chesterton once said, There is no such-thing as an uninteresting subject; there are only uninteresting people.
6. Concentrate on the Context:
   Search out main ideas. Construct a mental outline of where speaker is going. Listen for transition and progression of ideas. If need be, you may reinforce the mental outline by physically taking down the notes.
7. Capitalize on Thought Speed:
   Most of us think at about four times faster than the communicator speaks. It is almost impossible to slow down our thinking speed. What do you do with the excess thinking time while someone is speaking? The good listener uses thought-speed to advantage by applying spare thinking time to what is being said. Your greatest handicap may be not capitalizing on thought-speed. Through listening training, it can be converted into your greatest asset.
8. Combine Verbal Delivery with Nonverbal Cues:
   F. S. Pearls, author of Gestalt Theory Vibration, said “Don’t listen to the words_ just listen to what the voice tells you, what the movements tell you, what the posture tells you what the image tells you”.
9. Show Some Empathy:
   Empathy means placing yourself in the shoes of speaker and try understand his viewpoint from there. If we show some empathy, we create a climate that encourages others to communicate honestly and openly. Therefore, try to see the communicator’s point of view.
   Hold your fire: Be patient. Don’t interrupt. Don’t become over-stimulated, too excited, or excited too soon, by what the speaker says. Be sure you understand what the speaker means; that is, withhold your evaluation until your comprehension is complete. Mentally arguing with a communicator is one of the principal reasons so little listening takes place in some discussions. Don’t argue. If you win, you lose.
10. Listen Critically and Delay Judgment:
    Good listeners delay making a judgment about the communicator’s personality, the principal points of the message, and the response. Ask questions and listen critically to the answers. Then, at the appropriate time, judgment can be passed in an enlightened manner.

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4 Primary Problems of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication refers to the communication between people. People generally exchange their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, feelings etc. among them through this communication mainly in the form of face-to-face conversation. But it is often observed that a number of reasons hinder interpersonal communication in the organization. So in order to make effective interpersonal communication, hindering factors are to be detected and then removed. For detecting these hindering factors, an interpersonal communication model is presented below

From the above model we can derive the following assumptions on interpersonal communication

• An interpersonal motive is always inherent in the mind of sender of any interpersonal communication process. This motive may not always be expressed; it may remain in the subconscious mind of the sender.
• Many receivers can guess the inherent interpersonal motives of sender consciously or unconsciously. This supposition of receiver is known as interpersonal perception.
• This interpersonal perception of receiver creates reaction or sentiment in the mind of the receiver.
• Receiver’s sentiment again influences his interpersonal communication motives.

It is essential to indicate here that for establishing effective communication, both the sender and receiver should be aware of and attentive to their intrapersonal and interpersonal elements.

Now, by examining the interpersonal communication model we can detect the following fields where both intrapersonal and interpersonal communications are hindered;

1. Unconscious about motive of communication: 
   If the persons remain unconscious about the motives of their communication, their communication with others will be ineffective. '
2. Problem in encoding motive:
   When motives of the senders are not encoded by them correctly, these also create problems in establishing effective communication with others.
3. Inaccurate interpersonal perception: 
   Inaccurate interpersonal perception of the receiver can also create hindrance in communication. This problem may occur at the time of decoding the message if the receiver holds wrong perception (stereotyping attitude) towards the message.
4. Non-recognition of emotion:
   Since emotion is an inborn factor of human being, it is regarded as an intrapersonal element of communication. If emotions of both the parties are not duly identified during communication, communication will fail.

Interpersonal communication refers to the communication between people. Interpersonal communication can be hindered because of some lacking in communication skills.

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8 Disadvantages of Speech

Speech can be defined as the faculty or act of expressing or describing thoughts, feelings, or perceptions by the articulation of words. Although speech is an effective medium of communication,it is not free from defects.

8 limitations, disadvantages of speech or defects are as follows;

1. Chance of misunderstanding: 
   Speech is one kind of oral deliberation.Therefore,it can create misunderstanding if the audience does not listen carefully and attentively.
2. Possibility of denial: 
   Speech has no documentary proof unless it is recorded.As a result,either the speaker or the audience may deny the message to gain advantage.
3. Lack of legal validity: 
   In absence of any record,speech has no validity in the eye of law.
4. Non-suitability: 
   Speech is not suitable in transmitting message except in meeting,seminar,symposium etc.It is also not a suitable in of supervision and direction.
5. Reduce the importance of message: 
   While delivering the speech,sometimes the speaker gives more importance on his dress up and movement rather than on the information being communicated.In such situation,the importance of the message reduces.
6. Distortion of meaning: 
   Speech can also lead to the distortion of meaning if the speaker fails to deliver clearly or the audience fails to listen attentively.
7. Presence of emotion: 
   Emotion is an important part of effective delivery of speech.If the speaker becomes emotional at the time of giving speech,the message may loss its objective.
8. Delivering irrelevant speech: 
   Sometimes the speaker gives lengthy and irrelevant speech to the audience.This creates the audience annoyed and reduces the importance of the main theme.

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13 Causes of Failure of Oral Communication

In simpler term; oral communication means "communication by word of mouth". Oral communication has numerous advantages. However, in some cases, this method of communication cannot attain the desired advantages due to some causes or reasons.

It is the most nature skill of communication that man develops but however there are 13 Causes of Failure of Oral Communication. They are discussed below:

1. Absence of planning: If the message of the oral communication is not properly planned, it cannot draw the attention of the audiences. Therefore, before delivering oral message, the speaker should prepare necessary plan.
2. Over confidence:
   In case of oral communication, communicator should have self- confidence. Though self-confidence is essential in oral communication, over confidence may collapse the communication.
3. Over busyness: In most of cases, oral communication occurs in a busy situation. This may cause distortion of message. As a result, communication becomes ineffective.
4. Quick transmission:
   When the communicator transmits a message or information very quickly, the audience may not understand a part or whole of it. In such case, if the message is not repeated, communication will fail.
5. Poor and defective presentation: Presentation is an important prerequisite of oral communication. Sometimes communication becomes ineffective due to poor and defective presentation of the speaker.
6. Inattention: 
   Inattention is greatly responsible for failure of oral communication. Both the parties must pay due attention towards the communication message. If either of the party is inattentive, communication between them becomes ineffective.
7. Presence of emotion: Emotions of both parties may influence the effectiveness of communication. Sometimes in oral communication, parties may not control their emotions. Their emotional behavior may lead the communication in vain.
8. Status difference:
   Status difference of the speaker and listener greatly affect the success of oral communication. If either of the party boasts of his position and ignores the other party, then communication between them will be blocked.
9. Lack of evaluation: In oral communication, there is little opportunity for both speaker and listener to evaluate the message. This also causes failure in oral communication.
10. Linguistic barrier: Improper language is another cause of failure of oral communication. Linguistic barrier arises from using unknown words, technical words, jargon's, accent difference etc.
11. Disregard to receiver:
    When superiors communicate orally with subordinates, sometimes they may show disrespect to the subordinates. Due to such disrespect, subordinates may show less interest towards the message.
12. Difference in personality: In case of oral communication, listener pays attention to the personality of the speaker. If the speaker holds less personality, the listener will not pay attention to the speaker’s message.
13. Receiver’s interpretation:
    Receiver’s interpretation of the message severely affects the effectiveness of oral communication. Generally, listeners try to understand the speech of the speaker from their own emotional behavior. In such a situation, listeners may interpret the message wrongly.

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8 Tips to Improve Reading Skills

Reading habit can change human life dramatically. It provides us with entertainment, amusement and enriches us with knowledge and experience. There are some tips that can guide our plan for reading.

If you didn't know how to read or if your reading skills are not good you most definitely face problem. Poor reading skills are equal to not knowing how to read.

These 8 tips are as follows:

1. Identifying the aim of reading: 
   The reader ought to be clear about what he want to obtain from the reading of the text.
2. Knowing the back ground information: 
   Background information of the topic to be read helps the reader to anticipate the contents of the reading materials and to select appropriate reading strategies.
3. Selecting and using the reading strategy: 
   The reader should select the reading strategies and use them flexibly and interchangeably. For example, if the readers use top-down and down-top strategies simultaneously while reading for understanding meaning, it will certainly improve their comprehension and confidence.
4. Selecting the relevant text: 
   The reader should focus on those parts of the text that are relevant to the identified aim and overlook the rest. This selectivity enables the readers to focus on specific items and to reject the information those they need not to hold in memory.
5. Noting down the important points: 
   To reader should note down the important points, quotations or lines that the reader think useful. These notes may come in help while studying the subject later.
6. Understanding the writer: 
   When we read fiction, we should try to understand the writer's writing style with regards to language, emotion and words used by the writer. This will eventually make the reading process more enjoyable.
7. Concentration: 
   The readers should always concentrate their mind on the text and read them with fullest concentration. Every line of the text may provide the reader with at least a new message. Reading for the sake of it will not yield any fruitful outcome.
8. Checking the comprehension: 
   The readers should check their understandings while reading and when the reading is completed. Monitoring comprehension helps the readers to detect inconsistencies and comprehension failures. It also helps them to find out alternative strategies for using them if they require.

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8 Guidelines to Improve Written Communication

Although people spend more time in oral communication, organizations primarily rely on written communication. In order to develop an information base and to maintain documentary proof, there is no alternative to written communication.

The following 8 guidelines can improve written communication:

1. Using Short and Familiar words: 
   In written message, it is wise to use short and familiar words. Although unfamiliar and complex words indicate the intellectuality of the writer, he/she may fail to convey the message to the ordinary readers.
2. Using Short Sentence and Paragraphs: 
   Successful written messages require short sentences and paragraphs. Because, short sentences and paragraphs communicate better than long sentence and paragraphs. When sentences and paragraphs are long, the reader may not understand the complete meaning of the message.
3. Using Technical Words with Caution: 
   Message should contain as minimum technical jargons as possible. Technical words or jargons make the message difficult for the common readers. For example, depreciation, pledge, IRR etc. are the commonly used terms in new investment projects. However, these words may be confusing to the ordinary people.
4. Using Active Voice:
   In written communication, the communicator should prefer active voice to passive voice. Because, sentences written in active voice are short and direct. However, it does not mean that passive voice cannot be used.
5. Give Examples and Charts: 
   There is a saying that graphs tell more than the words. Therefore, wherever possible, written message should contain examples and graphs that can clarify the message more easily.
6. Expressing Thoughts Logically:
   Logical arrangement of thoughts is another important criterion of effective written communication. Thoughts or ideas of the sender should be arranged logically and sequentially so that the reader can understand the meaning.
7. Avoiding Unnecessary Words: 
   Another way to increase the effectiveness of written message is to avoid unnecessary and repetitive words. For example, instead of asking 'how do you spend your leisure time?' one can ask 'how do you spend your leisure'? The first question contains the unnecessary word 'time'.
8. Avoiding Discriminatory Words:
   While writing, the writer should not use discriminatory words. Discriminatory words are those that do not treat all people equally. Moreover, such words create biasness in terms of gender, race, religion etc. For example, some discriminatory word are mentioned below:

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10 Necessity of Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication occurs without using any oral or written word. Instead of written or oral words, it relies on various non-verbal cues like physical movements, tasks, colors, signs, symbols, signals charts etc. to express feelings, attitudes or information. Although no word is used in non-verbal communication, it can effectively communicate many human feelings more accurately than verbal methods of communication. Some important points expressing the importance, necessity, advantages or functions of non-verbal communication are discussed below:

1. Well Expression of the Speaker’s Attitude: Various non-verbal cues of the speaker like physical movements, facial expression, way of expression, etc. play important role in expressing the inner meaning of the messages in face-to-face conversation and interview. For example, facial expression of the speaker indicates his attitude, determination depth of knowledge etc.
2. Providing Information Regarding the Sender of The Written Message: The format, neatness, language and the appearance of the envelope used in a written message send a non-verbal message regarding the writer’s tests, choice, level of education etc.
3. Expressing the Attitude of the Listener and Receiver: Sometimes the appearance of the listeners and receivers conveys their attitudes, feelings, and thoughts regarding the messages they have read or heard.
4. Gaining Knowledge about a Class of People: Clothing, hairstyle, neatness, jewelry, cosmetics, and stature of people convey impressions regarding their occupation, age, nationality, social or economic level, job status etc. For example, students, policemen, nurses etc. can easily be identified through their dresses.
5. Gaining Knowledge about the Status of a Person: Non-verbal cues also help to determine the relative status of persons working in an organization. For example, room size, location, furnishings, decorations, lightings, etc. indicate the position of a person in the organization.
6. Communicating Common Message to All People: In some cases non-verbal cues can effectively express many true messages more accurately than those of any other method of communication. For example, use of red, yellow and green lights and use of various signs in controlling vehicles in the roads.
7. Communicating with the Handicapped People: Non- verbal cues of communication greatly help in communicating with the handicapped people. For example, language of communication with the deaf depends on the movements of hands, fingers and eye ball.
8. Conveying Message to the Illiterate People: Communication with illiterate people through written media is impossible. There may also be some situations that do not allow the use of oral media to communicate with them. In such situations non¬verbal methods like pictures, colors, graphs, signs, and symbols are used as the media of communication. For example, to indicate danger we use red sign and to mean dangerous we use a skull placed between two pieces of bone put in cross wise fashion.
9. Quick Expression of Message: Non-verbal cues like sign and symbol can also communicate some messages very quickly than written or oral media. For example, when drivers of a running vehicle are to be communicated that the road ahead is narrow or there is a turn in the road ahead, we generally use signs or symbols rather than using any written or oral message.
10. Presenting Information Precisely: Sometimes quantitative information on any issue may require lengthy written message. But this quantitative information can be presented easily and precisely through tables, graphs, charts etc.

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15 Techniques to Develop Writing Skill

Effective writing requires writer’s adequate knowledge on language concern and techniques of writing messages. Writers’ knowledge on language and techniques of writings enable them to write skillfully and logically. Some techniques or guidelines for improving writing skills are discussed below:

1. Adapting Language to The Specific Readers: Adaptation means fitting the message to the specific reader. While writing, the writer must keep in mind that all the readers do not have the same level of understanding. They do not all have same vocabulary, the same knowledge, or the same mentality. Thus to communicate clearly the writer should know the person with whom he wishes to communicate. The writer should form the message to fit that person’s mind by using words that the reader understands. Adapting requires visualizing the reader, that means imagining what the reader knows, feels, thinks and such.
2. Using Familiar Words: Using familiar words means using the words that most of us use in everyday conversation. These words convey sharp and clear meanings in the mind. Complex and difficult words and the words that do not communicate precisely or quickly should be avoided. For example, instead of using the more unfamiliar word ‘endeavour’, use ‘try’. Instead of using ‘terminate,’ use ‘end.’ In the same way we should prefer the word ‘use’ to ‘utilize,’ ‘do’ to ‘perform,’ ‘begin’ to ‘initiate,’ ‘find out’ to ‘ascertain,’ ‘stop’ to ‘discontinue’ and ‘show’ to ‘demonstrate.’ However, using difficult words are not always bad. They can be used when they fit writer’s need and are understood.
3. Choosing Short Words: Short words generally communicate better than long words. Use of wordy sentences even these are understood give an impression of difficulty that hinders communication. But it is not always true that all short words are easy and all long words are hard. Suggestion is that in most situations the writer should concentrate on short words and use long words with caution. It is suggested further that long words can be used when the writer think the readers know them.
4. Avoiding Overuse of Camouflaged Verbs: The writer should avoid using camouflaged verb in writing. An action verb is changed to a camouflaged verb by changing it to a noun and then adding action verb. Since camouflaged verbs are abstract nouns and they frequently require passive form of sentence, they should be avoided for ensuring concreteness and active form of sentence in writing. For example, if we want to change the action verb ‘consider’ to a camouflaged verb we have to change the verb ‘consider’ to noun ‘consideration,’ then add verb ‘give, ’ and at last we get camouflaged verb ‘give consideration to.’
5. Selecting Words for Precise Meanings: Certainly, writing requires knowledge of language. In fact, the greater our knowledge of language, the greater we are likely to write. Knowledge of language enables the writer to use words that carry the meaning that the writer wants to communicate. Unfortunately, many of us treat language routinely. We use words without thinking the meaning they convey. The result is vague writing. Good writers require studying words carefully. They should learn their precise meanings, specially the shades of differences in the meanings of similar words. For example, ‘Fewer’ and ‘less’ mean the same meaning to some people. But careful writer select ‘fewer’ to mean “smaller number of items” and ‘less’ to mean “reduced value, degree or quantity.”
6. Avoiding Gender Discriminating Words:Our language developed in a male dominated society. For reasons of fair play the writer should avoid using gender discriminating or sexist words. There are some ways for avoiding such sexist words.
• First, masculine pronouns such as he, his and him can be eliminated by rewording the sentence. For example, the sexist sentence - ‘the typical college student eats his lunch at the student corner’ can be changed to the nonsexist sentence as like - ‘the typical college student eats lunch at the student corner.’
• Secondly, use of masculine pronouns can be eliminated by making the reference plural. The plural pronouns such as their, them and they refer to both sexes.
• Thirdly, masculine pronouns he, his or him can be substituted by neutral expression such as ‘he or she,’ he/she, you, one and person.


7. Using Technical Words and Acronyms with Caution: Every field of knowledge has its own technical language. This language can be so complex that in some eases specialized dictionaries are compiled. Individuals of a particular field need to learn its technical words and acronyms and later, use these terms freely in communicating with I other people belonging to that respective field. But problems may arise when people of a particular field communicate with people outside their field by using their own technical terms. Though these words are everyday words to them, but these may be unfamiliar to the people outside that field. So, the writers should use their respective technical terms and acronyms with caution and replace their technical words with plain words.
8. Select Words with the Right Strength and Vigor: Some words are strong and vigor. Some are weak and dull and some fall between these extremes. Good writers know these differences and they consider them carefully. So the writer should use the words that carry the best intended meanings. For example, the word ‘tycoon’ is stronger than ‘eminently successful businessperson’, ‘bear market’ is stronger than ‘generally decline market,’ ‘boom’ is stronger than ‘a period of business prosperity’ and like.
9. Using Concrete Language: Concrete words are those that form sharp and clear meaning in the mind. The writer should prefer these concrete words in their writings. Concrete is opposite to abstract. Abstract words are vague. Concrete words stand for things that the reader can see, feel, taste, or smell. For example, write ‘a 48 percent loss’ instead of ‘a significant loss,’ ‘100 percent attendance record’ instead of ‘good attendance record.’
10. Using Active Voice: The writer should prefer the active voice in making sentence to the passive voice. Active voice produces stronger and livelier writing. It emphasizes the action and it usually saves words. For example, write ‘He plays football’ instead of writing ‘Football is played by him.’
11. Avoiding Words that Stereotype by Race or Nationality: Words that label all members of a group by race or nationality are unfair. Members of any minority may vary widely in all characteristics. Thus it is unfair to imply that Jews are miserly, that Italians are Mafia members, that I Hispanics are lazy, that African Americans can do only menial jobs and so on.
12. Avoiding Words that Stereotype by Age or Disabilities: Words that label people as old or young can produce negative reactions. Similarly, disabled people are sensitive to words that describe their disabilities. Therefore, it is suggested not to use words that discriminate against age or disabilities.
13. Emphasizing on Short Sentences: Writing simpler sentences largely depends on writing shorter sentences. Research reveals that the more the words and relationships in a sentence, the greater is the possibility for misunderstanding. The reader can not hold too much information at a time. They generally prefer short and readable sentence so that they can easily read the message and hold the information from it. Thus it is recommended to write short and clear sentences by limiting sentence contents and economizing on words.
14. Maintaining Sentence Unity: Sentence unity means all parts of a sentence should concern one thought. In other words, all the things put in a sentence should have a good reason for being together. Therefore, the writer must ensure that all the information in a sentence belongs together. Sentence unity can be maintained by: (1) Eliminating excessive details, (2) Combining only related thoughts and (3) Avoiding illogical constructions.
15. Taking Care in Paragraph Design: Paragraphing is also important to clear writing. Paragraphs show the reader where topics begin and end. They also help in organizing information in the reader’s mind. There are some suggestions for designing paragraph. 

• First, each separate topic should be discussed in separate paragraph.
• Secondly, the length of paragraph should be as short as possible. Short paragraphs' attract the readers and communicate better.
• Thirdly, unnecessary details should be avoided in writing paragraphs.
• Fourthly, each paragraph should move to an additional step toward the goal.

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8 Reason Why Reading is Important

Reading materials such as books, journals, magazines newspapers etc. are the most inexpensive source of knowledge and entertainment. Reading is the cheapest way of acquiring knowledge and thus improving the life styles. However, the following points will highlight the benefits of reading:

1. Giving Satisfaction:
   Reading gives great satisfaction to the readers. A popular phrase "curling up with books" creates an image of warm and close relationship with the book. Even parents feel satisfied when they see their kids are reading books.
2. Enhancing Concentration:
   For reading one needs to be focused for a longer duration and it requires mental exercise. For understanding the text or the whole story, the reader must concentrate his mind towards a particular matter. In this way, reading improves our concentration power and focus.
3. Imparting Knowledge:
   Reading enhances the knowledge of the readers. By developing the reading skills, the readers can diversify their field of knowledge which provides them with the chances to participate in fruitful discussion and decision making process.
4. Exercise of Brain:
   Reading is regarded as an exercise of brain. When we involved in reading our brain cells start to work for understanding the meaning of the text and try to relate various aspects of the matter read. Thus reading stimulates the brain and impels it to think about all possible aspects for realizing the meaning.
5. Reducing Stress:
   Reading is a great habit that can change human lives dramatically. It can entertain us; amuse us and enrich us with knowledge. It helps us reducing stress, relieving tensions and thus boosts our energy. It carries us to the realm of dream and amusement - far away from the real complex world.
6. Enhancing Analytical Thinking:
   Reading not only enriches your knowledge, but also makes it sharpen to analyze and evaluate things in a better way. In this way reading enhances our analytical thinking.
7. Improving Vocabulary:Skillful reading obviously increases the vocabulary of the readers by introducing them with the new and unfamiliar words and phrases regularly. It not only enriches our vocabulary but also teaches us the better way of expressing ourselves.
8. Improving Writing Skills:
   Reading helps gradual improvements of vocabulary that in turns enhances the reader’s writing skills. As it boosts the ability to think, it also improves the written expression.

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5 ways to Turn Grapevine beneficiary to organization

Though grapevine provides innumerable utilities to the organization, still it is not free from defects. Therefore, managers should try to use grapevine in a way so that organization can take highest benefits from it.
The following issues  ways  means will guide the managers in enhancing the efficacy of grapevine

1. Providing real news to the grapevine initiators:
    Managers should identify the people who take active part in grapevine channels and provide them with real news so that they can transmit real facts to the grapevine channels. This will eventually, resist transmission of rumor, untrue and distorted messages.
2. Considering grapevine as a pulse feeling tool:
    Since grapevine is an important source of receiving feedback, managers should use it as a tool for feeling the pulse of the employees.
3. Contradicting the false rumor:
    If any false rumor occurs in the organization, management should immediately contradict and protest the rumor through formal channels. As a result, feeding of false rumor will decrease.
4. Allowing workers in decision making process:
    If the workers are allowed to take part in decision making process, they will be well informed of the facts. In such situation, there will be nothing to suspect and to create false rumor.
5. Developing good organizational climate:
    Good organizational climate impels the employees to develop sense of belongingness, to maintain status, chain of command and self-respect, and to enhance satisfactions. All these will facilitate occurrence of grapevine in the most desired and effective way.

At last we can say that though organization cannot hire and fire the grapevine, it can ensure an environment where people can practice grapevine in the most desired and effective way.

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10 Essential Qualities of Good Interviewer

Success of interview largely depends on the traits and qualities of interviewer. But there is no universally accepted list of qualities of a good or successful interviewer. However, some of the important requirements/qualities/traits of a successful interviewer are mentioned below:

1. Knowledge about the job:A good interviewer is one who has sufficient knowledge about the job for which he/she is taking the interview. If the interviewer lacks adequate knowledge regarding job duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required, it would not be possible by him to select the best candidate.
2. Training and experience:Interviewers should have adequate experience and necessary training to conduct interview effectively and efficiently.
3. Listening attentively:Good interviewers are attentive listeners. They listen more than they talk. The listening tendency helps the interviewer to make better evaluation. Many interviews fail because the interviewer talks more than listening.
4. Emotional maturity:The interviewer should be free from biasness and undue emotions. He should have the ability to judge the situation based on logic and wisdom.
5. Control of anger and aggression:Control of anger, arrogance, or aggression is a very important trail of successful interviewers. They should not be aggressive or intimidating. They should neither miss-guide the candidate nor should react to the applicant's comments. When the candidate strays from the track of inquiry, good interviewer guides him back to the point.
6. Empathetic attitude:Empathy is the ability to understand or share feelings or attitudes of others. Empathetic attitude of the interviewer helps to relieve the applicant's anxiety and nervousness. Good interviewers show empathy to the interviewee by means of friendly and warm tone.
7. Ability to recognize uniqueness:Every interviewee is unique in his/her qualities, character, traits, and experience. Successful interviewer is one who can identify the best combination of individual talents and qualities for a particular job.
8. Stable personality:Personality is the way through which one can create impression in the minds of others. Good interviewer possesses such a stable personality so that he/she can treat all the interviewees in the same general way. He should not show any inclination to any particular interviewee.
9. Extrovert behavior:Extrovert behavior is another quality of a good interviewer. This quality helps the interviewer to be conversational, frank, and friendly in nature.
10. Physical'stamina:
    Sound mind goes with good health. The interviewer should possess good physical and mental health so that he can work at a stress with a huge number of interviewees.

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10 Laws for Writing Sales Letter that Get Results

Previously we gave 32 tips for writing a effective sales letter, Today we shrink those in 10 tips. Here are ten tips for wring a effective sales letter that gets results.

this will describe the 10 Laws for Writing Sales Letter that Get Results;

1. Know what’s in it for your reader.
   Get out of your ego and into your reader’s ego. Complete this sentence: “Get my book so that you can...(fill in the blank).” Your book (or whatever you are selling) is the feature. What people get as a result of having your book is the benefit. Focus on benefits. Always! Without this, your letter will bomb.
2. Write a headline that telegraphs the key benefit to your reader.
   ALWAYS use a headline. There is only ONE exception to this rule. When you personalize your letter, the “Dear (whoever)” opening becomes your headline. There are few headlines more powerful than the reader’s own name. The headline is THE most important part of your letter! Spend nearly all of your time on it.
3. Be brief.
   Say what you have to say in terms of the reader’s self-interest and shut up. This does NOT necessarily mean a short letter. If you are trying to make a sale, and the reader has never heard of you or your item for sell, you may have to write four or more pages to get your message across. If all you want is a return call, a one page letter may do. Don’ be afraid of length. People will read any length of copy AS LONG AS IT’S INTERESTING!
4. Always use a PS.
   Always. Why do copywriters who charge upwards to $15,000 to write a sales letter and have weeks to draft it always use a PS? They are always read. Always.
5. Look good.
   Visual attractiveness accounts for 70% of your letter’s impact. Use short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted points, indented paragraphs, subheads, etc. Some people will just skim your letter, so engaging subheads and bulleted points help reach them instantly.
6. Outline first.
   Use a planning tool such as the program Project Kick Start to help you think through your message. Or talk to a friend. Or to a tape recorder. Or to yourself. This also helps you get comfortable with speaking your letter rather than writing it.
7. Write first, edit last.
   Turn your inner editor off. You can rewrite later. For now, write spontaneously and quickly to get your ideas on paper.
8. Ask for something.
   Why are you writing? You want a call. Or an order. Something. Say so!
9. Get a reader.
   Find one person to read your letter OUT LOUD in front of you. If he (or she) has trouble reading your letter, if he wrinkles his brow or stops to reread a sentence, rewrite those places. Don’t skip this step! It’s the secret of many professional writers.
10. Rewrite your letter again.
    Is it the best you can do? Be honest! If not, throw it away and call the person instead. Or hire a copywriter to write it for you. Why waste your time or your reader’s with something that doesn’t communicate in a persuasive and interesting way? (I rewrote this letter 24 times!)

Well, there you have it. Of course, there are more rules, laws, ideas and suggestions for writing letters that get results. You should always guarantee whatever you are selling, for example, and always offer proof for all of your claims. But the above will get you rolling.

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4 Secrets to Listening Well

“Listening is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.” - John Marshall. There must be a lot of frustrated people out there, a lot of people who feel like they aren’t listened to, a lot of people throwing up their arms and saying, “You just don’t get it, do you”.

There seems to be a growing realization of the importance of listening and communication skills in business. After all, lack of attention and respectful listening can be costly - leading to mistakes, poor service, misaligned goals, wasted time and lack of teamwork. You can’t sell unless you understand your customer’s problem; you can’t manage unless you understand your employee’s motivation; and you can’t gain team consensus unless you understand each team member’s feelings about the issue at hand. In all of these cases, you must listen to others. However, listening is less important than how you listen. By listening in a way that demonstrates understanding and respect, you cause rapport to develop, and that is the true foundation from which you can sell, manage or influence others.

”I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” - Ernest.

Hemingway Following are some keys to listening well

1. Give 100% Attention Prove you care by suspending all other activities.
2. Respond Responses can be both verbal and nonverbal (nods, expressing interest) but must prove you received the message, and more importantly, prove it had an impact on you. Speak at approximately the same energy level as the other person...then they’ll know they really got through and don’t have to keep repeating.
3. Prove understanding To say “I understand” is not enough. People need some sort of evidence or proof of understanding. Prove your understanding by occasionally restating the gist of their idea or by asking a question, which proves you, know the main idea. The important point is not to repeat what they've said to prove you were listening, but to prove you understand. The difference in these two intentions transmits remarkably different messages when you are communicating.
4. Prove respect Prove you take other views seriously. It seldom helps to tell people, “I appreciate your position” or “I know how you feel.” You have to prove it by being willing to communicate with others at their level of understanding and attitude. We do this naturally by adjusting our tone of vice, rate of speech and choice of words to show that we are trying to imagine being where they are at the moment.

Listening to and acknowledging other people may seem deceptively simple, but doing it well, particularly when disagreements arise, takes true talent. As with any skill, listening well takes plenty of practice.
”I think one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” - Diane Sawyer.
Only about 25 percent of listeners grasp the central ideas in communications. To improve listening skills, consider the following

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6 Reason Behind Why Grapevine Exists in Organization.

Grapevine is a form of informal communication. It arises due to co-existence of people. Therefore, it is found in all organizations. It does not follow any prescribed or predetermined rule and spreads any information quickly. Through grapevine, information flows in different directions linking almost everyone of an organization. It is governed by social and personal relationships rather than officially recognized rules and formalities.

Grapevine operates both in internal and external informal channels. It passes opinions, suspicions, and rumors that generally do not move through formal channels. By nature, grapevine is a channel of horizontal communication. However, in fact, it does not follow any set pattern. It effectively operates horizontally, vertically and even diagonally.

Form the above discussion we can say that Grapevine is an a natural outgrowth person- to-person informal communication channel through which information flows horizontally, vertically or diagonally without following any set rule or regulation among the people within or outside the organization.

6 Reasons behind Grapevine in organization

Communication through grapevine is a matter of spontaneous feelings. Some personal matters and other situations may cause these feelings. Keith Davis said in this regard-" The grapevine is more a product of situation than it is of the person." Typical examples of situations prompting grapevines include layoffs, takeovers, promotions, introduction of new technology etc. However, personal factors also encourage involving in grapevine actively. The probable causes that may activate the grapevine are discussed below:

1. Emotion of employees

   Some organizational issues like insecurity of service, uncertainty of promotion, prohibition to form and enter into trade unions, undermining the role of subordinates by superiors etc. are likely to create emotions in the mind of workers and make them excited. Thus for relieving the emotions and cooling down the excitements some workers tend to activate grapevine.

2. Existence of informal and peer groups

   Grapevine is a symbol that reveals existence of informal and peer groups in the organization. For exchanging most personal and some organizational matters, they start channeling information through grapevine.

3. Exceptional information

   Exceptional event or information like innovation of new products, investment in new field, providing special facilities to a particular employee etc. should be disseminated throughout the organization. If these are not disclosed to the employees, someone may activate grapevine channel.

4. Job itself

   It is observed that some jobs or positions such as personal assistant, personal secretary, driver etc. by their nature can hold some important messages and play active role in feeding information in grapevine. Keith Davis pointed out in this regard that - "Secretaries to the managers are four times likely to be key grapevine communicators, compared with other employees".

5. People of talkative nature and suspicious attitude

   People of talkative nature or people holding suspicion on any matter play active role in channeling information on grapevine.

6. Organizational climate

   Now a day, many organizations permit its employees to communicate with each other frequently. This also inspires them to activate grapevine.

In conclusion, we can say that since the above stated issues or situations are common in every organization regardless of their size and nature, presence of grapevine is inevitable there. So it is said that- “grapevine is more a product of the situation than it is of the person.

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Top 10 Qualities of a Good Speech

Oral communication is the oldest and most widely used medium of communication. It can take place in different forms and speech is one of them. Speech is generally, the most effective medium of delivering message in meeting, seminar, conference etc. Speech refers to delivering message through words of mouth or spoken words in front of audience gathered in a meeting, seminar or conference. Through speech, the speaker can present his opinions and thoughts on any matter to a large number of audiences at a time. Therefore, it is widely used in delivering oral message in business, social, political and religious gatherings.
A speech is a highly structured form of address in which a speaker addresses an audience gathered to hear a message.

Barack Obama-also known for his Great moving Speeches

At least, we can say that speech is a kind of formal address delivered to an audience gathered in a place to hear a message.

What does a Good Speech have ?

Speech is an effective means of oral communication. It is delivered in front of a large gathering. Therefore, speech serves as an important medium of presenting information in meetings, political or business gatherings. However, a speech becomes effective when it fulfills the following features:

1. ClarityClarity is an essential feature of a good speech. Speech should be clear and unambiguous so that the audience can understand it easily. If it is not clear enough to express its meaning to the audience, it will become ineffective.
2. Definiteness of Message
   Message of the speech should be definite and relevant with the subject matter.
3. Conciseness
   Audience becomes impatient to long speech. Hence, speech should be as concise as possible. However, it should not incomplete.
4. InterestingSpeech should be delivered in an interesting and pleasing way so that the audience is motivated to pay attention. In order to make the speech interesting, various stories, examples, quotations and jokes can be cited.
5. Informal Touch
   Though speech is a formal address, it should be presented in a personal and informal way.
6. Considering the Audience
   Speech is delivered to a specific audience. So the speaker should actively consider the expectations, interest and nature of the audience.
7. Speaking Slowly
   An ideal speech is one which is delivered slowly and in usual tone. It helps the audience to hear and understand the message clearly.
8. Free from Emotions
   Another important feature of good speech is that it should be delivered in an unbiased and un-emotional way. Speaker’s emotion may drive him away from the main theme.
9. Use of Body Language
   Good Speech goes with necessary body language. Therefore, at the time of delivering speech, the speaker should use various nonverbal cues.
10. Ensuring Participation of Audience
    A good speech is one which ensures participation from the audience with the speaker. That means, the audience will ensure their attention through effective listening, expressing their solidarity with the speech and so on.

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10 Keys to Dynamite Resume

Resume writing can be tricky, especially if you haven’t done it before. I suggest you write several drafts, and allow yourself the time to proofread for errors and ruminate over what you've written. Practice, after all, makes perfect. If you have a professional associate whose opinion you trust, by all means, listen to what he or she has to say. A simple critique can save you a great deal of time and money.

To help you construct a better, more powerful resume, here are ten overall considerations in regard to your resume’s content and presentation.

Here are 10 keys to a Dynamic Effective Resume that give results;

1. Position Title and Job Description:
   Provide your title, plus a detailed explanation of your daily activities and measurable results. Since job titles are often misleading or their function may vary from one company to another, your resume should tell the reader exactly what you've done. (Titles such as account manager, business analyst, and internal consultant are especially vague.)
2. Clarity of Dates and Place:
   Document your work history accurately. Don’t leave the reader guessing where you were employed, or for how long. If you've had overlapping jobs, find a way to pull them apart on paper, or eliminate mentioning one, to avoid confusion.
3. Detail:
   Specify some of the more technical, or involved aspects of your past work or education. Have you performed tasks of any complexity, or significance If so, don’t be shy; give a one or two sentence description.
4. Proportion:
   Give appropriate attention to jobs or educational credentials according to their length, or importance to the reader. For example, if you wish to be considered for a position at a bank, don’t write one paragraph describing your current job as a loan officer, followed by three paragraphs about your high school summer job as a lifeguard.
5. Relevancy:
   Confine your curriculum vitae to that which is job- related or clearly demonstrates a pattern of success. For example, nobody really cares that your hobby is spear fishing, or that you weigh 137 pounds, or that you belong to an activist youth group. Concentrate on the subject matter that addresses the needs of the employer.
6. Explicitness:
   Leave nothing to the imagination. Don’t assume the resume reader knows, for example, that the University of Indiana you attended is in western Pennsylvania, or that an “M.M.” is a Master of Music degree, or that your current employer, U.S. Computer Systems, Inc., supplies the fast-food industry with order-taker headsets.
7. Length:
   Fill up only a page or two. If you write more than two pages, it sends a signal to the reader that you can’t organize your thoughts, or you’re trying too hard to make a good impression. If your content is strong, you won’t need more than two pages.
8. Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation:Create an error-free document that is representative of an educated person. If you’re unsure about the correctness of your writing (or if English is your second language), consult a professional writer or copy editor. At the very least, use a spell-check program if you have access to a word processor, and always proofread what you've written.
9. Readability:Organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. Avoid writing in a style that’s either fragmented or long-winded. No resume ever won a Nobel Prize for literature; however, an unreadable resume will virtually assure you of starting at the back of the line.
10. Overall Appearance and Presentation: Select the proper visual format, type style, and stationery. Resume readers have become used to a customary and predictable format. If you deviate too much, or your resume takes too much effort to read, it’ll probably end up in the trash, even if you have a terrific background.

I worked with a candidate recently who had the most beautifully written resume I've ever seen. When I asked him about it, he said that he sharpened his skills by writing and rewriting his wife’s resume. After he got the hang of it, he worked on his own — and kept revising it on a monthly basis.

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