Friday, September 23, 2011

In public speaking the speaker must has his credibility either initial or acquired. The initial credibility that refers to the speakers image or perception with the audience that my be the position of the speaker (rank), communicators good will among audience that will motivate the listeners to listen, expertise, image like identification power or referent power and the last the morality or fairness to the audience. Second comes the style of the speaker, his tone, speech delivery, dress and body language.

There are a number of distinct qualities which are fundamental to success in public speaking. Identify and explain them briefly.

Effective Public Speaking is not natural, it requires training and complete control on Speech and shortcomings. One must list as many facts, words, elements of the message as one can like:

i) What is the story about?

ii) Do you believe the story makes sense?

iii) Can you think of anything that would make this story totally understandable, clear, and

Memorable

iv) Be interested in Your Topic if not – Your Audience Won’t

(v) Be Limited

(vi)Be Focused

vii)Stress Audience Needs

Two major dimensions of an oral presentation or public speaking are delivery and content. In delivery one must keep in mind:

VOCAL STYLE

Pace
Quality
Tone

PHYSCAL PRENCE

Eye Contact
Poise
Movement

POSITIVE QUALITIES IN PUBLIC SPEAKING ARE

Natural Delivery Style

Conversational Tone

Natural Stance and Gesture

Strong Audience Contact

The Speech’s Content:

Content Elements

1. Speech Purposes

2. Major Points

3. Organization

4. Support

Listening

Studies reveal that listening efficiency is no better than 25 to 30 per cent. Why?

The listening becomes ineffective and its efficiency is no better than 25 to 30 percent because of the following reasons.

(i) Mistrust or looking per “hidden meanings”.

(ii) Clash of priorities among speaker & listeners.

(iii) Different social or educational background.

(iv) Lack of shared vocabulary.

(v) Emotions (anger, fear, frustration).

The possible reasons may be some of the cultural barriers. Secondly sensation and perception means heaving (the reception of stimuli by the sensory organ, the ears) is not the same as listening, where the mind and memory are engaged in receiving, selecting, organizing interpreting and storing information from the stimuli.

Distinguish between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’. What are the purposes of listening? What are the basic rules for good listening?

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS: LISTENING SKILLS

There are a number of situations when you need to solicit good information from others; these situations include interviewing candidates, solving work problems, seeking to help an employee on work performance, and finding out reasons for performance discrepancies.

Skill in communication involves a number of specific strengths. Hearing means not focusing on any sound coming to ears but listening demands mental exertion to understand what the speaker is saying and in what context.

The purpose of listening includes:

q Proper understanding of the message

q Effective feedback to the speaker

q Evaluating information for intended message

q Describe specifically what you have observed

q describe your reactions

q give the other person an opportunity to respond

q offer specific suggestions

q summarize and express your support

The following lists some suggests for effective listening:

(i) Listen openly and with empathy to the other person

(ii) Judge the content, not the messenger or delivery; comprehend before you judge

(iii) Use multiple techniques to fully comprehend (ask, repeat, rephrase, etc.)

(iv) Active body state; fight distractions

(v) Ask the other person for as much detail as he/she can provide; paraphrase what the other is saying to make sure you understand it and check for understanding

(vi) Respond in an interested way that shows you understand the problem and the employee's concern

(vii) Attend to non-verbal cues, body language, not just words; listen between the lines

(viii)Ask the other for his views or suggestions

(ix) State your position openly; be specific, not global

(x) Communicate your feelings but don't act them out (e.g. tell a person that his behavior really upsets you; don't get angry)

(xi) Be descriptive, not evaluative-describe objectively, your reactions, consequences

(xii) Be validating, not invalidating ("You wouldn't understand"); acknowledge other's uniqueness, importance

(xiii)Be conjunctive, not disjunctive (not "I want to discuss this regardless of what you want to discuss");

(xiv)Don't totally control conversation; acknowledge what was said

(xv) Own up: use "I", not "They"... not "I've heard you are not cooperative"

(xvi)Don't react to emotional words, but interpret their purpose

(xvii)Practice supportive listening, not one way listening

(xviii)Decide on specific follow-up actions and specific follow up dates

InterPersonal Communication

Bring out the importance of telephone in interpersonal communication. If you were the Managing Director of a company what instructions would you give your telephone receptionist regarding effective use of the telephone?

Most of us have to use the telephone at work either to respond to people’s enquires or to obtain information from others. Very often the telephone is the only point of contract we have with our customers. How each of us treats callers will therefore affect the may in which our organization is seen. The process does not stop with the telephonist-it continues with all of us whenever we answer our telephone.

Most of us would agree that we want to create an image of ourselves and of our organization that is helpful creates its corporate image through interpersonal communication of the organization.

As a managing Director I would instruct my telephone receptionist to remain “Efficient and friendly” and observe the following:-

Answering promptly.
Do not be heard Eating, drinking on telephone.
Tell the caller your name.
Not holding two conversations at once.
Requesting the caller to hang up if you are busy but not for long time.
Transferring people immediately.
Intelligible warm greetings.
Positive attitude.
Sounding sure of what you are saying.
Use appropriate question to maintain control
Keep people informed
Check all details

Points to consider in Telephoning

Be aware of time zones. Few business persons want to get phone calls in the middle of the night.
Speak more clearly.
Restate and summarise more often. Memorises are prone to error loss.
Follow up the conversation with a letter of fax. This way you and the message receiver have a statement that summarises the major points covered.

Organisational Behaviour

Leadership and Theories

Changing Views of Leadership in Business

1. Scientific Management/Theory X: people are lazy, stupid, and dislike work. Workers are extensions of the machines that they are operating.

2. Human Relations Approach/Theory Y: regards employee needs as a legitimate corporate responsibility. People are industrious and seek challenges.

Trait Theories of Leadership

1. Original explanations of leadership

2. Most often believed by royalty, elite classes, and older siblings

3. Years of research – inconclusive results

· Bird found four general traits (intelligence, initiative, sense of humor, extraversion)

· But, these traits don’t ensure a good leader

Two Frequently Studied Traits

1. Charisma: inspire followers to be passionately devoted to them

2. Extraordinary vision

3. Persuasive speakers

4. Practical leadership skills (alleviates stress of followers)

5. Machiavellianism

6. Believe that people are weak, gullible, and untrustworthy

7. People are there to be used and manipulated

8. No emotional, moral or ideological attachments

9. Sane

Social Determinism

1. The “great” leader only plays a unique and decisive role when the historical situation permits major alternative paths of development

2. In other words, leaders simply play out roles designed for them by broad social forces

Modern Theories of Leadership

Focus on interaction of

· Traits and behaviors of leaders

· Characteristics of their followers

· Nature of the situation

Contingency Theory

1. Created by Fred Fiedler

2. Leader effectiveness determined by interaction of leader characteristics and aspects of the situation

3. Person-oriented Leader: more effective in moderately favorable situations

4. Task-oriented Leader: more effective in extremely favorable or unfavorable situations

Cognitive Resource Theory

1. Fiedler’s expansion of Contingency Theory

2. Interaction of leader’s cognitive abilities (e.g., intelligence, job-related knowledge), job performance, and stress

3. Must keep stress at a minimum for leader to be successful

Path Goal Theory

Focuses on kinds of behaviors leaders should use to allow their subordinates to achieve personal and organizational goals.

1. Directive Leadership

2. Supportive Leadership

3. Participative Leadership: workers have input

4. Achievement Oriented: set challenging goals and emphasize high level of performance

5. Requires a flexible leader

Normative Decision Theory

1. Concerned with extent to which leaders allow subordinates to participate in decisions

2. Ranges from autocratic to complete participation

3. Factors to consider include

4. Importance of decision

5. Degree to which it is accepted by subordinates

6. Time required to make the decision

Leader Member Exchange

•Deals with the way the leader-follower relationship affects the leadership process.

•Every follower is different

•In-group vs. Out-group subordinates

•Supervision/formal authority vs. leadership/persuasion

•Get leader to like you treats you better

1. You work harder

Leadership Styles

1. Authoritarian vs. Democratic

2. 60% of workers prefer democratic styles

3. However, job performance only increased in 22% of studies (56% showed no difference)

4. Transactional: behavior depends on what followers think of them. Bribery.

5. Transformational: Challenge and inspire workers

· High Energy, willing to risk

· Individualized consideration

· Intellectual stimulation

The Role of Power

Types of Power

1. Reward: pay raises, promotions

2. Coercive: punishment (downsize, demote)

3. Legitimate: hierarchy of control (formal structure)

4. Referent: degree to which employees identify with leader and leader’s goals

5. Expert: does leader have necessary skills? If yes, more supportive subordinates

Examples of Influence Tactics

1. Rational Persuasion

2. Inspirational Appeals

3. Consultation: seeks target participation

4. Ingratiation

5. Personal Appeals: loyalty and friendship

6. Exchange

7. Coalition Tactics

8. Legitimating Tactics: based upon hierarchical authority or organizational policy

9. Pressure: threats and persistent reminders

Effects of Power

1. Legitimate, referent, and expert: correlate with job satisfaction, satisfaction with superior’s technical skills, satisfaction with superior’s human relations skills, organizational commitment

2. Reward: correlates with all but organizational commitment

Need for Power?

1. High level executives and mid-level managers often have a high need for power

2. Effective managers have a higher need for power than less effective managers

3. However, power is not for personal gain

Role of Leader Expectations

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