Communication Interpersonal Skills

1
INTRODUCTION

When we communicate, we dont actually exchange ideas, e exchange symbols that stand for ideas. Words are just symbols
that do not have inherent meaning; we simply use them in certain ways to convey an idea or give it a caning.
Two important facts about interpersonal communication:
1. Interpersonal communication is inescapable
2. Communication is not just spoken words.

INTRA/INTER PERSONAL COMMUNICATION IS CONTEXTUAL
In other words, communication does not happen in isolation, There is
(a) A Mental context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction.
(b) A Relational context, which concerns your relations to the other person.
(c) Cultural context, includes all the learned behaviours and rules that affect the interaction.
(d) A Social context deals with the psycho-social where you are communicating.

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

Sample from an example of Interpersonal Communication.
(a) At the first meeting, I hug the person.
(b) At the first meeting, I wait for the other person to make the introduction first.
(c) At the first meeting, I introduce myself with a smile and offer a handshake.
Best answer: (c) Its good to initiate the introduction | and introduce yourself with a handshake and smile. This is a typical
example of a communication 1 ability test which evaluates the status of your present interpersonal communications.
Written communication and interpreting written communication as a test of Interpersonal and Communication
Skills:
As we have mentioned earlier, interpretation of the written word and understanding the context of communication
are an integral part of communication skills .
In the CSAT examination, since interpersonal and communication skills have been mentioned as a separate section
of the test, it becomes very important to understand what can be expected from the student in the examination in this
context.
Since the examination is in an objective-type format, subjective and written styles of communication will not be
tested directly but the context of interpretation of the written word becomes very important.
Interpretation in the context of the words used and also interpretation in the context of the sentences that are created
forms an integral part of this structure. The student has to gear up to interpret contextual vocabulary, understand ideas that
are based on the topic, identify the relationship and flow of ideas, etc.

WHAT IS TESTED IN INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. Language skills
2. Understanding/Comprehending skills
3. Psychological/Personality Traits
When these skills get tested in a written exam, the format gets changed drastically.
To check your competence in: Ability 1 (Language), you will get straitjacketed questions of Sentence Correction and
Fill in the Blanks to test grammar, clarity of language and sense of language.
To check your competence in Ability 2 and 3 (understanding, comprehending and personality Traits) you will have to
be good at understanding the information given in questions and stick to the rules for solving a particular type of question,
which may test you for Sentence Completion, Para-editing, Critical Reading, Para-jumbles, Critical Reasoning, etc.

Thus the questions could be of:
1. Word level
2. Sentence level
3. Paragraph level

It is important to note that any type of question in this section has to be solved keeping in mind the rules for effective
communication and also the language nuances and expressions used.

2

THEORY OF COMMUNICATION

In this part of our book, before we look at how interpersonal and communication skills can be tested, and the types of
questions that can arise, we shall quickly provide a theoretical framework of what exactly we mean by communication and
interpersonal skills.
In the following text, our objective is to provide a conceptual grounding on these two topics by
3. Understanding their definitions
4. Studying the various theoretical models that have been developed in order to describe them.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
The Evolution of Communication
Communication on our planet is perhaps as old as the existence of life. The moment two organisms started coexisting in this
world and became aware of the presence of each other, some sort of communication would have started. As we moved to a
more and more complex world, communication became an important part of evolution, especially among human beings. For
humans, the need for communication has perhaps become as basic as the need for food, clothing and shelter. It is an
individual as well as a social need.
The word communication is derived from the Latin word communis which literally means common and is
perhaps so derived because the object of any communication is to put any information into the common domain. A
synonym for interchange, dialogue, sharing, interaction or communion, communication involves the passing of meaningful
messages and receiving of feedback.

Definition of Communication (as defined in various sources):
The Merriam Webster lists the following definitions of communication:
1. Information transmitted or conveyed;
2. A verbal or written message;
3. A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs,
or behaviour

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines communication as the exchange of meaning between individuals or groups through a
common system of symbols or language.
Wikipedia defines communication as 'the activity of conveying meaningful information.
Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present
or aware of the senders intent to communicate at the time of communication.
In summary, human communication is the sending of meaningful messages from one person to another. The
messages could be oral or written, visual or olfactory or even a combination of these.

Methods and Stages of Communication
Methods of communication could also be unwritten laws, practices, customs, ways of dressing, gestures and gesticulations,
etc.
Human communication went through different stages of development and was largely driven by the varying needs
of communicators. From the very first stage of human evolution, when the only human reaction was fight or flight, where
communication requirements were restricted to security or fighting needs, to the current state of human evolution where
technology has created multitudes of new dimensions of communication needs, the process and methods of communication
have evolved at a blinding pace globally.
In the modem context, communication is carried out for essentially one of three reasons:
1. Communicating to inform;
2. Communicating to convince;
3. Communicating to entertain.

We will look at these in detail later in this book. Let us now take a look at the quantum shifts that human
communication has taken over the ages.
In broad terms, communication can be seen to have evolved under the following structures over the ages:

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Communication initially was restricted to signs and signals which was essentially communicated through visual
symbolism, i.e., either through physical gestures and gesticulations or through drawings in caves which was the earliest
form of communication.
As human society grew more complex, and social interactions started increasing, human beings realised that they
have the unique capacity to produce similar sounds consistently through their vocal chords. Assigning standardised
meanings to the same sound structure every time is what created languages and dialects. As people started following
individual languages, the complexity of the languages grew, viz., from being able to describe the most basic human needs,
language and speech evolved to be able to describe a vast gamut of feelings, emotions and situations and later on even entire
subjects. So human communication evolved to include both signs and signals and speech and language.
About 5,000 years ago, hieroglyphic writing was developed by the Mayans and the Chinese. They used pictures
with a standardised meaning. The Sumerians developed a different form of writing that represented sounds by symbols. This
allowed information to be stored and for traditions to be passed on in writing. Clay, stone and later papyrus were developed
and used as portable media. Writing gave permanence to the spoken language. Writing was slow to develop because the
clergy, who were the seats of power, wanted it to be their sole privilege.
The need to communicate across constraints of space and time is why humans invented the necessary symbolic
representations which could be written down and not just carried across constraints of geography but also across
constraints of time, i.e., messages and communications started getting carried from one generation to the following
generations. The lead in this regard was taken around 5000 years ago by the Mayan civilisation and the Chinese civilisation.
Writing was used to give permanence to the
spoken language. Histories, geographies, sciences, social sciences and all subjects came into being only because of
the advent of the written word.
Thus, the introduction of the written word actually represented a quantum shift in the way communication was
carried out.
The next major quantum shift in communication happened with the introduction of printing. It gave a major fillip to
the scope of communication. Paper was in the 1st century AD, and the printing press came into being invented in the 15th
century. The printed word represented a new revolution in the history of communication as it created the possibility of
information being copied much faster and with far fewer errors. The availability of information took a huge quantum leap
and communication started crossing cultural and geographical barriers. With printing came books, pamphlets and
newspapers (17
th
century). The printed word changed the contours of human achievement forever. The explosion of
knowledge that we see around the world today can be traced back to the advent of printing. In fact, printed journals and
newspapers became an important cornerstone of various revolutions and freedom struggles across the world.
The 19
th
and 20 century saw the advent of mass communication with tools like newspapers and magazines
becoming widely available across the world, followed by the advent of telegraph, telephones and closely followed by the
invention of the radio and the television. The launching of communication satellites by countries across the world fuelled
the rapid growth of mass communication.
The final quantum shift in human communications has come about with the invention of computers and the internet
supplemented by mobile telephonyand the age we live in is rightly called the information revolution age.
The Process of Communication
In any human situation, communication can be described as the activity of conveying meaningful information. For
any meaningful communication to occur, three components need to be present:
(a) A sender
(b) A message and
(c) An intended recipient.

For communication to occur, the receiver need not be present or be aware of the senders intent.
Communication can be carried out in the following ways:
(a) Verbal (with components of nonverbal communication, which is most common),
(b) Written
(c) Exclusively nonverbal communication

The goal of communication is to convey information and the understanding of that information. In other words, the
process of communication is basically the transmission fan idea/s from the speaker/writer to the listener/reader. Bp
individual who is the source of the communication could be communicating to another individual in which case the
communication is a one-to-one communication or to a group of people, i.e, a one-to-many types of communication.

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The flowchart here shows the standard process of communication.

Let us look at the key things to notice from the above Model.
1. Communication Starts with the Conception of an Idea
In the given flowchart, please note that the start of the communication process is the conception of an idea in the
mind of the communicator (or sender). This is in contrast to the general conception of communication that it is
limited Id how you speak and how you manage your body language and your vocabulary while speaking.
Remember always that the communicator starts from the conception of the idea and the clarity and
conciseness of the idea is one of the key dimensions of any communication activity. Thus, the responsibility of the
communicator starts from the conception of the idea. In other words, communication skills are not just how you
speak, but also what you speak.
2. Encoding
Deciding the communication strategy which includes the exact words to be used, the manner of speaking, the pitch,
the intonation, the eye contact and a whole lot of other things. (Of course in any written communication it is just the
putting thoughts into words that is critical. This is what the encoding phase entails.)
3. Transmission
Transmission of message mainly refers to the media in use in order to communicate. It could be oral (use of
language), visual (sign language) written (paper, pen or printed), haptic (use of touch) or olfactory (use of smell).
4. Decoding
When the message is transmitted through the media to the receiver/s, decoding takes place at the receivers end.
Decoding means making sense of the message. In some ways it also means downloading the communicators
idea into the mind of the receiver.
5. Meaning
At the end of the decoding process, the meaning goes and settles into the mind of the receiver. The meaning of the
message settles in the mind of the receiver as a composite set of symbols/images in an organised fashion.
Successful communication would have occurred in case the set of symbols and images with their respective
relationships that have settled down in the mind of the receiver/s is the same as the idea conceptualised by the mind
of the communicator.
Communication gaps get created when the two are different from each other.
In short in the process of communication: a sender transmits a message through a channel to the receiver.
The sender first develops an idea, which is composed (encoded) into a message and then transmitted to the other
party, who interprets (decodes) the message and receives meaning.

Feedback in Communication
Every communication that is sent out by a communicator has a feedback cycle. The cycle might be as elaborate as a detailed
written response from the receiver to the sender or might be an oral response to the sender. At the other end of the extreme,
feedback might also be restricted to a gentle nod of the head or even the wink of an eye, indicating agreement or
understanding of the senders message.
Feebdack is important in the process of communication because it is only through feedback that the communicator
gets to know whether his intended message has reached the receiver or not. Feedback is especially significant in
administration and management because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond to directives and plans. The
administrator also needs to know how work is progressing and how employees feel about the general work situation.

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6
look at this model as a symbolic representation of human communications, the transmitter and the receiver are
normally seen as humanised elements.
(ii) It typically signifies communication as a one-way process without actually recognising that communication is
actually always two-way. Thus, it missed the whole point of feedback that the sender receives as a simultaneous
process of communication (especially oral communication).

Later models of communication have tried to overcome these issues and have emphasised upon the dynamic and
evolutionary nature of the communication process rather than the components or the directions of influence.

2. Berios Source-Message-Channel- Receiver Model
In 1960, David Berio expanded on Shannon and Weavers (1949) linear model of communication and created the
SMCR Model of Communication.
The Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver Model of communication separates the model into clear parts and takes into
account various characteristics that define each of the dimensions of communication. Thus the senders messages
depend on their communication skills, cultural disposition, attitudes, knowledge and social system. These messages
are transmitted along channels, which can include any of the five senses. A receiver interprets messages based on
the individuals communication skills, attitudes, knowledge, and social and cultural system.

3. Frank Dances Helical-Spiral Model of Communication
Frank Dance in 1967 proposed the helical model of communication to further explain the communication process
and move it out of the simplistic domain of the mathematical model proposed by Shannon and Weaver. Dance
thought of the communication process as being similar to helix (A curve on a conical or cylindrical surface that
would become a straight line if the surface were unrolled into a plane).
According to the Helical model Of communication, the process of communication is like a helix which
keeps evolving every day from the day of birth of an individual and throughout his life. Thus, a child when he/she is
bornis able to communicate only through crying but as he/she grows into social interactions as a boy/girl, the
communication helix evolves to be able to encompass many more dimensions to the way the same individual can
communicate with people around him. This evolution continues throughout life and is hence like an ever evolving
helix.

4. Lee Thayers Circular Model of Communication
In 1968, Lee Thayer offered an interdisciplinary approach to communication. According to Thayer, communication
was actually a circular process with the constant creating and recreating of information. His principal position was
that our abilities and susceptibilities guide the way we acquire, process, generate and disseminate information. And
as we communicate we also constantly are part of what changes occur in the information itself.

5. Watzlawick, Beavin and Jacksons Sawtooth or Interactional Model Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jacksons (1967)
Interactional Theory views relationships as patterns of interaction with each participant as a cybernetic system
trying to control its environment while interacting with other systems trying to control their environments as well,
thereby creating a complex system. Five axioms describe how these systems function!
The model is based on the principles that:

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(1) One cannot not communicate in a situation. Everything one does is a message. Words, silence, activity
and passive inactivity all have some meaning or the other and hence influence others Who themselves then
respond to the communication.
(2) Every message has content as well as a relationship dimension to it, i.e., communication is not independent
of relationships and many a times it is relationships that determine how a communications meaning is
taken. For example, when an elder tells you I am angry with you and when a small child of the family
tells you I am angry with you in exactly the same tone and pitch, the reaction from you might be totally
different because the message received at your end is totally different.
(3) What the words mean and how the words were said create a vast difference. The model recognises that
there are a lot of dimensions to the meaning of a communication apart from the words themselves. These
may include but are not limited to nonverbal cues, pitch, intonation etc., of the words.
(4) The model also recognises that communication can actually be between equals or between superiors and
their subordinates in terms of the way the power relations between the participants are organised.

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

Verbal Communication
When we communicate verbally with others, either in a conversation or in a presentation, we are indulging in verbal
communication. In every verbal communication, our main aim is to make the listener/s understand exactly what we are
trying to say by using meaningful words that resonate correctly in the minds of the listeners.
Some principles of verbal communications are as follows:
1. Choose Your Words Carefully
Unlike written communication, in verbal communication you might do well to remember that the listener does not
have the facility of poring over the text multiple times and hence it becomes critical for you to understand that the
choice of words that you make while communicating (be it a conversation or a presentation) is important.
The wrong use of words in a communication is sure to undermine the content of the message. Consider the
following examples of poor communications leading to some disasters and in some cases some hilarious outcomes.
Perhaps one of the most graphic and tragic examples of poor communication skills has to do with the ship -
Titanic and its radio operator Jack Philips.

On the fateful night of the sinking of the Titanic, I around two hours before the fatal crash with the I iceberg, the ship
Californian, which was nearby and 1 had stopped for the night because of ice, also saw lights g in the distance, but its
wireless was turned off for the night. Just before the Californians wireless operator had gone off-duty at around 23:00, he
attempted to warn Titanic that there was ice ahead, but he was cut off by an annoyed Jack Philips. Occupied with I sending
backlogged passenger messages, Philips fired back an angry response, Shut up, shut up, I' am busy; I am working (the
Newfoundland wireless station) Cape Race.

Consider the following cryptic examples of a lecturers speech:
Existing is being unique. Existence, reality, essence, i cause, or truth is uniqueness. The geometric point 1 in the centre of
the sphere is natures symbol of the | immeasurable uniqueness within its measurable effect. A centre is always unique;
otherwise it would not be a centre. Because uniqueness is reality, or that | which makes a thing what it is, everything that is
real | is based on a centralisation.

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

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

Key problems in Verbal Communication:
1. Being bombastic
2. Being verbose
3. Wrong usage of words
4. Being too cryptic for the listener to understand
5. Lack of clarity
6. Lack of coherence

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7. Lack of courteousness
8. Losing credibility

Non-verbal Communication
These include but are not limited to:
(i) Body Language: The use of posture, gestures, eye movement and facial expressions to communicate in the
physical presence of other individual/s
(ii) Eye Contact: Is different from eye movement and specifically refers to the act of looking directly into someones
eyes, either in the context of a wholly nonverbal message or can also at times be a part of an overall communication
package that includes verbal and other components of nonverbal communication
(iii) Sign Language: A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses
visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meanings, simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and
movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speakers thoughts. The elements
of a sign are Handshape (or Handform), Orientation (or Palm Orientation), Location (or Place
of Articulation), Movement, and Non-manual markers (or Facial Expression), summarised in the acronym HOLME.
(iv) Para Language: It is something each one of us is conscious about either knowingly or unknowingly. Para language
refers to the non-verbal elements of communication which include dimensions of speech such as pitch, volume and
the use of intonation in speech. Mostly restricted to coyer vocally produced sounds, para language is essentially
used to modify the meaning of a verbal communication through conveying emotion. Thus, the very harmless verbal
communication hello might change in its meaning due to the pitch, tone and intonation of voice.
The study of para language is known as paralinguistics and is perhaps one of the most essential elements of
communication and interpersonal relationships management. All speech has a paralinguistic component to it as for
any speech to occur there must be a voice that produces the speech and any voice would always have its
paralinguistic components.
At this point it might help us to look at intonation in a slightly more detailed manner - since linguistic
intonation is one of the key elements of language. Linguistic Intonation: Very simply put it is simply the rising and
falling sounds of the voice when speaking. This is something we are very well aware of as in the characteristic
intonations of a questioning statement (So you met him versus so you met him?? as also the characteristic
intonation patterns for requests and statements. Intonations are the reason why when a non-native speaker speaks a
language by pronouncing each and every word of the sentence as individual sounds the effect of the spoken
language is very different from the effect a native speaker has. Hence, in a lot of ways it is intonation which creates
accents and distinguishes one accent with another.
Pitch fluctuations might be either in terms of rising pitch or falling pitch.
Generally speaking there are four principal kinds of intonations:
(a) Peaking (pitch goes up and then falls down)
(b) Dipping intonation (falls and then rises)
(c) Rising intonation
(d) Falling intonation

Intonation normally can serve different purposes in language:
These can be:
(a) Informational: Answering a question through the use of intonation
Did you like the food? Yes I liked it!
(b) Grammatical: Use of intonation for converting a statement into a question.
The intoned version He saw a man in his backyard at that late hour? versus the flat He saw a man in his
backyard at that late hour!!
(c) Attitudinal: Intonation is also used while speaking to convey the attitude of the speaker, i.e, show approval,
disapproval, dissent, assent, etc.
(d) Inquisitive: Seeking information by adopting a questioning intonation.,
(e) Haptic communication: Simply put it is the use of touch to communicate.
(f) Chronemics: Refers to the use of the time element in communication - and has components such as the
speed at which you speak, the use of pauses (and their individual lengths), the timings used for breaking a
sentence after a full stop or a comma (if it were in the written form).

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Once you understand what communication means and what the dimensions to communications are you can also
define a clear strategy for trying to develop communication skills.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
These are the skills a person uses to interact with others around him. Also known as social skills, interpersonal skills and
interpersonal effectiveness are perhaps the most critical elements of lifelong success.
People with strong interpersonal/social skills have learnt to identify the best ways of interacting with others in
different situations.
Each individual has interpersonal skills - as he/she has been practising it right from birth. Most interpersonal skills
we have learnt have been learnt subconsciously from birth.
To put it straight, interpersonal skills are the skills we use to interact or deal with others. Interpersonal skills (also
called as people skills or soft skills) can greatly influence our outcomes in our personal and professional lives.
We all have interpersonal skills. Weve been learning them, usually subconsciously, since birth. We learn how
people are likely to react to what we say and do. How these actions are likely to make them, and us, feel. People with good
interpersonal skills have learnt to identify the best ways of interacting with others in different situations.
They are able to build long fruitful relationships with others, are generally liked by people in their social circles and
are able to extract positive behaviours from people around them effortlessly.
Good interpersonal skills teach us the most appropriate behaviours in various real life social situations. Thus, each
of the following situations tests your interpersonal/ social skills. For each of these situations think of the most appropriate
thing to do/behaviour pattern to adopt. As an exercise in interpersonal and communication skills, try to fill in the blanks
with your most appropriate actions.
Your friends father has been badly injured in an accident. You would:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

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

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

You are the district magistrate in a district and a woman has come to ask you for help. She has been running from pillar to
post in order to get the pension papers of her late husband released. When you question your subordinate you come to know
that the woman has not been able to submit a key document in order to claim the pension. You would:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

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

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

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________

You are a conservator of forests and on an inspection tour. You have halted for the night at the forest guest house. While
having dinner you realize that a beautiful piece of drift wood which adorned the shelf of the guest house is missing. On
enquiring with the caretaker and cook, you find out that the drift wood was taken away by the wife of the local
Superintendent of Police when they had come to the guest house. You would:

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION)
Real time face to face communication with immediate feedback is what can be defined as interpersonal communication.
Needless to say interpersonal communication plays a large role in any administrators/managers day-today activity.
While dealing with others, managers must facilitate interpersonal communication within teams and reduce barriers
to interpersonal communications. Common barriers to communication include the following:

Barriers while Encoding
Lack of sensitivity to the receivers culture, emotions and expectations
Lack of basic communication skills
Insufficient information about the subject
Too much information about the subject
Emotions over-ruling logic while communicating
Expectations regarding the audiences familiarity with the subject. This could be counterproductive both ways, i.e.,
if the audience knows nothing about the subject, or if the audience knows a lot about the subject.
Preconceived notions and bias of the speaker
Choice, understanding and use of words which might differ from the speaker to the receiver

Transmission Barriers
Physical distractions
Inappropriate channel of communicationfor example, trying to give detailed instructions orally
Long communication chain

Barriers while Decoding
The receivers emotions
Receivers lack of interest
Poor listening skills
Emotional interference during listening
Feedback Barriers
Closed and Tightfisted Speaker: Here the communicator is not soliciting feedback
No provision to provide feedback
Judgemental Feedback: Allowing ones tendency to be judgemental to overrule objectivity while giving feedback
Delayed Feedback: Where the feedback comes too late, a long time after the communication is over.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
When trying to improve ones own communication skills and the communication skills of people around us, the following
framework might be a useful one to adopt.
(1) Divide communication skills into the dimensions of:
(i) Ability to write and communicate through writing;
(ii) Ability to communicate one-to-one or one- to -many;
(iii) Ability to communicate one-to-many.

Examine each component of your communication in terms of its current quality versus its desired quality.
Ask yourself questions like:
How do I improve my verbal communication;

11
How do I improve my nonverbal communication with all its nuances listed above, etc.

Some elementary tips for improving your communication skills include (but are not limited to):
(i) Develop your voice consciously - Our voice is one of our most important assets. It is something that we
consistently evolve. It might be a good idea to model your voice on impressive speakers.
(ii) Slow down Chronemics - (defined earlier in this part) is the use of time in speech. Slowing down and using
pauses normally is one of the most effective Ways to improve the gravity of your speech. People will perceive you
as nervous and unsure of yourself if you talk fast. Besides, speaking too fast also creates the tendency of eating up
sounds within words and making your pronunciation less impressive.
(iii) Animate your voice: The more intoned your voice is the better it sounds to the listener. Avoid speaking in a
monotone and use the four kinds of intonations mentioned above, i.e. rising, falling, peaking and dipping in order to
make yourself sound more emphatic and to create a stronger influence on the listener.
(iv) Pronounce each word and pay special attention to the vowel pronunciations within the words. Speak clearly.
Dont mumble. Make sure each of your words gets the proper time to be pronounced correctly. Apart from this,
avoid the tendency of eating up the vowels while speaking. Taking care of the vowels while speaking would go a
long way to improve the effectiveness of your speech.
(v) Use appropriate volume - Use a volume that is appropriate for the setting, adjusting it to make it loud when
required and softening it when required.
(vi) Improve the quality of the words you use: Use evocative and graphic language in order to make the listener
see what you are saying. (See next part of discussion: using NLP to make communication more effective)
(vii) Make sure you make eye contact with the listeners - Making eye contact while speaking is one of the key
ingredients for making communication more effective and sounding genuine. Having shifty eye contact with the
listener/s leaves the other party guessing about the genuineness of your communication. In one-to-many
communication, the idea is to maintain a continuously shifting gaze and engaging various parts of the audiences one
by one.
(viii) Make your messages cohesive, i.e., each part of your communication should match each other - Many a times
when we speak, our body language is not in sync with what we are speaking - and this has the effect of giving a
mixed message to the listener. Hence, try to always make your words, your gestures, your facial expressions, your
pitch and tone match the message which you are conveying. Thus, imagine regretting the loss of someones near
and dear with a broad smile on your face - the lack of genuineness immediately shines through in such a case.

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

Clarity
To ensure clarity stick to the essentials of the message. Avoid putting too much onto the plate while communicating. There
is a tendency of losing out on the main message if you try to put too much information out. Your communication should not
require people to make assumptions or see beyond what is being said.
For instance lets assume you are talking to someone in your accounts department and you say: Please send me the
invoice. A much better way to communicate would be Please send me the invoice for the order I had placed yesterday, as
the first communication can be misunderstood in case there are many invoices to be sent by that person.

Conciseness
Administrative messages and communications should be as brief and to the point as possible. Avoid what is called beating
around the bush.
Avoid filler words, using too many adjectives and get to the point in your communication as early as possible. Also,
avoid repeating your point too many times once it is understood by your audience.

Concreteness
Your message should have a tangible effect on the audience. Make sure you, do that with your communication. For example
consider this ad copy Set your pulse racing at our theme park. If this statement is accompanied by a background picture of
water slides, ferris wheels and other adventure sports the effect the message would have would be much greater than if the
message is just in words simply because the message becomes concrete with the accompanying pictures while it was
vague without it.

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Correctness
Make sure that your communications are as correct - grammatically, factually as well as in the social context. Grammatical
incorrectness leads to unnecessary breakages in the smoothness of the message and hence is critical to have.
Factual correctness is important not just to make the message more impact-making but also to retain your own
credibility as a communicator. We are all aware of the famous tale of the child who always shouted The wolf has come to
the point where he ended up losing his credibility in his society.
Social correctness refers to making the appropriate communication at the appropriate places. Thus, Let us go out
and enjoy!! might be a very good communication to someone who is in the mood for it - but an extremely poor
communication to someone who has just lost a close family member.

Coherence
Your communication must at all times make perfect sense to the audience. Losing coherence is the perfect way to make sure
that you lose your connect with your audience (be it written or oral communication.)

Completeness
Consider the following examples:
I will see you next week.
I will see you next week, same time, same place.
The second communication is much more complete than the first one, because it specifies exactly where and when
you are going to see the audience.
Needless to say, incomplete messages and communications lead to unnecessary confusion and loss of efficiency and
are extremely harmfulespecially in administrative situations.

Courteousness
Last but not the least - being courteous to others is an extremely critical component of being an effective communicator. As
an administrator, extending courtesies to other people and taking care of basic human values while you communicate would
take you a long way towards becoming a successful human being and a successful well- liked administrator.

Good Listening - an Integral Part of Your Communication Skills
Your communication skills are not just measured when you speak - they also come into play when you listen. Good
listening is an important and integral ingredient of good communication and interpersonal skills.
Two major dimensions of good listening skills are:
(i) Active listening as against passive listening
(ii) Giving constructive feedback'

(i) Active Listening
The act of listening involves making sense of what is heard and active listening means getting yourself into the
mind of the speaker - so that you understand the message from the speakers view point. Some important indicators
of effective active listeners are:
(a) Exhibiting a keen involvement in the message and showing a genuine interest in what is being spoken
(b) Genuinely seeking information and constructing a pictorial/ symbolic representation of the information as it
comes to you in your mind
(c) Being non-emotional and free from the baggage of negative emotions which incite you to attack the speaker
in response to what is being said
(d) Maintaining eye contact with the speaker
(e) Maintaining silenceand not talking in between the speakers communication
(f) Not making distracting gestures like sighing, looking away, slouching your shoulders, hanging your head in
a disinterested fashion, etc.
(g) Asking relevant questions and from time to time (but not too often) paraphrasing what the communicator is
saying to make sure that you are on the same plane.

(ii) Giving Constructive Feedback

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Every oral communicator requires consistent second to second feedback to come to him in order to be able to
modify what he/she is saying appropriately. As a listener we provide consistent feedback to the communicator by
both verbal and nonverbal cues. Hence, it is the listeners duty in a communication to manage the quality of his
verbal and non-verbal cues.

Some characteristics of good feedback are:
(a) It should be impersonal in nature and not attack any individual. In case you need to tell an individual where he went
wrong it is better to point to the specific behaviour that was incorrect under the circumstances rather than point to
the individual directly. Thus saying. I do not agree with what you said is a much better way to give feedback than
saying I do not agree with you because the communicator can change what he saidhe cannot change who he is.
In other words, negative feedback should be directed at behaviour that is controllable by the speaker.
(b) Feedback should be spontaneous and should come at the right time. For example giving feedback to a lecturer that
I did not understand this after he has finished is much worse than actually showing your lack of understanding
through your eyes as you listen to the lectureso that he can clarify it then and there. Many a times it might not be
possible to reconstruct the whole context at a later time.
(c) Feedback should be objective and unemotional.

USING NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) has three components as the name itself suggests.
Neuro: the human nervous system including the brain and the 5 senses;
Linguistic: The verbal and non-verbal language we use to communicate;
Programming: The ability to structure our neurological and linguistic systems in the face of external challenges in order to
achieve the desired results in our personal and professional lives.
NLP takes into account the fact that language (both verbal and nonverbal) is an essential element of the way we
structure our lives. Without language and symbolic representations there would be no information retention in our nervous
system. In fact language is so essential to our thinking that perhaps thinking itself is not possible without the language
associated with it.
Our nervous system (and hence the nervous system of every individual you communicate with in whatever form) is
always occupied by one or more of the following dimensions:
Visual: What we see
Auditory: What we hear
Kinesthetic: What we feel
Auditory Internal: Things that we say to ourselves in other words our self talk
Olfactory: What we smell
Gustatory: What we taste

In communication situations, managing the first four of these in the other individual becomes critical. If we can manage
each of these four in our audience we have been successful in all round communication and really impacted the reader/s or
listener/s as the case might be. Thus, in order to make our communication really effective it is essential to engulf the
receivers neural network completely.
In order to do this our communication should:
(a) Make the receiver see, hear and feel the impact of our words. All great communicators are able to do that.
(b) Besides, great communicators are also able to linger on in the minds of the listeners/readers by becoming an integral
part of their auditory internal communications.

Another thing that NLP makes us aware of is the presence of preferred representational systems. Amongst visual, auditory
and kinesthetic parts of our nervous system each individual has his own most preferred system. So you would find many
people enjoy seeing more than hearing and feeling, while others are people driven by the ear as their dominant
representational system is auditory. Still others are driven by feelings much more than by visual or auditory impulses.
In a one-on-one communication, recognising the dominant representational system of die listener becomes critical,
as you can achieve a much stronger connect and rapport with the receiver of your communication by talking to him in terms
of his/her dominant representational system.
Listening in on the audiences communication will itself give you clues about the preferred representational system.
For example consider the following three statements by three different individuals who want to essentially convey
the same message:

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The Visual Dominant Individual: That looks good to me.
The Auditory Dominant Individual: Sounds good to me.
The Kinesthetic Dominant Individual: That feels good to me. I think I can connect with this plan.
Three different ways of communicating exactly the same message!!
Of course in one-to-many communication you need to take care that your language should be evocative in the
visual, the auditory and the kinesthetic sense all at the same time.
Besides this point, NLP also gives us various structures in order to make things go our way without offending the
listener. Some of these are:

1. Agreeing to Disagree
Use of I agree...but, I appreciate...but in order to show agreement but regret not being able to do what is requested/ askedfor.
Consider this conversation:
Structure 1:
One officer to another: There is a lot of work to do. We would need to stay late in office tonight in order to get
things completed on time.
Other officers response: I need to go home as I am done for the day. Let us do this tomorrow!!
In this case the first officer is bound to feel aggrieved as his entire communication has been crossed by the
reply.
Structure 2:
One officer to another: There is a lot of work to do. We would need to stay late in office tonight in order to get
things completed on time.
Other officers response: I agree there is a lot of work to do, but I need to go home as I am done for the
day!! Why dont we come back refreshed tomorrow morning and give it all we have got. It is likely that we would
be able to complete the work in half the time. If required let us reach office early tomorrow morning.
In this case, the message from the other officer is achieving the same result of communicating his
disinclination to stay back tonightbut by agreeing to the premise that there is a lot of work to do he has at least
conceded the point to the first officer and hence is likely to get a much more positive response from him.
2. Goal-oriented Communication
Shows the respondent another way to get his goal without actually giving what he asked for.
Consider this conversation.
Structure 1:
Son to mother: I want that toy. (crying)
Mother to son: No you are not going to get that toy. It is too expensive and we cannot afford it.
Result: Breakdown of communication
Structure 2:
Son to mother: I want that toy. (crying)
Mother to son (realising that the sons requirement or goal is not to get the toy but to enjoy): We just bought you a
similar toy last month. Come lets play with it. We cannot afford to buy such expensive things every month.
Result: The son has been shown an alternate way to get to his goal and given some time as his ego cools down
so would the crying.
3. What if
The use of 'what-ifto suggest an alternative possibility Sample communication to show the use of what iF:
A to B: I am simply not good enough to clear this examination.
B to A: What if you go over the steps again and see what critical errors you made during your preparations. Rectify
them and give it another shot. You never know what can happen!!
The response from B opens up endless possibilities for A to break his belief barriers and face and maybe
even ace the examination.
4. Using Positives in your Message and Avoiding Negatives
Compare the following messages:
I have to lose weight.
Versus
I have to become slim.
Dont spill the milk. versus
Carry the milk properly.

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Dont miss the deadline versus
Make sure you complete the work within the time frame.
In each of these communications the second way to phrase the instruction is always better because it gives the
listener the exact thing that he needs to do. When we use negation in a communication, the problem is that the
message is passed in two parts. Thus in the second example, the spill the milk is a separate message that gets
internally visualised by the receiver of the communication before he gets the dont do that message. Thus, the
visualisation is likely to make the exactly unintended outcome happen.
On the other hand Carry the milk properly gives the mental visualisation of taking enough care to ensure
that you do not spill the milk.
Conclusion: The principles of NLP are a lifelong learning experience that each one of us should adhere to in order
to become better and more effective communicators.

CONCLUDING NOTE
Communication and interpersonal skills are one of the cornerstones for making a good administrator and all
departments/occupations for which the UPSC hires aspirants require an abundance of communication and interpersonal
skills.
The principles of good communication remain fixed over the ages. While there might be many ways to phrase/word
a communication, the principles of communication do not change. Thus all good communication and indeed, all good
interpersonal skills will adhere to the basic principles. Knowing the basic principles and applying them in our day-to-day
lives becomes a critical component of our growth as individuals. The endeavour to improve our communication and
interpersonal skills is a lifelong imperative in any persons life.
The following chapters contain various kinds of questions that can be framed in order to test communication skills
of an individual. Please go through each question type carefully and try to develop your strategies in order to tackle each
question type.

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DECISION MAKING &
COMMUNICATION
1. Communication means.
(a) conveying ones ideas to another reservation
(b) keeping ideas within oneself
(c) only getting ideas from others
(d) none of these
2. Creativity means
(a) creating some new object
(b) thinking differently without any reservations
(c) doing the same work in a manner practice already
(d) none of these
3. Which of the following are communication barriers:
I. Communicator doesnt know the language
understood by the listener
II. Traffic sound on high pitch
III. Pre-occupation in the mind of listener
(a) I only (b) II & III only
(c) I & III only (d) I, II & III
4. While working for an organization you will
(a) avail leave for the number of days eligible in a year
compulsorily
(b) avail leave only when essentially required
(c) not avail whatever may be the reason
(d) none of these
5. While working for an organization you will
(a) resolve/decide not to use office machinery for
personal purposes
(b) use office stationary/machinery for personal needs
(c) use everything as my own
(d) none of these
6. Internal conflict is the result of
(a) personal deficiency
(b) economic circumstances
(c) political operation
(d) economic conditions
7. What can be the cause of anger?
(a) interference in instinctive activity
(b) physical condition
(c) social condition
(d) aggression
8. Decision making with group consensus results in
(a) quick decision
(b) doesnt give satisfaction to group members
(c) involves all group members and gives a sense of
importance
(d) cultivate and accommodate anger
9. What is prejudice?
(a) wrong judgement (b) wrong
perception
(c) unfavourable emotion (d) Unfavourable
attitude
10. Inter-group prejudice can be reduced by means of
(a) changes in child-rearing practices
(b) joint family
(c) un-cooperative behaviour
(d) selfish motives
11. Leadership is the process of
(a) influencing collectivity (b) collecting
people
(c) impressing people (d) public speaking
12. On what does leadership chiefly depend?
(a) Economic status (b) Office
(c) Authority (d) Personal
qualities
13. How does the leader determine the groups
conduct?
(a) Providing direction (b) Command
(c) Control (d) Domination
14. What does a democratic leader require?
(a) Persuasion (b) Power to control
(c) Planning (d) Organization
15. Organizational culture influences the
of people in an organization
(a) morale (b) identify
(c) locate (d) none of these
16. An advertisement cannot
I. sell an overpriced or otherwise non-competitive
product
II. sell a poorly distributed product
III. sell a seasonal product out of season
(significantly)
IV. work overnight (immediately)
(a) I and II only (b) II and III
(c) all of these (d) none of these
17. The first objective of any advertisement is to
(a) communicate effectively
(b) stimulate exchange
(c) increase sales
(d) none of these
18. An individual can progress in his career
I. when he takes up the job entrusted with
commitment
II. equips himself by covering shortfalls in him, if
any
III. takes up challenges in work

17
IV. enjoys doing work not only for money but also for
satisfaction of himself
(a) I only (b) II only
(c) all the above (d) None of these
19. What obstructs thinking?
(a) language (b) emotion
(c) concept (d) superstition
20. Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he saw an
apple fall. That led him to discover the law of
Gravity. What kind of an activity was his?
(a) Imaginative thinking (b) concept formation
(c) Abstract thinking (d) Purposeful thinking
21. Concept can be defined as
(a) a symbol
(b) an abstract form of past experience
(c) an ideation
(d) a sign
22. The first step to start thinking is
(a) worry (b) concept
(c) problem or task (d) monetary gain
23. What type of an activity thinking is?
(a) linguistic activity (b) cognitive activity
(c) abstract activity (d) imaginative activity
24. What is the result of thinking?
(a) monetary gain
(b) solution of a problem
(c) formation of a concept
(d) collection of experience
25. Invention requires
(a) analysis and synthesis
(b) comparison and perception
(c) intention to discover
(d) symbols and concepts
26. Thinking is an
(a) affective process (b) overt activity
(c) internal process (d) emotional activity
27. Which of the following is a hindrance to thinking?
(a) emotion (b) reasoning
(c) alertness (d) concept
28. Which one is favourable for problem solving?
(a) alertness and flexibility
(b) suggestion
(c) ignorance
(d) development of concepts
29. Apple is a fruit. It is red and round. It is sweet. I make
this judgment because I have
(a) tasted and seen an apple
(b) a concept of apple
(c) the faculty of reasoning
(d) commonsense as a human being
30. Feeling as others feel means
(a) empathy (b) sympathy
(c) imitation (d) identification
31. What is the nature of thinking?
(a) learn and adjust (b) imagine and
reason
(c) struggle and achieve (d) think and reason
32. What is the first step in creative thinking?
(a) suggestion
(b) collection of data
(c) alertness
(d) illumination
33. What of the following is a not key characteristic of
communication?
(a) The process of communication is continuous
ongoing and dynamic.
(b) Communication beings with self
(c) Communication is reciprocal
(d) Communication is repeatible
34. Which of the following are the types of
communication?
(a) Experimental (b) Theoretical
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of these
35. Which of the following is not a type of non-verbal
communication?
(a) Risking (b) Scapegoating
(c) Blaming (d) Watching
36. Which of the following is not a communication
barrier?
(a) Risking (b) Scapegoating
(c) Blaming (d) Watching
37. Which of the following is undesirable in effective
classroom communication?
(a) Treat each student as an individual and respect
them
(b) Project your experiences with feeling about or
expectation of an entire group onto any one
student.
(c) Refrain from remarks that make assumptions
about the nature of your students families
(d) Rectify any language patterns or case examples
that exclude or demean any groups
38. Which of the following is not a technique of
effective classroom communication?
(a) Students be physically challenged
(b) Well-organized lesson planning

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(c) Effective lecture presentation
(d) Invoking students participation
39. The process of communication enhances through:
(a) belongingness
(b) security and freedom to make choices
(c) informality of meeting and avoidance of pressure
(d) All of these
40. Which of the following is not a principle of
interpersonal communication?
(a) Interpersonal communication is unavoidable
(b) Interpersonal communication is irreversible
(c) Interpersonal communication involves noise
(d) Interpersonal communication involves symbol
exchange
41. Which of the following skills has the largest share in
communication time in schools/college?
(a) Listening (b) Reading
(c) Writing (d) Speaking
42. Which of the following statements about interpersonal
communication is a myth?
(a) Interpersonal communication is rule-governed
(b) Interpersonal communication is always face-to-face
(c) Interpersonal communication is learned
(d) Interpersonal communication is unavoidable
43. Every communication experience is:
(a) unique (b) unrepeatable
(c) irreversible (d) all of the above
44. Whey you turn away from someone, you are:
(a) communicating (b) having some effect
(c) communicating (d) both a and b
45. At the cure of communication are two behaviours.
They are:
(a) Collaboration and commitment
(b) Competency and civility
(c) Civility and chivalry
(d) Coordination and compensation
46. Which of the following can not be a good way of
communication in promoting literacy among villagers?
(a) Demonstration (b) Reading and Writing
(c) Providing material on TV and film projector
(d) Large group discussion
47. We learn how to communicate from our:
(a) teachers (b) parents
(c) friends (d) all of the above
48. Which of the following is not a myth about
communication?
(a) Interpersonal communication solves all problems
(b) Interpersonal communication is unrepeatable
(c) Interpersonal communication is always a good
thing
(d) Interpersonal communication is synonymus with
interpersonal relationships
49. Which of the following is not a successful
communicator?
(a) One who presents materials in a precise and clear
way
(b) One who is able to adapt himself according to
language of the communicate
(c) One who knows a lot but is somewhat reserve in
his attitude
(d) One who sometimes becomes informal before the
receiver develops rapport
50. Interpersonal communication involves the
following:
(a) Those interacting are in close proximity to each
other, large number of participants many sensory
channels used, immediate feedback
(b) Small number of participants, those interacting
are in close primity to each other
(c) Small number of participants, those interacting
are in close promity to each other few sensory
channel immediate feedback
(d) Small number of participants, those interacting
are close to each other, many sensory channel
used feedback in phases
51. What makes interpersonal communication
complicated:
(a) No of variables invovled
(b) Exchange of symbols that stand for ideas
(c) Words of not have inherent meaning and no two
people use the same word exactly alike
(d) All of the above
52. Dynamics of interpersonal communication are:
(a) Body language and facial expression
(b) Posture
(c) Movements
53. An individuals use of space when communicating
with others is known as:
(a) Paradigm (b) Proxemics
(c) Space communication (d) None of these
54. Interpersonal communication is based on:
(a) Arena (b) Facade
(c) Blind spot (d) All of the above
55. Which one of the following is a function of
communication?
(a) Creating departments
(b) Promoting employees
(c) Integrating

19
(d) Establishing Control
56. In which type of barriers, does premature evaluation
fall?
(a) Semantic barriers
(b) Psychological barriers
(c) Orgnaizational barriers
(d) Personal barriers
57. Visualization in the instructional process can not
increase:
(a) interest and motivation
(b) retention and adaptation
(c) stress and boredom
(d) curiosity and concentration
58. Which one of the following factors does not generate
employees, objection to control?
(a) Curb on freedom
(b) Curb on creativity
(c) Curb on self control
(d) Curb on undesirable behaviour
59. Communication is a:
(a) One way process (b) Two way process
(c) Multi way process (d) None of the above
60. Effective communication is measured though:
(a) Feed back (b) Encoding
(c) Decoding (d) None of the above
61. Communication help to
(a) Increase productions
(b) Decrease production
(c) Increase labour turnover
(d) None of the above
62. Which is most correct statement?
(a) Social change is the outcome of modernization
(b) Modernization is the outcome of social change
(c) socialization and Modernization mean the same thing
(d) None of these
63. What are the basic elements of communication:
(a) Sender and receiver
(b) Message and channel of communication
(c) Response and feed back
64. The direction in which the formal communication
flows is always:
(a) Upward (b) Downward
(c) Horizontal (d) All of the above
65. Communication involves:
(a) Information (b) Understanding
(c) Both A and B

66. Communication is an organization should ideally flow:
(a) From top to bottom (b) From bottom to
top
(c) Both ways (d) None of these
67. Oral communication in an organization are:
(a) Formal communication
(b) Information communication
(c) Discretionary communication
68. Which of the following is not correct about the
essential features of the internal communication
process in an organization?
(a) Communication involves shared meaning
(b) Communication involves people(c)
(c) Communication is symbolic
(d) Communication requires instruments like radio,
telephone etc
69. Which of the following is not important hindrance
of effective communication:
(a) Language difficulties
(b) Status distance
(c) Resistance to change
(d) Employee relationship with the management
70. Communication can be:
(a) Upward (b) Downward
(c) Sideward (d) All of the above
types
71. . Communication is quite common
between line and staff functions:
(a) Cross-wise (b) Horizontal
(c) Vertical (d) Upward
72. Formal communication is based upon these
(a) Chain (b) Scalar Chain
(c) Grapevine (d) None of these
73. Which of the following cannot become a type of
written communication?
(a) Pictures and Visual aids
(b) Meetings and conferences
(c) Letters and suggestions
(d) Rules and instructions
74. Which of the following statements explain
interpersonal skills?
(a) The skills that a person uses to interact with other
people
(b) People skills or communication skills
(c) It explains how people relate to one another
(d) All the above
75. Which of the following is not a way to improve
interpersonal skills?

20
(a) Think positively and enter the mindset to work well
with others and maintain good relationships
(b) Criticise others or yourself
(c) Do not criticize others or yourself
(d) Be patient
76. Which of the following are the key elements of
communication?
(a) Communication is a two way process
(b) There has to be a message
(c) Commonness of understanding
(d) All the above
77. Consider the following:
1. Communication is a two way process
2. There has to be a message
3. Commonness of understanding
4. Modifying the beahviour of other individuals
5. Method of giving information
Which of the above are elements of communication?
Answer using the following codes:
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
78. Communication can be broadly divided into two
categories. Which among the following is not one of
them?
1. Verbal Communication
2. Non-Verbal Communication
3. Intrinsic Communication
(a) 1 (b) 2
(c) 3 (d) All the above
79. Which of the following are not included in the tools of
verbal communication?
(a) Speaking (b) Reading
(c) Writing (d) None of the above
80. How will you practice democracy in the classroom?
(a) Providing equality of opportunities to pupils
(b) Giving freedom for pupils in educational choices
(c) Providing special programmes for the disadvantaged
groups
(d) All of these
81. Which of the following are included in the tools of
verbal communication?
(a) Listening (b) Reading
(c) Writing (d) None of the above
82. Conversations, speeches, letters, newspapers,
magazines, cassettes both audio and video, telephonic
conversation etc. are common forms of:
(a) Verbal Communication
(b) Non-verbal Communication
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of these
83. Communication between man and animals is:
(a) most verbal (b) mostly non-
verbal
(c) only verbal (d) only non-verbal
1. Common frame of reference
2. Mutual interest
3. Common language
4. Common environment
Which of the above is/are feature/s of effective
communication? Answer using codes:
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 2 (d) 1 and 3
85. Critical listening/reading refers to:
(a) An awareness of both the content of the message
and style and method of communication
(b) Displaying sensitivity to your audience in
organizing the presenting ideas, and responding
to feedback
(c) Using appropriate technologies and techniques to
present information to an audience
(d) All the above
86. Consider the following statements:
1. People communicate with each other according
to their nearness
2. People, who are stranger, do not express their
feeling very much and they converse in restricted
manner. This is a low context communication
3. High context communication emerges between
people who are very intimate
Which of the above is correct? Answer using codes:
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 3
87. What is true about communication between
strangers?
(a) They do not express their feelings very much and
they converse in restricted manner.
(b) The communication process develops slowly and
controlled
(c) This is a low context communication
(d) All the above
88. What is true about communication between people
who are very intimate?
(a) It is high context communication
(b) The communication is more natural and
successful in this type of relationship
(c) These communication kinds take place also the
face work in daily life
(d) All the above
1. person has to be more aware about environment
because we learn many things when we are more
conscious

21
2. Person must modify his behaviour pattern with a new
strategy which is set of words or actions
3. Person must identify his goal
Which of the above statements is/are correct regarding
improvement in interpersonal skill? Answer using codes:
(a) 1 (b) 2
(c) 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
90. When people talk to themselves, communication takes
place within the brain. What type of communication
can it be called?
(a) Interpersonal Communication
(b) Non-Verbal Communication
(c) Intrapersonal Communication
(d) Mass Communication
91. A communication between a family of three talking at
supper, or a meeting of an organization with just a few
members is an example of:
(a) Interpersonal Communication
(b) Public Communication or Public Speaking
(d) Small Group Communication
92. When the speaker is doing most, if not all, of the
talking it would be an example of:
(a) Mass Communication
93. Sending messages to each other without talking
communicating through facial expressions, head
positions, arm and hand movements, body posture, and
positioning of legs and feet is an example of:
(a) Mass Communication
To feel respected
To give or get information
To be empathically understood and respected
To cause change of action
To create excitement and reduce boredom
To avoid something unpleasant, like silence of
confrontation
What do the above indicate?
(a) Needs for communication
(b) Skills in communication
(c) Types of communication
95. Non-verbal techniques include:
(a) Body language (b) Silence
(c) Touching (d) All the above
96. Verbal techniques include:
(a) I am listening cues (b) Disclosures
(c) Validating Statements (d) All the above
97. Verbal techniques to not include:
(a) Validating statements
(b) Statements of support
(c) Good eye contact
(d) Reflection/mirroring statements
98. The factors distorting the clarity of a
communication are called:
(a) Distortions (b) Noise
(c) Pollution (d) Obstacles
99. Which of the following can cause communication
roadblocks?
(a) The way minds work (b) Senders
behavior
(c) Receives behavior (d) All the above
100. Which of the following can cause communication
roadblocks due to senders beahviou?
(a) Difference meanings of words
(b) Hiding Thoughts and Feelings
(c) The Sender may be blind to others emotions or
blinded by them
(d) All the above
101. Which of the following techniques do we adopt to
understand body language?
(a) Focus attention on the important clues
(b) Note discrepancies
(c) Be aware of own feelings and bodily reactions
(d) All the above
102. What is called the ability of demonstrate
understanding and sharing reaction in any given
situation?
(a) Empathy
(b) Conversation Management
(c) Conversational Involvement
(d) Effectiveness
103. Which of the following statements are correct?
I. Interpersonal skills are skills that a person uses to
interact effectively with other people
II. Interpersonal skills are essential to get success in
modern organizational set-up
III. Good interpersonal skills have nothing to do with
emotion
IV. Interpersonal skills involve effective
communication skills
(a) I and II only (b) I, II and III only
(c) I, II and IV only (d) All the above
104. The personality characteristic of a self-aware
person are:
I. discovery of what one is passionate about

22
II. openness to experience
III. adjustment
IV. conscientiousness
(a) I and II only (b) I, II and III only
(c) II, III and IV only (d) All the above
105. Which of the following are domains of emotional
quotient?
I. Managing your own emotions
II. Managing the emotions of others
III. Motivating yourself
IV. Motivating others
(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV only
(c) I, III and IV only (d) All the above
106. Which of the following behavioural traits are shown by
a personal with high emotional quotient?
I. He/she deals with others with compassion
II. He/she is close to the ideas of others
III. The person has no balance between personal and
professional life
IV. The person assesses the upcoming reactions of others
and acts accordingly
(a) I and II only (b) II and III only
(c) III and IV only (d) I and IV only
107. A person with good persuading skills:
I. has patience II. uses a tactful tone
III. appeals to the emotions IV. uses logical
arguments
(c) I, II and IV only (d) All the above
108. Interpersonal communication includes:
I. listening II. persuasion
III. eye-to-eye contact IV. personal space
109. The main purpose of feedback in an organization is:
(a) to improve performance
(b) to initiate debates
(c) to criticize the speaker
(d) to delay communication
I. Feedbacks may be positive or negative
II. Listening skill may be learned and improved through
practice
III. Questioning skill shows the ability to understand the
callers real needs
IV. Use of stereotypes to explain the behaviour of
different cultures helps in cross-cultural
communication
Which of the above statements are correct?
111. Which of the following traits are important for
effective cross-cultural skill?
I. Understanding cultural diversity
II. Showing tolerance to other cultures
III. Use of simple language
IV. Taking help from the mediator
(a) I, II and III only (b) II, III and IV
only
112. Effective goal-setting skill:
I. helps to choose the way one wants to go
II. helps to accept your weakness
III. gives long-term vision and short term motivation
IV. helps to organize time and resources
Which of the above statements are correct?
only
113. Good decision-making involves?
I. identifying the purpose of the decision.
II. identifying principles to judge the alternative
III. evaluating each choice in terms of consequences
IV. not taking any action on the decision taken
only
114. The common sources of conflict in an organization
are
I. values II. attitudes
III. expectations IV. personalities
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
only
115. A good conflict resolutions skill includes:
I. keeping people and problems separate
II. evaluation of sources of conflict
Select the correct answer from the codes given below.
(a) I only (b) II only
(c) Both I and II (d) None of the
above
116. Which of the following is/are likely to be
understood as a desirable interpersonal skill across
cultures?
I. Greeting people with a smile
II. Maintaing direct eye contact while speaking by
anyone
III. Offering a handshake as soon as you meet a
person
(a) I only (b) I and II
(c) I and III (d) I, II and III
117. Being asserting means

23
I. to be clear specific in stating what you want.
II. directing your message to the person for whom it is
meant
III. encourage the other person/persons to give you
specific feedback on what you say
(a) I only (b) I and II
(c) I and III (d) I, II and III
118. All types of communication requires:
I. a sender II. words
III. a message IV. a receiver
Select the correct code from those given below.
I. Communication is a process by which information is
channeled and imparted by a sender to a receiver
through some medium
II. Communication helps managerial planning to be
performed effectively
III. Communication is a means, not an end
IV. Management can be hindered by communication
120. The functions of communication include:
I. facilitating decision-making
II. making coordination possible
III. improving morale and motivation
IV. engulfing superior-subordinate relationship
121. The process involved in a good communication include:
I. encoding II. decoding
III. giving feedback IV. reducing noise
Select the correct code.
122. You are a person of honesty and integrity. Suddenly
one of your colleagues tells you that someone has made
a complaint to the senior officer that you take bribes
and undue favours to do your work. You would:
(a) feel panicky that such a complaint has been made and
that the mud may stick however innocent you may be
(b) ignore your colleagues worlds as a pack of lies
(c) go immediately to your senior officer and refute the
allegations
(d) wait for word from your senior officer and be ready
with what you need to say
123. You are walking home in a hurry when you notice an
old man looking vague and walking about aimlessly.
You accost him, but he does not seem to remember
anything. You would:
(a) go about your business as you are in a hurry
(b) collect some other passerby to help you find out
what the old man means
(c) guide the old man to nearest police station and
explain the situation to the officer on duty
(d) take the old man home with you and see who
reports him missing
124. The daughter of a friend comes to you
accompanied by a young man who is an office
colleagues of hers. She says the two want to get
married but her parents are objecting because the
man belongs to a different caste. She asks you for
help. You would:
(a) tell her to do as she want, and that you will stand
by her as you are against caste discrimination
(b) tell her to convince her parents that her decision
is good and that you will help her in talking to
her parents
(c) tell her you are sorry but you would not like to
intervene in her personal matters
(d) tell her that her parents are right and she should
listen to them

Page24

ANSWERS
1 A 31 D 61 D 91 D 121 D
2 B 32 B 62 C 92 B 122 D
3 A 33 D 63 D 93 C 123 C
4 B 34 C 64 D 94 A 124 B
5 A 35 C 65 C 95 C
6 A 36 D 66 C 96 D
7 A 37 B 67 C 97 B
8 C 38 A 68 A 98 B
9 B 39 D 69 D 99 D
10 A 40 C 70 D 100 D
11 A 41 A 71 B 101 D
12 D 42 B 72 B 102 A
13 A 43 D 73 B 103 C
14 A 44 D 74 D 104 D
15 B 45 B 75 B 105 A
16 C 46 B 76 D 106 D
17 A 47 D 77 D 107 D
18 C 48 B 78 A 108 D
19 C 49 C 79 C 109 A
20 B 50 B 80 D 110 A
21 B 51 D 81 D 111 D
22 C 52 D 82 A 112 C
23 C 53 B 83 A 113 A
24 B 54 D 84 A 114 D
25 A 55 C 85 D 115 C
26 C 56 B 86 D 116 A
27 A 57 C 87 D 117 D
28 A 58 D 88 D 118 C
29 B 59 B 89 D 119 A
30 A 60 A 90 C 120 A

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