Question 1: Communication not only helps to facilitate the process of sharing information and

knowledge, but also helps people to develop relationships with others. Even in the days before laptops
and smartphones, humans have relied on information and communication technologies to support and
sustain our societies in many different ways, all over the world.

The process of human communication has evolved over the years with many path breaking
inventions:
1. The invention of pictographs or the first written communication in the ancient world gave us
written communication. These writings were on stone and remained immobile.
2. The invention of paper, papyrus, and wax, made possible transfer of documents from one place to
another, allowing for uniformity of languages over long distances.
3. The latest revolution is the widespread application of electronic technology such as electronic
waves and signals to communication.

The use of technology in communication like use of mobile phones, email, faxes, video conferencing
etc. has made our lives much simpler w.r.t conventional way of communicating through letters.
Benefits include:

1) Speed & Costs: The most significant impact of technology on communication is the spread of the
Internet and the possibility of sending emails and chatting. In the pre-information technology days,
a document often required re-typing on the typewriter before the final version. Sending the letter
across a distance to someone else required a visit to the post office and a postage stamp. Faster
methods such as telegrams had severe limitations in text and were quite costly.
Computers and the Internet have made the process of creating and editing documents and applying
features such as spell check and grammar check automatically easy and natural. Email let us send
documents to any part of the globe within seconds, making telegrams and even ordinary letters
mostly obsolete. The Internet has thus increased the speed of communications manifold, and
reduced the costs drastically.

2) Quality: The huge amount of knowledge accessible by a click of the mouse has helped improve the
quality of communication. Translating a text from an unfamiliar language to a familiar language,
seeking out the meaning of an unknown word, and getting follow-up information on an unfamiliar
concept are all possible thanks to the internet. Technology allows easy storage and retrieval of
communication when needed, especially verbal communication, the storage of which was very
difficult before. It now becomes easier to clear misconceptions rather than make assumptions, or
contacting the person again to clear doubt.

3) Change in Style: The invention of new gadgets such as mobile phones made communication easier
by allowing people to communicate from anywhere. The possibility of high quality communication
from anywhere in the world to anywhere else at low costs has led to a marked decline in face-to-
face communications and to an increased reliance on verbal and written communication over
electronic mediums

4) Accessibility: Technology has brought down the costs of communication significantly and improved
people’s access. The live coverage of news, and other such media-related initiatives have resulted
in world wide access and participation in news and information for almost everyone.
5) Nature of Communication: The ease of communication and the spread of
interactive communication methods such as instant messengers and video conferencing have
increased the volume of communications but reduced their average length. People now
communicate whatever comes up instantly, and tend to break up different topics into different
communications.

As far as I am concerned, I prefer communicating through E-mail and TV conferencing whenever

required. Being working for HONDA as a purchase associate, it is required to settle all commercials
thoroughly as cost is involved for each transaction.

1) Communication through E-mail: Being a part of purchase department, I require to float RFx
having technical specifications to vendors and the response to same is required through e-mail
only as something might be misheard over phone. This way of written communication enables
both parties to settle technical and/or commercials even before the release of purchase order
thus avoiding any probable future dispute which may occur after release of purchase order.

Moreover, phone calls can be hit or miss, and no one enjoys playing phone tag. Sending an e-
mail provides the bit of information that is accessible almost instantly, and will be easily
accessed whenever a person can make time to check their e-mail.

2) Communication through TV conferencing: TV conferencing allows us to communicate over

different geographical locations and enables us see a presentation, or even chat face to face
via webcam and share all important documents.
As I am located at Purchase HO, Gurgaon and taking care of all supplies for Haryana, Rajasthan,
Bangalore & Gujarat Plant, sometimes TV conferencing plays a vital role in having meetings
over this online long distance communication channel. We can have weekly/monthly progress
meetings over TVC without travelling physically from one location to other. It saves us a lot of
time and money.

Thus we can say that the use of technology has a great impact on ways we communicate
whether in our day to day life or at our workplace. Although we are geographically separated,
but we are always connected somehow through mobile phones, facebook, twitter, texting
services or else. Technology has made our lives much simpler and it takes fraction of seconds
to keep us posted about anything happening around the world which would otherwise not be
possible.

Finally, technologies integral to the Internet help spread the net of communication by tracking
down old friends, shedding light on new business opportunities, creating new opportunities for
business and personal purchasing, and similar ventures.

Question 2: “Communications audit is a snapshot of an organizations communication strategies,

activities and programs”. In addition to above it identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your
current internal and external communications. It determines which of the communication tools are
working well and points out the areas in which the organization can still strengthen its communication
performance.

Hence we can say that Communication audit is the comprehensive assessment of organizations current
communication efforts and the effectiveness of the overall program and the outcome of which will be
used to provide the future direction for the communication initiatives of an organization.
An effective communication audit will identify:
a. how past communications were handled
b. key audiences, what they currently know about your business, service, product or organization,
what they need and want to know and how they prefer to be reached
c. strengths and weakness in current communications programs
d. untapped opportunities for future communications

A Communications Audit asks:

a) What are our current goals and objectives for communications?
b) How well is the current Communications Plan working?
c) Are our messages clear and consistent? Do we have a coordinated graphic identity?
d) Are we reaching key audiences with our messages and moving them to action?
e) What communications have been most effective?
f) What do customers think of our communications?
g) Do our communications support our overall strategic plan for our business or organization?
h) What would make our communications more effective in the future?
i) What communications opportunities are we missing?

Methodology: An organization may either conduct a self-assessment or hire a professional to perform

the audit. Usually a collaborative approach which ideally brings together the rich insights of internal
team with unbiased perspectives of external professionals will hold good to perform audit

Process: Below steps can be taken into consideration for performing communication audit:

1) Identifying and setting the scope and framework: To start, gain a thorough understanding of the
organization and its strategy. More specifically, find out the issues the audit should investigate and
understand what you are trying to achieve. To start, gain a thorough understanding of the
organization and its strategy. More specifically, find out the issues the audit should investigate and
understand what you are trying to achieve

2) Discovery Process: To conduct your audit, select among numerous research methods such as one-
on-one interviews, focus groups, online or telephone surveys and media analysis.

3) Distillation process: The distillation process involves assessing the collected data
a. Assemble samples of all communications vehicles (newsletters, press releases, your website,
blog, social media strategy, etc.) that you distribute to your target audiences.
b. Evaluate them for effectiveness, accessibility and timing.
c. Review your social media strategy
d. Determine the usefulness of various communications topics and vehicles.
e. Analyze whether your audiences received the key messages and what communication they’re
lacking.

Take the time to analyse each communications piece. Create a written list of what worked, and what
didn’t. What did they appreciate and why? What didn’t work for them?

4) Get feedback from all internal audiences: This step includes interviewing top management and
collecting feedback from employees and staff. One-on-one interviews with executives should
reveal:
a. Their vision of ideal communications strategies
b. Any concerns
 c. A view of the purpose of internal communications
d. Opinions on staff roles in the internal communications process
You can get feedback from employees through surveys, interviews and focus groups. This effort will
help you determine whether all communications methods were understood by – and if they satisfied
– all internal audiences.

5) Collect data about how external audiences perceive your organization: Review and evaluate
traditional media coverage and how your organization is perceived on social media in order to
determine what your community knows and thinks about you.

6) SWOT analysis: Pull all collected data into a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats) analysis of your communications efforts. Organize your findings into a table.

SWOT will help you determine:

a. Communications methods that work well for your organization
b. Communications practices that do not work and need to be changed in order to achieve your
goals
c. Opportunities you can leverage to improve your communications efforts with target
audiences
d. What is threatening your organization’s successful communication with its stakeholders

7) Make changes to your current communications plan based on all data collected and analyzed.
Once you’ve analyzed your findings, focus on strengths, consider opportunities, minimize weaknesses
and eliminate threats.

The communication audit process can be represented pictorially as below:

To summarise, no matter how comprehensive and insightful a communications audit is, its value will
only be realized through the implementation of resulting strategic and tactical recommendations. The
end deliverable of a communications audit should be recommendations that are actionable and should
include implementation timeline guidance.

Benefits of Communication Audit: An effective communication audit will have certain benefits some of
which are listed as below:

 An audit will deliver practical recommendations for improving communication in the organization.
 An audit will find out what major segment of employees/stake holders think about the
organization’s communication initiatives.
 An audit can become the basis for creating an effective strategic communication plan for your
organization, ensuring that you can gain maximum benefit from your communication investment.

To conclude we can say “Communications audit is a snapshot of an organizations communication

strategies, activities and programs”.
Question 3a: “First impression is the last impression”. Keeping the above in mind I will take care of
following while dressing-up for the event:

Dressing:

 I will prefer to wear a dark coloured suit like grey which will add an authority to the
personality.
 A light coloured & ironed, collared shirt will fit to the occasion.
 A long sleeved shirt always be buttoned at the cuffs and never be rolled – up will do the rest.
 Trouser should be short enough to look neat & long enough to cover the bare skin above the
socks when they are hitched up in a sitting posture.
 The legs of the trouser must not be so long as to fall in folds over the shoe
 Both trouser & shirt should have contrast to each other
 Silk ties should complement to the suit.
 Formal & well-polished shoes will do the job
 Socks should preferably of same colour as trouser

Make-up:

 A neatly trimmed beard & moustache will provide an organized outlook

 All hairs peeping out from nose or ears should be trimmed
 Hairstyle should be properly groomed and in line with the personality
 Nails should be short and clean
 A light smelled deodorant or anti per spirant must be used to avoid being smelly

Accessories:

 Jewellery should be bare minimum. Only as ring and plain thin chain will fit to the occasion.
 A plain leather brown or black colour brief case is fine to carry
 Watch should be plain & simple
 A plain leather belt complementing to shoe is good to wear

Question 3b: Introducing yourself is not just sharing name, instead it is a way to connect with someone
by exchanging words that results in creating a memorable impression on the other party. It always
depends upon the circumstance and the crowd you are into, while introducing yourself.

Code of conduct:

 Greet the audience and state your name

It is important to greet everyone as a first step to introduce yourself subsequently state your
first and last name. Your voice should be crisp & clear so that everyone can hear you.

 Share relevant information about yourself

The next step is to provide the relevant information and details about you. It will depend upon
the audience that what details are needed to be shared. Being a Joint Secretary of Parents
 teachers association, you can share the relevant information like since long you have been a
counsellor and what you have done for students etc.

 Communicate effectively
Your voice should be crisp, loud & clear so that everybody can hear & understand you

 Eye Contact:
You should make a proper & periodic eye contact with the audience around you. It shows that
you are open and engaged.

 Smile:
Try to keep a genuine & bright smile on your face. You should look fresh not bored. It will attract
audience towards you and makes them to pay attention on your words.

 Body Language
Try to keep your head high & back straight while delivering speech. You should look confident.
In order to build rapport with the persons around you try to mirror their pitch and speed.

 Ask Questions
Try to ask questions that will keep the audience engaged & interacting

I think these are some of the points which must be kept in mind while introducing yourself to
such elite audience. It will create a memorable impression on the listener’s mind.