COMMUNICATION IS A PROCESS OF EXCHANGING VERBAL AND

NON VERBAL MESSAGES. IT IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. PRE-

REQUISITE OF COMMUNICATION IS A MESSAGE. THIS MESSAGE
MUST BE CONVEYED THROUGH SOME MEDIUM TO THE
RECIPIENT. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THIS MESSAGE MUST BE
UNDERSTOOD BY THE RECIPIENT IN SAME TERMS AS INTENDED
BY THE SENDER. HE MUST RESPOND WITHIN A TIME FRAME.
THUS, COMMUNICATION IS A TWO WAY PROCESS AND IS
INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A FEEDBACK FROM THE RECIPIENT TO
THE SENDER ON HOW WELL THE MESSAGE IS UNDERSTOOD BY
HIM.
COMMUNICATIO
N PROCESS -
SENDER
ENCODING
MESSAGE
DECODING RECEIVER
RESPONSE AND
FEEDBACK
COMMUNICATION PROCESS

THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION PROCESS ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
CONTEXT - COMMUNICATION IS AFFECTED BY THE CONTEXT IN
WHICH IT TAKES PLACE. THIS CONTEXT MAY BE PHYSICAL,
SOCIAL, CHRONOLOGICAL OR CULTURAL. EVERY
COMMUNICATION PROCEEDS WITH CONTEXT. THE SENDER
CHOOSES THE MESSAGE TO COMMUNICATE WITHIN A CONTEXT.
SENDER / ENCODER - SENDER / ENCODER IS A PERSON WHO
SENDS THE MESSAGE. A SENDER MAKES USE OF SYMBOLS
(WORDS OR GRAPHIC OR VISUAL AIDS) TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE
AND PRODUCE THE REQUIRED RESPONSE. FOR INSTANCE - A
TRAINING MANAGER CONDUCTING TRAINING FOR NEW BATCH OF
EMPLOYEES. SENDER MAY BE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A GROUP OR AN
ORGANIZATION. THE VIEWS, BACKGROUND, APPROACH, SKILLS,
COMPETENCIES, AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SENDER HAVE A
GREAT IMPACT ON THE MESSAGE. THE VERBAL AND NON VERBAL
SYMBOLS CHOSEN ARE ESSENTIAL IN ASCERTAINING
INTERPRETATION OF THE MESSAGE BY THE RECIPIENT IN THE
SAME TERMS AS INTENDED BY THE SENDER.
MESSAGE - MESSAGE IS A KEY IDEA THAT THE SENDER WANTS TO
COMMUNICATE. IT IS A SIGN THAT ELICITS THE RESPONSE OF
RECIPIENT. COMMUNICATION PROCESS BEGINS WITH DECIDING
ABOUT THE MESSAGE TO BE CONVEYED. IT MUST BE ENSURED
THAT THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

MEDIUM - MEDIUM IS A MEANS USED TO EXCHANGE / TRANSMIT THE
MESSAGE. THE SENDER MUST CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE MEDIUM FOR
TRANSMITTING THE MESSAGE ELSE THE MESSAGE MIGHT NOT BE
CONVEYED TO THE DESIRED RECIPIENTS. THE CHOICE OF APPROPRIATE
MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR MAKING THE MESSAGE
EFFECTIVE AND CORRECTLY INTERPRETED BY THE RECIPIENT. THIS
CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION MEDIUM VARIES DEPENDING UPON THE
FEATURES OF COMMUNICATION. FOR INSTANCE - WRITTEN MEDIUM IS
CHOSEN WHEN A MESSAGE HAS TO BE CONVEYED TO A SMALL GROUP OF
PEOPLE, WHILE AN ORAL MEDIUM IS CHOSEN WHEN SPONTANEOUS
FEEDBACK IS REQUIRED FROM THE RECIPIENT AS MISUNDERSTANDINGS
ARE CLEARED THEN AND THERE.

RECIPIENT / DECODER - RECIPIENT / DECODER IS A PERSON FOR WHOM
THE MESSAGE IS INTENDED / AIMED / TARGETED. THE DEGREE TO WHICH
THE DECODER UNDERSTANDS THE MESSAGE IS DEPENDENT UPON
VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS KNOWLEDGE OF RECIPIENT, THEIR
RESPONSIVENESS TO THE MESSAGE, AND THE RELIANCE OF ENCODER ON
DECODER.

FEEDBACK - FEEDBACK IS THE MAIN COMPONENT OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS AS IT PERMITS THE SENDER TO ANALYZE THE EFFICACY OF THE
MESSAGE. IT HELPS THE SENDER IN CONFIRMING THE CORRECT
INTERPRETATION OF MESSAGE BY THE DECODER. FEEDBACK MAY BE
VERBAL (THROUGH WORDS) OR NON-VERBAL (IN FORM OF SMILES, SIGHS,
ETC.). IT MAY TAKE WRITTEN FORM ALSO IN FORM OF MEMOS, REPORTS,
ETC.

ORAL COMMUNICATION IMPLIES COMMUNICATION THROUGH MOUTH. IT
INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS CONVERSING WITH EACH OTHER, BE IT DIRECT
CONVERSATION OR TELEPHONIC CONVERSATION. SPEECHES,
PRESENTATIONS, DISCUSSIONS ARE ALL FORMS OF ORAL
COMMUNICATION. ORAL COMMUNICATION IS GENERALLY RECOMMENDED
WHEN THE COMMUNICATION MATTER IS OF TEMPORARY KIND OR WHERE A
DIRECT INTERACTION IS REQUIRED. FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION
(MEETINGS, LECTURES, CONFERENCES, INTERVIEWS, ETC.) IS SIGNIFICANT
SO AS TO BUILD A RAPPORT AND TRUST.
ADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
THERE IS HIGH LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AND
TRANSPARENCY IN ORAL COMMUNICATION AS IT IS
INTERPERSONAL.
THERE IS NO ELEMENT OF RIGIDITY IN ORAL
COMMUNICATION. THERE IS FLEXIBILITY FOR ALLOWING
CHANGES IN THE DECISIONS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN.
THE FEEDBACK IS SPONTANEOUS IN CASE OF ORAL
COMMUNICATION. THUS, DECISIONS CAN BE MADE QUICKLY
WITHOUT ANY DELAY.
ORAL COMMUNICATION IS NOT ONLY TIME SAVING, BUT IT
ALSO SAVES UPON MONEY AND EFFORTS.
ORAL COMMUNICATION IS BEST IN CASE OF PROBLEM
RESOLUTION. THE CONFLICTS, DISPUTES AND MANY
ISSUES/DIFFERENCES CAN BE PUT TO AN END BY TALKING
THEM OVER.
ORAL COMMUNICATION IS AN ESSENTIAL FOR TEAMWORK
AND GROUP ENERGY.
ORAL COMMUNICATION PROMOTES A RECEPTIVE AND
ENCOURAGING MORALE AMONG ORGANIZATIONAL
EMPLOYEES.
ORAL COMMUNICATION CAN BE BEST USED TO TRANSFER
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION/MATTER.

DISADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
RELYING ONLY ON ORAL COMMUNICATION MAY NOT BE
SUFFICIENT AS BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IS FORMAL AND
VERY ORGANIZED.
ORAL COMMUNICATION IS LESS AUTHENTIC THAN WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION AS THEY ARE INFORMAL AND NOT AS
ORGANIZED AS WRITTEN COMMUNICATION.
ORAL COMMUNICATION IS TIME-SAVING AS FAR AS DAILY
INTERACTIONS ARE CONCERNED, BUT IN CASE OF
MEETINGS, LONG SPEECHES CONSUME LOT OF TIME AND
ARE UNPRODUCTIVE AT TIMES.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT EASY TO MAINTAIN AND
THUS THEY ARE UNSTEADY.
THERE MAY BE MISUNDERSTANDINGS AS THE
INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY LACK
ESSENTIALS.
IT REQUIRES ATTENTIVENESS AND GREAT RECEPTIVITY ON
PART OF THE RECEIVERS/AUDIENCE.
ORAL COMMUNICATION (SUCH AS SPEECHES) IS NOT
FREQUENTLY USED AS LEGAL RECORDS EXCEPT IN
INVESTIGATION WORK.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION HAS GREAT SIGNIFICANCE IN
TODAYS BUSINESS WORLD. IT IS AN INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY
OF THE MIND. EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IS
ESSENTIAL FOR PREPARING WORTHY PROMOTIONAL
MATERIALS FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. SPEECH CAME
BEFORE WRITING. BUT WRITING IS MORE UNIQUE AND
FORMAL THAN SPEECH. EFFECTIVE WRITING INVOLVES
CAREFUL CHOICE OF WORDS, THEIR ORGANIZATION IN
CORRECT ORDER IN SENTENCES FORMATION AS WELL AS
COHESIVE COMPOSITION OF SENTENCES. ALSO, WRITING IS
MORE VALID AND RELIABLE THAN SPEECH. BUT WHILE
SPEECH IS SPONTANEOUS, WRITING CAUSES DELAY AND
TAKES TIME AS FEEDBACK IS NOT IMMEDIATE.
ADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION HELPS IN LAYING DOWN
APPARENT PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND RULES FOR
RUNNING OF AN ORGANIZATION. IT IS A PERMANENT MEANS
OF COMMUNICATION. THUS, IT IS USEFUL WHERE RECORD
MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED. IT ASSISTS IN PROPER
DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES. WHILE IN CASE OF
ORAL COMMUNICATION, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX AND
DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITIES ON THE GROUNDS OF
SPEECH AS IT CAN BE TAKEN BACK BY THE SPEAKER OR
HE MAY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION IS MORE PRECISE AND EXPLICIT.
EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION DEVELOPS AND
ENHANCES AN ORGANIZATIONS IMAGE. IT PROVIDES
READY RECORDS AND REFERENCES. LEGAL DEFENSES
CAN DEPEND UPON WRITTEN COMMUNICATION AS IT
PROVIDES VALID RECORDS.
DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION DOES NOT SAVE UPON
THE COSTS. IT COSTS HUGE IN TERMS OF STATIONERY
AND THE MANPOWER EMPLOYED IN WRITING/TYPING
AND DELIVERING LETTERS. ALSO, IF THE RECEIVERS
OF THE WRITTEN MESSAGE ARE SEPARATED BY
DISTANCE AND IF THEY NEED TO CLEAR THEIR
DOUBTS, THE RESPONSE IS NOT SPONTANEOUS.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IS TIME-CONSUMING AS
THE FEEDBACK IS NOT IMMEDIATE. THE ENCODING
AND SENDING OF MESSAGE TAKES TIME. EFFECTIVE
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION REQUIRES GREAT SKILLS
AND COMPETENCIES IN LANGUAGE AND
VOCABULARY USE. POOR WRITING SKILLS AND
QUALITY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON
ORGANIZATIONS REPUTATION. TOO MUCH PAPER
WORK AND E-MAILS BURDEN IS INVOLVED.
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION - ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER
THAN WORDS
SCENARIO 1 YOU ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF AN INTERVIEW
PANEL WITH ARMS CROSSED. SO FAR YOU HAVE NOT BEEN
ASKED A SINGLE QUESTION, HOWEVER, YOUR CROSSED ARMS
HAVE SPOKEN LOUDER THAN THE WORDS.
TIP 1 NEVER KEEP YOUR ARMS CROSSED ESPECIALLY
DURING FORMAL ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS. IT SUGGESTS YOU
ARE NOT OPEN TO FEEDBACK AND COULD ALSO SUGGEST
THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DOMINATE THE SITUATION.
SCENARIO 2 YOU ARE GIVING A PRESENTATION TO A GROUP
OF 20 PEOPLE. YOU KEEP YOUR GAZE FIXED AT THE CENTRE
OF THE CLASS / ROOM THROUGH THE PRESENTATION YOUR
GAZE HAS SPOKEN LOUDER THAN YOUR WORDS.
TIP 2 YOUR GAZE AT ONE PERSON SHOULD NOT BE MORE
THAN 4 - 5 SECONDS WHILE DELIVERING A PRESENTATION /
COMMUNICATING WITH A LARGE GROUP UNLESS YOU ARE
ADDRESSING AN INDIVIDUAL.
SCENARIO 1 AND 2 CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE
OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION.

WHAT IS NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION ?
IT IS COMMUNICATION OF FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, ATTITUDES,
AND THOUGHTS THROUGH BODY MOVEMENTS / GESTURES /
EYE CONTACT, ETC.
THE COMPONENTS OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION ARE:
KINESICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,
POSTURES & GESTURES. DID YOU KNOW THAT WHILE IN
ARGENTINA TO RAISE A FIST IN THE AIR WITH KNUCKLES
POINTING OUTWARDS EXPRESSES VICTORY, IN LEBANON,
RAISING A CLOSED FIST IS CONSIDERED RUDE?
OCULESICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF THE ROLE OF EYE CONTACT
IN NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION. DID YOU KNOW THAT IN THE
FIRST 90 SEC - 4 MIN YOU DECIDE THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED
IN SOMEONE OR NOT. STUDIES REVEAL THAT 50% OF THIS
FIRST IMPRESSION COMES FROM NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION WHICH INCLUDES OCULESICS. ONLY 7% OF
COMES FROM WORDS - THAT WE ACTUALLY SAY.
HAPTICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF TOUCHING. DID YOU KNOW THAT
ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF TOUCHING VARY FROM ONE CULTURE
TO ANOTHER? IN THAILAND, TOUCHING SOMEONE'S HEAD MAY
BE CONSIDERED AS RUDE.

PROXEMICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF MEASURABLE DISTANCE BETWEEN
PEOPLE AS THEY INTERACT. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE AMOUNT OF
PERSONAL SPACE WHEN HAVING AN INFORMAL CONVERSATION
SHOULD VARY BETWEEN 18 INCHES - 4 FEET WHILE, THE PERSONAL
DISTANCE NEEDED WHEN SPEAKING TO A CROWD OF PEOPLE
SHOULD BE AROUND 10-12 FEET?
CHRONEMICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF USE OF TIME IN NON VERBAL
COMMUNICATION. HAVE YOU EVER OBSERVED THAT WHILE AN
EMPLOYEE WILL NOT WORRY ABOUT RUNNING A FEW MINUTES LATE
TO MEET A COLLEAGUE, A MANAGER WHO HAS A MEETING WITH THE
CEO, A LATE ARRIVAL WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A NONVERBAL CUE
THAT HE / SHE DOES NOT GIVE ADEQUATE RESPECT TO HIS
SUPERIOR?
PARALINGUISTICS: IT IS THE STUDY OF VARIATIONS IN PITCH, SPEED,
VOLUME, AND PAUSES TO CONVEY MEANING. INTERESTINGLY, WHEN
THE SPEAKER IS MAKING A PRESENTATION AND IS LOOKING FOR A
RESPONSE, HE WILL PAUSE. HOWEVER, WHEN NO RESPONSE IS
DESIRED, HE WILL TALK FASTER WITH MINIMAL PAUSE.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ALWAYS
CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOU. NEATLY
COMBED HAIR, IRONED CLOTHES AND A LIVELY SMILE WILL ALWAYS
CARRY MORE WEIGHT THAN WORDS.
REMEMBER, WHAT WE SAY IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN HOW WE
SAY IT AS WORDS ARE ONLY 7% OF OUR COMMUNICATION.
UNDERSTAND AND ENJOY NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION AS IT
HELPS FORMING BETTER FIRST IMPRESSIONS. GOOD LUCK!


EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS SIGNIFICANT FOR MANAGERS IN THE
ORGANIZATIONS SO AS TO PERFORM THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF
MANAGEMENT, I.E., PLANNING, ORGANIZING, LEADING AND
CONTROLLING. COMMUNICATION HELPS MANAGERS TO PERFORM THEIR
JOBS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. COMMUNICATION SERVES AS A
FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING. ALL THE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION MUST BE
COMMUNICATED TO THE MANAGERS WHO IN-TURN MUST COMMUNICATE
THE PLANS SO AS TO IMPLEMENT THEM. ORGANIZING ALSO REQUIRES
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH OTHERS ABOUT THEIR JOB TASK.
SIMILARLY LEADERS AS MANAGERS MUST COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
WITH THEIR SUBORDINATES SO AS TO ACHIEVE THE TEAM GOALS.
CONTROLLING IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT WRITTEN AND ORAL
COMMUNICATION.

MANAGERS DEVOTE A GREAT PART OF THEIR TIME IN COMMUNICATION.
THEY GENERALLY DEVOTE APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS PER DAY IN
COMMUNICATING. THEY SPEND GREAT TIME ON FACE TO FACE OR
TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR SUPERIORS, SUBORDINATES,
COLLEAGUES, CUSTOMERS OR SUPPLIERS. MANAGERS ALSO USE
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IN FORM OF LETTERS, REPORTS OR MEMOS
WHEREVER ORAL COMMUNICATION IS NOT FEASIBLE.

THUS, WE CAN SAY THAT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS A BUILDING BLOCK OF SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS. IN
OTHER WORDS, COMMUNICATION ACTS AS ORGANIZATIONAL BLOOD. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN AN
ORGANIZATION CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS:

COMMUNICATION PROMOTES MOTIVATION BY INFORMING AND CLARIFYING THE EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE TASK TO BE
DONE, THE MANNER THEY ARE PERFORMING THE TASK, AND HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE IF IT IS NOT UP
TO THE MARK.

COMMUNICATION IS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS FOR DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS AS IT HELPS IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTIONS.

COMMUNICATION ALSO PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ALTERING INDIVIDUALS ATTITUDES, I.E., A WELL INFORMED
INDIVIDUAL WILL HAVE BETTER ATTITUDE THAN A LESS-INFORMED INDIVIDUAL. ORGANIZATIONAL MAGAZINES,
JOURNALS, MEETINGS AND VARIOUS OTHER FORMS OF ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION HELP IN MOULDING
EMPLOYEES ATTITUDES.

COMMUNICATION ALSO HELPS IN SOCIALIZING. IN TODAYS LIFE THE ONLY PRESENCE OF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL
FOSTERS COMMUNICATION. IT IS ALSO SAID THAT ONE CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT COMMUNICATION.

AS DISCUSSED EARLIER, COMMUNICATION ALSO ASSISTS IN CONTROLLING PROCESS. IT HELPS CONTROLLING
ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS BEHAVIOUR IN VARIOUS WAYS. THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS OF HIERARCHY AND
CERTAIN PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES THAT EMPLOYEES MUST FOLLOW IN AN ORGANIZATION. THEY
MUST COMPLY WITH ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES, PERFORM THEIR JOB ROLE EFFICIENTLY AND COMMUNICATE ANY
WORK PROBLEM AND GRIEVANCE TO THEIR SUPERIORS. THUS, COMMUNICATION HELPS IN CONTROLLING FUNCTION
OF MANAGEMENT.

AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM REQUIRES MANAGERIAL PROFICIENCY IN DELIVERING AND
RECEIVING MESSAGES. A MANAGER MUST DISCOVER VARIOUS BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION, ANALYZE THE
REASONS FOR THEIR OCCURRENCE AND TAKE PREVENTIVE STEPS TO AVOID THOSE BARRIERS. THUS, THE PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY OF A MANAGER IS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN





AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE ORGANIZATION.

THUS, WE CAN SAY THAT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS A
BUILDING BLOCK OF SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS. IN
OTHER WORDS, COMMUNICATION ACTS AS ORGANIZATIONAL
BLOOD. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN AN
ORGANIZATION CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMUNICATION PROMOTES MOTIVATION BY INFORMING AND
CLARIFYING THE EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE TASK TO BE DONE,
THE MANNER THEY ARE PERFORMING THE TASK, AND HOW TO
IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE IF IT IS NOT UP TO THE MARK.
COMMUNICATION IS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO THE
ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS FOR DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS AS IT HELPS IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING
ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTIONS.
COMMUNICATION ALSO PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ALTERING
INDIVIDUALS ATTITUDES, I.E., A WELL INFORMED INDIVIDUAL
WILL HAVE BETTER ATTITUDE THAN A LESS-INFORMED
INDIVIDUAL. ORGANIZATIONAL MAGAZINES, JOURNALS,
MEETINGS AND VARIOUS OTHER FORMS OF ORAL AND
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION HELP IN MOULDING EMPLOYEES
ATTITUDES.

In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions-
Downward
Upward
Lateral
Diagonal
External

Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a
higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward
communication. In other words, communication from superiors to
subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This
communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related
information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this
information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations
of their managers. Downward communication is used by the managers
for the following purposes - Providing feedback on employees
performance Giving job instructions Providing a complete
understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them
how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
Highlighting the areas of attention. Organizational publications,
circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all examples of
downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free
downward communication, managers must:
Specify communication objective
Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the
receiver in right form

Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a
higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It
provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The
subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and
performances to their superiors.
The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they
have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by
the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the
decision-making process.
Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce
in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise
and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get
to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers,
supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly
take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job
Satisfaction surveys etc all help in improving upward communication.
Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance reports
made by low level management for reviewing by higher level
management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees,
employee-manager discussions etc.

Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place
at same levels of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral
communication, i.e., communication between peers, between
managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent
organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication
are as follows: It is time saving. It facilitates co-ordination of the task. It
facilitates co-operation among team members. It provides emotional
and social assistance to the organizational members. It helps in solving
various organizational problems. It is a means of information sharing It
can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other
department or conflicts within a department.
Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a
manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal
communication. It generally does not appear on organizational chart.
For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts
with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform
their task.
External Communication: Communication that takes place between a
manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks,
financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing
director would interact with the Bank Manager.
Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is called
so because it stretches throughout the organization in all directions
irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know is a social animal.
Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal
channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people in
organization. It exists more at lower levels of organization.
Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is
that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense
uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due
to which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential
treatment and favour some employees giving a segregated feeling to
other employees. Thus, when employees sense a need to exchange their
views, they go for grapevine network as they cannot use the formal
channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in
cafeteria,the subordinates talk about their superiors attitude and
behaviour and exchange views with their peers. They discuss rumours
about promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus, grapevine
spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such
communication at times.
Examples of Grapevine Network of Communication
Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is spread that
this much profit is there and on that basis bonus is declared.
CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. They may have friendly
relations with each other.
Pros and Cons of Grapevine Communication
Advantages of Grapevine Communication
Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets
to know some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes
the details then to his closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it
spreads hastily.
The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their
policies. Thus, the feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel
of communication.
The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and
discuss their views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing
group cohesiveness.
The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value.
The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication
does not work.
Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication
The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on
rumours. Thus, it does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs.
The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of
communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.
The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time
talking rather than working.
The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives.
The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false
negative information about the high level people of the organization.
A smart manager should take care of all the disadvantages of the grapevine and
try to minimize them. At the same time, he should make best possible use of
advantages of grapevine.
.
FEEDBACK COMMUNICATION


Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message
and respond to them. This response of a receiver to senders message is called
Feedback. Sometimes a feedback could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc.
Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleagues ideas with questions or
comments. Feedback can also be written like - replying to an e-mail, etc.
Feedback is your audiences response; it enables you to evaluate the
effectiveness of your message. If your audience doesnt understand what you
mean, you can tell by the response and then refine the message accordingly.
Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an
open communication climate. The manager must create an environment that
encourages feedback. For example after explaining the job to the subordinated
he must ask them whether they have understood it or not. He should ask
questions like Do you understand?, Do you have any doubts? etc. At the
same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also.

Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has
understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and
whether he agrees to that message or not.
There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees,
such as : Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news
letter etc. Employees are not always willing to provide feedback. The
organization has to work a lot to get the accurate feedback. The managers
encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their employees to
express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their
employees feedback.
A manger should ensure that a feedback should:
Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general.
Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize
anyone personally.
Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we
should always direct it to the recipients goal.
Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the
recipients behaviour and the receipt of that feedback.
Use I statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words
like I, However etc. For example instead of sayingYou were absent from
work yesterday, manager should sayI was annoyes when you missed your
work yesterday.
Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make
sure that the recipients understands the feedback properly.
While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not
mention the factors which are not in control of the recipient.
COMMUNICATION BARRIER

Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message
and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message.
Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is
interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks
any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such
disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the
managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them.
There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an
organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the
sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for
managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are
summarized below.
Following are the main communication barriers:
Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally
how each individual interprets the world around him. All
generally want to receive messages which are significant to
them. But any message which is against their values is not
accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different
individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due
to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR
Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that
employee or not, the immediate manager might think of
replacement because his teams productivity is being
hampered, the family members might take him as an
emotional support.
The linguistic differences also lead to communication
breakdown. Same word may mean different to different
individuals. For example: consider a word value.
What is the value of this Laptop?
I value our relation?
What is the value of learning technical skills?
Value means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown
occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver.
Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of
information. It is essential to control this information flow else the
information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a
result communication is less effective.
Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a
traveler may pay attention to one NO PARKING sign, but if such sign is put
all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should
be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed
in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem, the superior
may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of
subordinate.
Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved
within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse
consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of
communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not
completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective
communication.
Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to
distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning,
uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a
meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication.
Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time
also affects communication. If the receiver feels that
communicator is angry he interprets that the
information being sent is very bad. While he takes it
differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in
that case the message is interpreted to be good and
interesting).
Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the
hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of
managerial levels), more is the chances of
communication getting destroyed. Only the people at
the top level can see the overall picture while the
people at low level just have knowledge about their
own area and a little knowledge about other areas.
Poor retention: Human memory cannot function
beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being
told specially if he is not interested or not attentive.
This leads to communication breakdown
Effect of Communication Barriers in Business Communication
An organization is an individuals first home as one spends the maximum
time here only. No organization runs for charity, it is really important that
the organization achieve its goals. How does an organization become
successful ? How will an organization achieve its goals ?.
The employees are the assets for any organization and the profitability of
any organization is directly proportional to the labour put by its employees.
Putting labour does not mean getting involved in hard physical work or
digging the gold mines, it actually refers to the smart work done by
employees, transparency between the team members, free flow of
information from the superior to the subordinates. How does free flow of
information happen? How is the transparency between the team members
achieved ? - Through Communication and not only through communication
but effective communication.
In organizations the barriers in communication go a long way in distortion of
the message and the information does not reach in its desired form.
Imagine a situation where you want some report from your team members
which needs to be forwarded to the managing director of the organization.
What if your team misinterprets your information, screws up the project and
fails to submit it within the deadline. The managing director will literally sit
on your head and make your life miserable. The poor communication can
actually cost you your job.

Let us now understand how barriers in communication effect business
communication
Noise acts as a devil in business communication.
Unorganized and Haphazard thoughts also lead to ineffective
communication in organizations.
During any business meeting, presentation or seminar, the speaker has to be
very careful about his pitch and tone
Difference in thought process also results in a poor communication in
business areas

Overcoming Communication Barriers
Eliminating differences in perception
Use of Simple Language:
Reduction and elimination of noise levels
Active Listening:
Emotional State:
Simple Organizational Structure
Avoid Information Overload
Give Constructive Feedback
Proper Media Selection:
Flexibility in meeting the targets:

SEVEN CS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should
convey all facts required by the audience. The sender of the message
must take into consideration the receivers mind set and convey the
message accordingly. A complete communication has following
features:
Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an
organization.
Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing
and no additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the
communication is complete.
A complete communication always gives additional information
wherever required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver.
Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the
audience/readers/receivers of message as they get all desired and
crucial information.
It persuades the audience.


Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating
what you want to convey in least possible words without forgoing
the other Cs of communication. Conciseness is a necessity for effective
communication. Concise communication has following features:
It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive
and needless words.
Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited
words to the audience.
Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.
Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.
Consideration - Consideration implies stepping into the shoes of others.
Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the
audiences view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an
attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as
problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their
emotions are not at harm. Modify your words in message to suit the audiences
needs while making your message complete. Features of considerate
communication are as follows:
Emphasize on you approach.
Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will
stimulate a positive reaction from the audience.
Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on what is possible
rather than what is impossible. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial,
committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.
Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at
a time, rather than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in
communication has following features:
It makes understanding easier.
Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message.
Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.
Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular
and clear rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens
the confidence. Concrete message has following features:
It is supported with specific facts and figures.
It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show
the senders expression as well as should respect the receiver. The
sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious,
reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following
features:
Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as
feelings of the receiver of the message.
Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience.
It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.
It is not at all biased.

Correctness - Correctness in communication
implies that there are no grammatical errors in
communication. Correct communication has
following features:
The message is exact, correct and well-timed.
If the communication is correct, it boosts up the
confidence level.
Correct message has greater impact on the audience/
readers.
It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and
figures used in the message.
It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the
message.
Awareness of these 7 Cs of communication makes
you an effective communicator.


Corporate Meetings are very crucial part of business activities.
They are a significant means of formal communication.
Meetings are a venue for generation of new and innovative
ideas. These meetings are multipurpose in nature actually.
They aim at discussing feedback and receiving feedback on the
spot. The information of prior importance is given during
meetings. They are a true means of conveying feelings and
expressions. Meetings involve people of the company.
Meetings, thus, encourage participation and motivate them.
Participants in a meeting, if given responsibility, turn out to be
more productive and contribute to organizational success.
Corporate Meetings thus turn out to be a place where various
aspects of business management are discussed- the
performance of the company, the mission and vision of
company, the weaknesses of company, the obstacles faced
and how to overcome them. Effective meetings involve
presentations and lead to personality development. Efficient
meetings save time, money and resources of the company.

While conducting business meetings, certain things have to be taken
care of. Decisions should be based on facts and based on
circumstances, they shouldnt be based on presumptions. The
participants should be optimum in number, not too much. Dont go
off track or dont forget the agenda of the meeting. Avoid
distractions during meetings, such as- looking here and there,
talking on phone, fiddling, etc. Decision-making should be
unambiguous. Dont waste time waiting for latecomers. Start
discussion on time.
A successful and effective business meeting is one which is well
planned. It should be planned well in advance that who all would be
the participants in meeting, the time, venue, and agenda of meeting.
The agenda of the meeting should be clear to all. Do not try to make
a fish market in meeting. Respect everyones views. Respect the
leader. Try and co-operate. It has to be ensured that the decisions
that are reached through a meeting should be implemented. Also, all
participants must get minutes at the end of meeting.
Corporate Meetings tell where the company is and where is it
heading. They are communication drivers behind organizations
success. Successful Corporate Meetings are productive, creative,
well- focused, timely and well-led.

HOW TO CONDUCT A MEETING
While conducting business meetings, certain things have to be taken
care of. Decisions should be based on facts and based on
circumstances, they shouldnt be based on presumptions. The
participants should be optimum in number, not too much. Dont go
off track or dont forget the agenda of the meeting. Avoid
distractions during meetings, such as- looking here and there,
talking on phone, fiddling, etc. Decision-making should be
unambiguous. Dont waste time waiting for latecomers. Start
discussion on time.
A successful and effective business meeting is one which is well
planned. It should be planned well in advance that who all would be
the participants in meeting, the time, venue, and agenda of meeting.
The agenda of the meeting should be clear to all. Do not try to make
a fish market in meeting. Respect everyones views. Respect the
leader. Try and co-operate. It has to be ensured that the decisions
that are reached through a meeting should be implemented. Also, all
participants must get minutes at the end of meeting.
Corporate Meetings tell where the company is and where is it
heading. They are communication drivers behind organizations
success. Successful Corporate Meetings are productive, creative,
well- focused, timely and well-led.



The process of running an effective meeting includes the
following steps:
Plan the meeting: Plan the meeting in advance. With the plan
clear in mind, the objective of the meeting can be well
accomplished. Planning includes- Outline the objective of the
meeting.
Decide the attendees/participants of the meeting.
Plan an agenda for the meeting, i.e., the topics to be
discussed, the sequence in which they will be discussed, in how
much detail they will be discussed, the time given to each
agenda topic, etc.
Plan the starting time of the meeting, plan for the breaks, and
also plan the approximate time by which the meeting should
end.
Announce/declare the meeting: After planning the meeting
and before actually beginning the meeting, the participants
should be delivered a message/memorandum to make them
aware and ready for the topics to be discussed in the meeting.
Give each participant responsibility for the agenda item. Issue
the agenda.



Conduct the meeting: Be punctual. Try and arrive before time for
the meeting. The meeting should begin on time. State the objective
of the meeting in the very beginning so that all are clear with the
purpose of the meeting. Give a brief introduction of the
members/participants so that all are familiar. Circulate notes and
handouts. Involve all attendees during the discussion. Encourage
new ideas from the participants. Respect their ideas. Ask for a
feedback. Make sure that there are no distractions during the
meeting (such as ringing cell phones, or participants fiddling with
pen, or gossiping, etc.). Give a quick review of the issues discussed in
the meeting. Make sure that all the issues are discussed within the
time frame. If time does not permit discussion of all issues, ask the
participants if they are comfortable in discussing those issues in next
meeting. Fix and decide upon the time for the next meeting.
Evaluate the meeting: Assess the meeting after it is conducted.
Distribute an evaluation form to all participants which provides you a
feedback on the effectiveness of the meeting. To get credible and
honest feedback, do not give a space for name of the attendee on
the form. Ask questions such as whether the objectives of the
meetings were well met, did it involve participation of all, which part
of the meeting did the attendee found most constructive and which
part of meeting was not significant


Conduct the meeting: Be punctual. Try and arrive before time for
the meeting. The meeting should begin on time. State the objective
of the meeting in the very beginning so that all are clear with the
purpose of the meeting. Give a brief introduction of the
members/participants so that all are familiar. Circulate notes and
handouts. Involve all attendees during the discussion. Encourage
new ideas from the participants. Respect their ideas. Ask for a
feedback. Make sure that there are no distractions during the
meeting (such as ringing cell phones, or participants fiddling with
pen, or gossiping, etc.). Give a quick review of the issues discussed in
the meeting. Make sure that all the issues are discussed within the
time frame. If time does not permit discussion of all issues, ask the
participants if they are comfortable in discussing those issues in next
meeting. Fix and decide upon the time for the next meeting.
Evaluate the meeting: Assess the meeting after it is conducted.
Distribute an evaluation form to all participants which provides you a
feedback on the effectiveness of the meeting. To get credible and
honest feedback, do not give a space for name of the attendee on
the form. Ask questions such as whether the objectives of the
meetings were well met, did it involve participation of all, which part
of the meeting did the attendee found most constructive and which
part of meeting was not significant.
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Increased and improved communication in todays internet age has
led to intercultural communication. People talk and communicate
across states, cultures, and / or religion. While technology has made
communication faster and easier, it is important that intercultural
communication is handled with a lot of sensitivity.
What can possibly go wrong ?
People encode and decode or interpret messages basis their values,
beliefs, culture, and assumptions. This could lead to greater
misunderstanding.
How to improve Intercultural Communication ?
While conversing / communicating with an audience that is not of a
similar culture, one must thoroughly research about the culture of
the other party. This will reduce the chances of making sensitive
remarks and hence can avoid confusion.
Slangs and idioms should be avoided. Choose specific and relevant
words.
Be an attentive listener. Check for understanding. Ask questions if
there is a doubt.

Understand the importance of intonation while communicating.
Stress on a specific word can change the entire meaning of a
sentence. For e.g.: I never said HE stole the money lays stress on
HE while I never said he STOLE the money lays stress on
STOLE and hence it focuses on how was the money taken [not by
stealing but by any other means].
Check your body language / gestures. Some countries might find a
particular gesture as offensive as compared to other countries /
cultures. Level of eye contact, distance between two people while
making a formal vs. Informal communication are such examples of
situations one must study about before starting an intercultural
communication.
In China while exchanging visiting card, one must accept it with both
hands and have a good look at the card. One should not keep it in his
/ her pocket immediately. Also, if you are visiting China and are
having a meal with a Chinese host, make sure you leave some food in
the plate. It implies that you are full and cant have more. If you eat
all ingredients on the plate it could mean you are still hungry and
want more.
To understand various cultures is interesting and could go a long way
in making intercultural communication fruitful and worthwhile
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Effective communication is a part and parcel of any successful organization.
A communication should be free from barriers so as to be effective.
Communication is a two way process where the message sent by the sender
should be interpreted in the same terms by the recipient. The characteristics
of effective communication are as follows :
Clarity of Purpose: The message to be delivered must be clear in the mind
of sender. The person to whom it is targeted and the aim of the message
should be clear in the mind of the sender.
Completeness: The message delivered should not be incomplete. It should
be supported by facts and observations. It should be well planned and
organized. No assumptions should be made by the receiver.
Conciseness: The message should be concise. It should not include any
unnecessary details. It should be short and complete.
Feedback: Whether the message sent by the sender is understood in same
terms by the receiver or not can be judged by the feedback received. The
feedback should be timely and in personal. It should be specific rather than
general.
Empathy: Empathy with the listeners is essential for effective verbal
communication. The speaker should step into the shoes of the listener and
be sensitive to their needs and emotions. This way he can understand things
from their perspective and make communication more effective.

Modify the message according to the audience: The
information requirement by different people in the
organization differs according to their needs. What is relevant
to the middle level management might not be relevant to the
top level of management. Use of jargons should be minimized
because it might lead to misunderstanding and
misinterpretations. The message should be modified according
to the needs and requirements of the targeted audience.
Multiple Channels of communication: For effective
communication multiple channels should be used as it
increases the chances of clarity of message. The message is
reinforced by using different channels and there are less
chances of deformation of message.
Make effective use of Grapevine (informal channel of
communication): The employees and managers should not
always discourage grapevine. They should make effective use
of grapevine. The managers can use grapevine to deliver
formal messages and for identification of issues which are
significant for the employees. The managers can get to know
the problems faced by the employees and can work upon it.

TIPS FOR MBA ASPIRANTS FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
MBA Aspirant needs to master his communication skills to perform
exceptionally well in MBA from a reputed Business school and prove
his mettle while studying as well as in the corporate world. He should
definitely have an edge over the other candidates, if he has excellent
and impressive communication skills.
Let us go through some handy tips to improve the communication
skills:
Read a lot. Reading is the key to an effective communication. Pick
up any magazine, journal, novel or for that matter the daily
newspaper and do make it a habit to read it aloud. It has generally
been observed that when an individual speaks, he falls short of
words. The words are somewhere hidden in his brain and refuse to
come out. When you read aloud, after sometime, words
automatically fall into your mouth and thus improve the
communication skills. If you come across any new word, do check
out its meaning and try to add it in your speech the next time you
speak. Reading also enhances your general knowledge and makes
you aware of what is happening around you. Read anything which
interests you.

TIPS FOR MBA ASPIRANTS FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
MBA Aspirant needs to master his communication skills to perform
exceptionally well in MBA from a reputed Business school and prove
his mettle while studying as well as in the corporate world. He should
definitely have an edge over the other candidates, if he has excellent
and impressive communication skills.
Let us go through some handy tips to improve the communication
skills:
Read a lot. Reading is the key to an effective communication. Pick
up any magazine, journal, novel or for that matter the daily
newspaper and do make it a habit to read it aloud. It has generally
been observed that when an individual speaks, he falls short of
words. The words are somewhere hidden in his brain and refuse to
come out. When you read aloud, after sometime, words
automatically fall into your mouth and thus improve the
communication skills. If you come across any new word, do check
out its meaning and try to add it in your speech the next time you
speak. Reading also enhances your general knowledge and makes
you aware of what is happening around you. Read anything which
interests you.

Who says Television is an Idiot Box ? One can gain a lot while
watching Television. If you are watching any talk show or interview
of any great personality dont just stare at the pictures, try to follow
the way participants interact with each other, carefully observe their
accent and also learn new words from them. It is okay to watch
movies sometimes but not always, an MBA Aspirant must watch
some educative channels to improve their general knowledge as well
as communication skills. Remember there is no end to learning. An
individual can learn new things at any age. While interacting with
anyone, if you come across any unknown word, do not feel shy or
hesitate to find out its meaning. No one will make fun of you, instead
would appreciate you for your initiative to learn more.
A child has to first learn alphabets to be able to make new words. In
the same way, for an effective communication one should be very
clear with the basic concepts of communication. Learn tenses,
homophones, homographs, heterographs, vowels, consonants,
verbs, phonetics as they are the stepping stones to an effective
communication. Ignoring the above things will never let you
communicate correctly and effectively. Always adopt a step by step
approach.

Be patient. Dont be in a hurry to hone your communication skills in a day or
so. There is no medicine or any magic stick which can improve your
communication skills in a day. You have to be patient and give yourself time.
Never feel dejected if others speak better English than you, instead learn
from them and seek their guidance. It is rightly said Practice makes a man
perfect. Practice a lot. Whatever language you want to master on, try to
interact in the same language with your friends and family for the perfect
flow of words. Never feel embarrassed if you are wrong, learn from your
mistakes. Stand in front of the mirror and speak to yourself. Ask yourself
questions and answer them. Be your own critic. It works.
One has to be very confident and must adopt the right attitude. Nothing
is possible if you dont have the right approach and attitude. Motivate
yourself to communicate effectively. Whenever you learn a new word, treat
yourself with a chocolate.
Your thoughts ought to be very clear for an effective communication.
Haphazard and unorganized thoughts lead to an ineffective communication.
Be very clear what you intend to communicate. Dont just speak for the sake
of speaking. Carefully select sensible and relevant words to put your
thoughts into a content to be shared with others. Dont keep half of your
words in mouth, speak properly and clearly. You yourself have to be very
clear with your thoughts for others to understand it well. Design your
content by keeping the audiences in mind and dont make it complicated.
Keep it simple.

Be a patient listener. An individual cannot be a good communicator, unless
and until he is a good listener. Never interrupt any speaker in between The
other individual might not be as learned as you, but you should always
respect his opinions. Even if the other person is wrong, dont criticize him;
instead wait for your turn to speak. Always listen to the other side of the
story and then only give your expert comments.
An MBA student throughout his two years of academics has to do
exceptionally well in presentations and seminars. You just cant escape
them. One has to be a very good speaker to fair well in presentations and
stand apart from the crowd. Never ever panic and do create a friendly
ambience while delivering a presentation.One has to understand the
importance of non verbal communication as well. Keep a control on your
hands and emotions while speaking. Dont play with your pen or
handkerchief and never smile unnecessarily. Dont start sweating in
between presentations. The audience will never bite you, so please do make
an eye contact with them. Do not forget to greet them well with a warm
smile.
MBA doesnt only mean learning the four Ps of marketing or cramming
Philip Kotler. Its much more than that. One needs to be an extrovert and
must know how to brand oneself. You must know how to position yourself in
the market place and impress others. Be very careful about your pitch and
tone. Never murmur while speaking. Dont speak too slowly or never be in a
hurry to speak. Speak loudly and clearly so that you are audible to one and
all. No one will notice you if your tone and pitch is not clear and you will be
lost in the crowd.

One might be good in academics, might be very
intelligent, but to carve a niche in todays
competitive world, one has to be an
exceptionally good communicator. Impressive
communication skills coupled with your MBA
will definitely take you to the pinnacle of
success. Always remember confidence, clarity in
thoughts, practice, good listening as well as
reading skills are the main ingredients of good
communication skills. One has to take good
care of all the above to emerge as a winner and
rule the world
TIPS FOR PROFESSIONALS TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNICATION
One can be an extremely hard working and intelligent worker, but to taste
success in the fierce competitive world, one has to be a good and impressive
communicator. In corporates; you will not get too many chances to win the
confidence of your boss and fellow workers, you have to create a positive
impression at the first go itself. Doing your work is important but what is
more important is presenting your work well. One has to be very careful
about his communication skills to perform well at his workplace and have an
edge over his fellow workers.
Here are some tips to improve communication skills for professionals.
Understand the second party well. Know more about their thought
process, cultural background and educational background for effective
communication. The content must be designed keeping the audience in
mind. For instance, if you need to address the front line staff, it is always
advisable to keep your speech simple for them to understand well. For
interacting with top shots dont adopt a casual approach. Use professional
jargons and corporate terminologies in your speech for the Bang on
effect. Always be yourself very clear what you want to communicate. If you
yourself are confused, you will also confuse others. Whatever thought you
want to share with others, carefully put it into sensible and relevant words
for others to understand clearly. Careful selection of words is very important
for an effective communication. If you want to address your team in the
conference room near the cafeteria, please do mention the location very
clearly. Dont keep half of your thoughts in mind and expect the others to
understand it on their own.


The pitch and the tone must also be taken care of. During presentations,
seminars or business meetings, your tone must be audible to each and every
participant to create the desired impact and for others to look up to you.
Make sure that the individual sitting on the last bench is also able to hear
you properly for him to give his best. Dont speak too low or shout. Never
rush. Speak slowly and clearly what you expect your fellow workers to do.
Make your speech interesting. Dont make long presentations or
unnecessarily drag the meeting. During long meetings, monotony creeps in
and individuals tend to loose interest. Do include a tea or a snack break.
At work places never interact at noisy places, cafeteria, employees
workstations as noise acts as a hindrance to an effective communication.
Prefer a conference room, a board room or a noise free zone for meetings
and presentations. The speaker must use whiteboards, markers, pen and
paper to highlight the important points. The listeners must also carry a
notepad and a pen to jot down the important points as well as their queries.
The queries must be asked at the end of the presentation. Jumping in
between leads to confusions and misunderstandings and disrespect for the
speaker. The question answer round must be kept at the end of
presentations, seminars and meetings. The speaker must invite questions
from the audience in the end and the listeners must also solve all their
queries before leaving for a better understanding. Dont feel shy to ask your
queries.


The pitch and the tone must also be taken care of. During presentations,
seminars or business meetings, your tone must be audible to each and every
participant to create the desired impact and for others to look up to you.
Make sure that the individual sitting on the last bench is also able to hear
you properly for him to give his best. Dont speak too low or shout. Never
rush. Speak slowly and clearly what you expect your fellow workers to do.
Make your speech interesting. Dont make long presentations or
unnecessarily drag the meeting. During long meetings, monotony creeps in
and individuals tend to loose interest. Do include a tea or a snack break.
At work places never interact at noisy places, cafeteria, employees
workstations as noise acts as a hindrance to an effective communication.
Prefer a conference room, a board room or a noise free zone for meetings
and presentations. The speaker must use whiteboards, markers, pen and
paper to highlight the important points. The listeners must also carry a
notepad and a pen to jot down the important points as well as their queries.
The queries must be asked at the end of the presentation. Jumping in
between leads to confusions and misunderstandings and disrespect for the
speaker. The question answer round must be kept at the end of
presentations, seminars and meetings. The speaker must invite questions
from the audience in the end and the listeners must also solve all their
queries before leaving for a better understanding. Dont feel shy to ask your
queries.


While sharing any important information, do verify with the
recipients whether they have understood or not. While
sharing any important contact number, always crosscheck with
the recipient to ensure that they have noted it correctly. Dont
dictate your email id in one go. Always break it into words
which must be further broken into alphabets. For better clarity
alphabets must be related with the word they stand for. For
example a as in alpha, b as in beta, t as in tango, c as in Charlie
as so on. Share your business cards than verbally dictating your
details as chances of errors get reduced.
Dont always depend on verbal communication. After any
meeting, make it a habit to send the minutes of the meeting
through mail marking a cc to all the participants for everyone
to recall what happened in the meeting. Learn the art of
writing business mails. Never use stylish fonts or loud colours
in business communication. The agenda of the meeting must
also be sent well in advance so that the participants come
prepared and do not give blank expressions during the
meetings.
While sharing any important information, do verify with the
recipients whether they have understood or not. While
sharing any important contact number, always crosscheck with
the recipient to ensure that they have noted it correctly. Dont
dictate your email id in one go. Always break it into words
which must be further broken into alphabets. For better clarity
alphabets must be related with the word they stand for. For
example a as in alpha, b as in beta, t as in tango, c as in Charlie
as so on. Share your business cards than verbally dictating your
details as chances of errors get reduced.
Dont always depend on verbal communication. After any
meeting, make it a habit to send the minutes of the meeting
through mail marking a cc to all the participants for everyone
to recall what happened in the meeting. Learn the art of
writing business mails. Never use stylish fonts or loud colours
in business communication. The agenda of the meeting must
also be sent well in advance so that the participants come
prepared and do not give blank expressions during the
meetings.
There should be transparency among all the team members and
the subordinates must have an easy access to their superiors. The
hierarchy should be simple for easy flow of information among the
team members. The employee must know whom to contact in case
of a query to avoid dilution of the information. Never call any client
or any employee when he is about to leave for the day as he would
never bother to listen carefully. Also avoid discussing important
matters during lunch time as the employee is altogether in a
different mood.
Also take care of your dressing at work place. Never be shabby and
keep your nails clean. Do not wear loud colours to office. Casual
dressing is a strict no no at work places. Make sure to carry a planner
or an organizer to note down your work against the deadline to
avoid forgetting important assignments. In offices, always keep your
mobiles in the silent mode as loud ring tones act as a disturbing
element and employees find it hard to concentrate at work.
The most important of all be yourself and be very confident. Give
your best everyday at work and adopt a positive approach.
Nervousness and over excitement lead to stammering and
ineffective communication. Learn to keep a control on your
emotions and be very careful about what you say and how you say?
Communicate effectively at work place to be successful.
.
EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS
Listening is a significant part of communication process.
Communication cannot take place until and unless a message
is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the
receivers/listeners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening
means attentiveness and interest perceptible in the posture
as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding (i.e.,
translating the symbols into meaning) and interpreting the
messages correctly in communication process.
Listening differs from hearing in sense that:
Hearing implies just perceiving the sounds while listening
means listening with understanding whatever you are
listening. Both the body as well as mind is involved in listening
process.
Listening is an active process while hearing is a passive activity.
Hearing is an effortless activity while listening is an act
requiring conscious efforts, concentration and interest.
Listening involves both physical and psychological efforts

Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind.
Effective listeners appreciate flow of new ideas and information.
Organizations that follow the principles of effective listening are
always informed timely, updated with the changes and
implementations, and are always out of crisis situation. Effective
listening promotes organizational relationships, encourages product
delivery and innovation, as well as helps organization to deal with
the diversity in employees and customers it serves. To improve your
communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective
listening gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive
when you speak. It also boosts your performance.
Effective Listening Skills
Discover your interests field.
Grasp and understand the matter/content.
Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits
communication. Angry people jam their minds to the words of
others.
Be open to accept new ideas and information.
Jot down and take a note of important points.

Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the
speech in spare time.
Rephrase and summarize the speakers ideas.
Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates
that how well you understand the speakers
ideas and also that you are listening.
Avoid distractions.
Step into the shoes of others, i.e., put yourself
in the position of the speaker and observe
things from his view point. This will help
creating an atmosphere of mutual
understanding and improve the exchange of
ideas in communication process.

Characteristics of Good and Effective Listener
Good and effective listener tries to give maximum amount of
thought to the speakers ideas being communicated, leaving a
minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track. A
good listener:
Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He
should be alert. He should avoid any kind of distraction.
Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he
considers is unnecessary. He should always summarize the speakers
ideas so that there is no misunderstanding of thoughts of speakers.
He avoids premature judgements about the speakers message.
Listen for feelings and facts- Good listener deliberately listens for
the feelings of the speaker. He concentrates totally on the facts. He
evaluates the facts objectively. His listening is sympathetic, active
and alert. He keenly observes the gestures, facial expression and
body language of the speaker. In short, a good listener should be
projective (i.e. one who tries to understand the views of the speaker)
and empathic (i.e. one who concentrates not only on the surface
meaning of the message but tries to probe the feelings and
emotions of the speaker).


Concentrate on the other speakers kindly and generously- A
good listener makes deliberate efforts to give a chance to
other speakers also to express their thoughts and views. He
tries to learn from every speaker. He evaluates the speakers
ideas in spare time. He focuses on the content of the speakers
message and not on the speakers personality and looks.
Opportunizes- A good listener tries to take benefit from the
opportunities arising. He asks Whats in it for me? To
conclude, effective listening enhances the communication
quality. It makes all attentive. It encourages optimistic
attitude, healthy relations and more participation. It leads to
better decision- making in an organization. Effective listening
is directly related to our ability to do team work. It must be
noted that We listen at about an efficiency rate of 25 percent
maximum, and we remember only about 50 percent of what is
delivered during a ten minute speech/lecture/communication.




EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS
Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by
teamwork and use of audio-visual aids. The main purpose of
presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act
and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good
subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the
audience, and should be well organized.
Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation
The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience.
Relate your presentation message/idea to the interests of the
audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made before the
presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational
background, language, and culture of the target audience. Their
body language instantly gives the speaker the required feedback.
A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the
topic. It should not move off-track.
A good presentation should have the potential to convey the
required information.




The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the
presentation. Be calm and relaxed while giving a presentation.
Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact with the
audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a
positive body language.
To communicate the desired information, the speaker should
use more of visual aids such as transparencies, diagrams,
pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain
limited and essential information only. No slide should be kept
on for a longer time. Try facing the audience, rather than the
screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn on the
room lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose
interest. Organize all the visuals for making a logical and sound
presentation.
A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan
how to begin the presentation, what to speak in the middle of
presentation and how to end the presentation without losing
audience interests at any point of time.



The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving
presentation. He should ensure all tools and equipments to be used
in presentation are working well.
The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at
beginning of the presentation
EFFECTIVE REPORT WRITING
What is Report Writing ?

A report can be defined as a testimonial or account of some
happening. It is purely based on observation and analysis. A report
gives an explanation of any circumstance. In todays corporate
world, reports play a crucial role. They are a strong base for planning
and control in an organization, i.e., reports give information which
can be utilized by the management team in an organization for
making plans and for solving complex issues in the organization.
A report discusses a particular problem in detail. It brings significant
and reliable information to the limelight of top management in an
organization. Hence, on the basis of such information, the
management can make strong decisions. Reports are required for
judging the performances of various departments in an organization.



Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help
the speaker to be more confident and self-assured. The
more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation
turns to be.
The speaker should encourage more questions from
the audience. He should be honest enough to answer
those questions. If any biased question is put forth by
the audience, rearticulate it before answering.
Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final
comments. Leave a positive impact upon the audience.
The speaker must have a presentable appearance while
giving a presentation. The speaker should stand with
feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use
confident gestures. He must use short and simple
words.
Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using
positive quotes, humour, or remarkable fact.



What is Report Writing ?

A report can be defined as a testimonial or account of
some happening. It is purely based on observation and
analysis. A report gives an explanation of any
circumstance. In todays corporate world, reports play a
crucial role. They are a strong base for planning and
control in an organization, i.e., reports give information
which can be utilized by the management team in an
organization for making plans and for solving complex
issues in the organization.
A report discusses a particular problem in detail. It
brings significant and reliable information to the
limelight of top management in an organization.
Hence, on the basis of such information, the
management can make strong decisions. Reports are
required for judging the performances of various
departments in an organization.



An effective report can be written going
through the following steps-
Determine the objective of the report, i.e.,
identify the problem.
Collect the required material (facts) for the
report.
Study and examine the facts gathered.
Plan the facts for the report.
Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft the
report.
Edit the drafted report.
Distribute the draft report to the advisory team
and ask for feedback and recommendations



Highlight and recap the main message in a report.
Encourage feedback on the report from the critics. The
feedback, if negative, might be useful if properly
supported with reasons by the critics. The report can be
modified based on such feedback.
Use graphs, pie-charts, etc to show the numerical data
records over years.
Decide on the margins on a report. Ideally, the top and
the side margins should be the same (minimum 1 inch
broad), but the lower/bottom margins can be one and a
half times as broad as others.
Attempt to generate readers interest by making
appropriate paragraphs, giving bold headings for each
paragraph, using bullets wherever required, etc.

.



The essentials of good/effective report writing are as
follows-
Know your objective, i.e., be focused.
Analyze the niche audience, i.e., make an analysis of
the target audience, the purpose for which audience
requires the report, kind of data audience is looking for
in the report, the implications of report reading, etc.
Decide the length of report.
Disclose correct and true information in a report.
Discuss all sides of the problem reasonably and
impartially. Include all relevant facts in a report.
Concentrate on the report structure and matter. Pre-
decide the report writing style. Use vivid structure of
sentences.
The report should be neatly presented and should be
carefully documented.



RESUME WRITING
resume is also known as CV or curriculum vitae.
Resume is an influential and credible summary of an
individuals employment qualifications. There is no
standard format for a resume. It gives an idea to the
reader that how you can be an asset to their
organization. A resume should be:
- Neat
- Have factual and relevant information
- Self describing
- Clearly indicate why you are best suited for this job
- Up to date Resumes should be written not for yourself
but for the reader. A good resume must be properly
planned, drafted and finally revised. Regard your
resume as work in progress and give it a polish every
couple of months. You never know when you will be
asked for it. Your resume needs to recap and capture
the spirit of our competency/whats best about you.


Resumes are of two types:
Chronological Resume- These resume gives a
quick brief up of what the candidate has done in a
timeline-beginning with the latest events and
moving back in reverse chronology. It stresses upon
the degrees, job headings and the dates. Such a
resume demonstrates steady
development/movement to the current time.
Skills Resume- These resume stresses upon the
skills and competencies possessed and used by the
candidate, rather than the job and the date in
which those skills have been used. It is generally
prepared when the candidate frequently changes
his job or when his education and experience do not
harmonize/match with the position for which the
candidate is applying


Dos and Donts in your Resume
Shouldnt be too long. It should not exceed two pages generally.
CV should be true and factual.
The first page should contain enough personal details for a
recruitment consultant or potential employer to contact you easily.
Choose a format that highlights key skills, key competencies, key
achievements or key attributes.
Your employment background should begin with your current job
and work backwards.
List all relevant qualifications.
Do not include negative or irrelevant information.
Include details of training or skills development events attended.
Include personal details.
Use a very good quality paper.
Do not use a type size less than 11pt.
Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial should be used.


Dos and Donts in your Resume
CV should be carefully typed. No spelling errors should be
there.
Use bulleted paragraphs. This will save space and make the CV
more effective.
Emphasize achievements that are recent, and are most
relevant for the position for which the candidate is applying.
Items in resume must be concise and parallel.
While submitting a resume, it must be accompanied with a
cover letter to make the readers aware of what is being send,
and how can it be beneficial to the readers.
Include references if possible in a resume. If giving references,
use three to five. Include atleast one lecturer, and at least one
employer.
To stress upon the key points in a resume, put them in
appropriate headings, list them vertically, and provide details.


JOB INTERVIEW TIPS MEANING TIPS FOR THE INTERVIEWER AND
INTERVIEWEE
An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the
candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also
be defined as a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common
set of symbols. Interviews generally need a preparation. Job interviews seem
frightening, even if the individual is well prepared. Interviews have a definite
structure. Clear communication should take place during an interview. All interviews
have a definite purpose familiar to the interviewer and the candidate/interviewee.
Tips for the Interviewee
The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing
appearance as the candidates personality is a significant part of the communication.
Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things
required in an interview.
Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected
also.
Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your
strengths and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview
and the feedback of the interviewer.
Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer

JOB INTERVIEW TIPS MEANING TIPS FOR THE
INTERVIEWER AND Answer the questions specifically, truly
and undoubtedly.
Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
Just be yourself. Do not boast about yourself. The
interviewer is smart enough to judge the candidates
intelligence and aptness for the job.
Do not make negative statements or comments about your
past employer.
Your body language should be positive during the interview,
i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer, sit in
well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on the table,
do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.
Tips for the Interviewer
The interviewer should be an active listener. He should not
interrupt unnecessarily.
The interviewer should be considerate enough. Even if the
interviewer does not agree with the interviewee, he must
respect the latters feelings.
The interviewer should be friendly and understanding. He should begin
the interview in a friendly manner, some friendly conversation and then
show concern in family background, hobbies, etc. This will make the
interviewee more relaxed and comfortable.
The interviewer should restrain to the time allotted. He shouldnt
indulge in arguments unnecessarily. He should try to be precise.
The interviewer must be thoroughly prepared for the questions that are
likely to be asked. He should be a good planner.
The interviewer must focus attention on the interviewee. He should use
positive gestures when conducting the interview.
Encourage/invite questions from the interviewee. Ensure that the
interviewee clarifies the question he has. When selected a candidate
should not feel he was not told about a certain aspect of the job.
Avoid distraction in the interview area.Ensure that there is no or
minimal distraction where the interview is being conducted. A phone
ringing all the time in the background can distract the interviewer and
interviewee
BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS
Negotiations can be called as a way of resolving disputes. It is
considered as being synonymous to settlement, agreement,
collaboration and bargaining. It takes place almost in all spheres of life -
be it is business, personal circumstances (married life, parenting, etc.),
legal procedures, government matters, etc. Negotiation can be defined
as a channel of communication intended to reconcile differences
between parties and to settle conflict jointly. The parties aim at
achieving a win-win position. Business Negotiations requires a lot of
homework, such as asking what is the need of negotiation, who all are
involved, what are their view points, what are your aims, what is
expected from negotiation, etc.
Negotiation involves minimum of two parties. The aim of negotiation is
understood by both parties. The parties are willing to arrive at a
mutually agreeable outcome. The outcome is acceptable to both
parties.

There are certain dos and donts in case of negotiations: Do not discuss
too many issues, emphasize on the prior issues.
Be honest and straightforward. Dont get carried away by rumours.
Never give deadlines, it might lead to delays in deals.
Keep away personal differences. Just focus your arguments on facts.
Keep on giving recaps during the negotiation process.
Avoid being rigid. Listen to the other parties view point if valid.
Give testimonials for your argument. Support your argument with facts.
Dont make demands which cant be accepted at all.
Dont let emotions overwhelm you.
Be optimistic. Dont fear losing. There are opportunities in other
transactions also