A leader is someone who inspires positive, incremental change by empowering those around

them to work toward common objectives. A leader’s most powerful tool for doing so is
communication.

Effective communication is vital to gain trust, align efforts in the pursuit of goals, and inspire
positive change. When communication is lacking, important information can be misinterpreted,
causing relationships to suffer and, ultimately, creating barriers that hinder progress.

Essential Communication Skills for Leaders

1. Ability to Adapt Your Communication Style: It’s essential to identify your leadership style,
so that you can better understand how you’re interacting with, and perceived by, employees
across the organization.

2.Active Listening : It’s important to stay in the moment and avoid interrupting. Keep your
focus on the employee and what it is they’re saying. To achieve that, you also need to eliminate
any distractions, including constant pings on your cell phone or checking incoming emails.

3.Transparency : Transparency can go a long way in breaking down that communication

barrier. By speaking openly about the company’s goals, opportunities, and challenges, leaders
can build trust amongst their team and foster an environment where employees feel empowered
to share their ideas and collaborate. Just acknowledging mistakes can encourage experimentation
and create a safe space for active problem-solving.

4.Clarity When communicating with employees, speak in specifics. Define the desired result of
a project or strategic initiative and be clear about what you want to see achieved by the end of
each milestone. If goals aren’t being met, try simplifying your message further or ask how you
can provide additional clarity or help. The more clear you are, the less confusion there will be
around priorities. Employees will know what they’re working toward and feel more
engaged in the process.

5.Ability to Ask Open-Ended Questions : If you want to understand employees’ motivations,

thoughts, and goals better, practice asking open-ended questions.

6.Empathy : There’s a reason empathy has been ranked the top leadership skill needed for
success.

7.Open Body Language : Communication isn’t just what you say; it’s how you carry yourself.
Ninety-three percent of communication’s impact comes from nonverbal cues
8.Receiving and Implementing Feedback : If you continue to receive feedback from your
team, but don’t implement any changes, they’re going to lose faith in your ability to follow
through. It’s likely there will be comments you can’t immediately act on—be transparent about
that. By letting your employees know they were heard and then apprising them of any progress
you can, or do, make, they’ll feel as though you value their perspective and are serious about
improving.

Cross-Cultural Communications

It deals with the exchange of information between people belonging to different cultures. It is not
necessary for the exchange of words to be successful or not. Even if both the parties are trying to
attempt the same, it will be considered as Cross-Cultural Communication. The main goal is to
transfer the correct message, followed by an accurate response. Any misleading situation should
be prevented, and the communication level should be preferable by both sender and receiver.

Definition : Cross-cultural communication occurs when people with different nationalities,

styles of working, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
communicate. It tries to negotiate, exchange, and intermediate cultural differences via verbal and
non-verbal forms of communication.

Importance of Cross Culture

1. Better Progress

2. Cultural Influence

3. Management

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication

1. Interpretation of Time

Different cultures for example Chain and Japan consider punctuality very important, and if
someone is not on time, they might find it annoying or humiliating, while on the other, in the
cultures of the Middle East and South America, time would not be of that much importance.

2. Interpretation of Space

The personal space of one culture might also differ drastically from another culture. Some of the
countries consider it respectful maintaining space while greeting or meeting, while some other
countries may not find it that crucial.
3. Non-verbal Communication

One culture might value content more than context and they are low-context cultures. In such a
culture, written words are valuable than oral words. On the other hand, nations or groups with
high-context cultures value context more than the written content. Such cultures pay more heed
to the non-verbal signs more than the language.

Basic Elements of cross-cultural communication

1. Awareness  : we need to be aware that there are differences between cultures. This enables
us to communicate with people from different cultures more effectively. 

2. Preparation    : After we’ve become aware of the cultural differences, we should make an
effort to understand the culture of our business partners or coworkers. The failsafe way to
achieve that is to research the said culture.

3. Language    : language plays an important part in intercultural communication, speaking a

foreign language fluently doesn’t guarantee that you’re culturally savvy, because native
speakers use nuances in speaking that can only be understood if you understand their
culture. If on the other hand, you and your colleagues don’t share a common language,
maybe the best solution is to use an interpreter. Just be sure you don’t get lost in translation.

4. Humor:   Even though humor is an inseparable part of our communication, when dealing
with colleagues from different cultures, we should be careful how we joke around.
Sometimes, jokes don’t translate well.

5. Openness  : Last but not least, openness is an integral part of communication. Feel free to
ask for feedback and admit that you’re nervous. 

Collective Bargaining

Industrial disputes between the employee and employer can also be settled by discussion and
negotiation between these two parties in order to arrive at a decision. This is also commonly
known as collective bargaining as both the parties eventually agree to follow a decision that they
arrive at after a lot of negotiation and discussion.

According to Flippo, “Collective Bargaining is a process in which the representatives of a labor

organization and the representatives of business organization meet and attempt to negotiate a
contract or agreement, which specifies the nature of employee-employer union relationship”.
Collective Bargaining Involves:

(i) Negotiations

(ii) Drafting

(iii) Administration

(iv) Interpretation of documents written by employers, employees and the union representatives

(v) Organizational Trade Unions with open mind.

Types of Collective Bargaining

1. Distributive Bargaining

Distributive bargaining is defined as a negotiation process by which one party benefits at the
others expense. This usually refers to the redistribution of income in the form of higher wages,
higher bonuses, or higher financial benefits.

2. Integrative Bargaining

Integrative bargaining is whereby both sides aim to benefit in what is seen as ‘win-win’
bargaining. Both parties may bring together a list of demands by which an agreement is reached
that benefits both parties.

3. Productivity Bargaining

Productivity bargaining involves both parties negotiating around productivity and pay. So unions
may suggest that higher salaries would boost productivity.

4. Composite Bargaining

Composite bargaining refers to a negotiation that focuses on a number of elements that are not
related to pay. They are generally related to employee welfare and job security. The aim is to
ensure a mutually beneficial long-term relationship between the employer and employee.
5. Concessionary Bargaining

Concessionary bargaining is based on unions giving back previous benefits to the employer. This
may come during an economic decline whereby job security is more important to the unions than
higher wages.

The main aim of concessionary bargaining is to strengthen the business in order to ensure its
survival alongside its employees. So unions give back previous benefits in order to secure the
businesses’ long-term future and therefore its members.

What is verbal communication?

When messages or information is exchanged or communicated through words, it is called verbal

communication. There are two types of communication in this sub-group; they are:

Written and oral communication: this communication process takes place through face-to-face
conversations, group discussions, counselling, interview, radio, television, calls, memos, letters,
reports, notes, email, etc. Some definitions of verbal or spoken communication. So, verbal
communication is the process of exchange of information or message between two or more
persons through written or oral words.

What is non-verbal communication?

When messages or information is exchanged or communicated without using any spoken or

written word, it is referred to as nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication (NVC)
is usually understood as the communication process involving sending and receiving wordless
messages.

Non-verbal communication is the exchange of information or message between two or more

persons through gestures, facial expressions, body position, eye contact, proximity, touching, etc.
and without using any spoken or written word.

Types of verbal communication

 Intrapersonal communication
 Interpersonal communication
 Small group communication
 Public communication.

Intrapersonal Communication is very confidential and restricted to oneself.

Interpersonal Communication takes place between two people and is thus a one-to-one
conversation.

Small-Group Communication happens only when there are more than two people
involved. Public Communication takes place when one person talks to many people.
Advantages of Verbal Communication :

1. Saves a lot of time.

2. Saves money too.
3. Get feedback quickly.
4. Most convenient method.
5. Clarity of method.
6. Ease of preparation.

Disadvantages of Verbal Communication

1. Regional differences are the greatest barrier.

2. Language difference and dialect is also a reason for the communication barrier.
3. Large audience size is also an issue of communication barriers.
4. Receivers may quickly forget what was said to them.
5. All people cannot listen at the same pace.

Barriers to verbal communication

 Physical barriers 
 Emotional barriers 
 Language differences
 Differences in perception and viewpoint
 Use of complicated words and technical terms. 

Types of non-verbal communication

 Body movement and postures

 Facial expressions
 Gestures
 Eye contact
 Touch.

Verbal communication Non-verbal communication

Exchange of information by words Exchange of information by wordless clues
Has less chance of confusion Has high chance of confusion
It is easy to understand  It is difficult to understand
It is highly structured and formal It lacks structure and highly informal
The presence of two persons is not necessary  The presence of two persons are necessary

Public speaking is, simply, an oral presentation or speech delivered to a live audience. It is
generally a formal or staged event although impromptu speeches are a common occurrence and
can be a defining career moment.
 For example you may think you’re attending a client meeting only to find yourself called on
to explain a procedural or technical point being discussed. Or you may be sitting in a
management meeting thinking you are just there to observe when you are asked to elaborate on
an aspect of the supporting research and analysis or defend your recommendation.

9 characteristics of effective public speakers

1. Confidence
2. Passion
3. Practice, don’t memorize
4. Speak in a natural voice
5. Authenticity
6. Keep it Short and Sweet
7. Connect with your Audience
8. Paint a Picture through Storytelling
9. Repetition

Why is public speaking important

Good public speaking skills can have a huge impact on your career for the following reasons

 Demonstrates your knowledge. You are always at your best when you can articulate your
thoughts clearly and effectively. Public speaking skills help you do exactly that. After all, the
true worth of the knowledge you possess can only be realized when you can show and apply it.
 Demonstrates your confidence. Not only does public speaking increase your knowledge during
the process of preparation but it also develops and demonstrates your confidence. Whether you
are interviewing for a job or hoping for a promotion, your confidence is what will make you
stand out among other candidates.
 Helps you lead better. The higher you climb up the career ladder, the greater will be the number
of people you shall have to lead. As a result, the need for public speaking skills and the
confidence pertinent to it also increases, making it one of the determining characteristic when
considering someone for promotion.

What is Business Presentation: Business presentation can be defined as formal information

about the business products or practices. It is typically carried out by using audio and visual
presentation material such as statistical documents, projectors, flip charts, whiteboards, and
much more. The most common examples of business presentations are intra-organization and
sales presentations.
Types of Business Presentations
There are basically four types of business presentations stated below:
Group Presentations
The findings of a team are communicated by the group presentations. Generally, these types of
presentations remain informational in structure and seek to convince the people for accepting
new programs and strategies.
Presentation Aids
Nowadays, the computer programs such as Flash and PowerPoint are used by the presenters for
enhancing their presentation. Even the simple blackboard can augment the business presentations
by capturing the feedback and questions of the audience.
Persuasive Presentations
The main motive of a persuasive presentation is to convenience the audience for supporting
certain views. Generally, it outlines an organization’s goal or problem and then follows it by the
statements for detailing the present state of affairs.
Informative Presentations
This type of presentation consists of educating the audience. It consists of status reports or
summaries and starts with an overall goal that follows the action and specific plans.
In simple words, a business presentation plays a vital role in the advancement of any
organization.

What Strategies Can You Use to Incorporate Effective Visual Elements Into a Business
Presentation?
Business presentations are successful because of their visual design as much as their textual
content. A good presentation will attract the eye and convey a sense that the presenter
understands the underlying material and should be trusted to provide good information. Good
designers make use of several strategies to develop and deliver solid and visually appealing
presentations.

Color

Color is often associated with specific emotional contexts. Red, for example, is considered a
passionate and active color, whereas blue is considered more restrained and neutral. Selecting a
dominant color that matches the intended emotional message of the presentation is a good
strategy, provided that secondary colors are harmonious and blend well. Avoid awkward color
contrasts, including red text on black backgrounds.

Imagery

Certain shapes and images have a psychological meaning you can weave into your
presentation. For example, an octagon to American audiences is associated with stopping, and
a six-pointed star with Judaism. Iconic images--the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid or the
McDonald's arches--convey a meaning by their very presence. Use images selectively and
avoid generic clip art or photos. Let each visual element convey a deeper meaning.
Charts and graphs contribute to a good presentation, but graphs with too-small text or hard-to-
see 3D effects prove a distraction. Keep it simple and clean, to keep it powerful.

Balanced Design

According to Farah Alsudani and Matthew Casey of the University of Surrey, "The aesthetics
of a website can affect a user’s first impressions of credibility. Experiments have shown that
users can judge a website’s credibility in as little as 3.42 seconds merely on the basis of its
aesthetic appeal." For this reason, building a presentation that incorporates basic principles of
harmonious design can improve the audience's trust in the quality of the underlying work.
Design presentations with adequate white space, clean fonts and balance across the four
quadrants of the page.

Video And Animation

Include video to catch the eye and thereby engage the viewer. Embedded video clips are a
powerful way of telling a story or illustrating a point, even when the video is merely an
animation of data or processes. Likewise, animation can enliven a presentation--but do not let
basic PowerPoint animation become intrusive. Users lose patience quickly for long
presentations with extended wipes and fades between slides.

Brand Awareness

Use a company's existing design templates, if they exist. When pitching an idea to senior
executives, relying on the company's standard design template and allowing the content to
make the point is preferable to creating a template from scratch, or using a stock template in
PowerPoint.

Incorporate logos and standard typefaces if applicable, but avoid using them in a way that
detracts from the overall harmony of the presentation. Let your eye be your guide. If it jars
your aesthetic sense, change it.

Make Point

Avoid presentations that are heavy on small text. Let the presentation emphasize major points
and allow the conversation during the presentation to provide the detail. Short bullets are better
than long paragraphs, and presentation that are shorter are usually better received than ones
with hundreds of slides. Brevity is the soul of success, in business communications.

Importance of Business Presentation

Connecting
A memorable bonding experience between the audience and the presenter is created by the
interactive business presentations. This type of presentations involves the audience and helps in
the driving home the overall message.
Informative
Every listener wants to know about the main nuggets of information such as learning tricks for
improving the performance or how to overcome problems. A great presentation leaves the
audience with a good piece of information that should be eye-opening and enlightening.

Inspiring
It is very important that a business presentation should be able to capture the attention of the
audience. It should consist of the elements of a story, complete with anecdotes, lessons, conflicts,
and resolutions. In addition to this, the presentation also required targeting on the important
points from the start for capturing the attention of the audience.
Appealing
The impact of a business presentation on the audience is also affected by using visual or physical
props. Some of the factors that mostly appeal the audience are screen projectors, handouts, slides
and body language of the presenter. However, the exact impact of the props greatly depends on
their relevance to the presented information.

What Is Visual Communication?

Visual communication is passing on information by way of images and symbols. Drawings,

photographs, graphic designs, films, and posters are all part of visual communication.

Business signage is also an important component of visual communication. Business owners use
graphics and text display to provide more information about the business to customers.

How Do Audio/Visual Aids Help in Business Communication?

Audio-Visual aids in business communication and training help in numerous ways. They can
make complex pieces of information easier to understand. They let viewers see products, rather
than having to imagine them from verbal or written descriptions. They can summarize long
topics into bite-size concepts.

Importance of audiovisual presentations in training and business communication.

Helps Retain Information

Training agencies use a combination of sight and sound together with written handouts, as these
are necessary for information retention. Information presented orally and visually is proven to be
retained longer than when it is only presented orally. This is also probably the reason why
lectures in training sessions consist of audiovisual aids.
Provides Efficient Communication
Audiovisual aids are the key to communicating efficiently. There are types of information that
are better conveyed with the use of graphics rather than in writing or orally. The use of charts,
 diagrams, graphs, videos, animation and other forms of audiovisual presentation are an effective
way to deliver a message without taking so much time. It also prevents information overload, as
large chunks of data can be simplified, making them easier to comprehend while time is put to
good use.
Better Understanding of New Information
It is high time to take advantage of technological advancements in making use of audiovisual
presentations. Technology has offered various ways to deliver information effectively.
Businesses should also use it for improved communication. In training sessions, images in
addition to words help trainees understand concepts easier. Audiovisual aids can catch the
attention and have a powerful effect in terms of transferring ideas.
Simplifies Complex Reports
Audiovisual aids also help in understanding reports better and easier. These days, it is hard to
imagine a technical report presented only in text format, without any graphical content. Graphics
help illustrate what words say, and as the saying goes, “a picture paints a thousand words.”
Relevant and well-designed presentations are crucial in reporting, so it is also vital that workers
know how to carefully create an audiovisual aid.
Audiovisual aids can be presented using a variety of equipment, from LCD to film projectors,
and many other options. Companies invest in equipment such as a projector, a projector mount,
computers and similar items because they know that these are vital for effective communication.
Whether they are used for meetings, product presentations or training sessions, audiovisual aids
should be carefully planned and presented. It is important to keep the aids simple but appealing.
Text should be written in bullet points rather than in paragraph form. Overall, the content should
catch the audience’s attention, build their interest and also inform them.

INTERVIEW

Interview is the widely used (election method. It is a face-to-face interaction between

interviewee and interviewer.

An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral responses
to oral inquiries.

Types of Interview

There are several types of the interview;

1. Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview.

2. Structured (Directive) Interview.
3. Situational Interview.
4. Behavioral Interview.
5. Job-related Interview.
6. Stress Interview.
7. Panel Interview (Board Interview).
8. One-On-One Interview.
9. Mass Interview (Group Interview),
10. Phone Interview
Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview

An unstructured interview is an interview where probing, open-ended questions are asked. It

involves a procedure where different questions may be asked to different applicants.

Structured (Directive) Interview

In structured interviews, the interviewer lists the questions and acceptable responses in advance
and may even rate and score possible answers for appropriateness.An interview consisting of a
series of job-related questions asked consistently of each applicant for a particular job is known
as a structured interview

Situational Interview

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in a given
situation. Candidates are interviewed about what actions they would take in various job-related
situations. Situational interviews ask interviewees to describe how they would react to a
hypothetical situation today or tomorrow.

Behavioral Interview

In a behavioral interview, you ask applicants to describe how they reacted to actual situations in
the past.

Candidates are asked what actions they have taken in prior job situations similar to situations
they may encounter on the job. The interviewers are then scored using a scoring guide
constructed by job experts.

This structured interview uses questions designed to probe the candidate’s past behavior in
specific situations. This technique involves asking all interviewees standardized questions about
how they handled past situations similar to situations they may encounter on the job.

The interviewer may also ask discretionary probing questions for details of the situation, the
interviewee’s behavior, and the outcome. The interviewee’s responses are then scored with
behaviorally anchored rating scales.

Job-related Interview

In a job-related interview, the interviewer asks applicants questions about relevant past
experiences.

It is a series of job-related questions that focus on relevant past job-related behaviors. The
questions here don’t revolve around hypothetical or actual situations or scenarios.

Instead, the interviewer asks job-related questions such as, “Which courses did you like best in
business school?”
Stress Interview

In a stress interview, the interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable with
occasionally rude questions. The aim is supposedly to spot sensitive applicants and those with
low or high stress tolerance.

Stress interviews may help unearth hypersensitive applicants who might overreact to mild
criticism with anger and abuse. It intentionally creates anxiety to determine how an applicant
will react to stress on the job.

Panel Interview (Board Interview)

A panel interview, also known as a board interview, is an interview conducted by a team of

interviewers, who interview each candidate and then combine their ratings into a final score.

Here one candidate is interviewed by several representatives of the firm. This technique entails
the job candidate giving oral responses to job-related questions asked by a panel of interviewers.

Each panel member then rates each interviewee on such dimensions as work history, motivation,
creative thinking, and presentation.

The scoring procedure for oral interview boards has typically been subjective; thus, it would be
subject to the personal biases of those individuals sitting on the board. This technique may not be
feasible for jobs in which there are a large number of applicants that must be interviewed.

One-On-One Interview

In a one-on-one interview, one interviewer meets one candidate. In a typical employment

interview, the applicant meets one-on-one with an interviewer. As the interview may be a highly
emotional occasion for the applicant, meeting alone with the interviewer is often less threatening.

Mass Interview (Group Interview)

The mass/group interview is a relatively new technique in the west and almost unknown. It is a
procedure for the discovery of leadership.

Several job applicants are placed in a leaderless discussion, and interviewers sit in the
background to observe and evaluate the performance of the candidates.

In a mass/group interview, a panel interviews several candidates simultaneously. The panel poses
a problem and then watches to see which candidate takes the lead in formulating an answer.

Phone Interview

Employers do some interviews entirely by These can actually be more accurate than face-to-face
interviews for judging an applicant’s conscientiousness, intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
 Here, neither party needs to worry about appearance or handshakes, so each can focus on
substantive answers. Or perhaps candidates – somewhat surprised by an unexpected call from the
recruiter – give more spontaneous answers.

10 Qualities of Good Interviewer are;

1. Knowledge about the job.

2. Training and experience.
3. Listening attentively.
4. Emotional maturity.
5. Control of anger and aggression.
6. Empathetic attitude.
7. Ability to recognize uniqueness.
8. Stable personality.
9. Extrovert behavior.
10. Physical stamina.

What are negotiation skills?

Negotiation skills are inherent qualities that help two or more parties agree to a common logical
solution. In the workplace, you may have to display your negotiating skills in various situations 

Lack of negotiation skills affects the business bottom line and could ruin customer relationship.
Negotiation skills are soft skills and essential to become a negotiator and resolve workplace
conflicts.

Negotiation is a dialogue between two parties to resolve conflicts or issues so that both parties
find the solution acceptable. Usually, it is a compromise involving give and take. Negotiation
results when each party compromises to resolve a conflict for everyone's benefits. In the
workplace, negotiations may take place between managers, departments, colleagues or between a
team member and a manager.

Benefits of negotiation skills

 Builds a relationship: Despite the difference in opinion, negotiation skills help strike a

solution and focus more on creating goodwill and value. This builds a long-term
relationship.
 Delivers excellent solutions: Good negotiation skills ensure that solutions to the
conflicts are not short-term. It focuses on creating long-lasting solutions because both
parties make a concession only when the solution is satisfactory.
 Avoids future conflicts: As both parties agree to a common solution, the chances of
future conflicts reduce to a great extent.
 Create an environment of business success: Good negotiation skills ensure the
accomplishment of business goals, which creates an environment of business success.
This also increases the chances of future business transaction.

Tips to improve your negotiation skills

 Prepare for the negotiation

 Be ready to compromise
 Set a timeline
 Offer multiple solutions
 Speak with confidence
 Learn to accept failures
 Work on your weakness
 Practise negotiation

Importance of Listening at Workplace:

Listening has vast importance not only at a personal level in life
but also at workplace. Business owners of any segment, entrepreneurs, and the
employees, who so ever develop attentive listening skills and encourage this ability for
others too, will be the most likely to keep their organizations progressing. Listening is a
lively process that involves focusing on what is said without allowing erstwhile beliefs to
obstruct the process. It is true that if people would concentrate on listening at work, they
will gain profitable results such as increased productivity, more rapid progress towards
target and more pleasant relationships between co-workers. The below mentioned are
some points which further elaborate importance of listening at workplace:

1 Knowing your organization Careful listening to the grapevine helps to know the
members of the staff, about the company’s activities and policies. Therefore, it leads to
better understanding of organization, it also facilitates in predicting what changes are
required for growth.
2 Calming complaining employees Harvey Mackay, a businessman said, “You can win
more friends with your ears than with your mouth”. Very often employees have certain
grievances, all that they need is a listener. If a manager or a leader listens to them
patiently their anger will be drained out and it will lead to calmness & peace of mind.
3 Formulating better policies: If a manager listens to his/her subordinates carefully,
he/she will know that which policies are acceptable to all other members and are better
suitable for the organizational success. This step may also accomplish the willing support
of employees.
4 Open door strategy: Some managers use open door strategy and keep the doors open
for employees to walk in and talk. It leads to better understanding and better upward
communication. Sometimes it also happens that their doors are open but their ears are
closed. This bad listening of managers leaves the employees in distress. Despite of this, if
a manager listens patiently, employees will be encouraged to talk, and there will be free
upward communication.
5 Spotting sensitive areas: Problems if not resolved could lead to serious disputes. It is
important for managers and leaders to spot the sensitive areas and resolve complaints by
finding better solutions to avoid serious disputes. Mahatma Gandhi as a leader was like
an expert therapist, by analyzing the problems he listened patiently to the grievances of
the people, and helped them to live a better life.
6 Increasing confidence: People, who listen well and carefully, tend to have better
knowledge and clear understanding. Therefore, they are more confident in day to day
activities and even while taking major decisions.
7 Forming a bond: True listening generates respect and trust between speaker and
listener. Employees like to respond to those bosses who they think are listening to them.
8 Boosting productivity: Instead of only giving an advice, if a manager listens carefully
to the explanation of problems and start working towards solution, employees will be
more dedicated towards work and the productivity will rise.
9 Advancing innovations: If a leader or a manager listens properly to the ideas of
people, and motivates them to implement it instead of controlling or curbing. This
technique will show the way of new and innovative tactics of work. Listening makes
employees feel better as it recognizes not only the value of the employee viewpoint but
also the value to the employee of being listened to.
10 Enhancing accuracy: Listening in a better way leads to a huge recollection of
important facts and issues, resulting in more accuracy while solving complex issues, with
lesser miscommunication and faults.

TYPES OF LISTENING IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

There are mainly three types they are;

1 Partial Listening Partial - the word itself suggest that this type of listening is one
sided or incomplete, i.e. when partial listening takes place people do not listen to the full
content, or do not show interest in the message. This type of listening is further divided
into selective listening, passive listening & discriminative listening.

a. Selective Listening: This is the way where the listening is done partially. People listen
to that part of communication which they really want to listen. They listen primarily for
those things with which they agree or feel are important while filtering out those points
which don’t echo. The mind of the listener is wandering and is not attentive to the
message. Selective listening takes place when receiver is not in a position to concentrate
or some other reason which hinders in proper listening.

b. Passive Listening: Silent and patient listening without interfering or participating in a

talk is known as passive listening. The listener is physically present but not participating
in the communication process. The message is not absorbed and the passive listener will
not be able to recall the message in future. This type of listening takes place due to many
constraints like tiredness, ill health, lack of interest etc. Passive listening is merely
hearing the words and not the message. It leads to misunderstanding as the sender would
be under the impression that the receiver has grasped the message as intended.
c. Discriminative Listening: It is an attempt by the listeners to listen to a particular
sound which is important for them and ignores other sounds. For Example while the
teacher in the class is taking attendance at the same time students are talking to each
other, despite of so many sounds in the class room, each student waits for his/her name to
be announced for attendance as they are required to respond for their presence.
Discriminative listening may also be “identifying sounds/ voices, and making distinctions
within those sounds, such as distinguishing emotionally loaded words, or hearing fear or
pain in the voice” (Bentley, S., 1998) and responding accordingly. As words do not
always communicate true feelings, the way they are said, or the way the speaker acts may
be the key to understand the true or intended meaning.

2. Analytical Listening: The word “analytical” is defined as “using or skilled in using

analysis”. Analytical listening offers fast and simple way to feedback. People use this
listening skill when they want to critically evaluate the message, or need to extract some
information, or required to highlight the content. These uses of analytical listening are
discussed below:

a. Critical Listening: When a listener requires specific information from the entire
speech or an external speaker is invited to share the message, one has to critically
analyse the content in order to make best use of it. Therefore, the task is to
actively scrutinize the reliability, clarity and accuracy of that particular
information only. For example when a sales person describes about his company’s
product and only discusses its benefits, or might deliver positive

feelings of that product and at the same time try to associate negative feelings with
what the competitor has to offer. At this point the listener should be cautious and need
not to take decisions on the basis of immediate feelings, but rather take time before
concluding or before taking any actions. One needs to analyze and evaluate the
message in order to determine whether to accept or reject it.

b. Comprehensive Listening: This involves understanding of the complete

substance conveyed by the speaker. The problem is that many people often
interpret the same conversation in different ways, depending on their individual
and social backgrounds. The value of this type of listening is that the listener
needs to remember the matter. It is useful when the purpose is to extract
information from the speaker. Mostly this skill is used in classrooms by students
and even at the workplace, when we listen to understand new practices or
procedures for better performance. In order to properly use comprehensive
listening and to gain understanding the listener first needs suitable vocabulary and
language proficiency. Using overly difficult language or technical terminology,
therefore, can be a barrier to comprehensive listening. The ultimate goal of
comprehensive listening is to understand the message the speaker is
communicating.
c. Content Listening: It describes a situation when one has to pay attention to the
content for receiving some information like highlights of your organization or
 learning some technical or creative aspects. While getting information it would
not be good on the listener’s part to challenge the speaker. The focus in this type
of listening should be on gathering information, rather than making judgement.
Taking notes and asking questions is important to make the listening interactive
3. Full Body Listening: It is to listen not only with your ears but by keeping full
body in a listening mode. Full body listening is very important and is required to
adapt in day to day activities. This type of listening can be done by keeping mind
& heart open, by openly using the five senses of body, and even by building an
open posture while interacting. The components of full body listening are active
listening, attentive listening, visual listening & empathetic listening.
a. Active Listening: Complete involvement of the listener in speaker. He/
She make the conscious efforts to listen attentively, decode the message
and use it through properly participating. “Active listening is a process in
which a listener receives messages, processes them, and responds so as to
encourage further communication”(Alessandra, Wexler & Barrara , 1987).
Here the listener not only listens to the words but also understands the
body language too, even shows regard for the speaker, concentrates on
what is being conveyed and in a way helps speaker to meaningfully
deliver the message. It also includes suggestions by the listener, and
speaker is provided by the space to agree or disagree with the suggestions.
This type of listening is required at the time of discussions & interview
process when it is important to recall comprehend and response to the
message. Colombo (2004) said, “Active listening is like a willingness to
dig even deeper when only a small silver of treasure is visible and the rest
is buried under a pile of trash”.

b. Attentive Listening: It means, being fully aware of speakers; what they

are saying; how they are saying it, i.e. the tone, pitch of voice, what they
are doing, i.e. gestures, movements, postures, etc., and receiving and
interpreting the message they are sending (Bentley, 1993). Attentive
listeners have relational goals like giving a positive impression, advancing
the relationship, or demonstrating care. It is difficult and very tiring to
maintain a state of attentive listening.
c. Visual listening: This kind of listening is used when words are strange. It
generally happens when we do not understand the language, as it may be a
foreign language. Visual listening also takes place when the message is
unspoken, here the messages are understood through body movement,
facial expressions, gestures, and especially with eye contacts. Visual
listening may also be the next step in online reputation management.
Visual listening is the practice of observing and tracking images and
attracting customers by using creative logos with perfect colour
combinations. Visual listening opens up a world of image-centric
 conversation, and, with it, a world of possibilities for engaging customers
more perfectly and efficiently.
d. Empathetic listening:
Empathy means to ‘Put your foot in another’s shoe’, i.e. to keep yourself
at other persons place to understand and realize the feeling of the speaker.
Raman & Singh(2006) said, “Empathic listener is able to go into the world
of another- to see as others sees, hear as other hears, and feel as the other
feels”. The purpose is to give a patient listening to a friend or an
acquaintance and allow him to talk through a problem. It involves
comprehending what kind of mental state the speaker is at the time of
conversation. There may be some personal issues, or overloading at
workplace or something else, an empathetic listener will analyze the
situation and respond accordingly. Brownell (1990) have considered it to
be an antecedent, in that empathetic people tend to be good listeners.

LISTENING PROCESS

 The listening process involves five stages: receiving, understanding, evaluating,

remembering, and responding.
The Receiving Stage The first stage of the listening process is the receiving stage, which involves
hearing and attending. Hearing is the physiological process of registering sound waves as they hit the
eardrum. Paired with hearing, attending is the other half of the receiving stage in the listening process.
Attending is the process of accurately identifying and interpreting particular sounds we hear as words.
The sounds we hear have no meaning until we give them their meaning in context. Listening is an active
process that constructs meaning from both verbal and nonverbal messages. Attending also involves being
able to discern human speech, also known as speech segmentation. Identifying auditory stimuli as speech
but not being able to break those speech sounds down into sentences and words would be a failure of the
listening process.

The Understanding Stage The understanding stage is the stage during which the listener determines the
context and meanings of the words that are heard through a process called decoding. Understanding or
comprehension occurs when the listener’s determination of the context and meanings of the words
matches the speaker’s message. One tactic for better understanding a speaker’s meaning is to ask
questions to fill in any holes you may have in the mental reconstruction of the speaker’s message.

The Evaluating Stage This stage of the listening process is the one during which the listener assesses the
information they received, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Evaluating allows the listener to form an
opinion of what they heard and, if necessary, to begin developing a response. The evaluating stage occurs
most effectively once the listener fully understands what the speaker is trying to say. Having a clear
understanding of a speaker’s message allows a listener to evaluate that message without getting bogged
down in ambiguities or spending unnecessary time and energy addressing points that may be tangential or
otherwise nonessential.
The Remembering Stage In the listening process, the remembering stage occurs as the listener
categorizes and retains the information he or she has gathered from the speaker for future access. If the
listener has been attending, understanding, and evaluating, chances are the result will be stored memory—
allowing the listener to record information about people, objects, and events for later recall. This happens
both during and after the speaker’s delivery.

The Responding Stage The responding stage is the stage of the listening process in which the listener
provides verbal and/or nonverbal reactions based on short- or long-term memory. Nonverbal responses
such as nodding or eye contact allow the listener to communicate his or her level of interest without
interrupting the speaker, thereby preserving the speaker/listener roles. When a listener responds verbally
to what they hear and remember—for example, with a question or a comment—the speaker/listener roles
are reversed, at least momentarily.

Effective Listening Skills

1. Discover your interests’ field.

2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication. Angry people jam
their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker’s ideas and also
that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. “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 speaker’s ideas being communicated,
leaving a minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track. A good listener:

1. Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He should be alert. He should avoid any
kind of distraction.
2. Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he considers is unnecessary. He should
always summarize the speaker’s ideas so that there is no misunderstanding of thoughts of speakers. He
avoids premature judgements about the speakers message.
3. 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).
4. 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 speaker’s ideas in spare time. He focuses on the content of the speaker’s message
and not on the speaker’s personality and looks.
5. Opportunizes- A good listener tries to take benefit from the opportunities arising. He asks “What’s in it for
me?”
Effective Listening Skills

1. Discover your interests’ field.

2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication. Angry people jam
their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker’s ideas and also
that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. “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.

Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening.
They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are listening
to what they say.

1. Pay attention.
2. Show that you are listening.
3. Provide feedback.
4. Defer judgment
5. Respond Appropriately.
Mannerism
The definition of a mannerism is a habit, gesture or other speech or dress
characteristic that someone does often.

Mannerisms you must Follow for an Effective Communication

 Learning the Right Etiquettes

 Body Language
 Greeting
 Offering a Seat
 Offering a Glass of Water
 No Undivided Attention
 Don’t Jump Conversations
 Do not Lose Temper
 Listening