Part- A

Q1: Describe the different kinds of audience with ways to analyze them.

Q2: What should be the determining factors in the use of visuals (graphics)?

Q3: Explain the principal differences between written and virtual reports.

Q4: Define intercultural communication and how can we improve our ability to communicate inter-culturally?

Q5: Write an appropriate subject line for each of these situations:

a.  A letter informing the reader that his life insurance policy #29832 will expire soon, due to non-payment of premium

b.  A letter to a bank suggesting that a separate deposit window be opened from merchants from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. each workday.

Part - B

Q1: What are the different ways to adapt your message to your audience?

Q2: Rewrite and reorganize the following negative message to make it more positive.

Q3: What three aspects of a document does thorough revision cover?

Q4: How do you decide whether to use a direct request or a problem-solving persuasive message?

Q5: Discuss the guidelines to be kept in mind while writing e-mail messages.

 Part - C

Q1: What are the characteristics and different aspects of non-verbal communication?

Q2: What should you know about yourself and the organization before you apply for jobs?

Q3: How do you decide whether to use a chronological or a skills resume? How do they differ?

Q4: How does behavioral and situational interview differ? How do you use your interview strategy during an interview?

Q5: Write a cover letter to a company Vice-president to accompany your short report on energy savings.

CASE STUDY - I

Your Company, Datatron Systems, Inc., has decided to install a new medical insurance program. Although the fees to employees are reasonable - $35 a month for complete coverage of individual employees and their immediate families - the program will not cover their visits to private physicians. Instead they must see doctors at a medical network. Many employees have expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed plan, arguing that they will be treated like objects on an assembly line, never seeing the same doctor twice. You have been assigned the task of convincing them to accept the proposal.

Prepare a speech or a write a persuasive message to be delivered at the next union meeting a week from today.

CASE STUDY - II

Workplace communication is multi-layered and complex, especially when employees from diverse backgrounds and different generations must collaborate.

As president of Professionalism Matters, a corporate training firm based in Atlanta, Dana Brownlee is attuned to many workplace challenges. She said there's a generational divide in terms of work style and communication practices. Her training focuses on getting employees away from the daily grind and providing them an opportunity to truly reflect on what's working and what's not.  Brownlee previously spent years working for IBM Consulting.

If the boss is overbearing and his demeanour has been problematic for me during a recent project team meeting, I wouldn't hesitate to meet with him about it. However, instead of telling him that he needs to tone it down, I'd ask him to give me his thoughts on how the session went and then chime in based on his comments/observations. 

Similarly, if I were planning a session and concerned about his demeanor, I'd meet privately before the session and share my concern like this: "Bob, thanks so much for agreeing to participate in our vendor discussion on Friday. I think that your presence really signals to the team that this project is important and that helps boost morale. I've been planning the agenda, and I do have one challenge that I was hoping you could help with. I know how much everyone on the team really respects your opinion and sometimes when the VP offers their view, everyone latches onto that view and we don't really hear his or her honest initial thoughts on the topic. I know how important it is to you to really see what they can come up with, so I'm just struggling a bit with how to handle that. What do you think?"

He may offer to simply come for the first 15 minutes or agree to hold back and not contribute to discussion until others have chimed in, but either way, it's a great way to surface the issue and identify some real solutions without alienating anyone in the process.

Most organizations have at least three generations in the workplace working side by side, and this can pose some unique challenges. I have one client in particular who is struggling with the fact that younger employees tend to prefer text/email, while some of the older staff demand face-to-face or phone conversations about everything. Both groups are quite frustrated. In terms of how we address it, the first step in resolving any problem is acknowledging that there is indeed a problem.

Through work style assessments, employees begin to see that each person has their own style - whether it relates to communications, conflict management or leadership. How they interact is a direct result of that style. This means that when Susan emails me about a conflict instead of coming to talk to me directly, it's probably not a sign of disrespect, as some would assume, but a style difference.

Q1: How can an  employee  provide  constructive feedback to someone with  higher authority in the office?

Q2: How   do   organizations   smooth   generational   gaps   within   their   workplace