Thursday, December 16, 2010
CSAT MODEL PAPER
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Interpersonal Skills - 1
Interpersonal Skills
Learning Goal: To examine the role of interpersonal skills as an aspect of work ethic, to better appreciate its importance in the workplace, and to develop strategies for improving interpersonal skills.
Introduction
Interpersonal skills include the habits, attitudes, manners, appearance, and behaviors we use around other people which affect how we get along with other people. We sometimes do not understand how important interpersonal skills really are. It's easy to laugh and make jokes about people who obviously lack interpersonal skills, but sometimes we need to examine our own impressions on others to better prepare for success in life as well as for a productive career.
The development of interpersonal skills begins early in life and is influenced by family, friends, and our observations of the world around us. Television and movies also influence this area, but most of these characteristics are passed along to us by our parents or guardians. Some aspects of interpersonal skills are even inherited. Appearance and some personality traits are largely influenced by our genes.
For us to improve our interpersonal skills, we must first be aware of what we are like from the perspective of other people who interact with us. Habits we are unaware of, actions we think go unnoticed, and other things about us that might affect other people are impossible for us to change if we are not aware of them. One of the things that teachers try to do, starting in the early grades, is to help students correct bad habits and to develop good interpersonal skills.
As we become adults, it increasingly becomes our own responsibility to initiate any changes in interpersonal skills that might be needed. They are more important than ever and they greatly influence both opportunities and success. It's just that rather than trying to change interpersonal skills, as is the case when we are children, adults tend to make judgements about one another based on interpersonal skills without explicitly saying that is the case.
Interpersonal skills - 2
Interpersonal skills are the skills that a person uses to interact with other people. Interpersonal skills are sometimes also referred to as people skills or communication skills. Interpersonal skills involve using skills such as active listening and tone of voice, they include delegation and leadership. It is how well you communicate with someone and how well you behave or carry yourself. Also they help people further their careers.
Interpersonal skills refers to mental and communicative algorithms applied during social communications and interaction to reach certain effects or results. The term "interpersonal skills" is used often in business contexts to refer to the measure of a person's ability to operate within business organizations through social communication and interactions. Interpersonal skills are how people relate to one another.
As an illustration, it is generally understood that communicating respect for other people or professionals within will enable one to reduce conflict and increase participation or assistance in obtaining information or completing tasks. For instance, to interrupt someone who is currently preoccupied with the task of obtaining information needed immediately, it is recommended that a professional use a deferential approach with language such as, "Excuse me, are you busy? I have an urgent matter to discuss with you if you have the time at the moment." This allows the receiving professional to make their own judgement regarding the importance of their current task versus entering into a discussion with their colleague. While it is generally understood that interrupting someone with an "urgent" request will often take priority, allowing the receiver of the message to judge independently the request and agree to further interaction will likely result in a higher quality interaction. Following these kinds of heuristics to achieve better professional results generally results in a professional being ranked as one with 'good interpersonal skills.' Often these evaluations occur in formal and informal settings.
Having positive interpersonal skills increases the productivity in the organization since the number of conflicts is reduced. In informal situations, it allows communication to be easy and comfortable. People with good interpersonal skills can generally control the feelings that emerge in difficult situations and respond appropriately, instead of being overwhelmed by emotion.
Some ways to improve interpersonal skills are to;
• Think positively, and enter the mindset to work well with others and maintain good relationships.
• Do not criticise others or yourself.
• Be patient.
• Learn to listen, experts recommend listening 80% of the time and only talking 20%.
• Be sensitive to others, this includes not gossiping.
• Have a sense of humour appropriate to your situation. Many people benefit from a good joke.
• Treat others and their experience with respect.
• Praise and compliment people when they deserve it.
• When someone is telling a story, don’t interrupt or try to upstage them with a story of your own.
• Smile – even when you don’t feel like smiling.
• Be cheerful and try to make others smile.
• Look for solutions.
• When someone compliments you, don’t disagree or boast about it – simply say thank-you with a smile and move on.
• Don’t complain.
• When you’re unhappy, try your best to act happy anyway. You will end up feeling better and so will the people around you, your mood is contagious.
• Fake it ‘till you make it. If you’re not naturally confident or happy, fake it until you generally possess the desired characteristics.
• Learn to appreciate, be helpful and not demotivate your team members. Work as a team, not as an individual. This will achieve better results.
• Treat your team members and colleagues as friends and not as strangers or subordinates.
Beatrice Vincent once said, “The people with whom you work reflect your own attitude. If you are suspicious, unfriendly and condescending, you will find these unlovely traits echoed all about you. But if you are on your best behaviour, you will bring out the best in the persons with whom you are going to spend most of your working hours.”
Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire
Directions:
For each statement listed below, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each of the items. A rating of 10 would indicate that the statement is always true and a rating of 1 would indicate that it is never true.
1. I always say please and thank you when I ask someone for something.
2. The clothes I wear would never offend another person.
3. If something bad happens to someone I don't like, I tell my friends and laugh about it when that person is not around.
4. I never curse or use offensive language in public places.
5. My hair is clean and well groomed.
6. People who know me would describe me as cheerful and friendly.
7. I always have good posture.
8. When I talk with someone, I look them in the eyes.
9. I keep my fingernails clean and nicely trimmed.
10. I usually become angry and lose my temper when things don't go the way I want them to.
11. When other people do something different from the way I would do it, I avoid being critical of them.
12. I don't bite my fingernails.
13. When I sneeze or cough, I always cover my mouth.
14. My table manners are very good.
15. If someone gives me a gift or does me a favor, I send them a thank you note.Interpersonal Skills Assignments
Assignment 1:
Examine the pictures below and answer the questions for each of them. Write down your responses so that they can be used during a class discussion.
1.How important are interpersonal skills for this line of work?
2.What will happen if this person has poor interpersonal skills?
3.Would the education and training this person had in preparing for their career help them improve interpersonal skills?
1.Are interpersonal skills important in the careers that these people are practicing?
2.What happens if interpersonal skills are lacking?
3.If you were going to employ the person on the left, what kind of interpersonal skills would you want him to have?
1. Do you think this person has good interpersonal skills?
2. What kinds of interpersonal skills would be important in his work?
3. What happens if interpersonal skills are lacking?
1. List some of the kinds of interpersonal skills that are needed in this work.
2. Have you ever visited someone in this occupation who did not have good interpersonal skills? If so, what was it like?
3. Are interpersonal skills in this work optional or do they play a role in the actual success of the job being performed?
1.Is this person likely to have good interpersonal skills?
2.What opportunities have you had to observe the interpersonal skills of someone in this line of work?
3.Based on what is shown on television, how are good interpersonal skills helpful in this job? Does television provide an accurate portrayal of this job?
Assignment 2:
What about your own interpersonal skills? Being able to manage relationships with other people is a large part of being successful in the workplace. Often this requires sensitivity and understanding of other people. Sometimes the decisions you make will impact the success of other people who work with you also.
Take the Communication Style Test and record your results. This inventory will indicate what your preferred communication style is like. When people with differing communication styles work with each other, the potential for misunderstanding and miscommunication increases. Bringing the results of your style test with you, spend some time in a small group comparing your scores and discuss how these differences might play a roll in workplace interpersonal skills problems. (These materials can be printed if preferred. There are also some additional discussion items included.)
Assignment 3:
Courtesy and manners also play a role in interpersonal skills. These societal norms are intended to make it more pleasant for other people to be around us. How are your manners? Respond to the items on this Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire and write your answers on a piece of paper to be used in a class discussion.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Communication Skills Test - 1
Communication Skills Test: Answers with Explanations
1. When conversing with others,
A. I usually do most of the talking.
B. I usually let the other person do most of the talking.
C. I try to equalize my participation in the conversation.
Best answer: C.
Conversations should be a balanced two-way flow of dialogue.
2. When I first meet someone,
A. I wait for the other person to make the introduction first.
B. I introduce myself with a smile and offer a handshake.
C. When I first meet someone, I hug the person.
Best answer: B.
It's good to initiate the introduction and introduce yourself with a handshake and smile. If shaking hands is difficult, a quick head nod is a good substitute. Initiating the introduction with a smile and handshake (or head nod) helps build rapport.
3. I usually,
A. "warm-up" new conversations with small talk.
B. I usually avoid small talk and jump into more important matters.
C. I usually avoid starting conversations.
Best answer: A.
It's good to initiate conversations with small talk. Topics to warm-up the conversation might include a chat about the weather, news of interest, or impressions about the current activity (if you're at a meeting, staff party, or other gathering, for example).
Examples of conversation starters might be:
"It's sure warm today, isn't it?"
"Did you hear about the big accident on the freeway? Traffic's backed-up for miles."
"What did you think about the Blazers game last night?"
"This is a nice party, isn't it?"
"Could I get you something to drink?"
4. I usually,
A. Make an effort to remember and use peoples' names.
B. Don't pay attention to names as I tend to forget them.
C. Only learn the names of important people.
Best answer: A.
It's good to call people by name whenever possible. It makes a good, lasting impression, and it makes the other person feel important and special. To help remember names, try these techniques:
Repeat: After the person tells you his or her name, immediately use it several times in the conversation.
"It's nice to meet you, Bob."
"I agree with you, Bob."
"That was a great joke, Bob!"
Associate: Associate the person's name to something unique and special. You might:
Associate the person's name with a unique feature about the person. For example:
"Gilda has beautiful green eyes."
Think - "GG" - Green Gilda
"Jack tells funny jokes."
Think - "JJ" - Joking Jack
Associate the name with a visual picture. For example:
"Sandy" - visualize a sandy beach.
"Glenn" - visualize John Glenn launching into space.
Associate the name with a personal connection.
For example:
"Brian" - My uncle's name is Brian.
"Lucy" - I had a turtle named Lucy.
Jot: Jot the person's name down with an identifying description that will help jog your memory later. For example:
"Chuck" - tall; glasses; works in Accounting; has twin sister; runs marathons; new to Portland.
5. I_________ use courtesy words and phrases - "Please," "Thank you," "You’re welcome," "I'm sorry."
A. Frequently
B. Occasionally
C. Never
Best answer: A.
Regular use of these courtesy words and phrases is important to show politeness and build rapport.
6. I tend to
A. to be serious and don't smile often while conversing.
B. Smile all the time while conversing.
C. Smile at appropriate times while conversing.
Smiling when greeting people and at appropriate times greatly helps build rapport.
