BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Assignment

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA IN COMPUTING/ BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Assignment

STUDENT NAME	:
EDHAT REGISTRATION NO.	:

PROGRAMME	:	International Diploma in Computing/Business Management
SUBJECT CODE & TITLE	:	GCU0102 – Personal Skills Development
ASSIGNMENT TITLE	:

Summary of the Learning Outcomes Covered:

1.      Demonstrate and deliver a range of skills in personal communication

2.      Understand the using time wisely and demonstrate to manage the time

3.      -Analyze the situations and making correct and feasible decision

4.      Understand the stress and the use the ways to minimize the stress as a life skill

ASSIGNMENT TYPE	:	Individual
DATE	:
DUE DATE	:
DATE SUBMITTED	:
ASSESSOR	:
INTERNAL VERIFIER	:

PLAGIARISM:

While research and discussion are an essential part of an assignment, the deliberate copying of someone else’s work or unacknowledged copying from printed or electronic sources is NOT permitted. You may be subject to disciplinary procedure if you do this. You should sign this sheet to show that you comply with these regulations.

Student’s Signature:                                                                             Date: _____/_____/ ___________

T01	T02	T03	T04	T05	T06	T07	T08

TOTAL SCORE(Average of the above)

Assessor Comments:
Assessor:	Signature:	Date:_____/_____/ ___________

Internal Verifier’s Comments:
Internal Verifier:	Signature:	Date:_____/_____/ ___________

TASK 01		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
1.1	Explain the differences between “data” & “information”	15
1.2	Explain the term called “communication”  with the list of communication barriers	10
1.3	Explain the Characteristics of effective meeting	15
1.4	Explain the “process of communication” by using a clear sketch diagram	20
1.5	List down & briefly explain the  different types of communication that can be used in office environments	15
1.6	Explain the term called “a pleasing telephone personality”	5
1.7	List down the characteristics/skills of a good Listener and Objectives of Listening.	10
1.8	When selecting a medium to communicate with another party, what are the things that you must consider about?	10
Total		100

TASK 02		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
2.1	List down & briefly explain the objectives, purposes of meetings.	25
2.2	State the different types of meetings & list some examples under each type.	20
2.3	Explain how an agenda helps to properly conduct a meeting.	25
2.4	Explain what are “Minutes” & the importance of recording the minutes.	20
2.5	List down at least ten characteristics/skills of a good speaker.	10
Total		100

TASK 03		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
3.1	Explain what is meant by “ Advertising”	25
3.2	List down & briefly explain what are the effective advertising methods available	25
3.3	By taking an example explain about the competition in advertising (feel free to use  local to international examples)	30
3.4	Explain how “presenting” supports to introduce a certain product to a market.	20
Total		100

TASK 04		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
	Conduct a simple research work about the following topic in order to evaluate your time management skills. “Use of new technologies in communication” (your research work must at least cover five topics/areas)
4.1	Produce a Gantt chart to show how the time has been utilized & activities has been managed under the above research work.	50
4.2	Briefly explain how difficult/ easy it is for you to work according to a certain dead line.	20
4.3	By using a tabular format, prepare a time planner for the above activity.	30
Total		100

TASK 05		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
	Following areas has to be properly managed & given priority when it comes to reaching to success & completing your work. Briefly explain the following topics & state how you manage the following areas to effectively complete your work.
5.1	Workload & time management	50
5.2	Stress Management	25
5.3	Daily Routine change management	25
Total		100

TASK 06		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
	Assume you are working in a locally governed advertising company that operates all its businesses even in an international level. And the owner of the relevant company has decided to handover the management to a Korean management consultancy company. There will be no new recruitments except top management authorities. Same no of employees will be working under the operational level under their current designations. So before handing over the management to Korean management authorities, as the director of the business you should analyze and get solutions for future issues. The solutions that you supposed to be taken cannot be badly impacts to the new intended management.
6.1	List down & briefly discuss what types of issues that may arise	20
6.2	List down & briefly explain what are the benefits that may arise due to above change	35
6.3	What are the systematic approaches you may apply to handle the problems?	45
Total		100
TASK 07		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
7.1	Explain Pareto Analysis.	10
7.2	List down 6 C’s of decision making and explain them	15
7.3	What are the main criteria/s you will be considering while deciding “whom to be involved in decision making”?	10
7.4	What is SWOT analysis? Explain strategic use and creative use of SWOT analysis	15
7.5	Explain the Decision making stages and Decision making styles	15
7.6	Do we have to forecast about the when making decisions? State your answer & justify the answer	15
7.7	Why innovative ideas are important to the companies/organizations	10
7.8	Explain the barriers in decision making process	10
Total		100

TASK 08		Allocated Marks	Given Marks
8.1	Define what is meant by stress.	10
8.2	What are the most common causes for stress?	15
8.3	What are the common signs/symptoms of stress? Physical symptoms /signs Emotional symptoms /signs              Behavioral symptoms /signs	30
8.4	Briefly explain how stress affects to your daily routine	20
8.5	Briefly explain how can you analyze/measure the different stress levels of individuals?	25
Total		100

END OF ASSIGNMENT

TASK01

Task 1.1

Explain the differences between “data” & “information”

                                                                     Data                                  Information

Meaning	Data is raw, unorganized facts that need to be processed. Data can be something simple and seemingly random and useless until it is organized.	When data is processed, organized, structured or presented in a given context so as to make it useful, it is called information.
Example	Each student's test score is one piece of data.	The average score of a class or of the entire school is information that can be derived from the given data.
Etymology	"Data" comes from a singular Latin word, datum, which originally meant "something given." Its early usage dates back to the 1600s. Over time "data" has become the plural of datum.	"Information" is an older word that dates back to the 1300s and has Old French and Middle English origins. It has always referred to "the act of informing, " usually in regard to education, instruction, or other knowledge communication.

• Datacis used as input for the computer system. Information is the output of data.
• Data is unprocessed facts figures. Information is processed data.
• Data doesn’t depend on Information. Information depends on data.
• Data is not specific. Information is specific.
• Data is a single unit. A group of data which carries news are meaning is called Information.
• Data doesn’t carry a meaning. Information must carry a logical meaning.
• Data is the raw material. Information is the product.

T1.2 Explain the term called “communication”  with the list of communication barriers

Communication is a process where two or more than two people communicate with each Other. Also we can defined a meeting as   a group of people come together to discuss issues, to improve communication, to promote coordination or to deal with any matters that are put on the agenda and to help get any jobs done. For any meeting to be successful it needs the support of the group   involved, or the organization behind it and it must have the intention of achieving some goal or objective through speaking, writing.

1). NOISE - When a person is communicating to another and someone or something makes noise , then the communication process fails.

2.) PHYSICAL LOCATION - When teams are spread across the world and diverse teams are created.

3.) POOR EQUIPMENT - Not having the right IT infrastructure, slow computers, poor quality audio teleconference systems making it difficult to hear what is being said;

 4.) LANGUAGE - Speaking in different languages, or where a language is not your first language. This also applies to every industry that has its own acromyns and meanings for their equipment, tools and technques they use;

 5.) CULTURE - Spealing the same language but words having different meaning in different countries, e.g UK English and USA English have different words for rubber/eraser;

6.) ORGANISATIONAL - inappropriate chains of commenad and reporting structures in business organisations;

7.) ATTITUDINAL - Dissatisfaction, the dislike of change, of management or the environment;

8.) OUTDATED INFORMATION - People using different document versions, and not speaking off the same song sheet;

9.) PERCEPTION - One message has two or more different meanings when spoken or put into an email. Different levels of education and experience can also be a communicatons barrier; 1

0.) PERSONALITY - Personal likes and dislikes, and people having selective hearing on boring subjects or boring speakers.

        Spoken Words

                             Ex-speeches, telephone calls, Interviews, debates, meeting

                           Usefulness- Quick, Easy to day to day communications, personal attraction.

        Written Words

Ex- Letters, memos, notes, reports, documents

Usefulness- use for solid communication accessible, relatively permanent

        Visual Images

Ex- photography, paintings, videos, slides, cartoons, illustrations

Usefulness- convey powerful conscious and unconsciously affect people.

        Symbolic gestures

Ex- Gestures, facial expressions, postures, movement, action, tone of voice.

Usefulness- body language strongly and unconsciously affects people.

        Multimedia- TV, newspapers, leaflets, internet, radio, magazines, posters, booklets, CD-ROMs.

Usefulness- can communicate with more people, more effective, low cost.

T1.3 Explain the Characteristics of effective meeting

Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.

1. Start with the definition.  A meeting is a business activity where select people gather to perform work that requires a team effort.
2. A meeting, like any business event, succeeds when it is preceded by planning, characterized by focus, governed by structure, and controlled by a budget.
3. Short meetings free people to work on the essential activities that represent the core of their jobs. In contrast, long meetings prevent people from working on critical tasks such as planning, communicating, and learning.
4. Three things guarantee an unproductive meeting: poor planning, lack of appropriate process, and hostile culture. Effective leaders attend to all of these to create an effective meeting.
5. Effective meetings require sharing control and making commitments.
6. The ultimate goals of every meeting are agreements, decisions, or solutions. Meetings held for other reasons seldom produce anything of value.
7. Unprepared participants will spend their time in the meeting preparing for the meeting.
8. It is better to spend a little time preparing for solutions than to spend a lot of time fixing problems.
9. Meetings are an investment of resources and time that should earn a profit.
10. A meeting can be led from any chair in the room. And if it’s your meeting, you want it to be your chair.

http://dianagabriel.com/10-characteristics-of-effective-meetings/

T1.4 Explain the “process of communication” by using a clear sketch diagram

Communication today is mainly of three types:

 *.Written communication, in the form of emails, letters, reports, memos and various other documents.

 *.Oral communication. This is either face-to-face or over the phone/video conferencing, etc.

 *.A third type of communication, also commonly used but often underestimated is non-verbal communication, which is by using gestures or even simply body movements that are made. These too could send various signals to the other party and is an equally important method of communication.

The basic flow of communication can be seen in the diagram below. In this flow, the sender sends a message to the receiver and then they share the feedback on the communication process.

The methods of communication too need to be carefully considered before you decide on which method to uses for your purposes. Not all communication methods work for all transactions.

Once the methods of communication have been understood, the next step would be to consider various communication models. Due to the importance of communication, different types of models have been introduced by experts over the years.

The models help the business organizations and other institutions to understand how communication works, how messages are transmitted, how it is received by the other party, and how the message is eventually interpreted and understood.

T1.5 List down & briefly explain the  different types of communication that can be used in office environments.

Principles of Communication 

    Oral Communications 

    Visual Communications 

    Written Communications

Oral Orommunication can be influenced by environmental factors that have nothing to do with the content of the message.  Some of these factors are:

• the nature of the room, how warm it is, smoke, comfort of the chair, etc
• outside distractions, what is going on in the area.
• the reputation/credibility of the speaker/writer.
• the appearance, style or authority of the speaker.
• listener's education, knowledge of the topic, etc.
• the language, page layout, design of the message.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is a two-way process of giving and receiving information through any number of channels.  Whether one is speaking informally to a colleague, addressing a conference or meeting, writing a newsletter article or formal report, the following basic principles apply:

• Know your audience.
• Know your purpose.
• Know your topic.
• Anticipate objections.
• Present a rounded picture.
• Achieve credibility with your audience.
• Follow through on what you say.
• Communicate a little at a time.
• Present information in several ways.
• Develop a practical, useful way to get feedback.
• Use multiple communication techniques.

Communication is complex.  When listening to or reading someone else's message, we often filter what's being said through a screen of our own opinions.  One of the major barriers to communication is our own ideas and opinions.

There's an old communications game, telegraph, that's played in a circle.  A message is whispered around from person to person.  What the exercise usually proves is how profoundly the message changes as it passes through the distortion of each person's inner "filter."

Environmental factors

Communication can be influenced by environmental factors that have nothing to do with the content of the message.  Some of these factors are:

• the nature of the room, how warm it is, smoke, comfort of the chair, etc
• outside distractions, what is going on in the area.
• the reputation/credibility of the speaker/writer.
• the appearance, style or authority of the speaker.
• listener's education, knowledge of the topic, etc.
• the language, page layout, design of the message.

Communication with Decision Makers

Innovation and change often depends upon persuading potential users of the benefits of an innovation.

To deal persuasively with decision makers, it is necessary to know and understand their interests and opinions.  The following questions are helpful in organizing technology transfer efforts:

• Who are the key people to persuade?
• Who will make the decisions about innovation and change?
• What are these decision makers' past experiences with innovation and change?
• What are the decision makers' current attitudes toward innovation and change? Are they neutral, friendly, hostile or apathetic?
• What is the most appropriate way to approach the decision maker?
• What are the work styles of the decision makers? Are they highly formal people who want everything in writing and all appointments scheduled in advance? Or are they more flexible, responding favorably to personal telephone calls and informal meetings?
• What networks or groups is the decision maker a part of?
• What programs or services will the new innovation improve?
• What programs or services will the new innovation cause problems with?
• How will the innovation or change benefit the decision maker?

Principles of Effective Persuasion

Whether making a formal presentation at a meeting or writing a report or fact sheet, the following principles hold.

• Do not oversell or overstate your case.  Make effective use of understatement.
• Outline the topic you are trying to cover into two parts.  The first part should give broad background information, while the second part provides a detailed summary.
• Persuasion depends on clarity and simplicity.  Avoid the use of jargon and buzz words.
• Be prepared to back up claims or facts immediately.
• Incorporate major anticipated objections into your program or presentation.
• Address all relevant aspects of a topic, especially those that may affect the functioning of an organization.
• Use graphics and audiovisuals appropriately.
• Consider ways to get meaningful input from people.  Find out what they think about the innovation or change.

Selling New Ideas

Creating Isn't Selling 

Often the creators of an innovation feel that convincing others of the idea's value is somehow superfluous to their activities.  To them, conceiving the idea is enough.  This combines with their inner conviction that their idea will "sell itself."  Change agents provide a link between creators of new techniques and users.

Ideas Need Selling 

Someone must recognize when an idea is good.  It is important that when an idea is good it is sold to those who can act on it--those who have the power to evaluate and adopt it.  Understanding users is an important activity for any change agent.  People must be convinced that a particular idea or innovation has enough merit to warrant adoption.

Selling Ideas Takes Effort 

Selling innovations requires preparation, initiative, patience, and resourcefulness.  It may take more effort than originating the idea.  In an age of technical complexity and information overload, new ideas seldom stand out.  Information on new ideas must be targeted to the appropriate users and relate to their needs and motivations.

Once is Not Enough 

A new idea has to be suggested many times before it will "catch on."  Initial failures at promoting a new idea are to be expected, so don't get discouraged if you don't get the results you want the first time.  Some ideas take years to catch on.  However, first exposures are crucial to future prospects.  Do it right the first time

Feedback (Listening)

Getting and giving feedback is one of the most crucial parts of good communication.  Like any other activity, there are specific skills that can enhance feedback.  Listening is a key part of getting feedback:

Listen to the Complete Message.  Be patient.  This is especially important when listening to a topic that provokes strong opinions or radically different points-of-view.  In these situations, it's important not to prejudge the incoming message. Learn not to get too excited about a communication until you are certain of the message.

Work at Listening Skills.  Listening is hard work.  Good listeners demonstrate interest and alertness.  They indicate through their eye contact, posture and facial expression that the occasion and the speaker's efforts are a matter of concern to them.  Most good listeners provide speakers with clear and unambiguous feedback.

Judge the Content, Not the Form of the Message.  Such things as the speaker's mode of dress, quality of voice, delivery mannerisms and physical characteristics are often used as excuses for not listening.  Direct your attention to the message--what is being said--and away from the distracting elements.

Weigh Emotionally Charged Language.  Emotionally charged language often stands in the way of effective listening.  Filter out "red flag" words (like "liberal" and "conservative," for instance) and the emotions they call up.  Specific suggestions for dealing with emotionally charged words include

• Take time to identify those words that affect you emotionally.
• Attempt to analyze why the words affect you the way they do.
• Work at trying to reduce the impact of these words on you.

Eliminate Distractions.  Physical distractions and complications seriously impair listening.  These distractions may take many forms: loud noises, stuffy rooms, overcrowded conditions, uncomfortable temperature, bad lighting, etc.  Good listeners speak up if the room is too warm, too noisy, or too dark.  There are also internal distractions:  worries about deadlines or problems of any type may make listening difficult.  If you're distracted, make an effort to clear your head.  If you can't manage it, arrange to communicate at some other time.

Think Efficiently and Critically.  On the average, we speak at a rate of 100 to 200 words per minute.  However, we think at a much faster rate, anywhere from 400 to 600 words per minute.  What do we do with this excess thinking time while listening to someone speak?  One technique is to apply this spare time to analyzing what is being said.  They critically review the material by asking the following kinds of questions:

• What is being said to support the speaker's point of view? (Evidence)
• What assumptions are being made by the speaker and the listener? (Assumptions)
• How does this information affect me? (Effect)
• Can this material be organized more efficiently? (Structure)
• Are there examples that would better illustrate what is being said? (Example)
• What are the main points of the message? (Summary)

Sending Messages

Messages should be clear and accurate, and sent in a way that encourages retention, not rejection.

• Use Verbal Feedback Even If Nonverbal Is Positive And Frequent.  Everyone needs reassurance that they are reading nonverbal communication correctly, whether a smile means "You're doing great," "You're doing better than most beginners," or "You'll catch on eventually."
• Focus Feedback On Behavior Rather Than On Personality.  It's better to comment on specific behavior than to characterize a pattern of behavior.  For example, instead of calling a colleague inefficient, specify your complaint:  "You don't return phone calls; this causes problems both in and outside your office."
• Focus Feedback On Description Rather Than Judgment.  Description tells what happened.  Judgment evaluates what happened.  For example, in evaluating a report don't say, "This is a lousy report!!"  Instead, try:  "The report doesn't focus on the information that I think needs emphasis," or "This report seems to have a lot of grammatical and spelling mistakes."
• Make Feedback Specific Rather Than General.  If feedback is specific, the receiver knows what activity to continue or change.  When feedback is general, the receiver doesn't know what to do differently.  For example, in an office situation, instead of saying "These folders are not arranged correctly," it's better feedback to say, "These should be arranged chronologically instead of alphabetically."
• In Giving Feedback, Consider the Needs and Abilities of the Receiver.  Give the amount of information the receiver can use and focus feedback on activities the receiver has control over. It's fruitless to criticize the level of activity, if the decision to grant the necessary monies for materials, personnel or technology is made at a different level.
• Check to See if the Receiver Heard What You Meant to Say.  If the information is important enough to send, make sure the person understands it.  One way of doing this is to say, "I'm wondering if I said that clearly enough.  What did you understand me to say?" or "This is what I hear you saying.  Is that right?"

Selecting the Best Communication Method

In communicating with decision makers, use the most appropriate communications method.  One way to do this is to ask yourself the following questions.

• What is the purpose of your message?  Do you plan to tell them something new?  Inform?  Do you plan to change their view?  Persuade?
• What facts must be presented to achieve your desired effect?
• What action, if any, do you expect decision makers to take?
• What general ideas, opinions and conclusions must be stressed?
• Are you thoroughly familiar with all the important information on the innovation?
• What resources and constraints affect adoption of the innovation?  How much time is available?  How much money is available
• Which method, or combination of methods, will work most effectively for this situation?    Personal contact--requires scheduling, time and interpersonal skills.

Telephone contact--requires good verbal skills and an awareness of voice tones as nonverbal communication. 

Letter--requires writing skills. 

e-mail informal, needs to be short and to the point, but not get lost in clutter.  May require frequent follow-up. 

News release--requires writing skills and cooperation of the media and time.

ORAL COMMUNICATION

Speaking to Communicate

Spoken communication occurs in many different settings during the course of successful innovation and change.  These may be divided into three main types:

• The formal and informal networks in which peers exchange information, such as professional associations, work units, work teams, etc.
• The activities of change agents, opinion leaders, etc.
• The contacts established at team meetings, conferences, training courses, etc.

Whether to use oral communication is a decision we all make frequently in the course of a workday.  The change agent must be able to identify those situations in which oral communication is the most appropriate one to use.  Don Kirkpatrick suggests the -following guidelines for making such decisions.

Use Oral Communication When:

• The receiver is not particularly interested in receiving the message.  Oral communication provides more opportunity for getting and keeping interest and attention.
• It is important to get feedback.  It's easier to get feedback by observing facial expressions (and other nonverbal behavior) and asking questions.
• Emotions are high. Oral communication provides more opportunity for both the sender and the receiver to let off steam, cool down, and create a suitable climate for understanding.
• The receiver is too busy or preoccupied to read. Oral communication provides more opportunity to get attention.
• The sender wants to persuade or convince.  Oral communication provides more flexibility, opportunity for emphasis, chance to listen, and opportunity to remove resistance and change attitudes.
• When discussion is needed.  A complicated subject frequently requires discussion to be sure of understanding.
• When criticism of the receiver is involved.  Oral communication provides more opportunity to accomplish this without arousing resentment.  Also, oral communication is less threatening because it isn't formalized in writing.
• When the receiver prefers one-to-one contact.

Presentation Styles

There are different styles of making a presentation and different people will use the approach that suits them.

Good Old Boy:  This is usually an experienced person who is the peer of most of the audience. Generally, there is a lot of good information but it may be poorly organized or poorly delivered.

The Entertainer:  This person relies on jokes and stories to get their point across.  Good visual aids could be an important feature of the presentation.  Sometimes there is too much emphasis on satisfying the audience that little information is actually transferred.

The Academic:  This person tends to be very precise and deliberate in presenting information. There is considerable content and it usually is well organized.  Unfortunately. it can also be boring and irrelevant and not relate well to the audience.

The Reader:  This person decides to read his material word for word.  The material is often not especially prepared for an oral presentation and can be overly technical, boring and hard to understand.  All topics are covered and what is said is precise and accurate.

The Snail:  This person is nervous about the presentation and goes into a shell.  Like a snail, this person also moves slowly and the presentation seems to last forever.  What is best?  You have to have a style you are comfortable with.  Ideally, you have the rapport of the good old boy, the organization and content of the academic, the ability to get and maintain interest of the entertainer, and the precision of the reader.  If you do this you will avoid the slow pace of the snail and effectively present information to your listeners.

The Gadgeteer:  This person uses every gimmick and technique in his or her presentation and visual aids.  It can be overdone with the message getting lost among the bells and whistles.

Components of an Effective Oral Report

Introduction Capture the attention of the group right from the start.

• Give the necessary explanation of the background from which the problem derived.
• Clearly state and explain the problem.
• Clearly state your objectives.
• Indicate the method(s) used to solve the problem.
• Suggest the order in which you will provide information.

Organization

• Provide sufficient introductory information.
• Use transitions from one main part to the next and between points of the speech.
• Use summary statements and restatements.
• Make the main ideas of the report clearly distinguishable from one another.

Content

• Have adequate supporting data to substantiate what you say.
• Avoid using extraneous material.
• Present supporting data clearly--in terms of the ideas or concepts you are trying to communicate.
• Were the methods of the investigation clearly presented?
• Visual Aid Supports
• Use clear drawings, charts, diagrams or other aids to make explanations vivid and understandable.
• Make visual aids fit naturally into the presentation.
• Be completely familiar with each visual used.
• Don't clutter your report with too many visual aids.

Conclusion 

Conclude your report with finality in terms of one or more of the following:

• the conclusions reached
• the problem solved
• the results obtained
• the value of such findings to the county
• recommendations offered

Question Period

• Give evidence of intelligent listening in interpreting the questions.
• Organize answers in terms of a summary statement, explanation, and supporting example.
• Show flexibility in adapting or improvising visual aids in answering questions.

Delivery

• Be natural, "communicative" in your delivery.
• Use frequent eye contact to maintain rapport with the audience.
• Vary your delivery with appropriate movements and gestures.
• Speak distinctly.
• Display confidence and authority.
• Express enthusiasm for your ideas.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

There's an old saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words."  Life would indeed be difficult without paintings, photographs, diagrams, charts, drawings, and graphic symbols.  These are some of the reasons why SHOWING is such an important form of communication.

• Most people understand things better when they have seen how they work.
• Involved, complex ideas can be presented clearly and quickly using visual aids.
• People retain information longer when it is presented to them visually.
• Visuals can be used to communicate to a wide range of people with differing backgrounds.
• Visuals are useful when trying to condense information into a short time period.

Visual aids--used imaginatively and appropriately--will help your audience remember more. Consider the following:

• People think in terms of images, not words, so visuals help them retain and recall technical information.
• Visuals attract and hold the attention of observers.
• Visuals simplify technical information.
• Visuals may be useful in presenting technical information to a nontechnical audience.

Questions to Ask about Visual Aids:

• Is my objective clear?
• What are my key points?  Do they deserve the emphasis that a visual aid gives?
• What visual aid or aids have I planned to use?
• Will the visual aid clarify my spoken words?  Will it support my spoken words rather than replace them?
• Is each visual aid simple, orderly and consistent?  Is it free from incompatible and complicating ideas, symbols, art techniques and typefaces?  Can my audience quickly and easily grasp what they see or must it be read to them?  Avoid making it a reading session.
• Is it symbolic or pictorial?  Which treatment is best for my subject?  Which treatment is best from the standpoint of my audience?

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Written materials often bear the greatest burden for the communication of new ideas and procedures.  Effective writing is the product of long hours of preparation, revision and organization.  One book that follows its own rules is Strunk and White's Elements of Style, a short book which argues persuasively for clarity, accuracy, and brevity in the use of English.  Its entire philosophy is contained in one paragraph:

Vigorous writing is concise.  A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reasons that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.  This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that EVERY WORD TELL.

Clear, vigorous writing is a product of clear, vigorous thinking.  Clarity is born of discipline and imagination. Kirkpatrick gives the following guidelines for using written communication:

Use Written Communication When:

• The sender wants a record for future references.
• The receiver will be referring to it later.
• The message is complex and requires study by the receiver.
• The message includes a step by step procedure.
• Oral communication is not possible because people are not in the same place at
• the same time.
• There are many receivers.  Caution:  the receivers must be interested in the subject and will put forth the time and effort to read and understand.
• It is cheaper.  Caution:  the same as above.
• A copy of the message should go to another person.
• The receiver prefers written.

Advantages of Written Materials

• Highly technical topics can be presented using words and diagrams.
• Written material provides a permanent record that can be referred to from time to time or passed on to others.
• Written material can be duplicated in large quantities or distributed on the Internet relatively inexpensively.
• It is fairly easy to distribute written material to many people, but this practice is getting increasingly expensive and its effectiveness questionable.
• Written material is preferred when it is desirable to get the same information to a group of people.
• Written records and reports are sometimes useful in legal matters.
• Written material may be useful for documenting the success or progress of some project or activity.

Disadvantages of Written Material

• People seldom take the time and effort to read technical materials.
• The preparation of written documents is time-consuming.
• Once prepared in large quantities, printed documents are difficult to change.
• Written material provides little feedback for the sender.
• Technical documents are often too long and complex for the majority of readers.
• A portion of the population may not be able to read written material.
• Too much reliance on written material as a communication method may obscure the true needs of potential users.

T1.6 Explain the term called “a pleasing telephone personality”

When speaking over the telephone, the voice is the ONLY medium for expressing personality and conveying ideas. The telephone transmits sound as the sound is presented to it. It does NOT eliminate the faults of enunciation, but rather has a tendency to emphasize them. Since it is a mechanical device, the telephone tends to dampen the tone of the voice it transmits.

These are just some basic tips to use toward improving your business telephone voice. Fix the mind carefully on any features in need of improvement: through daily practice, make your voice an asset to you at all times and under all circumstances.

1. POSTURE 

As hard as it may be to believe, good posture is essential for proper breathing. Make sure you are sitting comfortably, upright, and with both feet on the floor.

2. BREATH CONTROL 

Proper breathing is the foundation on which the voice is built. Deep breathing is essential. Shallow breathing causes breathlessness and interrupts the flow of words.

3. AUDIBILITY 

A well-modulated voice carries best of the telephone. Talk directly into the transmitter. If using a hands-free device, make sure it is positioned so that your caller can hear you. Use a normal tone of voice, neither too loud nor too soft.

4. ENUNCIATION AND ARTICULATION 

Speak clearly and distinctly. Move the lips freely giving every word and every syllable its proper form and value. Remember that a person cannot read lips over the telephone.

5. RATE OF SPEECH 

Adapt the rate of speech to the calling party. A moderate pace is best for most, but you may have to slow down for the elderly, the very young, or for those not well versed in English.

6. PITCH 

Women's voices especially can change because of nervousness. Attempt to keep the pitch low.

7. INFLECTION 

Concentrate on vitality, enthusiasm and alertness. Variation in tone helps bring out the meaning of sentences and adds color to what is said. You can use tone to emphasize key points of your phone presentation.

8. VOCABULARY 

Choose words that the listener can understand. Absolutely avoid technical terms and slang. Generally, express ideas simply, but do not use words that have been overworked. The idea is to sound as professional as possible. Conversely, some terms have to be used in order to understand the intent of the caller, but you will want to keep these common terms to a minimum.

And finally:

9. USE A MIRROR 

Position an inexpensive mirror nearby. The reason for this may sound silly, but it has some basis in fact. If you are looking at your own reflection, you just may feel like smiling. If you are smiling, your grin will transfer to your voice. A happy customer service representative will likely gain more business for your company.

T1.7 List down the characteristics/skills of a good Listener and Objectives of Listening.

Listening makes our loved ones feel worthy, appreciated, interesting, and respected. Ordinary conversations emerge on a deeper level, as do our relationships. When we listen, we foster the skill in others by acting as a model for positive and effective communication.

In our love relationships, greater communication brings greater intimacy. Parents listening to their kids helps build their self-esteem. In the business world, listening saves time and money by preventing misunderstandings. And we always learn more when we listen than when we talk.

Listening skills fuel our social, emotional and professional success, and studies prove that listening is a skill we can learn.

The Technique. Active listening is really an extension of the Golden Rule. To know how to listen to someone else, think about how you would want to be listened to.

While the ideas are largely intuitive, it might take some practice to develop (or re-develop) the skills. Here’s what good listeners know — and you should, too:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness through body language.

2. Maintain eye contact, to the degree that you all remain comfortable.

3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask the speaker and other listeners to do the same.

4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur (“uh-huh” and “um-hmm”) and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as “Really,” “Interesting,” as well as more direct prompts: “What did you do then?” and “What did she say?”

5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to say next. The conversation will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.

6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during meditation.

7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree. Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.

Have you tried and tried but your best is still not good enough? Don’t know what to do next?  8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.

9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish to defend yourself. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won’t feel the need to repeat it, and you’ll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.

10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished. That way, you won’t interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to make sure you didn’t misunderstand. Start with: “So you’re saying…”

As you work on developing your listening skills, you may feel a bit panicky when there is a natural pause in the conversation. What should you say next? Learn to settle into the silence and use it to better understand all points of view.

Ironically, as your listening skills improve, so will your aptitude for conversation. A friend of my partner once complimented me on my conversational skills. I hadn’t said more than four words, but I had listened to him for 25 minute

T1.8 When selecting a medium to communicate with another party, what are the things that you must consider about

There are four types of communication:

1. Visual Communication

2. Written Communication

3. Verbal Communication

4. Non-Verbal Communication

Besides these four types of communication - which are explained below you can also click here to read more articles on effective workplace communication tools and techniques.

It is essential that you always place emphasis on communication skills in the workplace. By consistently striving to improve your skills in this area, you will be able to successfully establish strong business relationships with those that you work with.

There are many negative consequences that may occur as a direct result of communication challenges within a business. Examples of these consequences include decreased productivity, misunderstandings with regards to policies and procedures within the workplace, as well as employee dissatisfaction.

Naturally, all of these consequences could result in lower profits and high rates of employee turnover. In this guide, you will be introduced to the four types workplace communication that are absolutely essential to the success and efficiency of your business.

What is Communication?

Before developing an understanding of the four types of communication that are vital to the workplace, it is important to gain an understanding of communication. Many believe that this is simply talking. While talking is an important element of communication, it is not the only component of communication, nor is it the most important aspect of communication.

Communication is a process. It is where each one of us specifically assign and engage in the act of conveying a certain meaning so that two or more individuals create a level of understanding that is shared among all parties.

Communication experts agree that there is a vast repertoire of specific skills involved in successful communication.

These include, but are not at all limited to:

• Processing skills that are interpersonal as well as intrapersonal are essential elements to successful communication.
• Individuals must be able to listen and appropriately evaluate what is being shared.
• Basic observation and analytical skills are also required when it comes to productive levels of communication. 
• The way that we each hold our body is a means of communication. 
• Last, but not least by any means, communication is also questioning what is being said for understanding and speaking as well. 

Visual Communication

In the workplace, it is common to incorporate visual communication in order to share ideas that relate to the business, provide information to those that work in the company, and to outline specific points that need to be emphasized for the success of the business. Examples of this type of communication include specially designed signs, electronic communication, documents, and even presentations. It is essential that each individual has the capability of both implementing and comprehending visual communication processes in the workplace.

Written Communication

Written communication is also quite important when it comes to the workplace. This form of communication involves either writing or typing out information, facts, figures, and other types of necessary information in order to express ideas among those in a business.Examples of this type of communication include reports, evaluations, emails, instant messages, physical and electronic memos, training materials, and other types of documents that are similar in nature. In the workplace, this is a flexible type of communication as it could be formal or informal - depending on the message(s) that are being expressed.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a core component when it comes to the overall success of a business. Verbal means that certain sounds, specific languages, and the spoken word may be used. In today's world, there is a large diversity of individuals that make up the standard workforce. There are employees that are different ages, those that are from different cultures, and even a variety of races. It is important that a company strives to create a basic foundation for verbal communication so that each person in a company understands the others within that business. See grapevine communication.

Non-Verbal Communication

When it comes to communication in the workplace, it is important to understand the significance of non-verbal communication four types communication. When this occurs, it means that a physical manner of communication is being used to share ideas and meanings among others.

The physical activities may include the way that you move your body, the tone that is displayed when it comes to the tone of an individual's voice, and touching. In the workplace, it is not appropriate to touch another individual, but it is possible to ensure that the voice tone and the stance of the body is held appropriately so that the ideas, information, and thoughts are successfully shared with the intended audience. If you incorporate the four types of communication into your business, you will quickly see positive results. These include lower employee turnover, increased productivity, and a financial success.

TASK02

T2.1 List down & briefly explains the objectives, purposes of meetings.

Use an Agenda

The purpose of a business meeting is to follow the predetermined agenda. A meeting is used to discuss issues that cannot be addressed in a simple memo or departmental email. People set aside time from their schedules to attend a meeting. Your meeting will be more effective if you have a comprehensive agenda written out and you follow it closely. The agenda helps keep the meeting on focus so that it can address one issue, or a related group of issues, at a time.

Honest Discussion

While it is common for groups of people within a meeting to have preferences on solving an issue, the meeting chairperson needs to keep all options on the table and foster an honest discussion. Encourage ideas to be backed up with data and information that is pertinent to the discussion. Avoid allowing personal preferences to cloud business decisions. One of the objectives of a business meeting is to allow all attendees to have a fair chance at having their ideas heard.

Stay on Schedule

A business meeting is not a diversion from daily work tasks. It is a scheduled opportunity for staff and management to get together and resolve company issues. To keep the meeting focused, it is important to stay on schedule. Develop a corporate culture where meetings start on time and end on time. Staying on schedule will help eliminate prolonged discussions on topics that do not pertain to the subject at hand.

Professional Tone

A professional tone should be maintained at all times to keep a meeting productive. Personal attacks, foul language and sarcastic comments should not be tolerated. Ask meeting attendees to turn off all cellular devices before the start of the meeting to help maintain focus. The chairperson should maintain order by reminding attendees of the meeting protocol and remove those who act as a distraction.

T2.2 State the different types of meetings & list some examples under each type.

                     Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is the most important and most effective type of communication, because that is what we use to interact with people all the time. To understand the emotional and detailed needs of a person Oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process. The other type of verbal communication is written communication. It can be either via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of written communication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and precision of language.
 It can either be face-to-face or a conversation over the phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume andeventhespeedandclarityofspeaking.

                     Nonverbal Communication

Non verbal communication is a type of communication that does not involve words. It could be written, or sign language, facial expression and gestures that help understand the person with whom you are communicating. It is not very effective like the verbal communication. Facial expressions also play a major role in communication. Even expressions on a person's face say a lot about his/her mood. Also, gestures like a handshake, a smile or a hug can independently convey emotions and do not need to be accompanied by words

                    Formal Communication

Formal communication can be considered as communication efforts that are used to fit customary rules. It follows proper order, and procedures, and can be recorded to store the outcomes. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for this form of communication. It can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time.

                    Informal Communication

Informal communications are face to face communications that occur in general. It can be a general chat about anything; work related or not, can be texting, emailing, leaving post-it notes or a surprise visit. It can also take place as an informal meeting where you meet up with someone for a small disc. It does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. The conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter since we allknowthatfriendlychatswithourlovedonescansimplygoonandon.

2.4 Explain how an agenda helps to properly conduct a meeting.

Developing a Meeting Agenda

First, identify whether other employees are needed to help you plan the meeting. Then, decide what you hope to accomplish by holding the meeting. Establish doable goals for your meeting. The goals you set will establish the framework for an effective meeting plan.

As Stephen Covey says in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, "Begin with the end in mind." Your meeting purpose will determine the meeting focus, the meeting agenda, and the meeting participants.

Building an agenda is making a plan for the meeting. You start with the main goal or purpose that you are trying to accomplish by holding the meeting. Once you have decided upon your goal, you need to determine whether you need the assistance of additional employees to plan your agenda. If yes, invite them to join you.

After determining your overall goal, you, or your team, need to make the following decisions. In addition to the purpose or goal for the meeting, each of these items appears on the meeting agenda.

·         Needed participants for the actual meeting,

·         The items that need discussion or action that will lead to the accomplishment of the goal or purpose,

·         The amount of time that you anticipate the group will need for the discussion of each item,

·         A date and time for the meeting,

·         A suitable location, that will hold all participants comfortably, for the meeting,

·         Pre-work for the meeting. This will include any reading, documentation, data, meeting minutes from a prior meeting, or any other preparation that will make your actual meeting successful. This preparation should be attached to the meeting notice and agenda when you distribute them to invited participants.

In addition to the above decision items, standard agenda items should include:

·         Review the meeting’s purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes and product.

·         Review the minutes of the prior meeting.

·         Review participants' progress on commitments and action items made at the prior meeting.

·         The note taker or leader needs to review the commitments made by participants during the meeting as a final agenda item.

Decide Who Must Participate to Accomplish Your Agenda

Once you have decided that a meeting is necessary to accomplish your goal, you need to develop the list of participants. Not every employee can or should participate in every meeting, but inviting the right participants will enhance your likelihood of success. Determine your participants by asking yourself questions such as the following.

·         Who must own the solution the group develops?

·         Who owns the process the group is discussing?

·         Who needs to know the information you are distributing?

·         Who can provide data and facts to guide decision making?

·         Who has experience or expertise to share with the group?

·         Who must support the implementation of any solutions or tasks?

·         Who must provide permission or resources to accomplish the meeting outcome?

·         Who might oppose the implementation of any solutions or direction?

Meeting Agenda for Regularly Scheduled Meetings

Not every meeting needs a custom developed agenda. Most employees have regularly scheduled meetings for their departments or work groups. You also have teams and projects that you participate on. An ongoing project may not require a newly developed agenda for every meeting, but your team will be well served by adopting a standard approach to your meeting.

The regularly scheduled meeting divides into three segments that each have standard agenda items: Informational Items, Action Items, and Forward Planning.

Meeting Agenda

Informational Items:

·           Warm-up and greetings. Consider a brief ice breaker depending on how frequently the group meets.

·         Review the meeting’s purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes and product.

·         Review the minutes of the prior meeting.

 Provide appropriate departmental and company information that the team needs.

Action Items:

*. Review progress on action items, action plans, and commitments.

*.Review group progress on goals

*. Discuss and make decisions about the agenda items for this meeting.

 *.Identify next steps.

Forward Planning:

*.Identify the purpose, outcome, and agenda for the next meeting.

 *.The note taker should review the commitments made by people during the meeting.

 *.Identify assistance needed from people not in the group and assign participants to make contact.

*.Send minutes out within 24 hours of the meeting.

*.If you follow these guidelines when you develop your meeting agenda, you enhance the probability that your meeting will produce results.

T2.5 List down at least ten characteristics/skills of a good speaker.                  

Every public speaker should be able to:

1.      Research a topic – Good speakers stick to what they know. Great speakers research what they need to convey their message.

2.      Focus – Help your audience grasp your message by focusing on your message. Stories, humour, or other “sidebars” should connect to the core idea. Anything that doesn’t needs to be edited out.

3.      Organize ideas logically – A well-organized presentation can be absorbed with minimal mental strain. Bridging is key.

4.      Employ quotations, facts, and statistics – Don’t include these for the sake of including them, but do use them appropriately to complement your ideas.

5.      Master metaphors – Metaphors enhance the understandability of the message in a way that direct language often can not.

6.      Tell a story – Everyone loves a story. Points wrapped up in a story are more memorable, too!

7.      Start strong and close stronger – The body of your presentation should be strong too, but your audience will remember your first and last words (if, indeed, they remember anything at all).

8.      Incorporate humour – Knowing when to use humour is essential. So is developing the comedic timing to deliver it with greatest effect.

9.      Vary vocal pace, tone, and volume – A monotone voice is like fingernails on the chalkboard.

10.  Punctuate words with gestures – Gestures should complement your words in harmony. Tell them how big the fish was, and show them with your arms.

11.  Utilize 3-dimensional space – Chaining yourself to the lectern limits the energy and passion you can exhibit. Lose the notes, and lose the chain.

12.  Complement words with visual aids – Visual aids should aid the message; they should not be the message. Read slide:ology or thePresentation Zen book and adopt the techniques.

13.  Analyze your audience – Deliver the message they want (or need) to hear.

14.  Connect with the audience – Eye contact is only the first step. Aim to have the audience conclude “This speaker is just like me!” The sooner, the better.

15.  Interact with the audience – Ask questions (and care about the answers). Solicit volunteers. Make your presentation a dialogue.

16.  Conduct a Q&A session – Not every speaking opportunity affords a Q&A session, but understand how to lead one productively. Use the Q&A to solidify the impression that you are an expert, not (just) a speaker.

17.  Lead a discussion – Again, not every speaking opportunity affords time for a discussion, but know how to engage the audience productively.

18.  Obey time constraints – Maybe you have 2 minutes. Maybe you have 45. Either way, customize your presentation to fit the time allowed, and respect your audience by not going over time.

19.  Craft an introduction – Set the context and make sure the audience is ready to go, whether the introduction is for you or for someone else.

20.  Exhibit confidence and poise – These qualities are sometimes difficult for a speaker to attain, but easy for an audience to sense.

TASK03

T3.1 Explain what is meant by “ Advertising”

Advertising is the backbone for any business. It is a form of mass

communication, a powerful marketing tool.

When a market or a firm has developed a product to satisfy market demand after

thoroughly analyzing the market, there is a need for establishing contact with the

target market to eventually sell the product. Advertising helps in reaching to the

target market.

Advertisement is a form of communication which can make the consumers aware of a specific product or services available in the market. It is very important to create brand awareness, brand positioning and brand loyalty among potential customers. There are various medias through which thesemessages are promoted like television, radio, printed media (magazines,newspapers, billboards), and internet. Advertisement can be also in various forms like audio, video, textual or graphical. 

Objectives of advertisements can be classified in to two broad categories. First category is direct action objectives like increase of sales volume. The second category is indirect action objectives like communication. There are further other aims which fall in these two categories like intensifying the usage of a product, and to sustain the preference of your brand. Moreover, it is also aimed to build attractiveness, to increase sales and for brand awareness as mentioned above.

  3.2   List down & briefly explain what are the effective advertising methods

          available

1. Advertising coop- Many businesses, especially work at home businesses, offer advertising coops. They will send people to your business for a fee. Usually the fee is relatively small. This is nice because you already know that these people have at least some interest in your business. Although they may not spend a penny with you, you at least get the exposure.

2. Website-The age of the internet has expanded the possibility of owning your own business to an almost unlimited number of people. It also has expanded the advertising audience to a tremendous amount of new people, world wide, who otherwise you would never have been able to reach. Although websites will cost you to get hosted, you can advertise it many ways for free. Things like link exchanges and article submissions allow you to get exposure to your website with no cost except for you time. And as we will see in a moment, your website can be advertised many other ways for free. The advantage of a website is that it centralizes all your business and products into one central location. It gives you somewhere to send people so that you don’t have to do as much selling because you let your website do the selling for you.

3. Answering Machine-Change the message on your answering machine to reflect the fact that you are now in business for yourself. You could say something like,” Hello. You have reached the home office of John Doe of My Business.com..” That way when you call that person back, they may ask you about your business and thus the door is open to discussing your business.

4. Put a sign in your front yard or in the yard of a friend or relative with your name and website address on it. This is a good way for your neighbors to find out about your new business as well as any people that ride by your house.

5. Place a magnetic sign or bumper sticker on your car. Now, when you are riding down the road, sitting at a stop sign, or leaving your car parked at the mall or grocery store, you are getting free advertising.

6 Wear your ad-Place your website on a sweatshirt, tee-shirt, or a hat. So, when you are out in public, people will see you ad and again it will open up the door to

discussing your new business.

7. Flyers-There are many places that will allow you to place a flyer about your business. Businesses like grocery stores, libraries, laundromats, hair salons and others will let you place a free ad on their public bulletin board.

8. Business cards-Don’t leave home without them. You never now when the chance to hand one out will happen. You may see an old friend, meet someone looking to

get out of the 9-5 rut or who is in need of a new opportunity.

9. Free Classifieds-Use the internet and the many free classified ads on it to advertise your business. A search using “free classifieds” will give you an almost limitless number of places to submit your website and ad.

10. Ezines or electronic magazines are also a good place to advertise your business. Some charge a fee for placing your ad in the best location, some let you advertise for free. Again a web search will allow you find numerous ezines to place you ad in.

11.Place your web address in your e-mail signature.

12. Place a flyer or business card in your out going mail.

13.Word of Mouth-The least expensive form of advertising and maybe the most effective way to advertise your business is word of mouth. Simply tell those you come in contact with that you are in business for yourself. They will tell others and they will tell others and it can go on and on. Sooner or later someone will take a look at what you are doing.

  T3.3 By taking an example explain about the competition in advertising (feel free to use  local to international examples)          

Comparative advertising has been used effectively by companies like The National Australia Bank (NAB), and its “break up” campaign has made such an impact it has won an award from Cannes, and a substantial increase in its consumer interest. Internationally acclaimed Apple Inc. has effectively utilized its Mac vs. PC advertisements as part of its marketing efforts to increase its market share over the years. Such companies prove the academic view that comparative advertising is more successful when used by established brands, justified by the credibility and attention an established brand brings. Other famous examples include L’Oreal SA v Bellure NV and Coca Cola v Pepsi. Comparative advertising has to be executed with caution and deep consideration for the targeted markets as the novelty of the concept affects the effectiveness of the stipulated campaigns.

In the 1980s, during what has been referred to as the cola wars, soft-drink manufacturer Pepsi ran a series of advertisements where people, caught on hidden camera, in a blind taste test, chose Pepsi over rival Coca-Cola.

T3.4 Explain how “presenting” supports to introduce a certain product to a market.

Obviously, there are many more ways to advertise your business for little or no money. The point is you don’t have to have the big bucks to successfully advertise you business or product. There are many people who have started and become extremely successful in their business on a shoe string advertising budget. There is hope for the small business owner. All you need is a website or add, a little creativity, a little time, and you too can advertise your way to success without going to the poor house.

Your advertising efforts need to be adjusted accordingly. Here are some cost-effective advertising tips that will help you get the most from your advertising efforts:

1) Start with your service.

Even more than other businesses, your success is going to rise and fall on the quality and reliability of your service. Whatever it is you do, make sure you do it as best as it can be done. The more successful client engagements you have, the more word will spread about your business.

2) Create a comprehensive advertising and marketing strategy.

Don’t just go at this haphazardly; look at this list, and figure out which of these tips are right for your business. Integrate those tips into your overall advertising strategy. Make sure your marketing message is consistent throughout.

3) Focus on relationships.

Service businesses are built on trust. Your customers trust you to do something for them; you need them to trust you enough that they’ll recommend you to others. It’s up to you to provide not only a quality service but quality customer service, as well.

4) Use the power of social networking.

Your business will rise and fall on just how social your customers are and whether or not they’re willing to recommend you. If you don’t have business pages or profiles for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social media sites, it’s time to set them up. These sites don’t take anything more than your time to set up and maintain. Just make sure you continue to devote some time to them, or they’ll quickly be forgotten by customers.

5) Get business cards.

Business cards may be old tech, but they’re still one of the best marketing tools around – especially for service businesses. You can have them printed relatively inexpensively. Give them out liberally. If you have the budget to take the extra step and make uniquely-designed business cards, all the better.

6) Ask for referrals.

Talk to your family and friends. Let them know what you’re doing, and ask them to recommend you to others. Make sure they each have a nice stack of business cards to hand out when they refer others to your service business.

7) Get involved in the community.

Your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary club can be great places to find new customers for your service business. Perhaps even more than that, these groups can allow you to make connections with other businesses. You may find that there are synergies, where a retailer might recommend your services to her customers, and you might recommend that retailer to your clients. Be actively involved in some of these groups.

8) Do something newsworthy.

In some cases, simply renting an office and putting a sign out front is enough to get your business highlighted in the newspaper. If you’re offering a service that’s new to your area, your local paper may consider it newsworthy. In other cases, donating some of your specialized services to a charity might gather some attention, instead.

9) Spend some time on local web search optimization.

The Yellow Pages are a thing of the past. When clients want a service, they go to two places: they start with word of mouth, but if they can’t get a good recommendation they turn to the Internet. If you already have a website, you might be surprised just how affordable it can be to do some local, geographic-based search engine optimization with your site.

10) Consider an email marketing campaign.

Email marketing campaigns, when done correctly, can be some of the most successful advertising methods you’ll encounter. Email is, when compared to others, a relatively inexpensive medium. It can be a great way to get your business name out there, and gives satisfied customers something that they can forward to friends and family.

TASK04

Conduct a simple research work about the following topic in order to evaluate your time management skills. “Use of new technologies in communication” (your research work must at least cover five topics/areas)

New technologies, largely based upon the progress of information processing and worlwide spreading of digital information sharing, have greatly contributed to the economic growth of the USA during the last two decades, and still do even after the financial downturn of 2008-09.

The information technology market is large by itself, from biggest corporate customers to almost every individual, and is large also because it is part of many other industrial domains, from cars, aeronautics, to biotechnologies and food processing.
The US leadership in information technologies (computers, telecommunications, multimedia) and in microtechnologies (microsystems, nano-chips) is still strong in many different ways:

§  scientific and technological breakthroughs, e.g. due to the development of the Internet, of social networks, of software, of electronic components etc.;

§  major industrial actors based in the US, whose position is dominant if not monopolistic: Google, Intel, AMD, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Oracle etc.;

§  some of, if not the best research centers in the world;

§  high concentration of venture capital and highly dynamic start-ups ecosystem, not only in California and Massachussets, but also in great Washington area, Illinois, Texas, even after the 2008-09 downturn;

§  the largest IT consumer in the world: the federal government, including the military ($80 billions a year);

§  high attractiveness of foreign specialists in hi-technologies, even if the return to their home countries is a new element (e.g. China, India);

§  good penetration of the Internet in homes, companies, educational institutions, though the US are no longer #1 in hi-broadband connection rate, lagging behind Korea, Finland, etc.

The R&D share of the federal budget for IT, after a very high increase at the turn of the XXIst century, under the initiative of the PITAC (President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee), followed by some slowdown in the 2005-2008, is increasing again. Some new sectors are causing this increase: Health IT, Security, High-End Computing as applied to Energy (nuclear, climate models), Biology (molecular modelling, DNA), and now for virtualizing computing systems (Internet services, Cloud).

Group Outcomes

Several studies have found that groups interacting either synchronously (e.g., chat rooms, audio or video-conferencing) or asynchronously (discussion boards, listservs) produced higher quality decisions, unique solutions, and more creative ideas than face-to-face groups. Listservs, discussion boards, and chat rooms in particular tend to facilitate participation by all group members, thus improving their yield of ideas. For example, with asynchronous communication (listservs and discussion boards), group members have time to reflect on what others have posted, and contemplate responses. Also, some software allows for anonymity in computer- mediated interactions. Research in organizational decision making has found that this anonymity can produce better contributions to group problem solving and decision making.

However, other research has found that face-to-face groups out-perform groups that meet via mediated tools. Although mediated groups may develop a greater number of unique ideas, the final product is not always better. Group members do not always use the technology available, so the overall amount of interaction may be reduced. It can be easier for group members to avoid participating and contributing their fair share to task completion when group members do not meet face-to-face. Group members can simply delete emails, avoid the discussion board, or fail to attend a chat room meeting. The relative anonymity of mediated interactions can reduce group member loyalty and motivation.

Still, a lot of research has found no differences between face-to-face and mediated group decision making. Brainstorming, achieving consensus, and producing a quality report can be equally accomplished in both contexts.

Group Processes

Several studies in the organizational context have demonstrated that groups using new communication technologies solve problems and reach decisions in significantly less time than face-to-face groups. In addition, group member participation tends to be greater and more equally distributed among members in mediated communication versus face-to-face interaction. Also, it is much easier for one or two group members to dominate the group in face-to-face discussion, whereas when communicating using technology such as listservs and discussion boards, lengthy posts can simply be deleted or ignored.

In contrast, studies conducted in the laboratory (often using zero-history groups) found that mediated group decision making is more time consuming and less satisfying than face-to- face meetings. Group members become frustrated with response-time delays when using asynchronous forms of communication. Mediated communication is seen as less personal and more open to misunderstandings. The history that organization members have is absent from laboratory groups. Thus, laboratory groups lack the context that an organization provides and common understandings associated with organizational practices and routines.

Technology Available for Student Small Groups

Email

A number of online service companies offer free email accounts. Yahoo, Hotmail, Juno, Linux Freemail.com, and Mail.com are just a few. Although these services are free, users do have to pay a price: they must view advertisements on nearly every page. However, using a free email service can help small group members organize their email by having a particular address dedicated to the group or the class, such as jane_group1@freeemail.com.

Listservs

Listservs allow you to send email to multiple people by entering a single address. Most listservs also provide an archiving service as well as various options for structuring the listserv (e.g., moderated or unmoderated). Several free listservs are available for your use, such as Coollist, eGroups, and Topica. As with free email accounts, these free listservs are also advertiser supported. Listservs have an advantage over discussion boards and chat rooms in that email is delivered directly to members' electronic mailboxes. However, one disadvantage is that listserv email may get lost in all the other email group members receive (that’s one reason why an email address dedicated to a class or work group is useful).

Discussion Boards

Discussion boards are asynchronous web-based tools that allow you to post messages and read what others have posted. Lycos Clubs, Yahoo Clubs, Excite, and MSN Webcommunities have discussion board and chat room functions. With discussion boards, users have time to think about what to say, to compose, reflect, and edit their postings, and the posted messages may be read at any time by other group members. One advantage of discussion boards is that "threads" or discussion topics are easier to follow than when emails are sent to group members. In addition, because discussion boards are asynchronous, group members do not need to meet at a specific time. However, one drawback is that group members may neglect to visit the discussion board regularly.

Chat Rooms

Technically, chat rooms are termed Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Chat rooms are Internet-based systems for synchronous conversation in real time. Participants engage in text-based interaction that resembles the immediacy of in-person face-to-face encounters. Yahoo, eGroups, Excite, and @MyPlace.com all provide chat rooms. Most chat services offer other functions as well, such as free email, webpages, and discussion boards. Note that older computers can have trouble processing the software necessary to participate in chat rooms. Online chatting requires that participants respond immediately; they do not have much time to think about what to say or how to say it. However, chat rooms allow group members to engage in real-time discussion without needing to be in the same physical location.

Other Technologies

Newsgroups, or Usenet discussion groups, are electronic bulletin boards or forums that allow subscribers to read and post messages in thousands of specialized areas. The forums are divided by topics where individuals may post articles and comments on the topic at hand. Contributors write their comments and use automated software to post the message to the newsgroup(s). Newsgroups are often useful when researching a topic.

In MUDs (Multi User Domains), users experience virtual reality in a text-only mode via the Internet. Text description provides cues normally associated with sight, sound, and touch. When users connect to a MUD through the computer network, they are immediately provided with a textual description of the MUD's virtual environment. Once inside the virtual world, through reading descriptions and entering simple commands, participants can wander around and experience the sensation of adventure and creation. They can communicate, cooperate on adventures, or fight against each other. They can create new objects and build castles of their own by composing and storing textual descriptions, or they can alter or destroy artifacts built by somebody else. MUDs are especially useful for promoting creativity in small group decision making.

Characteristics of New Communication Technologies in Small Groups

Mediated Communication is Public:

Although you may think that email you're sending to one person in your group is private and confidential, the receiver can forward on your email to others with the click of a mouse. Write email and posts that won't embarrass you if others who are not your intended recipients read your messages. Videotapes can also become public, as several celebrities have found out. Chat rooms typically do not produce a permanent record, and you can set up chat rooms that are invitation only. Nonetheless, when interacting with group members via mediated channels, keep in mind that others may hear or see those messages.

Mediated Communication is Forever:

Unless we record face-to-face interactions on audio or videotape, such interactions are transitory. In contrast, mediated communication is typically archived in some way. This can be an advantage for small groups because group members can easily access past discussions. This can be a disadvantage if group members prefer to forget some of their remarks or if people outside the group access information that was supposed to be restricted to the group.

Mediated Communication is a Tool:

Using new communication technologies such as listservs, videoconferencing, discussion boards, and email will not solve a group's problems. These technologies are simply tools that group members can use to communicate with each other and those outside the group.

New communication technology has afforded significant comment regarding social effects, the newest section in a decades-old.

Pattern that increases and drops with each new communication technology .

There are 5 areas

1.     What is communication Technology.

                  Digital techniques used for connation between people or group communicate; technological development helps interaction between people or groups who are not actually present at the same location. System such as phones, fax, radio, stations television and video are involved. As well as more latest computer-based technological innovation  such as digital “information switch “ and e- mail, communication technology innovation is a team used to explain the various types of communication that are available in technical improvements.

2.     Types of Communication Technology.

             Communication technology is also known as information technology (IT) and information and communications technology (ICT). It is the merging of telephone and computer networks, as well as audio visual networks. This type of technology allows for great advances in the field of communication. The types of communication technology are telephone, radio, television, and Internet. Nowadays, the Internet is highly used in communications because of the efficiency and convenience. The capabilities of the internet include emails, phone calls, video calls, and forums

              

3.     New communication Technology.

           The wide availability of the internet has also opened up face-to-face direct communication from nearly anywhere in the world, thanks to the help of video-conferencing, social networking websites, Skype and a myriad of deals offered by telecommunications companies and smart phones thus making it far cheaper than in the past. Online communication can bring families / friends together across distances.

4.     Advantages of Communication Technology.

   Globalization - Video conferencing saves money on flights and accommodation. ICT has not only brought the countries and people closer together, but it has allowed the world's economy to become a single interdependent system. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information technology

     Communication - Speed, time, money can be saved because it’s much quicker to move information around. With the help of ICT it has become quicker and more efficient to contact either a business or family member. We can now correspond with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them, or sending them an email, for an almost instantaneous response.

      Cost effectiveness - It feels free to send an email, it’s without doubt cheaper than phone calls. ICT has also helped to automate business practices, for restructuring businesses to make them exceptionally cost effective. This, in turn, increases productivity making the business more profitable; that usually means better pay and less strenuous working conditions

      Creation of new jobs - Probably, the best advantage of ICT has been the creation of new and interesting jobs. Computer programmers, Systems analysts, Hardware and Software developers, and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities created with the help of ICT.

      Education – Computer’s along with their programs and the Internet have created educational opportunities not available to previous generations. Information is freely available to any and all with an internet connection.  

        Bridging the cultural gap – Greater access to technology has helped to bridge the cultural gap by helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another, and allow for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice

5.     Disadvantages of communication technology.

     Privacy - Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier, and more convenient, it has also brought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to e-mail hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge.                     

    Computer viruses,- worms, Trojans, malware, spam, phishing- any or all can cause chaos and disrupt our daily lives.

      Lack of job security – Experts in a wide variety of fields believe that ICT has made job security a big issue, since technology keeps on changing nearly every day. This means that individuals need to be constantly studying or at least keeping up with changes in their profession, if they want to feel secure in their jobs to be secure.

     Overriding Cultures - While ICT may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture consuming another weaker one.

     Reliability of Information – Anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection internet can start a blog or post something up on a website, so just because something’s on the web doesn't mean it’s reliable.

T4.1 Produce a Gantt chart to show how the time has been utilized & activities has been managed under the above research work.

gantt charts

Gantt Charts (commonly wrongly called gant charts) are extremely useful project management tools. The Gantt Chart is named after US engineer and consultant Henry Gantt (1861-1919) who devised the technique in the 1910s.

Gantt charts are excellent models for scheduling and for budgeting, and for reporting and presenting and communicating project plans and progress easily and quickly, but as a rule Gantt Charts are not as good as a Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagram for identifying and showing interdependent factors, or for 'mapping' a plan from and/or into all of its detailed causal or contributing elements.

You can construct a Gantt Chart using MSExcel or a similar spreadsheet. Every activity has a separate line. Create a time-line for the duration of the project (the breakfast example shows minutes, but normally you would use weeks, or for very big long-term projects, months). You can colour code the time blocks to denote type of activity (for example, intense, watching brief, directly managed, delegated and left-to-run, etc.) You can schedule review and insert break points. At the end of each line you can show as many cost columns for the activities as you need. The breakfast example shows just the capital cost of the consumable items and a revenue cost for labour and fuel. A Gantt chart like this can be used to keep track of progress for each activity and how the costs are running. You can move the time blocks around to report on actuals versus planned, and to re-schedule, and to create new plan updates. Costs columns can show plan and actuals and variances, and calculate whatever totals, averages, ratios, etc., that you need. Gantt Charts are probably the most flexible and useful of all project management tools, but remember they do not very easily or obviously show the importance and inter-dependence of related parallel activities, and they won't obviously show the necessity to complete one task before another can begin, as a Critical Path Analysis will do, so you may need both tools, especially at the planning stage, and almost certainly for large complex projects.

gantt chart example

In organizations and businesses, project management can be concerned with anything, particularly introducing or changing things, in any area or function, for example: ·         *.people, staffing and management ·         *.products and services ·         *.materials, manufacturing and production ·         *.IT and communications ·         *.plant, vehicles, equipment ·         *.storage, distribution, logistics ·         *.buildings and premises ·         *.finance, administration, acquisition and divestment ·         *.purchasing ·         *.sales, selling, marketing ·         *.human resources development and training ·         *.customer service and relations ·         *.quality, health and safety, ·         *.legal and professional ·         *.technical, scientific, research and development ·         *.new business development ·         and anything else which needs planning and managing within organizations. Successful project management, for projects large or small, tends to follow the process outlined below. The same principles, used selectively and appropriately, also apply to smaller tasks. Project management techniques are not just for project managers - they are available for anyone to use.  project management process Agree precise specification for the project - 'Terms of Reference' Plan the project - time, team, activities, resources, financials - using suitable project management tools. Communicate the project plan to your project team - and to any other interested people and groups. Agree and delegate project actions. Manage and motivate - inform, encourage, enable the project team. Check, measure, monitor, review project progress - adjust project plans, and inform the project team and others. Complete project - review and report on project performance; give praise and thanks to the project team. Project follow-up - train, support, measure and report results and benefits

Project planning tools naturally become used also for subsequent project reporting, presentations, etc., and you will make life easier for everyone if you use formats that people recognize and find familiar.

A wide range of computerised systems/software now exists for project management and planning, and new methods continue to be developed. It is an area of high innovation, with lots of scope for improvement and development. I welcome suggestions of particularly good systems, especially if inexpensive or free. Many organizations develop or specify particular computerised tools, so it's a good idea to seek local relevant advice and examples of best practice before deciding the best computerised project management system(s) for your own situation.

I am grateful to I Kerr who wrote (Oct 2013): "...I teach a module on Project management as part of a volunteer programme and have found the free tool GanttProject (http://www.ganttproject.biz/) to be very effective and user friendly..."

Indeed GanttProject seems to be excellent free software. I've not tested it fully so would appreciate further reports about it.

project financial planning and reporting

For projects involving more than petty cash you'll probably need a spreadsheet to plan and report planned and actual expenditure. Use MSExcel or similar. Financial accounting for small projects can sometimes be managed using the project's Gantt Chart. Large projects are likely to require some sort of require dedicated accounting system, although conceivably Gantt Charts and financial management accounts can easily be administered within a spreadsheet system given sufficient expertise. If you don't know how to put together a basic financial plan, get some help from someone who does, and make sure you bring a good friendly, flexible financial person into your team - it's a key function of project management, and if you can't manage the financial processes your self you need to be able to rely completely on whoever does it for you. The spreadsheet must enable you to plan, administer and report the detailed finances of your project. Create a cost line for main expenditure activity, and break this down into individual elements. Create a system for allocating incoming invoices to the correct activities (your bought-ledger people won't know unless you tell them), and showing when the costs hit the project account. Establish clear payment terms with all suppliers and stick to them. Projects develop problems when team members get dissatisfied; rest assured, non- or late-payment is a primary cause of dissatisfaction.

project contingency planning

Planning for and anticipating the unforeseen, or the possibility that things may not go as expected, is called 'contingency planning'. Contingency planning is vital in any task when results and outcomes cannot be absolutely guaranteed. Often a contingency budget needs to be planned as there are usually costs associated. Contingency planning is about preparing fall-back actions, and making sure that leeway for time, activity and resource exists to rectify or replace first-choice plans. A simple contingency plan for the fried breakfast would be to plan for the possibility of breaking the yolk of an egg, in which case spare resource (eggs) should be budgeted for and available if needed. Another might be to prepare some hash-browns and mushrooms in the event that any of the diners are vegetarian. It may be difficult to anticipate precisely what contingency to plan for in complex long-term projects, in which case simply a contingency budget is provided, to be allocated later when and if required.

3 - communicate the project plan to your team

This serves two purposes: it informs people what's happening, and it obtains essential support, agreement and commitment. If your project is complex and involves a team, then you should involve the team in the planning process to maximise buy-in, ownership, and thereby accountability. Your project will also benefit from input and consultation from relevant people at an early stage.

Also consider how best to communicate the aims and approach of your project to others in your organization and wider network.

Your project 'team' can extend more widely than you might first imagine. Consider all the possible 'stakeholders' - those who have an interest in your project and the areas it touches and needs to attract support or tolerance.

Involvement and communication are vital for cooperation and support. Failing to communicate to people (who might have no great input, but whose cooperation is crucial) is a common reason for arousing suspicion and objections, defensiveness or resistance.

See also project sponsorship, for details of how that role may be involved communicating to the wider environment and stakeholders.

4 - agree and delegate project actions

Your plan will have identified those responsible for each activity. Activities need to be very clearly described, including all relevant parameters, timescales, costs, and deliverables. Use the SMART acronym to help you delegate tasks properly. See the delegation tips and processes. Using proper delegation methods is vital for successful project management involving teams. When delegated tasks fail this is typically because they have not been explained clearly, agreed with the other person, or supported and checked while in progress. So publish the full plan to all in the team, and consider carefully how to delegate medium-to-long-term tasks in light of team members' forward-planning capabilities. Long-term complex projects need to be planned in more detail, and great care must be taken in delegating and supporting them. Only delegate tasks which pass the SMART test. Other useful materials to help understand team delegation are the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum, andTuckman's group forming/performing model. The Johari Window model is also an excellent review framework for quickly checking or reminding about mutual awareness among team members in large complex projects, where there is often a risk of project fragmentation and people 'doing their own thing' in blissful isolation - which seriously undermines even the best planned projects.

5 - manage, motivate, inform, encourage, enable the project team

Manage the team and activities in meetings, communicating, supporting, and helping with decisions (but not making them for people who can make them for themselves). 'Praise loudly; blame softly.' (a wonderful maxim attributed to Catherine the Great). One of the big challenges for a project manager is deciding how much freedom to give for each delegated activity. Tight parameters and lots of checking are necessary for inexperienced people who like clear instructions, but this approach is the kiss of death to experienced, entrepreneurial and creative people. They need a wider brief, more freedom, and less checking. Manage these people by the results they get - not how they get them. Look out for differences in personality and working styles in your team. Misunderstanding personal styles can get in the way of team cooperation. Your role here is to enable and translate. Face to face meetings, when you can bring team members together, are generally the best way to avoid issues and relationships becoming personalised and emotional. Communicate progress and successes regularly to everyone. Give the people in your team the plaudits, particularly when someone high up expresses satisfaction - never, never accept plaudits yourself. Conversely - you must take the blame for anything that goes wrong - never 'dump' (your problems or stresses) on anyone in your team. As project manager any problem is always ultimately down to you anyway. Use empathy and conflict handling techniques, and look out for signs of stress and manage it accordingly. A happy positive team with a basic plan will outperform a miserable team with a brilliant plan, every time.

6 - check, measure, and review project performance; adjust project plans; inform project team and others

Check the progress of activities against the plan. Review performance regularly and at the stipulated review points, and confirm the validity and relevance of the remainder of the plan. Adjust the plan if necessary in light of performance, changing circumstances, and new information, but remain on track and within the original terms of reference. Be sure to use transparent, pre-agreed measurements when judging performance. (Which shows how essential it is to have these measures in place and clearly agreed before the task begins.) Identify, agree and delegate new actions as appropriate. Inform team members and those in authority about developments, clearly, concisely and in writing. Plan team review meetings. Stick to the monitoring systems you established. Probe the apparent situations to get at the real facts and figures. Analyse causes and learn from mistakes. Identify reliable advisors and experts in the team and use them. Keep talking to people, and make yourself available to all.

See also project sponsorship, to appreciate the higher-level responsibilities for monitoring and reporting of a project's progress, status, implications, etc.

7 - complete project; review and report on project; give praise and thanks to the project team

At the end of your successful project hold a review with the team. Ensure you understand what happened and why. Reflect on any failures and mistakes positively, objectively, and without allocating personal blame. Reflect on successes gratefully and realistically. Write a review report, and make observations and recommendations about follow up issues and priorities - there will be plenty.

Where a project sponsor is involved it is reasonable for this role to be responsible for top-level reporting/review, and where applicable recognizing and rewarding the successful project manager and team too.

8 - follow up - train, support, measure and report project results and benefits

Traditionally this stage would be considered part of the project completion, but increasingly an emphasised additional stage of project follow-up is appropriate.

This is particularly so in very political environments, and/or where projects benefits have relatively low visibility and meaning to stakeholders (staff, customers, investors, etc), especially if the project also has very high costs, as ICT projects tend to do.

ICT (information and communications technology) projects often are like this - low visibility of benefits but very high costs, and also very high stress and risk levels too.

Project management almost always involves change management too, within which it's very important to consider the effects of the project on people who have to adapt to the change. There is often a training or education need. There will almost certainly be an explanation need, in which for example methods like team briefing have prove very useful.

Whatever, when you are focused on project management it is easy to forget or ignore that many people are affected in some way by the results of the project. Change is difficult, even when it is good and for right reasons. Remembering this during and at the end of your project will help you achieve a project that is well received, as well as successful purely in project management terms.

And again, see the relevance and typical responsibilities of project sponsorship within the overall successful conception, management and delivery of a project. 

T4.2 Briefly explain how difficult/ easy it is for you to work according to a certain dead line.

Being able to meet your deadlines, and deliver on what you have promised is an integral part of any job. It is so easy for a project to slide off the rails before it has even really started properly. So it is really important to ensure that you are able to deliver on time, what you have promised to deliver.

Mastering the art of meeting and managing deadlines is possible, but you need to have a plan, and keep your finger on the pulse at all times.

What can you do to ensure you meet your deadlines?

§  Agree to a reasonable deadline. This is extremely important. NEVER promise to complete a project by a certain date, if you know upfront that the deadline is not achievable. If you agree to a deadline, and kept quiet about the timeline not being achievable, you will still be the one who is going to be painted in a bad light, when you are not able to deliver. If the deadline is not achievable, open your mouth up front, and ensure that a reasonable deadline is agreed to up front.

§  Ensure that you are a hundred percent clear on what is expected of you, and the timeline the project should be completed in. Write it down immediately, diarise the date and ensure you have the right information.

§  If you are working in a team, ensure that everybody in the team, is aware of the deadline, and that they are also aware of the fact that it’s imperative that the project is completed in the set amount of time.

§  Always make sure you are ahead of schedule, work in advance, and give yourself plenty of time to complete the project. Always ensure that you are ahead of time so that in the event that that you hit problems, you have extra time to sort them out. Rarely does a project run exactly according to plan. There are always going to be unanticipated hurdles that you are going to have to overcome along the way, so ensure you have ample time available to deal with unforeseen problems. Give yourself several small deadlines that you need to work towards, and make sure you stick to them.

§  Set a deadline schedule. Break your work up into blocks set up over a specified time period. To get an idea as to how long you can expect the project to take, break it up into blocks and allocate each block a certain amount of time. Always allow additional time for these blocks to ensure that should there be problems or delays along the way, that you can still get the work done.

§  Be very careful of over committing. This is one of the main reasons that deadlines are not met. Rather be honest and speak up before the project starts. Know your strengths and limitations, and plan accordingly.

§  If you have taken all the above into consideration and along the way you realise that you are still not going to be able to deliver on time, speak up immediately. Do not leave it until the last minute to open your mouth.

§  Hold yourself accountable. If you have made a commitment to complete a project by a certain time, it is your responsibility to make sure that you do so. Take responsibility and if it means putting in extra hours then do so. If it means minimizing interruptions and distractions to ensure you get your work done, do so.

If you want to be taken seriously and have a good reputation, you have to take deadlines very seriously and respect them. Always remember time is money, and wasting time and money never goes down well.

T4.3 By using a tabular format, prepare a time planner for the above activity.         

Activities	Staring dates	Duration
Planning	01.01.2014	3 days
Organizing	04.01.2014	5 days
Collecting Data	10.01.2014	5 days
Implementation	15.01.2014	6 days
Revision	21.01.2014	4 days

TASK05

Following areas has to be properly managed & given priority when it comes to reaching to success & completing your work. Briefly explain the following topics & state how you manage the following areas to effectively complete your work.

T5.1 Workload & time management

Chances are good that, at some time in your life, you've taken a time management class, read about it in books, and tried to use an electronic or paper-based day planner to organize, prioritize and schedule your day. "Why, with this knowledge and these gadgets," you may ask, "do I still feel like I can't get everything done I need to?"

The answer is simple. Everything you ever learned about managing time is a complete waste of time because it doesn't work.

Before you can even begin to manage time, you must learn what time is. A dictionary defines time as "the point or period at which things occur." Put simply, time is when stuff happens.

There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.

In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children seem to have grown up in only two hours.

Which time describes the world in which you really live, real time or clock time?

The reason time management gadgets and systems don't work is that these systems are designed to manage clock time. Clock time is irrelevant. You don't live in or even have access to clock time. You live in real time, a world in which all time flies when you are having fun or drags when you are doing your taxes.

Practice the following techniques to become the master of your own time:

1.      Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

2.      Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.

3.      Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.

4.      Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"

5.      Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

6.      Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?

7.      Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

8.      Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging. Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.

9.      Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.

10.  Remember that it's impossible to get everything done. Also remember that odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your re

Work From a List

Every effective executive works from a daily master list. It is the most powerful tool ever discovered for maximum productivity. When you create your daily list, you begin by writing down every single task that you intend to complete over the course of the day. The rule is that you will increase your efficiency by 25 percent the very first day that you start using a list. This means that you will have two extra hours of productive time in an eight hour day from the simple act of making a list of everything you have to do before you start work. You can bring order out of chaos faster with a list than with any other time management tool.

Organize By Priority

Once you have a master list for your day’s activities, the next step is for you to organize this list in order of priority. Once your master list is organized, it becomes a map to guide you from morning to evening in the most effective and efficient way. This guide tells you what you have to do and what is more or less important. You will soon develop the habit of using your list as a blueprint for the day.

Time Management Systems

The variety of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and computer-based time planner systems available today is absolutely wonderful. No matter what you do, in whatever field, there are digital time management systems that you can tap into or load onto your personal computer to help organize every part of your life.

Organize Your Time

Set up a 45-file system. There is a simple method of organizing your time and your schedule for up to two years in advance. It is called the “45-file system.” This is a tickler file that lets you plan and organize your activities and callbacks for the next twenty-four months. This is how it works. First you get a box of forty-five files with fourteen hanging files to put them in. The forty-five files are divided as follows: There are thirty-one files numbered one through thirty-one for the days of the month. There are twelve files for the months of the year. January through December. The last two files are for the next two years. This is a wonderful system that you can also use with hanging files in your desk drawer.

Action Exercise

Get a time planner of some kind, whichever format you are most comfortable using (e.g digital or paper), and invest the time necessary to lean how to use it. The payoff in saved time and increased productivity will be enormous.

reffer: http://www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/time-management-tools-and-techniques-time-planner-master-list/#ixzz39973tUtZ 

T5.2 Stress Management

Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the ever-increasing demands of life. Surveys show that many Americans experience challenges with stress at some point during the year.

In looking at the causes of stress, remember that your brain comes hard-wired with an alarm system for your protection. When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones to fuel your capacity for a response. This has been labeled the "fight-or-flight" response.

Once the threat is gone, your body is meant to return to a normal relaxed state. Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life means that your alarm system rarely shuts off.

That's why stress management is so important. Stress management gives you a range of tools to reset your alarm system.

Without stress management, all too often your body is always on high alert. Over time, high levels of stress lead to serious health problems. Don't wait until stress has a negative impact on your health, relationships or quality of life. Start practicing a range of stress management techniques today.

Following are the sum of

Emotional stress usually occurs when a person feels the situation is difficult or challenging. Physical stress is a physical reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, which often occurs in the form of physical stress, such as stomach cramps, for example.

Stress management means trying to control and reduce the tension that occurs in stressful situations. This is done by making emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine how much improvement takes place.

ASSESSING STRESS

Attitude: A person's attitude can influence whether or not a situation or emotion is stressful. A person with a negative attitude will often report more stress than would someone with a positive attitude.

Diet: A poor diet puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. As a result, a person can be more likely to get infections. A poor diet can mean making unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a normal schedule. This form of physical stress also decreases the ability to deal with emotional stress because not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain processes information.

Physical activity: Not getting enough physical activity can put the body in a stressed state. Physical activity has many benefits, including promoting a feeling of well-being.

Support systems: Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with.

Relaxation: A person with no outside interests, hobbies, or other ways to relax may be less able to handle stressful situations. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night also helps a person cope with stress.

AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Find the positive in situations, and do not dwell on the negative.
• Plan fun activities.
• Take regular breaks.

Physical activity:

• Start a physical activity program. Experts recommend 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week.
• Decide on a specific type, amount, and level of physical activity. Fit this into your schedule so it can be part of your routine.
• Find a buddy to exercise with. It is more fun and helps you to stick with your routine.
• You do not have to join a gym, 20 minutes of brisk walking outdoors is enough.

Nutrition:

• Eat foods that improve your health and well-being. For example, eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Use the food plate guide to help you make healthy food choices.
• Eat normal-size portions on a regular schedule.

Social support:

• Try to socialize. Even though you may feel like avoiding people when you are stressed, meeting friends often helps you feel less stressed.
• Be good to yourself and others.

Relaxation:

• Try relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, listening to music, or practicing yoga or meditation.
• Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down or take a break.
• Get enough sleep. Good sleep habits are one of the best ways to manage stress.
• Do something that interests you. Take up a hobby.

RESOURCES

If these stress management techniques do not work for you, professionals, such as licensed social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists can help. Schedule time with one of these mental health professionals to help you learn stress management strategies, including relaxation techniques. Support groups are also available in most communities.

• Way to avoid stress,
• Find a quite places
• Write a friend a note or letter
• Read a good book,
• Get a massage
• Go visit with a favorite relative
• Get a massage
• Jump on a trampoline

T5.4 Daily Routine change management

Our consulting service: Changes of Strategy and  Objectives  Changes in Company Culture Changes of Organization and Processes Changes of Culture and Characteristics

To plan and implement change process, the classic project management is not sufficient. Changes in change projects are more then numbers, facts and data’s. Mostly they influence the employees and the organization of the company. They are in context with the social process, which has to be controlled.

The success of a project and the company depends on the willingness with changes.

To stay competitive in a complex and changeable company environment, it is necessary to improve your strategy, objectives and processes continuous. 

From time to time the strategy and objectives changes are helpful. Also bad or wrong defined company and organization structure or processes can be the reason for blockage or difficulties.

TASK06

Assume you are working in a locally governed advertising company that operates all its businesses even in an international level. And the owner of the relevant company has decided to handover the management to a Korean management consultancy company. There will be no new recruitments except top management authorities. Same no of employees will be working under the operational level under their current designations. So before handing over the management to Korean management authorities, as the director of the business you should analyze and get solutions for future issues. The solutions that you supposed to be taken cannot be badly impacts to the new intended management.

T6.1 List down & briefly discuss what types of issues that may arise

*.If we take new company the first problem is we had new management rules. Therefore first effect going to workers. For example worker’s salary, increments, allowance and etc. sometimes they not agree the rules.

*.Then our company achievements going to break. Because we make one ambition to work there and the hard work if company management change the time we going to stuck there. Then we cannot follow our aims.

*.The main issue is if our management going to change we face the big problem in surrounds. First we are going to publish our new management. Sometimes they not reach our people’s mind. Then we lose our company.

*.Our company managements only decide their benefits. These benefits sometime not satisfied our customers. Therefore we have to lose our customers.

*.In our country we must want to local leave schedule

There are a number of definitions of ethics, for example in the English Oxford Dictionary the word ethics is defined as "Relating to morals, treating of moral questions; morally correct, honourable".

On a day-to-day basis ethics or professional behaviour is often described as behaving appropriately, doing the right thing, acting with integrity or acting in a way that maintains or improves the trust that others have in you. A very simple but effective question to ask yourself when you are unsure about a course of action to take is: "If you act in a certain way would you be happy for others to know of your actions?" This then leads to questions like:

§  What if the information became publicly available through the press or the internet? Could you defend yourself and justify your actions?

§  Do you have a credible audit trail that can show you made an informed decision? 

§  Did you fully assess what the risks might be and who might be affected by your actions? 

T6.2 List down & briefly explain what are the benefits that may arise due to above change

o   The new management come it become a new company design them. New company members are come in its mean new faces, new ideas and innovation environment will create a good company.

o   They are giving the support for our workers to their privileges. Its help to improve the workers life.

o   Korean company they produce the new technology machineries equipment and the manpower we can make our company to fist one.

T6.3 what are the systematic approaches you may apply to handle the problems?

      Some problems, such as fixing a broken computer, can be pretty easy to solve if you have the right knowledge. Others, such as figuring out what you want to do with your life, can be very overwhelming because that answer is unique to you and takes time and experience to resolve—not to mention several other complications. Nonetheless, you can find solutions to simple and difficult problems alike by approaching them a particular way. While this approach to problem-solving isn't the only way, it's one way I've found particularly effective. Here are the basic steps you need to take to go from problem to solution:

• Understand the Problem, so you know you're actually focusing on the the real issue at hand.
• Create a Plan, so you have a series of actionable steps to follow.
• Keep Yourself Motivated, so you don't give up or get frustrated when it takes a while to successfully resolve the problem.

Identify Primary Issues

Often problems are stated in terms describing symptoms rather than root causes. It is a common pitfall for managers to react to these symptoms and take action to resolve them without identifying their underlying causes. To avoid this misstep, managers should stand back and examine the problem to identify actual causes and the degree of difficulty involved in resolving the issue.

Identification of the primary issue is key to the rest of the resolution process. If not properly identified, the manager can waste valuable time and resources on inapplicable solutions.

Frame the Problem

Framing is another word for structuring the problem. Once the preliminary issue has been identified, framing allows the manager to structure the problem in the proper context, identifying the resources and potential solutions that may need to be employed. It should be noted that how a problem is framed does create a bias toward one solution over another. For instance, in terms of accounts, compare, “How can this problem be solved without impacting my profitability?” to “How can this problem be resolved to the customer’s complete satisfaction?” One solution is clearly customer focused while the other is internally focused. The solutions framed by both questions will produce markedly different results.

Gather Information

The third phase of problem solving is the gathering of facts and information to clearly define the extent of the problem and point to the causes. One pitfall managers must be cognizant of is not to discount information that challenges their perceptions and personal biases.

The key to information gathering is to go about it in a systematic manner that allows facts and data to be developed in an organized fashion.

Identify and Prioritize Potential Solutions

As information and data are organized, correlated and analyzed, a series of possible solutions should begin to emerge. When able, managers should use brainstorming techniques with all of the involved parties to identify several paths to take. At this point, limiting factors and other criteria should not be considered. The key is to flesh out ideas and concepts, group them and develop a final series of potential solutions to be considered.

Once the list of all potential solutions has been created, the manager should examine the feasibility of each in regard to time, cost, ease of use, satisfaction and any other important criteria. Solutions should then be ranked from best to worst.

Agree on Optimal Solution

The ideal solution is the one that is acceptable to all parties. The top one or two potential solutions should be considered and modified to meet the needs of all concerned. A win-lose solution may be expedient, but will create ill will in the long-term; as such, where possible it is always better to arrive at a win-win solution.

Assimilate Lessons

The final aspect of problem solving often overlooked by managers is the ability to assimilate the lessons learned from the situation and to refer back to those lessons when a similar problem arises.

TASK07

T7.1 Explain Pareto Analysis.   

Pareto Analysis:

 When faced with a range of issues, it is often difficult to know which to work on first. To resolve this problem, the most useful thing to do is to apply Pareto's rule. It can be described as the 80/20 rule applied to quality-control.  The 80/20 rule was originally formalized by Vilifredo Pareto, after studying the distribution of wealth.  He noticed that about 80% of wealth was held by about 20% of the population. Several years later, Joseph Juran applied the principle to quality-control, and Pareto Analysis was born. Pareto Analysis essentially states that 80% of quality problems in the end product or service are caused by 20% of the problems in the production or service processes. Once these problems are identified, the 20% that are causing 80% of the problems can be addressed and remedied, thus efficiently obtaining quality.

It can be used in a technical sense to try and improve a process by eliminating defects.  It can be used in a human resources to try and find the time wasters in different work environment.  It can be used in finding out what the biggest hurdle may be to achieving a goal.

Use ofParetoAnalysis:
An example of where one might use a Pareto Analysis might be if you were running a restaurant. Approximately 20% of the menu items would account for 80% of the profit taken in by the restaurant.  By using a Pareto Analysis, the restaurateur would know which menu items to focus his business around. In the manufacturing of clothing if one monitores the returns of clothing with a Pareto Analysis, the manufacturer would be able to find the 20% of the root causes behind 80% of the returns.  A third example can be seen in the semiconductor industry. Again, a manufacturing process will be looked at but this time the Pareto Analysis will be used inline to determine defect causes during inspection.  Using a Pareto Analysis, engineering can decide which defects warrant the most attention, cut costs, and improve the end result.

 A Pareto chart has the following objectives: 

-  Separate the few major problems from the many possible problems so you can focus your improvement    efforts. 

-  Arrange data according to priority or importance.

- Determine which problems are most important using data, not perceptions. 

Benefits of Pareto Analysis

Pareto diagrams: 

- Solves efficiently a problem by the identification and the hierarchisation, according to their importance, of the main causes of the faults. 

- Sets the priorities for many practical applications. Some examples are: process improvement efforts for increased unit readiness, customer needs, suppliers, investment opportunities. 

- Shows where to focus efforts. 

- Allows better use of limited resources. 

A Pareto Diagram is a good tool to use when the process investigated produces data that are broken down into categories and you can count the number of times each category occurs. A Pareto diagram puts data in a hierarchical order, which allows the most significant problems to be corrected first. The Pareto analysis technique is used primarily to identify and evaluate nonconformities, although it can summarize all types of data. It is the perhaps the diagram most often used in management presentations.

The Pareto chart

A Pareto chart is a graphical representation that displays data in order of priority. It can be a powerful tool for identifying the relative importance of causes, most of which arise from only a few of the processes, hence the 80:20 rule. Pareto Analysis is used to focus problem solving activities, so that areas creating most of the issues and difficulties are addressed first.

How to Use It

In conducting a Pareto Analysis, the first phase is concerned with identifying possible causes of inferior quality.  This can be done through brainstorming, focus groups, surveys, or any other method appropriate to the given business.  The goal is to obtain actionable items that result in inferior quality.  For example, if I manufacture glass windows, and some of them must be returned due to glass chips and cracks, I may identify the following four possible causes of the glass inconsistencies (inferior quality): poor production process, mishandling at the factory, faulty packaging, and problems in transit.  Each of these items can be acted upon, and in our situation, we will assume they are truly possible causes of inferior quality.  Once the actionable items are identified, we can move on to phase two.

The second phase is comprised of picking an appropriate time period over which we would like to conduct our analysis and then conducting the assessment.  The goal here is to obtain a statistical sampling that is representative of the time period over which we are trying to improve quality.  Some quality-control measures may be intentionally applied to seasonal, biannual, or some other specified time period, depending on the business.  Some businesses may care about the quality and increased investment of obtaining that quality at certain times of the year, but not at others.

T7.2  down 6 C’s of decision making and explain them

Earlier in my career at one of the world’s great companies, Panasonic, I worked for a gentleman that taught me a valuable lesson about business and about leading that I carry with me to this day.

We had embarked on some ambitious new product development and growth plans and were struggling with a fair number of uncharacteristic but vexing software quality problems.  I would from time to time sit down with the group manager, a man that I’ll call Sam, and I would painstakingly describe the problems I was seeing in advancing our business.

Sam was a good listener and he would nod his head, stare out the window deep in thought and when I was finished, he would sit back in his chair and close his eyes…in obvious contemplation of the very challenges that I had just outlined (or so I thought).

After a few minutes of silence…and I was sure the silence was needed to let his great brain process on the issues, he would leap out his chair, smile at me and say, “But Art-san, the solution is simple.”  And with that, he would walk away, usually at a brisk pace.

I only had to experience this situation twice in order to appreciate the two deep lessons that I had learned from these encounters. 

First, I learned that it was a complete waste of time to bounce these problems off of Sam!

And second, I realized that he was right. We tend to take complicated situations and look for complicated solutions when most of the answers are pretty clear.  They may not be easy to implement, but they are usually clear.  Indirectly, Sam had given me a valuable lesson in Management by Occam’s Razor!

The 6 C’s: Your Leadership and Performance Power Tools

The same lesson goes for leading.  While there are no silver bullets for becoming an effective leader, there are in my opinion Six Power Tools that a leader can use to improve his or her effectiveness and drive performance excellence. 

1. Context: people do their best work when they can link their efforts and contributions to a bigger cause.  Ensure that your team understands your firm’s core strategies; leverage the power of a clear vision to provide high-level context and constantly involve everyone in providing input back into strategy.  And don’t forget to feed people’s hunger for results and progress updates. 

2. Connection: related to context, study after study shows the important human need to be connected and to feel valued and appreciated.  As a leader, pay attention to your people; empathize with their issues and give them the respect of asking for their input and listening to their concerns. You will promote strong performance if you establish a personal connection with your team members.

3. Credibility: people and teams do their best work for leaders that they respect.  My own research indicates that many leaders shoot themselves in one or both feet by not backing words with actions, by not treating people with respect and by not paying attention.  Treat every encounter as an opportunity for you to strengthen your credibility. 

4. Conditions: your principal job is to create the environment for your people to succeed.  It’s as simple as surrounding yourself with great individuals and then working unceasingly to do everything possible to ensure their success.  Focus on creating a high performance environment where values are clear, feedback is constant, goals are meaningful and accountability is the de facto expectation for and from every member.

5. Customer Connection: it doesn’t matter whether our customer is internal or external, we do our best work when we are armed with a clear understanding of how our efforts will enable our customers to succeed.

6. Communication:  master the art of feedback—this is your most powerful communication and performance tool.  Maintain a Questions to Comments ratio that helps you understand at a deep level, and when it is time for you to be understood, provide context and link your communications to vision, strategy and customer. 

As another career mentor once indicated to me in a slightly awkward but nonetheless meaningful phrase, “You will be as successful as you are able to communicate.

T7.3 What are the main criteria/s you will be considering while deciding “whom to be involved in decision making”?

·         Objectives must first be established

·         Objectives must be classified and placed in order of importance

·         Alternative actions must be developed

·         The alternative must be evaluated against all the objectives

·         The alternative that is able to achieve all the objectives is the tentative decision.

·         The tentative decision is evaluated for more possible consequences.

·         The decisive actions are taken, and additional actions are taken to prevent any adverse consequences from becoming problems and starting both systems (problem analysis and decision-making) all over again.

·         There are steps that are generally followed that result in a decision model that can be used to determine an optimal production plan.

·         In a situation featuring conflict, role-playing may be helpful for predicting decisions to be made by involved parties

T7.4  What is SWOT analysis? Explain strategic use and creative use of SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is an analytical method which is used to identify and categorise significant internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) factors faced either in a particular arena, such as an organisation, or a territory, such as a region, nation, or city.

It provides information that is helpful in matching the firms' resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates and is therefore an important contribution to the strategic planning process.

It should not be viewed as a static method with emphasis solely on its output, but should be used as a dynamic part of the management and business development process.

Who is typically involved?

People directly involved in various hierarchical levels of decision making in an organisation or business, or a wider sample of actors if the SWOT analysis concerns a whole region or nation. Representatives from a variety of stakeholders groups should be involved, as they would bring in the analysis their own particular perspectives. At least one expert in SWOT analysis should take part or moderate the process.

strengths

• What are your advantages?
• What do you do well?
• What relevant resources do you have access to?
• What do other people see as your strengths?

Consider this from your own point of view and from the point of view of the people you deal with. Don't be modest. Be realistic. If you are having any difficulty with this, try writing down a list of your organisation's characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths!

In looking at your strengths, think about them in relation to your competitors - for example, if all your competitors provide high quality products, then a high quality production process is not a strength in the market, it is a necessity.

Weaknesses

• What could you improve?
• What do you do badly?
• What should you avoid?

Again, consider this from an internal and external viewpoint: Do other people seem to perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Are your competitors doing any better than you? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.

Threats

• What obstacles do you face?
• What is your competition doing?
• Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing?
• Is changing technology threatening your position?
• Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems?
• Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business?

Carrying out this analysis will often be illuminating - both in terms of pointing out what needs to be done, and in putting problems into perspective.

Opportunities

• Where are the good opportunities in front of you?
• What are the interesting trends you are aware of?

Useful opportunities can come from such things as:

• Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale
• Changes in government policy related to your field
• Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyles, etc.
• Local Events

A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. Alternatively, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them.

T7.5 Explain the Decision making stages and Decision making styles

Decision making is a vital component of small business success. Decisions that are based on a foundation of knowledge and sound reasoning can lead the company into long-term prosperity; conversely, decisions that are made on the basis of flawed logic, emotionalism, or incomplete information can quickly put a small business out of commission (indeed, bad decisions can cripple even big, capital-rich corporations over time). All businesspeople recognize the painful necessity of choice. Furthermore, making these choices must be done in a timely fashion, for as most people recognize, indecision is in essence a choice in and of itself—a choice to take no action. Ultimately, what drives business success is the quality of decisions, and their implementation. Good decisions mean good business.

The concept of decision making has a long history; choosing among alternatives has always been a part of life. But sustained research attention to business decision making has developed only in recent years. Contemporary advances in the field include progress in such elements of decision making as the problem context; the processes of problem finding, problem solving, and legitimation; and procedural and technical aids.

The Elements of Decision Making

THE PROBLEM CONTEXT. 

All decisions are about problems, and problems shape context at three levels. The macrocontext draws attention to global issues (exchange rates, for example), national concerns (the cultural orientations toward decision processes of different countries), and provincial and state laws and cultures within nations. The mesocontext attends to organizational cultures and structure. The microcontext addresses the immediate decision environment—the organization's employees, board, or office.

Decision processes differ from company to company. But all companies need to take these three context levels into consideration when a decision needs to be made. Fortunately, economical ways to obtain this information are available and keep the cost of preparing for decisions from becoming prohibitive.

PROBLEM FINDING AND AGENDA SETTING.

 An important difficulty in decision making is failure to act until one is too close to the decision point—when information and options are greatly limited. Organizations usually work in a "reactive" mode. Problems are "found" only after the issue has begun to have a negative impact on the business. Nevertheless, processes of environmental scanning and strategic planning are designed to perform problem reconnaissance to alert business people to problems that will need attention down the line. Proactivity can be a great strength in decision making, but it requires a decision intelligence process that is absent from many organizations.

Problem Solving

Problem solving—also sometimes referred to as problem management—can be divided into two parts—process and decision. The process of problem solving is predicated on the existence of a system designed to address issues as they crop up. In many organizations, there does not seem to be any system. In such businesses, owners, executives, and managers are apparently content to operate with an ultimately fatalistic philosophy—what happens, happens. Business experts contend that such an attitude is simply unacceptable, especially for smaller businesses that wish to expand, let alone survive. The second part of the problem management equation is the decision, or choice, itself. Several sets of elements need to be considered in looking at the decision process. One set refers to the rationales used for decisions. Others emphasize the setting, the scope and level of the decision, and the use of procedural and technical aids.

RATIONALES. 

Organizational decision makers have adopted a variety of styles in their decision making processes. For example, some business leaders embrace processes wherein every conceivable response to an issue is examined before settling on a final response, while others adopt more flexible philosophies. The legitimacy of each style varies in accordance with individual business realities in such realms as market competitiveness, business owner personality, acuteness of the problem, etc.

SCOPE AND LEVEL.

 Finally, attention must be paid to problem scope and organizational level. Problems of large scope need to be dealt with by top levels of the organization. Similarly, problems of smaller scope can be handled by lower levels of the organization. This is a failing of many organizations, large and small. Typically, top level groups spend much too much time deciding low-level, low-impact problems, while issues of high importance and organizational impact linger on without being addressed or resolved.

PROCEDURAL AND TECHNICALAIDS

. In recent years, a number of procedural and technical aids have been developed to help business managers in their decision making processes. Most of these have taken the form of software programs that guide individuals or groups through the various elements of the decision making process in a wide variety of operational areas (budgeting, marketing, inventory control, etc.). Leadership seminars and management training offer guidance in the decision making process as well.

OUTCOME. 

Whatever decision making process is utilized, those involved in making the decision need to make sure that a response has actually been arrived at. All too often, meetings and other efforts to resolve outstanding business issues adjourn under an atmosphere of uncertainty. Participants in decision making meetings are sometimes unsure about various facets of the decision arrived at. Some meeting participants, for example, may leave a meeting still unsure about how the agreed-upon response to a problem is going to be implemented, while others may not even be sure what the agreed-upon response is. Indeed, business researchers indicate that on many occasions, meeting participants depart with fundamentally different understandings of what took place. It is up to the small business owner to make sure that all participants in the decision making process fully understand all aspects of the final decision.

IMPLEMENTATION. 

The final step in the decision making process is the implementation of the decision. This is an extremely important element of decision making; after all, the benefits associated with even the most intelligent decision can be severely compromised if implementation is slow or flawed.

Factors in Poor Decision Making

Several factors in flawed decision making are commonly cited by business experts, including the following: limited organizational capacity; limited information; the costliness of analysis; interdependencies between fact and value; the openness of the system(s) to be analyzed; and the diversity of forms on which business decisions actually arise. Moreover, time constraints, personal distractions, low levels of decision making skill, conflict over business goals, and interpersonal factors can also have a deleterious impact on the decision making capacities of a small (or large) business.

Improving Decision Making

Business consultants and experts agree that small business owners and managers can take several basic steps to improve the decision making process at their establishments.

Improve the setting. Organizing better meetings (focused agenda, clear questions, current and detailed information, necessary personnel) can be a very helpful step in effective decision making. Avoid the garbage can; get the relevant people in the same room at the same time. Pay attention to planning and seek closure.

reffer http://www.answers.com/topic/decision-making#ixzz39RDbRL59

T7.6  Do we have to forecast about the when making decisions? State your answer & justify the answer

Identify Problems

The first step in the process is to recognize that there is a decision to be made. Decisions are not made arbitrarily; they result from an attempt to address a specific problem, need or opportunity.

A supervisor in a retail shop may realize that he has too many employees on the floor compared with the day's current sales volume, for example, requiring him to make a decision to keep costs under control.

Seek Information

Managers seek out a range of information to clarify their options once they have identified an issue that requires a decision. Managers may seek to determine potential causes of a problem, the people and processes involved in the issue and any constraints placed on the decision-making process.

Brainstorm Solutions

Having a more complete understanding of the issue at hand, managers move on to make a list of potential solutions. This step can involve anything from a few seconds of though to a few months or more of formal collaborative planning, depending on the nature of the decision.

Choose an Alternative

Managers weigh the pros and cons of each potential solution, seek additional information if needed and select the option they feel has the best chance of success at the least cost. Consider seeking outside advice if you have gone through all the previous steps on your own;asking for a second opinion can provide a new perspective on the problem and your potential solutions.

Implement the Plan

There is no time to second guess yourself when you put your decision into action. Once you have committed to putting a specific solution in place, get all of your employees on board and put the decision into action with conviction. That is not to say that a managerial decision cannot change after it has been enacted; savvy managers put monitoring systems in place to evaluate the outcomes of their decisions.

Evaluate Outcomes

Even the most experienced business owners can learn from their mistakes. Always monitor the results of strategic decisions you make as a small business owner; be ready to adapt your plan as necessary, or to switch to another potential solution if your chosen solution does not work out the way you expected.

T7.7 Why innovative ideas are important to the ompanies/organizations

The different types of innovation that you are likely to run across include product, process, supply chain and marketing. The latter is the creation of new methods to market your product design or packaging with added enhancements.

So what are some of the reasons that businesses should not be without continual innovations?

1. Creative Development –

Qualities of innovative nature are essential for new businesses today. You can achieve growth by learning how to be creative. You need to learn this business skill to help make things of value from your creativeness. When you have this business skill you will find that it opens up all kinds of opportunities and gives you the potential for a new market and helps you to keep up with the current trends.

2. Continuous Improvement –

 Innovation gives organizational sustainability when you are making continual improvements and repackaging and re-branding. Any good manager will recognize the need to innovate and grows the business skills to increase their creativity.

3. Reinforce Your Brand –

Development branding is popular in organizational leadership. This process reveals information to help leaders to learn other ways to be more innovative. It is important because it is recognized as one of the main drivers for success. It gives organizational sustainability such as brand maintenance.

4. Making the Most of What You Have Already –

It is not all about creating a new product or service which you can sell, but you also need to focus on your existing business procedures to improve your efficiency, find some new customers, increase your profits and cut down on the amount of your waste. When you are continually innovating and improving on the practices of your business you will likely also attract better staff and keep more of your existing staff. This is detrimental to the health and performance of your business in the long-term.

5. Responding to Competition and Trends –

 Innovation can help you to see what exists now in opportunities or which ones will likely pop up in the near future. Businesses which are successful don’t only respond to the current needs of their customers, but usually predict the future trends and come up with an idea, service or product that can meet the future demand quickly and effectively. In this way you can stay ahead of your competition as trends, technology or markets shift.

6. Having a Unique Selling Point –

Generally, consumers will see innovation as something which adds value to products or a company. When this is used the right way, it can give you an advantage commercially, especially in a market that is saturated or shifting rapidly. It can get your more positive exposure in the media and your customers will be more willing to pay the extra money for something that is well-designed and new, rather than picking the less exciting and cheaper rival.

7.  The Use of Social Media –

Including the use of social media in your innovation campaign is great for managing, motivating and getting focused in your business. When you use it in your business, you are drawing ideas from a wide range of people on the social networks, giving you a successful outlet to find new ideas for your business. You can also use social networks to see what customers are saying about your services, products or company.

T7.8 Explain the barriers in decision making process

Steps of Decision Making Process:

Following are the important steps of the decision making process. Each step may be supported by different tools and techniques.

Step 1: Identification of the purpose of the decision:

In this step, the problem is thoroughly analysed. There are a couple of questions one should ask when it comes to identifying the purpose of the decision.

*.What exactly is the problem?

*.Why the problem should be solved?

*.Who are the affected parties of the problem?

*.Does the problem have a deadline or a specific time-line?          

Step 2: Information gathering:

A problem of an organization will have many stakeholders. In addition, there can b e dozens of factors involved and affected by the problem.

In the process of solving the problem, you will have to gather as much as information related to the factors and stakeholders involved in the problem. For the process of information gathering, tools such as 'Check Sheets' can be effectively used.

Step 3: Principles for judging the alternatives:

In this step, the baseline criteria for judging the alternatives should be set up. When it comes to defining the criteria, organizational goals as well as the corporate culture should be taken into consideration.

As an example, profit is one of the main concerns in every decision making process. Companies usually do not make decisions that reduce profits, unless it is an exceptional case. Likewise, baseline principles should be identified related to the problem in hand.

Step 4: Brainstorm and analyse the different choices:

For this step, brainstorming to list down all the ideas is the best option. Before the idea generation step, it is vital to understand the causes of the problem and prioritization of causes.

For this, you can make use of Cause-and-Effect diagrams and Pareto Chart tool. Cause-and-Effect diagram helps you to identify all possible causes of the problem and Pareto chart helps you to prioritize and identify the causes with highest effect.

Then, you can move on generating all possible solutions (alternatives) for the problem in hand.

Step 5: Evaluation of alternatives:

Use your judgement principles and decision-making criteria to evaluate each alternative. In this step, experience and effectiveness of the judgement principles come into play. You need to compare each alternative for their positives and negatives.

Step 6: Select the best alternative:

Once you go through from Step 1 to Step 5, this step is easy. In addition, the selection of the best alternative is an informed decision since you have already followed a methodology to derive and select the best alternative.

Step 7: Execute the decision:

Convert your decision into a plan or a sequence of activities. Execute your plan by yourself or with the help of subordinates.

Step 8: Evaluate the results:

Evaluate the outcome of your decision. See whether there is anything you should learn and then correct in future decision making. This is one of the best practices that will improve your decision-making skills.

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/project_management_softwares.htm

TASK08

T8.1 Define what is meant by stress.

Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. You can protect yourself by recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.

What is the strees

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight-or-freeze” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV.

But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Survival Stress - You may have heard the phrase "fight or flight" before. This is a common response to danger in all people and animals. When you are afraid that someone or something may physically hurt you, your body naturally responds with a burst of energy so that you will be better able to survive the dangerous situation (fight) or escape it all together (flight). This is survival stress.

Internal Stress - Have you ever caught yourself worrying about things you can do nothing about or worrying for no reason at all? This is internal stress and it is one of the most important kinds of stress to understand and manage. Internal stress is when people make themselves stressed. This often happens when we worry about things we can't control or put ourselves in situations we know will cause us stress. Some people become addicted to the kind of hurried, tense, lifestyle that results from being under stress. They even look for stressful situations and feel stress about things that aren't stressful.

Environmental Stress - This is a response to things around you that cause stress, such as noise, crowding, and pressure from work or family. Identifying these environmental stresses and learning to avoid them or deal with them will help lower your stress level.

Fatigue and Overwork - This kind of stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard toll on your body. It can be caused by working too much or too hard at your job(s), school, or home. It can also be caused by not knowing how to manage your time well or how to take time out for rest and relaxation. This can be one of the hardest kinds of stress to avoid because many people feel this is out of their control. Later in this course we will show you that you DO have options and offer some useful tips for dealing with fatigue.

Relationships

Arguments with a spouse, parent, or child can certainly increase stress. Problems among other members of the family, even if you’re not directly involved, can cause additional stress.

Emotional Problems

Feeling unable to relate to someone or needing to express emotions but not being able to can weigh you down with additional stress.

Life Changes

The death of a loved one, changing jobs, moving houses, and sending a child off to college are examples of big life changes that can be stressful.

Money

Financial trouble is a common source of stress. Credit card debt, not making rent, inability to provide for a family—not being able to make ends meet can put a serious amount of stress on a person.

Personal Beliefs

Arguments about personal, religious, or political beliefs can challenge you, leading to increased stress especially in situations where you can’t remove yourself from the conflict.

Occupation

Research has shown that pressure and conflict from a job can be a main source of stress for many people.

T8.3 What are the common signs/symptoms of stress?

    Physical symptoms /signs

    Emotional symptoms /signs

             Behavioral symptoms /signs

Stress has physical, mental, emotional, behavioral reactions

Stress often is accompanied by an array of physical, mental, emotional and behavioral reactions. These signal that your stress levels are too high and you need to do something about it. The following signs of stress are just some of the manifestations that it can cause in your life. Of course, many of these signs can be symptoms of mental and physical problems as well, so you should have yourself checked out by a health care professional to make sure they are not caused by a physical disease.

Physical signs of stress include:

§  Sleep disturbances such as insomnia or waking frequently

§  Clenched jaw or grinding your teeth

§  Stomach or digestive upsets

§  Lump in your throat and/or difficulty swallowing

§  Agitated behavior, like twiddling your fingers or playing with your hair

§  Increased heart rate

§  General nervousness and/or restlessness

§  Sense of muscle tension in your body or actual muscle twitching

§  Non-cardiac chest pains

§  Dizziness, lightheadedness

§  Hyperventilating

§  Sweaty palms

§  Stumbling over words

§  High blood pressure

§  Lack of energy

§  Fatigue

Mental signs of stress include:

§  Mental slowness

§  Confusion

§  General negative attitudes or thoughts

§  Constant worry

§  Your mind races at times

§  Difficulty concentrating

§  Forgetfulness

§  Difficulty thinking in a logical sequence

§  The sense that life is overwhelming and you can’t solve your problems

Emotional signs of stress include:

§  Irritation

§  No sense of humor

§  Frustration

§  Jumpiness, overexcitability

§  Feeling overworked

§  Feeling overwhelmed

§  Sense of hopelessness and helplessness

§  Apathy

Behavioral signs of stress include:

§  Decreased contact with family and friends

§  Poor work relations

§  Sense of loneliness

§  Decreased sex drive

§  Avoiding others and others avoid you because you’re cranky

§  Failing to set aside times for relaxation through activities such as hobbies, music, art or reading

§   

T8.4 Briefly explain how stress affects to your daily routine

Stress seems to be just another component of the modern life.

It is so common that it is treated as a joke by standup comedians, in tv sitcoms and in the print media. Here’s one for you, brought to you by one of the prominent stress reduction gurus:

§  Picture yourself near a stream.

§  Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air. 

§  No one knows your secret place. 

§  You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called “the world”. 

§  The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity. 

§  The water is clear.

§  You can easily make out the face of the person you’re holding under the water…

Stress is a process, not a diagnosis. We experience stress when there is an imbalance between the demands being made on us and our resources to cope with those demands. The level and extent of stress a person may feel depends a great deal on their attitude to a particular situation. An event that may be extremely stressful for one person can be a mere hiccup in another person’s life.

You may feel under pressure to do something and fear you may fail. The more important the outcome, the more stressed you feel. You can feel stressed by external situations (too much work, children misbehaving) and by internal triggers (the way you think about external situations).

Stress is not always a bad thing. Some people thrive on stress and even need it to get things done. When the term ‘stress’ is used in a clinical sense, it refers to a situation that causes discomfort and distress for a person and can lead to other mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

T8.5 Briefly explain how can you analyze/measure the different stress levels of individuals?

                        There are many methods to evaluate stress. The range known as social readjustment rating scale or stressful life events scale is given here. Lifestyle events are stressful. They requirement modify. This range gives a complete ranking for last one season based on what events have happened in your lifetime.

 Examine muscle pressure by “scanning”

                                       When you are check out, you are checking different muscle tissue in your whole body as if you could x-ray each part and look for pressure. Start at the top of your head and work your way down. Examine your temple, eyes, oral cavity. Then move to your shoulders and throat look for pressure or pain. Next your arms, chest area and abdomen. Examine your respiration to see if it is fast and superficial rather than slow and deep. Scan your upper legs and your feet and toes

Check hand temperature

Place your hand on the side of your neck just above your collar. If your hand is noticeably cooler than your neck, your hand temperature indicates that your body is probably stressed.

Check for rapid, shallow breathing

When people are relaxed, they breath slowly and deeply with relaxed stomach muscles. When people are tense, they often tighten their stomach muscles and breathe through their chests.

Check for a rapid pulse rate (> 75 bpm)

At rest, most people will have a pulse rate in the 50s or 60s. However, if your pulse rate is higher than 75 bpm, it may indicate that your body is responding to a stressor.

Check for nervous sweating

Many people perspire when they are tense. This is an involuntary stress response that is caused by the secretion of certain stress hormones. This is yet another simple indicator that your body is responding to some stressor.

                                                            End of assignment