PBS - professional business skill [module 1] notes (Calicut university )

Module 1

PROFESSIONALISM

Meaning

Professionalism means possessing the qualities of a professional. It is the way an individual conduct himself at work to represent both himself and his company in a positive way. It includes the way in which an employee carries themselves, the attitude they convey, and the way they communicate with their coworkers and clients. Being a professional means putting

“doing good work” and the “quality” of work.

Definition

According to Eric Mochanz,” Professionalism is someone’s inherent ability to do what is expected of them and deliver quality work because they are driven to do so”.

Characteristics of Professionalism

1. Specialised knowledge- they have both academical and non academical knowledge regarding his profession. Keeping up to date in his field is required

2. Competency- Professionals get job done, they don’t make excuses, but always focus on finding solutions

3. Commitment and Confidence- they have to interact with clients, supervisors and coworkers with commitment to the company and job. Confidence gives trust and credibility

4. Responsibility and Dependability- taking responsibility and fair in all work activities, he is also dependable to others

5. Honesty and Integrity- they keep their words and they can be trusted. They have the honesty to admit their inability and no hesitation to ask helps

6. Initiative and Accountability- they take initiatives in their work places and also accountable for their good and bad works, which means accepting mistakes or problems

7. Self regulation- they show respect for the people around them

8. Image- they try to build good image in the organisation. They dress carefully, dress up for the appropriate situations, well combed hairs shows their confidence and gaining respect from others

Traits and Qualities of a Good Professional

1. Excellence- Quality of care in all activities and continuously trying to improve knowledge and skills

2. Organisational Skill- keep his work area neat and clean, everything should be in proper places

3. Time management- He believe time as an asset and managing accordingly

4. Good Communication- it includes both ability to talk and listen.

5. Soft skill- The qualities that a professional should display, which is the inherent qualities of a human being like communication, leadership, teamwork etc.

6. Positive attitude- They always maintain an optimistic attitude towards work

7. Focus and Hard work- an employee who works with the correct mindset, works with dedication.

8. Ethical behaviour- they follow a strict code of conduct

9. Continuous learning- they are not stopping, they are expanding their knowledge through learning

10. Seeks advice- advices from other professionals from other fields

11. Advancing in profession- innovate and improves his service

12. Teaches new generations- showing and teaching the younger members of the profession

13. Appearance- Neat and clean, pay special attention to the appearance

14. Demeanour- It reflect confidence, polite and well spoken while interacting with all respects

Professionalism in Business

1. Establishes proper boundaries- establishes boundaries between what is considered appropriate and what is not. It avoids conflicts and misunderstandings

2. Encourages personal improvement- A business environment in which employee address and operate professionally is more helpful for business success. They feel positive towards themselves

3. Promote and maintain accountability- Accepting mistakes and problems

4. Establishes respect- gives respect for authority, clients, co workers etc

5. Minimise conflict- they have respect each other so they don’t fight for each other

6. Increased job satisfaction- it eliminates stress and gives a healthy atmosphere to work and so on they all are satisfied

7. The sense of responsibility- they handle different tasks and this create responsibility

8. Personal growth- people get appreciated for their good quality of output and that in turns builds much confidence and growth

Professional Skills

1. Communication skill- speaking skills, listening skills, non verbal communication skills such as body language, self confidence and respect attitude to others. It includes

• Verbal communication

• Non verbal communication

• Oral communication

• Written communication

• Visual communication

2. Decision making skills- making right decisions in business and work is one of the best features of a real professional. It can be improved with seeing, learning, experience and practising

3. Problem solving skill- the ability to use knowledge to find solutions and answers to problems

4. Leadership skills- the ability to lead, motivate, to inspire, to create, to persuade his followers

5. Interpersonal skills- “people skill”, the ability to build and maintain relationships, tolerance with others

6. Organisational skills- it includes general planning, coordinating resources and meeting

7. Time management skills- it includes setting goals, prioritising goals, creating a schedule, making list to maintain and manage the time

8. Stress management Skill- dealing with stress at work will create better work environment

9. Teamwork- collaboration with other people, understand and appreciate the value of other members in the team to achieve the organisational goal

10. Work ethic- code of conduct, punctual, error free works

11. Flexibility- adaption of change

Soft Skills for Business Success

Soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits, inherent social cues, and communication abilities needed for success on the job. Soft skill characterise how a person interacts in his relationships with others.

These are similar to emotions or insights that allow people to read others. These skills are difficult to learn and teach. These are self oriented skills and developed by himself. These are also interpersonal and social skills.

Soft skill can come in many forms, it is defined as a combination of people and social skills, communication and one’s own personal traits such as workplace attitude. They include

• Communication

• Empathy and emotional intelligence

• Stress management

• Flexibility

• A positive mindset etc…

Professionalism in communication

Communication is about passing information from one person to another. It is the exchange of information from sender to receive, it is only succeeded when the sender sends a message and and the receiver understood the delivered message.

Types of communication

1. Oral Communication

Oral communication relates to the verbal exchange of information or ideas from one person or group to another. They can be used either formally or informally. Formal oral communication takes place during presentations at business meetings, classroom lectures, political speeches, or speeches at ceremonies. Informal oral communication may take place anywhere within an organization, such as during face-to-face conversations, through telephone conversations, or during regular conversations at business meetings.

2. Verbal communication

Any interaction that makes use of spoken words is considered as verbal communication. It is the ability to listen to comments from others and to observe their reactions. It is the use of words to share information with other people. It can therefore include both spoken and written communication. It can be classified in to two: -

a) Interpersonal communication- communication between people

b) Public speaking- making formal presentation to a group of people. Preparing the speech to fit the audience

3. Digital communication

Social networking, emailing, blogging, texting, internet conference and research and teleconferencing etc.. these are the way of future

4. Written communication

It is the exchange of information, ideas, or messages through written language in the form of letters, emails, notes, and more.

5. Visual Communication

Visual Communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which includes (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustrations, industrial design, advertising, animation and electronic resources.

Factors of Effective Verbal Communication Skills

1. Wide reading- it improves vocabulary and helps to express ideas more clearly. Reading to business text, newspapers, publications

2. Preparation- prepare the content properly to deliver effectively

3. Listen carefully- when they speak, make an eye contact and it shows we have interest over them

4. Body language- facial expression, tone, words, gestures

5. Think in terms of listener’s perspective- thinking on the point view of listeners and speak

6. Speak with confidence

7. Develop skills- skills like mind mapping, workshops, online communication etc

Professional Presentation

There three primary skills in giving presentations

1. Verbal communication skills- voice, tone, pitch, volume etc contribute to effective presentation

2. Content- it should be logically ordered and organised, the topic what he has to present over the audience

3. Non verbal communication- such as text, pictures, facial expression, eye contact wit audience, gestures and body language

Organisation of Presentations

a) Introduction- it tells the audience exactly about the topic, provide an idea regarding the scope and coverage, and state the purpose clearly

b) Body- it should develop logically, emphasis the main points, and keep supplementary or background information in proper perspective

c) Summary- it is a brief description of the purpose of the presentation and a good restatement of main points

d) Visual aids- use of power points, graphics, charts etc to present the presentation

Presentation techniques

1. Gather information- collecting information from various sources about the chosen topic

2. Write down main points- from the collected information, we need to focus on the important points and should be written down

3. Develop introduction and conclusion- introduction shows the relevance of the topic and conclusion gives the brief summary of the presentation

4. Reactive the speech- practice makes the presentation in a better way through proper modulation, volume, eye contact and gestures. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends and families

5. Delivery style- by giving examples, making the presentation in an interesting way

6. Use of the podium- Using the mic and standing or moving behind the podium

7. Length of the delivery- duration in minutes or hours

8. Eye contact- eye contact gives attention from the audience

9. Voice- controlling, changing, modulating according to the situation

10. Speak calmly- calmly and even moderate speed

11. Question and answer session- it shows the understanding and feedback o the presentation

Different Presentation Postures

1. Standing posture- when speaker stand in a strong and steady position, with his feet about a shoulder width apart, it shows that he feels in control

2. Hands- he should actively engage in gesturing

3. Holding like a basketball- it gives the audience an impression that he almost literally has the facts at his fingertip’s hands

4. Palms up- it indicates openness and honesty, he is sincerely with speaking to

5. Palms down- a sign of strength, authority and assertiveness

6. Steeple the hands- when all five fingers on one hand touch the five fingertips on the opposite hand

7. Change the position frequently- don not maintain the same position throughout a presentation, try to balance the movements

Written Communication

It means the sending of messages, orders or instructions in writing through letters, circulars, manuals, reports, office memos, bulletins etc. It should be clear, correct and easy to read. It more formal method of communication and less flexible. A written document becomes a permanent record for future reference. Examples are email, letters, websites, postcards, greetings etc

Forms of Written Communication

1. Letters – it may be typed or printed or handwritten on the company’s letterhead. It is a complex layout which has to be carefully followed as each part of the layout has a purpose and is needed for reference. It can be sent by mail, speed post, courier or hand delivery

2. Memo- Short form of Memorandum, usually an informal message between members of an organisation and generally related to daily work

3. Notice- It is used when people in the same organisation have to given the same information, it is a method of mass communication and can be be put up on the notice board

4. Circular-It is a detailed document giving information, instructions or orders on a specific matte. It has a number and date for reference, usually issued by govt departments and other bodies

5. Report- It is a document prepared by an individual or a committee appointed with the task collecting information on a given subject.

6. Minutes- The written record of decisions taken at a meeting. These are legal document

Four common error in written Communication

a. Confusing Language- it can mislead the reader and cause communication breakdown. Some words are ambiguous, vague, trendy, exaggerated or inflated.

Example writing ‘msg’ instead message

b. Verbosity- Use of too many words, it may irritate , confuse and bore the reader

c. Poor sentence construction- Try to keep the sentence short and compact, correct, logical and easy to read

d. Information overload- giving too much information, so the reader become overwhelmed and confused. This may also cause frustration and doubts on the writer’s credibility

Advantages of Written Communication

1) Permanent record- it is evidence and can be used for future reference

2) Authoritative document- It is also known as evidence

3) Accuracy- more accurate, precise and factual

4) Legal document- it can be legally enforced

5) Long distance communication- suitable for long distance and repetitive

6) Easy understand- Messages can read again and again so it’s more understandable

7) Delegation of authority- Assigning responsibility and to delegate authority among employees through written communication

8) Suitable for long messages- length messages like annual reports, instruction manuals etc

9) Less possibility of distortion- It may increase in oral communication not in written

10) Develop confidence

11) Goodwill and image building

Limitations or Disadvantages of Written Communication

1) Time consuming

2) Expensive- In terms of money and time

3) No secrecy- cannot maintain strict secrecy

4) No instant feedback

5) Less flexible- Changes cannot be made that easily

6) Lacks personal touch- it creates communication gap between people because they may or may not see each other, and difficult to understand the emotion

7) Unsuitable for illiterate people- not suitable for those who have no knowledge in writing and reading

E-mail

Electronic mail is the most used tool for business communication at the workplace. It is send through the internet to a recipient.

Advantages of Email

1.Fast client communication- The main advantage of e-mail in addition to communication speed is the capability to send attachment with an e-mail where long miles

2.Availability and portability- Thousands of e-mail messages can be archived into folders on a computer or handheld communication devices such as a mobile phone to be retrieved later.

The convenience of e-mail allows keep file folders filled without papers.

3.Reduces shipping and mailing cost- Weekend send as many as messages, files, videos, documents and presentations through Internet without any cost.

Disadvantages of Email

1.Vulnerability to loss- All our e-mail and important information can be lowest with a simple hard drive crash. There is a chance of loss the valuable data

2.Accessible to others- An e-mail can be encrypted by a hacker or go to an incorrect e-mail address and wind up in someone else’s inbox

3.Difficult to interpret emotions- Recipients cannot see each other, the emails do not have any voice Infection or emotion that can help with the proper interpretation

Significance of Email in Business

1. Easy and fast

2. Easy retrieval (backup easily)

3. Economical (less expensive)

4. Marketing (used to make marketing through sending emails)

5. Privacy and confidentiality (these are our private messages)

6. Security (setting firewalls and authentication creates security)

7. Internal Communication (within the company or organisation)

8. Workgroups

9. Alternate means of physical documents (another option or way to keep the paper documents)

Email etiquette

It refers to the principles of behaviour that one should use when writing or answering e-mail messages. It is also known as the code of conduct for e-mail communication. Professionals must follow e-mail etiquette in their communication because it is a form of communication which is a reflection of senders and responder. The company needs to implement the e-mail etiquette rules for the following three reasons:

a) Professionalism

b) Efficiency

c) Protection from liability

Format, Rules, Dos and Don’ts

We must keep in mind some basic e-mail etiquette to draft the perfect official e-mail.

Before Composing: -

1. Identify the relevance – Whether this message is communicating through e-mail or sometimes we need to make a phone call or a face-to-face discussion, so identify which is relevant or not to communicate through e-mail. It includes the following

* Identify the purpose

* Focus on objective

* Focus on content

2. To line -The To field is the default place to write a recipient’s e-mail address. If messages sending to one person, it is essential to use To. The To filed can be used for as many addresses as we like.

3. Cc line (carbon copy)- A carbon copy or CC message is an e-mail that is copied to one or more recipients. Both the main recipient and the CC recipients can see all the addresses and the messages was send to. Each person who receives the message will be able to see the addresses of everyone else who received it.

4. Bcc line (Blind Carbon Copy)- This feature is similar to CC except that in BCC or blind carbon copy, recipients are invisible to the other recipients. When a message is blind carbon copied, neither the main recipient nor the BCC recipients can see the addresses in the BCC field.

5. Subject line- E-mail subject lines are like newspaper headlines. They should convey the main point of the messages or the idea that we want to communicate. That should be specific as possible and should write the objective of the messages and never use capital letters.

6. Salutations- It means that the way we address the recipient, we should be very careful in writing the salutation because it can be mistranslated the reader about the sender. So the sender must ensure that his reader is comfortable and happy with my salutation. Examples are: Dear professor, Hello madam, Hi Ms Indu, Etc.

7.Content- Content means the message he wants to communicate to the recipient. It should be clear and brief, sentences should be short and to the point it should tell the purpose of writing and provide a context to why messages are writing. Use paragraph, full stops, commas in corresponding places

8. Tone- Emails at the workplace must have a formal tone to them. There is always a higher chance of misunderstanding messages over emails because words are not accompanied by gestures, body language and facial expressions. Be polite, chose the words wisely, use proper punctuations and avoid capitalising all words.

9. Language- It should be grammatically sound and is spelled correctly, review the messages before sending them and also good to practise to proofread e-mail twice over and use spell check.

10. Writing a complaint- When making complaints, should briefly state to the history of the problem to provide a context for your reader and explain the attempts and made previously to resolve the problem and give suggestions or way to solve the problem.

11. Attachments- When sending an attachment tell the respondent to what the name of the file is, what programme it is saved in, and tell the version of the programme. Compress large files to read easily.

12. Privacy- If we need to share private information, pick up the phone, use a different secure system or use code attachments will stop confidential information can be sent in a locked format like a PDF, password protect it and encrypt it.

13. Check and review- Before sending message, read it carefully as if we were an outsider if it is found long, we must try to shorten the e-mail, editing and proofreading must be done in all cases

14. Response time- It includes responding to business communications as soon as possible, at least try to respond within 24 hours in that working day itself

15. The closing- Always sign off with the name of the sender at the end of the message. It includes * Signature

* Complementary closing – brief but friendly like thank you, best wishes, see you, regards, Etc.

Dos

1.Be concise and to the point- Do not make an e-mail too long than actually needed

2. Write in a positive tone -The tone should be smooth enough to give comfort to the reader

3. Address all the questions or concerns to avoid delays

4. Write about single subject- A single subject needed to be included in one e-mail

5. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuations

6. Read the email message before send it

7. Provide all supporting information

8. Keep language gender neutral- using him/her

9. Use active instead of passive

10. Use proper structure and layout- using paragraph, avoiding blank spaces between lines 12. Keep flaming under control- Flaming is the act of posting or sending offensive messages over the Internet. Calm down before responding to a message that offends you.

Read the message twice before send it

13. Add disclaimers to in emails- This help protect the company from liability

14. Check your inbox just before you leave office

Don’ts

1.Do not copy a message or attachment without permission

2. Do not use e-mail to discuss confidential information

3. Never respond if you are upset

4. Do not attach any unnecessary files

5. Don’t forget to attach documents

6. Never use sarcasm or rude jokes- uncomfortable trolls and memes that makes recipient feel bad

7. Don’t send emotional email

8. Do not write in capitals

9. Do not overuse a replay to all

10. do not use abbreviations- like pls, msg, pov, BTW, LOL etc

Technical documentation

Technical documents use facts, proof and evidence and are designed for use by technicians. Technicians like system analyst, statisticians, designers’ programmers, economist stockbrokers or building surveyors. These are more than just user documents, technical documentation can be in the form of models, prototypes, drawings, sketches, diagrams, blueprints manuals for softwares or presented as a training or technical services.

Types of Documents

1.Description Document- It provides information on the system requirements and the service offered, a detailed overview of the system

2. Installation- It provides information on how to install the system, description of the system files and the hardware configuration required, how to operate the system, how the configuration is.

3. Configuration- It means arrangement or combination of different parts to become a user part. This document provides information on how to configure the system or the software. 4. User manual- it provides instruction on how to get started and how to use the various applications.

5. System Reference- It provides information on System facilities, how to use those facilities, list of error messages and how to recover from errors

Standards standards are essential for producing good documentation. They provide guidelines on what content to include, the writing style and the format of the document. It gives framework of the document.

• What a document should provide

• What terminology should be used

• How the document should be presented

Industry Standards

Industry standards are generally adopted by organisations to ensure documentation they produce is of good quality. such standards become organisational policy, writers whether internal staff or contractors have a basis upon which to produce documentation.

Standards of Documentation

1.Clarity- Subject matter without errors or ambiguity, easily and quickly understandable

2. Simple language

3. Avoid Jargons- not to use any specialist terms or special words in the document

4. Indexing- There will be a chunk of information so the information should be well mapped and indexed

Attributes of Good Documentation

1.Content Listing - it includes table of contents, index

2. Stated purpose- start quick access what they needed

3. Navigation tools- Between includes colour coding, table of contents, dividers, drop down menus and icons and indexes

4. Accuracy- It should contain factual and correct information

5. Accessibility- headings, subheading, indexes, table of contents etc.

6. Clarity- without any mistakes or ambiguity in meanings

7. Coherent- Suitable or not, logically ordered

8. Concise- Required only relevant information

9. Complete and comprehensive-complete all aspects and it should have all information

10. Consistent- consistent in the manner of style, format, spelling, presentation etc

PBS - professional business skill [module 1] short notes (Calicut university )