Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 1
Effective Communication skills
(Course Code – HS 302)
Lecture Notes
September’ 2021
Prepared By
Mr. Makkena Suresh
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Omar Mukhtar University, Libya
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 2
Chapter 1 – Introduction
This chapter covers course objectives, course contents, definitions and the need of effective
communication skills to Engineers.
Course Objective: To teach and train the students to acquire effective communication skills and
make them effective in their professional careers.
Course Contents: Introduction to Communication skills, Types of communication – Speaking,
Listening, Reading and Writing, public speaking, Short speeches by students, Role of memory in
effective communication skills, Verbal Communication skills, Non-Verbal Communication
skills, Body Language, Facial Expressions, Gestures, Expressing and speaking while displaying
various emotions, How to create effective PowerPoint presentations, , Group discussions,
Interview skills , Enhancing Communication skills using advanced technology – Virtual reality,
Augmented reality and Mixed reality , Importance of Goal Setting and Time management in
Effective Communication , 4 Quadrant time management model.
What is COMMUNICATION?
According to Merriam-Webster: Communication means to transmit information, thought, or
feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood
Here, the term communicate refers to all the ways a person uses to send information and receive
information to get his/her task accomplished. Communication is a Powerful skill for students,
engineers and business men
The term effective implies various ideas such as excellent, efficient, very good, extraordinary
etc.
So Effective Communication skills deals with special and effective communication skills
required to communicate in personal and professional affairs of a person.
Need of Effective Communication Skills for Engineers:
While communication skills are necessary for every living being, it is extremely important for
Engineers to have Effective Communication skills.
The reason is Engineers design, modify and invent new systems. While solving the existing
problems related to Engineering fields , they need to have effective communication skills to
become successful in their career..
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 3
Chapter 2 – Speaking Skills
How do we learn to communicate?
We as humans tend to develop communication skills by natural process.
As children, we all develop communication skills naturally – by observing parents, teachers,
friends, neighbors and people in the surrounding society.
While developing these skills we follow certain sequence - Listening, Speaking, Writing and
Reading. And as we develop these skills, we slowly learn other means of communication such as
Body Language, Gestures and Facial Expressions.
Common Types of Communication Skills
1. Listening Skills
2. Speaking Skills
3. Writing Skills – This includes various aspects of writing including report writing and
PowerPoint presentations.
4. Reading Skills
5. Body Language
6. Gestures
7. Facial Expressions
In the following pages, we keep our focus on the above topics.
Speaking Skills
Among the available means of Communication Speaking is very important. As effective speaking
requires more time, we start our discussion with a focus on acquiring Speaking skills.
Speaking Drills:
In this session, each student practices the following short speeches and speak it in front of others
in the classroom.
Short Speech 1:
Subject : Introducing oneself to the class
Asssalam Alaikum.
Good morning everybody. How are you doing ?
First of all, thank you very much for this chance to speak to you .
I am Mr. Mohammed Mohamood Mohammed. I am from Libya. I am a student of Mechanical
Eningeering department. Along with you, I am attending this course - Effective Communication
skills. Let’s have Fun. All the best. Thank You
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 4
Short Speech 2 :
Subject: Tell something about your uncle
Asssalam Alaikum.
Hello everybody ! I am ----------------. Now I would like to speak about my uncle.
My uncle’s name is Mr. -------------------. He is --------- years old. He is a the brother of mother / father.
He is very close to me and also to my family.
He is a teacher / business man / ----- by profession. He is a very kind person. He always advises me to
study hard and improve my communication skills.
So, I will try my best to improve my Communication skills.
Short Speech 3 :
Subject: Tell something about world cup football
Asssalam Alaikum.
Hello everybody. Good afternoon. Thank you for giving me a chance to speak about world cup football.
How many of you know about football world cup?
Please raise your hands! Wow, all of you? That’s great!
Now let me tell something about this competition. This tournament is held once in every four years. The
next tournament would be held in -------------- in ----------------. I am very eager and excited to watch the
games live on TV. I think, this time ------ ( name of team) has bright chances of winning the tournament.
Because, it has great players such as ---- , ---------------.
The last tournament was won by ---------------. It defeated ------------- in the final. In the future, I want to
see my country Libya as world champions of football. Thank you for your attention.
Short Speech 4 :
Subject: Tell something about what you have done last weekend
Asssalam Alaikum.
Dear friends! How are you doing? I wish all of you are hale and healthy.
Now I would like to share about what I have done during last week end.
Well! On Thursday evening, I visited my uncle’s /aunt’s / friend’s house. I had dinner with their family.
In the evening I went shopping and bought some beautiful dresses for my brother / sister. I had a great
weekend. Thanks for listening.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 5
Speaking with Emotions
Each Student is required to make the above 5 speeches with the following emotions :
1. Happiness
2. Extreme happiness
3. Anger
4. Extreme anger
5. Sadness (un happiness)
6. Extreme sadness
7. Shyness
Do you need 5 Marks ?
Practice above short speeches with any two of the above emotions
and deliver them In the classroom as sought by the instructor.
Please Note:
You should not read from the Paper
You should not look into the paper
Give your speech from your MEMORY
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 6
Chapter: 3 – Memory
What do you undersand by the term Memory?
Memory is the process of remembering something. . It is the function of
HUMAN BRAIN / MIND
Using memory, we recall: Past events , Answers to examination questions ,
Phone Numbers etc....
What is the role of memory in effective communication?
Does Memory help Effective Communication?
• Yes or No - Why ?
• Effective speakers like Mr. Omar Mukhtar, Mr. Obama, Mrs. Hillary and Mr. Sarkozy
use their memory to communicate (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 – Effective Communicators – Mr. Omar Mukhtar, Obama, Sarkozy and Hillary Clinton
It is also to be noted that famous Arab singers such as Mr. Amr Diab, Mr. Kadim Alsaher, Mrs.
Nancy Ajram (Fig. 2) use their excellent memory to remember the songs and enthrall audiences
with their incredible communication skills.
Fig. 2 – Famous Arab singers
Hence , we can confidently say that memory plays a very important role in developing effective
communication skills. We all need to improve our memories in order to become effective
speakers.
Types of Memory
Short Term Memory
It retains information for 10 to 20 seconds without rehearsals / repetition.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 7
It is easy to remember 3 or 4 words or digits in our short term memory. The standard number is
7 ± 2, we can easily hold 5 to 9 numbers in our short term memory. This is the reason our phone
numbers are generally 9 digit to 10 digits in length.
Medium Term Memory
Using our medium term memory we can remember information from few minutes to few hours ,
even up to 48 hours.
Long Term Memory
Long term memory holds information from Few days to few decades..
The secret is to repeat or rehearse the information every day for 21 days to 66 days to facilitate
our long term memory to store it for long time. [[ Is it possible to Improve our memory?
Yes / No ?
How ?
– Training & Practice
– Rehearsals
– Repetition
Common Memory techniques
• Memory Palace : Use different rooms in your home / furniture to store information
• Major System : Converting numbers into pictures , store them and retrieve them
• PAO System – Person, Action, Object (converting numbers to action pictures involving
persons, action and object.
Many techniques are available to improve memory. Each year new techniques are being
invented to win Memory championships held across the world.
Steps in Memory Process
1. Encoding – Receiving information
2. Storing - Storing the received information
3. Retrieving - Get back the stored information into working memory
The Key to Good MEMORY is ..
Rehearsals
Spaced Repetition
Practice
Note : Live Demonstration on remembering 2 digit random numbers.
A live demo will be held in the classroom to convince the students that anybody can
cultivate a good memory with practice. In this demo, a 10 year old school girl would receive
two digit numbers at random from the participants , memorize them and then recall them in
any order sought by the students. Numbers would be recalled in ascending / descending /
row wise / column wise in any order.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 8
Chapter: 4 – Commonly used Communication skills
Question. Which communication skill do we use the most?
According to a research , we spend :
45 % of our time in listening ,
30 % of time in Speaking
16 percent of time in Reading ,
And 9 % of time in Writing.
Listening Skills
Listening is very important communication skill.
As children, we learn our language by listening to our parents
and neighbors.
We listen to our teachers to gain subject knowledge.
We listen to our religious gurus to gain Spiritual Knowledge.
Listening accounts for 45 % of our communicating time.
Unfortunately, its importance is not taught enough in
Schools and Universities.
It is a must for students to focus on Listening.
Effective Listening improves knowledge and
communication skills.
Speaking Skills
Speaking is important as it accounts for 30 % of Communicating time.
Unfortunately, speaking is not considered as a useful skill
in most of the schools and Universities in the world.
Due to this reason more emphasis is given for speaking
in our course – Effective Communication Skills.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 9
Reading Skills
Reading is very important for knowledge
and effective communication.
We need to spend more time in reading books.
We spend only 16 % of our communicating time in reading.
Self learning should be promoted among students.
Additional time should be spent on reading.
Writing Skills
Writing is extremely important
in Communication.
Writing skills are very important
means of communication.
Students and engineering professionals
are required to use these skills to write Essays ,
Reports, Creating PowerPoint Presentations,
Writing Research Papers, Writing blogposts,
writing news articles, Writing stories etc.
But sadly, we spend only 9 % of our communicating time in writing. Hence, more time should be
spent on writing to disseminate the acquired knowledge.
Presentation Skills
Good writing skills should be accompanied by excellent presentation skills in order to gain
maximum advantage. Presentation skills deal with presenting the knowledge or research work of
a student or an individual to a group of audience with an aim of disseminating new information.
Many software packages are available to aid us in presenting information. Most commonly used
one’s are Microsoft PowerPoint and Prezi.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 10
Guidelines for creating effective PowerPoint presentations
• Select suitable Layout for the Presentations.
• Fonts - Use 28 to 32 points for text size, use 36 to 44 points for headings.
• Use 12 to 14 slides for a 15 minutes presentation
• Use 6 to 7 lines for each slide.
• Use a maximum number of 30 words for each line - 18 to 25 words are ideal
• Use Pictures, Graphs, Charts in the presentation , because a picture speaks for
1000 words.
Presentations – Background Color
• Use good combination of Background color and text
• Should have high contrast ( Difference)
– Dark background with light text
– Or Light background with dark text
Ex. White background & Black / Dark Blue text
Fonts to be used:
Tahoma – Can be used for headings
Arial - Use for text
Calibri – Use for Text
Verdana – Use for text
Note: Any other suitable font may be used. The idea here is, the presentation
must be easily readable.
10 / 20 / 30 Rule of PowerPoint
A PowerPoint presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes
and contain no font smaller than 30 points
Note: This is a thumb rule . It gives only a kind of guideline. Students are advised
to follow the instructor’s recommendations.
Writing Skills – Writing an Email
• Email Stands for Electronic Mail
• E-mails are sent through Internet.
• Emails are delivered instantly (Immediately)
• Non-electronic mails take days, weeks, even months.
• Emails can be two types : Formal & Informal
Formal Emails
Formal Email’s are written straight to the point. They are less detailed.
Formal emails should begin with a salutation such as Dear Sir / Madam ,
To Whom it May Concern (if it is a letter)
Formal emails should end with nice words such as “Regards”, or “Thank you” or
“Best Wishes” followed by contact information and the signature.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 11
Do’s & Don'ts in Formal emails
• Colloquial words:
Do not use “wanna” : Use “want to”
Do not use “ Gonna” : Use “Going to”
Do not use “ Y’all “ : Use “You all “
Do not use “ Hey “ : Use “ Hi “
• Contractions:
Do not use Can’t : Use Can not
Do not use Didn’t : Use Did not
Do not use Haven’t : Use Have not
• Clichés:
I will have email you the report in a jiffy – Do not Use it
I will email you the report as soon as possible – Use it
• Abbreviated words:
Do not use ASAP : Use As soon as possible
Do not use lol : Use lots of love
Do not use P.S – Use Post Script
An Example Formal E-mail
21-03-2021
Al-Bayda
To
The Instructor
Effective Communication Skills
Omar Mukhtar University
Subject : Request for special permission
Dear Sir,
My name is Mr. Mohammed. I am writing to you to request for a special permission to come to
the lecture at 12 Noon as I have another lecture scheduled until that time.
Thanking you,
With best regards
Mr. Mohammed
Informal Emails
• An informal email is an informal piece of writing.
• Its style can be similar to speaking.
• It's up to us how we begin and finish it and whether we use paragraphs or not.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 12
An Example Informal E-mail :
Hi
Good mrg. Whats up ? This is Mohammed, your student. Can you help me ? I have a problem
with my timings. I will come late to your class today, 11th nov’2020.
Thanks
Mohammed
Face to Face Communication
We often use Face to Face Communication when we meet with people in our daily life.
Face to Face Communication includes..
7% WORDS
Words are only labels and the listeners put their
own interpretation on speakers words
38% PARALINGUISTIC
The way in which something is said - the accent,
tone and voice modulation is important to the listener.
55% BODY LANGUAGE
What a speaker looks like while delivering a
message affects the listener’s understanding most.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 13
Face to Face communication
is divided into Verbal and
Non-Verbal Communication
Verbal Communication –
Words (Arabic, English, French, Hindi.
Non-Verbal communication –
Tone of Voice, Body Movements,
Gestures, Facial Expressions.
Verbal communication:
In this type of communication
we use words to communicate.
Non verbal communication:
In this type of communication, we do not use words
Instead we use body language, facial expressions and
Gestures to communicate.
Question: Is it sufficient if we use only Verbal
Communication (i.e. only words)?
Do we need to combine verbal skills
with non-verbal skills ?
Which skill is better? Verbal / nonverbal / both
Let us find out!
Verbal communication Exercise:
One student takes a paper from the instructor and try to dictate its contents verbally.
The contents may contain pictures or shapes.
The student has to use only words either English or Arabic.
Non-verbal communication should not be used.
Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication
(interms of percentage % )
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 14
Non - Verbal communication Game
In this game students are asked to use only Non-verbal communication (Body language,
Gestures and facial expressions )
Each time , one student is presented with a picture. Then he/she uses non verbal
communication to make other students understand the contents of the picture.
Other students try to identify the person / things / contents
in the pictures by reading the non verbal gestures.
Success Factor of Communication Skills Communication Skills contribute to 70 % of our success.
Only Knowledge helps to reap only 30 % Success.
What did you learn so far..
• Effective Communication skills are key to Success.
• Good Memory improves Communication Skills.
• Memory can be improved with repetition and practice.
• For Effective Communication, both Verbal and
Non Verbal Communication skills are necessary.
• Knowledge alone is not sufficient to become
successful as it accounts for only 30 % of success.
• Effective Communication skills accounts for 70 % of Success.
Please remember..
No Pain, No Gain …
With proper planning and good training you can become massively successful in your
life..
Effects of Poor Communication - Frustration and Chaos
Watch the video on Good / Bad Communication (Visit webpage of the instructor)
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 15
Chapter 5 – Non Verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is extremely important in our daily lives. It accounts for 93 %
effectiveness in our daily communication out of which 55 % is contributed by body language
and 38 % is achieved by tone and voice modulation.
This means, using non-verbal means of communication (i.e without speaking a word) , we can
communicate with 93 percent effectiveness. Verbal communication is effective in only 7 % of
time.
Non Verbal communication includes Body language, Tone &Voice modulation. Body language
constitutes facial expressions and gestures.
Body Language
• Body language refers to any kind of bodily movement
or posture, including facial expression,
which transmits a message to the observer.
Watch the Body language of Hitler (1933) – Video clip from PowerPoint presentation
Observe his Posture , You don’t know the language ! Do you get his message ?
From fig -1, What did you notice? Can you identify the intention of the persons in the picture by
looking at their body language? Fig-2 displays the avoidable bad habits during presentation.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 16
Figure -1 figure -2
Figures 3 and 4 shows closed posture and open posture. The qualities such as hostility,
unfriendliness and anxiety may be observed from closed posture. An open posture shows
friendliness, openness and willingness.
Figure -3 figure - 4
How to use hand gestures in a powerful way while speaking ?
The following figures 5 & 6 show various types of hand gestures used by professional speakers
during their speeches. It is recommended to emulate them. But the gestures shown in figure 7
should be avoided. Putting arms over hip displays dominance attitude, putting arms behind the
back signals a kind of indifferent attitude as they reflect the weaknesses such as fearfulness,
defensiveness and non-professionalism.
Figure -5 figure -6
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 17
Figure -7 Figure -8: Formal Handshake
Initial greeting:
When we meet a person first time, we greet them. Three things are important while greeting a
person –Handshake, eye contact and distance.
Handshake:
The most common gesture that is used while greeting is handshake. Now the question is what
kind of handshake should be used to have a positive impact? The formal handshake shown in
above figure 8 is a good gesture that can be used. However, avoid wet fish handshake and
Squeezed handshakes shown in figures 8 and 9. Guess what happens, if you use them!
Figure - 9 : Wet Fish handshake figure-10:Squeezed handshake Figure-11: Eye contact
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 18
Watch the video clip of Obama vs Golden brown for shake hand
What did you notice? Who is right , Who is wrong ?
Watch the video clip of Trump ignoring Pelosi’s handshake:
Observe the body language of Trump and Pelosi.
It displays hatred and disrespect for the president of a country.
This kind of body language is not acceptable.
Eye Contact
It is important to maintain eye contact while greeting a person and also while conversing. Look
at figure 11. But one cannot look into the other person’s eyes for an extended period of time.
Once the initial greeting is over, it is essential to focus on social zone or friendly zone as
displayed in figure 12. However, it is uncomfortable and intimidating to stare into one’s eyes and
forehead (dominant zone shown in figure-13) for extended period of time.
Figure 12 : Social or Friendly Zone
Figure -13:Dominant Zone (Forehead)
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 19
Distance:
Lastly it is important to maintain sufficient distance to the person with whom we interact. The
amount of distance varies from culture to culture. As mentioned in the figure 14, it is required to
know how close you stand while conversing.
In figure 15, three zones are mentioned – zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3. In zone 1 , people usually
stand far away because they are just getting introduced .
In zone 2, this distance is reduced as they become familiar and trust is established.The distance is
reduced further when they become friends as displayed in zone 3.
Fig -14 fig-15
Gestures & Facial expressions :
Gestures and facial expressions are integral part of Non-verbal communication. Coupled with
body language they can make or break a deal. Hence it is very essential to use them cleverly
during our day-to-day conversation.
Figure 16 shows a silly gesture taken from a movie.The ok hand gesture in figure 17 is used
differently in different countries – it means money in Japan, zero in France and is considered as
an insult in Brazil. Similarly the other gestures are viewed differently in different countries.
Figure-16: Silly gesture Figure-17. :Hand Gestures
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 20
The following figures 18, 19 , 20 and 21 show various kinds of feelings with hands, facial
expressions & emotions .
Figure-18 Figure-19 Figure-20
Figure-21 Figure-22
Some emotions that can be hand-drawn easily
are shown in figure 22.
Figure 23 explains that it takes only 17 muscles to smile
where as it needs 42 muscles to frown.
So, it is better to smile than frown.
Figure-23
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 21
Chapter 6 : Cross-Cultural Communication
In cross cultural communication, the interaction takes
place between two people from different cultural
backgrounds
Example: An Asian interacts with an European (figure 26)
Lot of misunderstanding takes place if we do not know
other cultures.
Hence we must study other cultures to properly
communicate with them.
From the figure 27, it can be understood that
North Americans consider direct eye contact as a gesture
of honesty, But it is viewed as kind of disrespect
for Asians.Figure 28 displays cultural differences
between arabs and Indians . Figure 29 gives similar kind cultural differences.
Figure 27 Figure 28
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATOIN IN THE ARAB WORLD
• In the Arab world, non-verbal communication is given due importance .
• Even in the Arab world, there is slight variation among different Arab Nations in the
way non-verbal communication is used.
Observe the following figures 30 and 31. Can you identify the meaning of those gestures ?
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 22
Figure 29 Figure – 30 Figure – 31
Five commonly used gestures in the Arab World
1. Tapping one’s head with the palm of the hand (Ala Raasi)
It Literally means “On my Head”.
Its an expression of Gratitute.
2. Lifting one’s chin up and making a click noice with the tongue
It Signifies Disapproval
Used in various contexts
Commonly used by parents Towards their children
3. Placing one’s Right hand on one’s heart
It signifies a Warm greeting
It is used between friends , relatives etc
Mostly used when people see each other from faraway
and they want to greet.
4. Placing one’s palm out and face down and gesturing inward
This gesture signifies come here, if done repeatedly
If the same gesture is repeated when the palm is up it is
Considered impolite. For some people it is offensive.
5. Thumb and index finger making ‘O’ shape
In America, it symbols o-kay.
Some people consider it as a threat or evil eye.
Not accepted by all people in the world – Not universal.
Showing the soles / Shoes of one’s feet
• It is Disrespectful. It signifies rudeness
• This gesture should not be used at workplace.
• May be used if one is casually resting at home
• One has to be mindful of the environment
where the gesture is being used.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 23
Chapter 7 : Advanced Communication Techniques
Advancements in technology are bringing new techniques into our lives. Artificial Intelligence
(A.I) is becoming part of our lives and is going to impact our future lives. In order to become an
effective communicator, it is imperative for us to get accustomed with this new technology.
Many AI based advanced communication techniques are being used currently undergoing rapid
development. Some of these techniques include Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed
Reality.
It is highly recommended that students learn these new techniques in order to be prepared for
the future challenges in communication.
Virtual Reality (V.R)
• Virtual reality (VR) refers to a computer-generated simulation
• In VR a person can interact within an artificial three-dimensional
environment. VR makes use of electronic devices, such as special
goggles with a screen or gloves fitted with sensors
Augmented Reality (A.R)
• Augmented Reality is a kind of improved version of VR ( see following figure-34)
• It can add virtual objects in our real world and gives us a feel that they are real.
• Using AR, we can even add the 3-D images of our dead relatives into our real world to
get a real feel that they are with us. AR and VR are differentiated in figure-35 below.
Mixed Reality (M.R): This is an advanced version of VR & AR where the user can interact with
the virtual images. Watch the video about application of Mixed Reality at Indian Institute of
Technology,Madras during their virtual convocation ( see figure 36 below).
Figure- 34 Figure -35 Figure-36
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 24
Chapter 8 : Group Discussions and Interviews
Group Discussions (G.D)
• Here a group of people ( 5 to 7) are gathered to discuss
an issue and are expected to take a decision acceptable
to all members.
• Usually candidates with excellent leadership qualities
are identified from these discussions
• The selected candidate will usually be given
good position with handsome salary.
Some important Qualities to succeed in Group Discussions
• Subject Knowledge
• Effective Communication Skills
• Strong Leadership Skills
• Honesty
• Patience
Interviews
Interviews are usually conducted to select a suitable person for a job.
In a job interview, a group of experts test the suitability of candidate
for a position.
subject knowledge , leadership qualities and communication skills are tested
by various means
Finally, Successful candidates are offered the job with good salary
Interview Skills (How to behave during an interview?)
It is essential to conduct oneself confidently during a job interview. Observe the body language
of the candidate in figure 24 where the candidates body language ( Head dropped, body tucked-
in and legs under chair) reveals negative feelings such as intimidation, nervousness.
However, it is possible to regain rapport with the interviews by changing the body language as
shown in the figure 25 .
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 25
Figure-24 Figure-25
Skills required to succeed in an Interview
• Subject Knowledge
• Strong Leadership Skills
• Self Confidence
• Transparency
• Honesty
• Impartiality
• Unselfishness
• Effective Communication Skills
• Punctuality
• Time Management
• Good Writing skills – for C.V preparation & E-mail communication.
• C.V stands for Curriculum Vitae . It can also be called as Resume
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 26
Chapter 9: Importance of Goal Setting and Time Management in effective communication
As it was discussed, effective communication skills are very important for developing an
individual to tap his full potential. In present competitive world, it is highly essential to cultivate
these skills if one has to achieve success in his/ her career.
A clear goal and excellent time management skills will further an individual’s resolve to
compound his/ her communication skills. Time management helps to achieve the goal in the
shortest possible time and a well-defined goal accompanied with incredible communication skills
would take the individual to his career peaks.
“A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” - Harvey
Mackay
“When you’re stuck in a dark place and you suddenly see a light, you immediately begin to
follow it. That’s why setting goals is important.” - Rosalyn Mosley
In this chapter, detailed steps required to set a Goal and associated time management skills are
presented.
What Are Goals?
Goals are what we want to attain or have.
Goals may be set to have lot of money, or to have a luxurious car or to have a successful
career.
Why set Goals?
Goals make you better at performance in all areas of life (personal, academic, career, etc.)
Type of Goals
Goals can be classified into…
Long term goals: 1 year to 5 years or longer
Short term goals: 1 – 6 months or a semester
Medium term goals: They fall between long term and short term goals.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 27
How to form a short term goal?
Take the long term goals and break them down into shorter steps.
• Example Goals :
– I want to become an expert Mechanical Engineer in Libya
– I want to make 100 billion dollars by the time I turn 50 years ….
– I want to become an effective communicator and become an international speaker.
Can a goal helps to improve Communication Skills ?
• Yes. Certainly. A clear goal augments a person’s resolve to become successful
• Goals also help to better our performance in all areas of life (personal & Professional)
• Clear and specific Goals to improve Communication skills should be accompanied by
an effective Time Management Model.
Steps in setting a Goal (Goal Setting Process) : Identifying your dream ‘Goal’
I. What are the five achievements until this moment in your life that you are proud
of?
Directions: Write five significant accomplishments that you have achieved in your
life. Ex: a prize in a sport event, class rank etc. Write your genuine accomplishments.
Don’t copy them from others.
1. --------------------------------------------------------------
2. --------------------------------------------------------------
3. --------------------------------------------------------------
4. --------------------------------------------------------------
5. --------------------------------------------------------------
II. What do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?
Directions: Write at least 5 desires (Wants). List them one under the other. Do not list
them side by side.
Wants (Desires or needs) Time Limit (Years)
1. -------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
2. -------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
3. -------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
4. -------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
5. -------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
Ex: I want to be an outstanding Mechanical Engineer 5
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 28
III. Specify the time for each of the above wants in the previous question, under
Time limit section.
Ex: Give 1 for one year, 3 for three years, 5 for five years and 10 for ten or more
years
IV. Now find your most wanted long term desire from the above list and write it as
your long term goal as follows:
Example:
My most wanted long term desire is to become an outstanding Mechanical Engineer
in 5 years’ time. I write this as a long term goal as follows:
My Long term Goal:
I will become a top Mechanical Engineer in Libya by 1st January ’2026.
V. Convert the above long term goal into a short term goal.
Example:
I will obtain 1st rank in all the examinations, home works, class works, quizzes and
mini projects in all courses that I have registered in present semester
i.e from - -20 to - -20 .
Now write your short term goal below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. Now convert the short term goal into weekly objectives as follows:
1. Fill my weekly schedule with the schedule time of two lectures per week. ( Please
refer to your weekly schedule work sheet for details)
2. Attend the scheduled two lectures on ‘theory of machines’ in the present week,
starting today till the end of the week, i.e. till __________
3. Schedule an appointment with Mr. Makkena Suresh in the present week to get
more clarification on the topics I do not understand and complete the weekly
schedule worksheet accordingly.
4. Allot 2 hours of preparation time in your weekly schedule worksheet for Theory
of machines during the above week and complete the weekly schedule worksheet
accordingly.
5. Prepare the weekly objectives for the remaining courses by following the steps
from 1 to 4.
6. Make a clear plan to reach your goal
7. Use efficient Time Management Model to help you move forward.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 29
Role of Time Management in Effective Communication
• Everybody on the plant has 24 hours a day and 168 hours a week ,
no matter who we are.
• This is true for President of Libya, America or India.
• This time should be effectively utilized.
• With a clear goal and effective time management a person can attain effective
communication skills and reap success.
How long we will be around ?
• Each day has 24 hours
• Each year has (24 * 365 ) 8760 hours (24 * 365 )
• Each Decade (10 years) has 87,600 hours
• Considering an average life of around 75 years, humans ( like us) live 657,000 hours or
650,000 hours approximately.
• By now, a 20 year old had already spent 175,200 hours
• How much time is left for him ? 481,800 hours or 480,000 hours approximately.
What next ?
After identifying your long term goal and converting it into your short term goal and weekly
objectives, it is required to find the time to work towards the realization of your goal.
The 4-Quadrant Time Management Model
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 30
Identifying time wasting activities: Complete the following table with all your previous day
activities:
Directions:
Relax. Close your eyes. Relax your eyes, arms, body, legs and feet. Take three deep
breaths. By keeping your eyes closed, try to recollect what you have done yesterday from
the moment you got up and till you go to bed in the night. The activities include sleep, eating, chatting, playing, Chatting , Whatsapp and face book
activities etc. List all activities. Do not leave any of them. Complete all columns.
Table 1: Your daily activities: Which quadrant would they belong to ?
Time Activity Start
Time
Finish
Time
Time in
Min / Hrs
Quadrant
I / II/ III/ IV
6 – 7 A.M
Total Time spent 24 Hrs
Total Time wasted Hrs
Time available for realizing the goal each day
Time available for realizing the goal each week X 6 = Hrs
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 31
Now complete the 4-Quadrant Time Management Model with your activities.
How to use the 4 Quadrant Model ?
i. Eliminate all quadrant IV activities from the above model.
ii. Minimize and delegate to others the quadrant III activities.
iii. Shift the time saved from the quadrants III and IV to the quadrant II.
Integrating Your Goals into Time Management Model :
Reorganize your activities by integrating the most important and urgent activities into
quadrant I and the non-urgent but important goal activities into quadrant II. All the non-
important but urgent activities in quadrant III may be delegated to others. Remember to
eliminate the quadrant IV activities completely.
Tips to manage your time :
i. Follow the weekly schedule strictly.
ii. Reward yourself at the end of every week to celebrate your weekly success. For
example : Watch a movie or go to the beach with family etc.
iii. Prepare a new weekly schedule every week in line with your short term and long
term goals.
iv. Keep track of your long term goal and make necessary changes when you feel that
you are going off-track.
v. Slowly widen you goal list and manage your activities to manifest them.
Question: How to find Additional Time?
We do not spend 24 hours a day in communicating.
In fact, most people spend around 6 hours to 7 hours a day on T.V, social media etc.
This wasted time may be spent on improving communication skills.
Note: The Lecture notes and related materials can be downloaded from
www.sureshmakkena.webnode.com/documents/teachingnotes
“Best of luck for a successful career”
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 32
Appendix I : Course Outline
OMAR MUKHTAR UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COURSE OUTLINE (REVISED)
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2020- 2021 (FALL SEMESTER)
Course Name: Effective Communication Skills (HS 302)
Number of Credits: 1
Instructor: Mr. Makkena Suresh
Contact hours: Every Wednesday: 12 – 2 P.M (2 hours / week)
Course Objective: To teach and train the students to acquire effective communication skills and make them effective in their professional careers.
Course Contents: Introduction to Communication skills, Types of communication – Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing, public speaking, Short speeches by students, Role of memory in effective communication skills, Verbal Communication skills, Non-Verbal Communication skills, Body Language, Facial Expressions, Gestures, Expressing and speaking while displaying various emotions, How to create effective PowerPoint presentations, , Group discussions, Interview skills , Enhancing Communication skills using advanced technology – Virtual reality, Augmented reality and Mixed reality , Importance of Goal Setting and Time management in Effective Communication , 4 Quadrant time management model.
Student Performance Evaluation Criteria:
SN Activities Scheduled Time Marks Allotted
1 Short Speeches Lecture Time 5
2 Class Works and Discussions Lecture Time 5
3 Powerpoint / Prezi Presentations 4th week of March’2021 10
4 Mid Examination 17-03-2021, 12 – 2 P.M 20
5 Final Examination April / May’ 2021 60
Total percentage of Marks 100
Guidelines for the Presentation:
1. All Presentations should be made using Microsoft PowerPoint / Prezi with compatible text & background color ( According to the recommendations of the instructor)
2. Number of slides in the presentation may vary from 12 to 15. The slides may include pictures related to the topic of presentation and it is recommended to include few sentences in each slide (Around 3 to 5) and avoid long paragraphs.
3. Time allowed for each presentation is 15 minutes. 4. Topics for the PowerPoint Presentations would be different for each student and given during
classroom discussions. 5. Mid and Final Examination contain Multiple choice, Short and Long answer questions.
INSTRUCTOR
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 33
Appendix II : Guidelines to be followed for giving a PowerPoint presentation
1. Two Students can share one presentation 2. All Presentations should be made using Microsoft PowerPoint or Prezi with compatible text &
background color ( According to the recommendations of the instructor) 3. Number of slides in the presentation may vary from 12 to 14 4. The slides should include pictures related to the topic of presentation and it is recommended to
include few sentences in each slide (Around 5 to 6) 5. Each line may include around 20 to 25 words ( A maximum of 30 words) 6. Time allowed for each presentation is 15 minutes.
Evaluation Criteria for presentations:
SN Skill Marks Alloted
1 Neatness and Clarity of PowerPoint slides 2
2 Clarity of Speech , Body Language 2
3 Content 2
4 Subject Knowledge , Q&A 2
5 Time Management 2
Total percentage of Marks 10
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 34
Appendix III: Topics for the PowerPoint presentation
1. Speaking – Its importance in Effective Communication
2. Writing - Its importance in Effective Communication
3. Reading - Its importance in Effective Communication
4. Listening - Its importance in Effective Communication
5. Importance of Facial Expressions in Communications
6. Importance of Body Language in Communication Skills
7. Importance of Memory in Effective Communication Skills
8. Importance of Verbal Communication.
9. Importance of Non Verbal Communication
10 . Communication of Deaf People : Sign Language
11. Non-Verbal Communication in Arab World
12. How to improve your speaking skills ?
13. Importance of Time Management in Effective Communication.
14. Importance of Goal setting in effective communication.
15. 4 Quadrant Time management model.
16. Effective Communicators in the world
17. Effective Communicators in the Arab-World
18. Role of students in building a prosperous Libya.
Effective Communication skills – Lecture Notes prepared by Mr. Makkena Suresh , Assistant Professor, Department of SREE, Faculty of Engineering, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya Page 35
Appendix IV : Sample Questions for the examination
Note:
i. Answer the questions on the question paper itself and return it to the instructor after finishing the
examination.
ii. The marks assigned to each question are given in the brackets against each question.
1. Multiple Choice Questions. Answer all questions. Each question weighs ½ Mark. (5 / 15 Marks)
1.1. Effective Communication Skills include the following : [ d ]
a. Reading Skills b. Listening Skills c. Writing Skills d. All (a,b &c)
1.2. The heading of a PowerPoint slide may be in the range of : [ b ]
a. 10 to 14 Points b. 36 to 44 Points c. 70 to 80 Points d. All (a,b &c)
The remaining questions will be given in the same pattern.
2. Short Answer Questions - Answer all questions. Each question weighs 1 mark. (10 /30 Marks)
2.1. What does the term Communication mean? What is its importance?
Answer: Communication means to transmit information, thought, or feeling.
Communication is important because it gives all the ways a person use to send information and
receive information to get his/her task accomplished. 2.2. What is Body Language? Is it an important communication skill?
Answer:
Body language is a kind of bodily movement or posture used to communicate with others.
It is an important communication skill because around 55 % communication is expressed through body
language.
3. Long Answer Questions – Marks of each question are given in the bracket. ( 5 / 15 Marks)
3.1. Explain the importance of Reading Skills with a sketch. (3 Marks)
Answer:
Reading skills are very important for knowledge and effective
communication. Because we gain knowledge by reading.
But, unfortunately, We spend only 16 % of our Communicating time
in reading. Please refer to figure 1.
As reading is more important additional time
should be spent on reading and self learning.
3.2. . Explain the importance of Writing Skills with a sketch. (2 Marks)
All the remaining questions will follow same pattern.
Best of Luck
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