Simple Explanations

This happened during my discussions with Prof. VP Sinha (DA-IICT) when I was trying to understand a very complex concept for my B.Tech. project. He is probably one of the best teachers I have ever been taught by. After his explanation, I surely understood the concept. However, I was left at awe by the simplicity with which he had explained it to me. I asked him that how is it possible to explain such complex things in such a simple manner. His reply was that relating complex things to simple phenomenon or events around us is the way.  However, I had my suspicions on the feasibility of such a proposition as in subjects like electronics, things are so complex and out of the world that it might not always be possible to relate things in a simple manner. He had a solid, very solid, answer for this. He said that at a point in time, humans started off with very simple ideas. They they built on them, deriving new ideas from the ones existing. In such a scenario, every complex concept should have a very simple base, at least in terms of symbols. A thought to ponder on for those budding teachers/professors or those who want to explain their ideas to their audiences clearly.

Managerial Communication – 2

As mentioned in the earlier blog, non-verbal communication consists of two components, namely, clothing and body-language. In this blog, I will elaborate on the latter. Think of a situation when you met a new person. This could be at a party, lecture, movie or anywhere. What is the first thing that you notice about her or rather what do you think she would first notice about you? It is the body language. Consciously or unconsciously, we are programmed to take all the environmental cues for our judgments. Most people would agree that while meeting, even before verbal communication, we start to form perceptions about her. This might be intuitive but it is largely based on our analysis of the other person’s “body language”. Hence, if it is the first impressions that are important, then having a proper body language is a must.

Body language comprises of numerous things some of which are facial expressions, eye movement, eye contact, gestures, body postures, voice quality, touch, space and distance. These are very simple day-to-day things. However, a simple oratory exercise will convince most people that these are not so simple to control and more importantly coordinate. While our words might be saying something, our eyes are saying something else and our facial expressions or the tone of our voice betray our emotions. These can be very distracting and confusing for a listener in which case one may end up creating an undesired impression.

How to improve upon it? Well, the best way is to be a part of as many oratory exercises, which would include introducing people, addressing a gathering etc. Another thing that is very effective is practicing such simple speeches in front of a mirror or recording it on a camera and critically analyzing the non-verbal cues to see if they bode well with the situation and the tone. A persistent effort in this direction undoubtedly goes a long way in the success of a manager.

Managerial Communication – 1

This is a series of posts on Managerial Communication. This course is taken by Fr. Jesurajan at XLRI and the content derives mostly from my understanding of the course. Communication is the activity that takes up most of the time of a manager. While communication involves sending and receiving messages, it is not only that. The scope of managerial communication encompasses much more.

 

Managerial communication can be divided into three broad categories namely non-verbal, verbal and organizational. Studies show that non-verbal component comprises of 55% of the managerial communication while the respective percentages for verbal and organizational are 35% and 10%. In this post, I will elaborate upon the non-verbal part of managerial communication which essentially comprises of clothing and body language.

 

Clothing consists not only of the clothes that we wear but also the accessories that we adorn along with the clothes. It is essential for the clothes of a manager to convey the proper status, occasion and philosophy. That is to say, for example, a marketing manager would be expected to wear a decently expensive suit/saree and the colors of the same in alignment with the companies conventions. These clothes, for most, are difficult to buy at one go. Hence, as a managerial student, it is necessay that one starts “building up the wadrobe”. Going to a proper boutique and getting professional help is the way to getting a suitable collection of clothing. One may ask why is clothing so important. Well, firstly, any company would expect its managers to be properly dressed. Not only that, in today’s globalized world, it has become very important for any manager be be able to feel at home anywhere. More important than that is her ability to make people feel comfortable wherever she goes. This inevitably requires for a cosmopolitan style of dressing.

Apart from the clothing, what gives away the origins of a person is the accessories she adorns. The first amongst them is the heavy jewelery/ornaments that make a person look like a countryside person. Following famous sports and film stars in adorning funny looking or heavy jewelery like rings, bracelets etc. is not advisable for a manager. More than anything, this makes the person look superstitious, something that most companies do not appreciate in a manager. Secondly, wearing proper cosmetics (deodorants, scents etc.) is necessary for a manager, especially considering the oppressing weather and the unusually stinking nature of most places in our country. These cosmetics must be bought after some research on its health implications and the intended effect (eg. strong perfumes might be suitable for old people). Thirdly, getting expert advise on hair style is a necessity for a manager. Only with that can a manager, especially a first generation manager, transform her in accordance with the conventions of the managerial world.

This essentially concludes the discussion on clothing in the perspective of managerial communication.