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This chapter is focusing on communication. Can people be successful at work if they are only proficient and skillful in their technical areas of expertise?

Question:
1. What is small talk?
2. What are safe topics for small talk at the workplace? Provide examples.

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Celeste Headlee: 10 ways to have a better conversation | TED

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What You Didn’t Know About Fresh Graduate Unemployment in Malaysia 

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What You Didn’t Know About Fresh Graduate Unemployment in Malaysia 

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Find out the truth behind why fresh graduates are unemployed in Malaysia and learn what you can do to increase your employability!

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There are a few barriers when it comes to communication:
a) Semantic barrier
b) Cultural barrier
c) Physical barrier
d) Psychological barrier
e) Physiological barrier
f) Perception barrier

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Effective communication in the workplace is not always straightforward and barriers can easily get in the way. They cause messages to become distorted, subsequently leading to confusion, misunderstanding and even offense in some cases.

In this article we discuss barriers to workplace communication and how to overcome them.

Summary of barriers to communication

Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.

Psychological barriers, for example someone with social anxiety and/or low self-esteem may be too distracted about how they are perceived when talking with a superior.

Emotional barriers. Some people may find it difficult to express their opinions on such as politics, religion, disabilities (mental and physical), sexuality and racism.

Jargon and acronyms. Companies often have their own jargon and acronyms which new employees may struggle with.

Lack of attention, interest and distractions to the person listening.

Differences in perception and viewpoint.

Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.

Differences in language and unfamiliar accents.

Expectations and prejudices which may lead to stereotyping.

Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed.

Physical barriers

Physical barriers may prevent an individual from being able to interpret non-verbal cues. This is more common in communication methods relying on technology rather than face-to-face. Other physical barriers include:

Old or broken equipment or office phone systems used for communication

Uncomfortable temperatures

Background noise

Poor lighting

Communicating close to the time of your break/ lunch/ end of work hours

Large work areas or working in an area that is physically separated from colleagues

Closed doors

Large geographic distances between the sender and the receiver - communication is usually easier over shorter differences

Open office spaces are becoming popular as they provide employees with their own workspaces while also removing visible barriers between colleagues that can interfere with communication.

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Psychological barriers

The psychological state of the speaker and listener can affect communication, for example:

Someone who suffers from social anxiety and/or low self-esteem may be too distracted about how they are perceived when talking with a superior. They may be worried about whether their manager will notice that they're nervous, they may find it difficult to share their real thoughts etc. Afterwards this person may realise they can't remember what the manager said because they were too distracted with their thoughts.

Anger can lead to saying things you regret and misinterpreting what others say.

Organisational structure barriers

Companies with unclear structures can make communication difficult. For example, they may have an inefficient information sharing and communication system, employees may not know what their role is in the communication system etc.

If a company has a complex structure with lots of management levels, information will be lost or distorted as it travels through each layer of the hierarchy.

Perceptual barriers

Differing opinions and views can reduce objectivity. You may enter a conversation assuming that the listener will not understand you or be uninterested in what you're speaking about - this may consequently lead you to unintentionally harming your message, such as, using dismissive language or trying to be more humorous.

Or you may be the listener that doesn't agree with the speaker's beliefs so you choose not to listen properly or you look for faults in what they're saying rather than trying to understand.

Attentional barriers

The listener may not pay enough attention to what is being said, perhaps they're distracted, or uninterested or they think the speaker's topic is irrelevant. This is very common in written communication, such as not reading the minutes from a team meeting. Communication is two-way; without paying attention and actively listening you will not understand the message.

Too much information

Providing someone with an overwhelming amount of details can confuse them and distract from your message. This is especially the case if the message has a lot of information that is new to the receiver.

Make sure you avoid information overload in meetings, where people can easily switch off.

Emotional barriers

Emotional reactions from either or both the speaker and listener can prevent effective communication. It's difficult to put aside and not act on our emotions but it's necessary. Try to work out what words, topics etc. can trigger your strong emotional reactions so you can create a plan for managing them.

A common emotion, in regard to communication, is fear. People often have the tendency to think that their opinions don't matter in the workplace or that people will negatively judge them if they speak up. But this isn't the case and it's likely that others around you will also feel too afraid to say anything so they'll respect you when you do speak up. What is valuable to you will be valuable to another person.

Cultural barriers

Cultural barriers can interfere with communication in a variety of ways:

The norms of communication vary between cultures, such as, personal space. It's important to find common ground in these situations.

People may form assumptions based on stereotypes of the other person's culture (cultural noise).

Work cultures differ between companies which means you have to adapt to your company's culture to communicate effectively.

Assumptions, jumping to conclusions and premature evaluations

Forming a judgement before listening to everything the speaker has to say distorts your understanding. People often hear what they're expecting which can lead to false conclusions.

Semantic and language barriers

There may be:

Language differences between the speaker and the listeners

Difficulties in understanding unfamiliar accents

Uses of: jargon, unfamiliar/regional expressions, specialist abbreviations, slang, technical terminology

All of the above can exclude others and lead to misinterpretations or even offense so you need to speak in a direct and clear way to be understood.

Interpersonal barriers

Low self-esteem and prejudices can prevent you from forming relationships and connections with others due to your false perceptions. To overcome this you need to communicate more with others to increase your confidence and learn about your strengths and weaknesses.

Physiological barriers

Impaired eyesight, hearing problems, illness and pain can interfere with effective communication in the workplace.

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Lack of similarities

To clarify your points it's common to use examples and stories. However, their impact is reduced if: the other person does not find these relatable, they don't have the same knowledge or the same experiences as you.

Also, information is filtered on a personal level using our experiences and beliefs. The more similar somebody is to you the more likely they will view things in the same way. So speakers with different socioeconomic backgrounds to their listeners must be careful to tailor their speech to their audience.

Ambiguity

Being vague in your explanations and using too many generalisations or proverbs can lead to unclear communication and misinterpretation.

Status

Communication may suffer from selective communication. The top of a company's hierarchy may not share certain information to subordinates for fear of being judged as incompetent and they want to reinforce status differences.

Subordinates tend to share only information that would please their superiors and avoid sharing their mistakes and asking for further clarification on work.

Shortage of time

There may simply be a lack of time to convey information effectively.

Resistance to change

People may want to maintain the status quo so when, for example, a speaker tries to provide ideas involving a change, people may ignore or oppose it.

Credibility barriers

People are more likely to listen to a message if the sender has a credible and trustworthy reputation. Without this credibility, receivers may be suspicious, resistant or even hostile towards communication.

In summary

To communicate effectively in the workplace you need to be aware of these barriers and try to overcome them. Developing empathy can be particularly helpful for this, as it's easy to get frustrated at the other person involved in the conversation, thus reducing the quality of the communication.

Empathy increases your patience which allows you to be thoughtful and come up with solutions in an effective and calm manner.

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Barriers to Effective Communication in the Workplace

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Effective communication is not always straightforward and barriers can easily get in the way. They cause messages to become distorted, subsequently leading to confusion and misunderstanding. In this article, we describe these barriers to communication.

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Azfar Safwan
Raajeswari
Asyura
Habib

Small Talk
1. Is a short conversation for workers in polite way.
2. Small talk is light and casual conversation, chitchat.
3. Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any funtional topics.

What are safe topics for small talk?
1) Traffic or daily commute , especially in major cities.
2) Safe topics for small talk: family, children, weather, sports.
3) Talk about both job related and neutral conversations like "how are you", how's your progress"

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Done by: Farhan, Soma Indran, Tehshaf, Dachaini, Gurpreet, Alissa

1) What is small talk?

An informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed. In essence, it is polite conversation about unimportant things.

2) Safe topics for small talk at the workplace:

(i) Conversation about the traffic while travelling to work
(ii) Ways of commuting to work daily
(iii) Talking about weather
(iv) Talking about children / family
(v) Suggestions of places to have lunch
(vi) Sports and hobbies
(vii) Suggestion places to hangout
(viii) Activities to unwind after long day at work

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Bavani Gobinathan 012021020248
In my opinion, the topics that we should choose for a small talk is depends on how we are connected to the specific person, which explains regarding the bond that we have with that person. For an example, if we are quite close with the person whom we are talking to, then topic like their personal issues which they feel comfortable to share with us can be a topic for small talk. Another example would be, if the person is our family friends, then the topic about their family or daily life would be just nice for a small talk. Last but not least, small talk's topic could be about general news or experiences that we are going through in our life such as covid-19 or weather issues.

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Done by: Khairun Najiha, Angel Ashwini, Muhd Shazwan

1) What is small talk?
Small talk can define as an informal type of conversation that does not cover any functional inputs. For instance , polite conversation which contain unimportant facts.

2) Safe topics for small talk at the workplace:-

I) Health - Asking on how colleagues doing during pandemic.

II) Personal Appearance - Praise your colleagues appearance such as the dress or blazer really suits you.

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Done by: Nastasha, Kauthaman, Yogatharshini, Hidayah, Gayathiri, Esther

1) example of small talk:- Beautiful day, isn't it? Can you believe all of this rain we've been  having? It looks like it's going to snow.
2) The safest Topic for small talk at the workplace is about the universal Topics which means about the weather, current news or sport match.

3) What are safe topics for small talk at the workplace? Provide examples .
The safe topics for small talk at the workplace about the current news , which is spreading awareness. For example , they can give talk on how to maintain social distance , and how to protect their self during this pandemic.

4) The safe topic to talk at workplace is regarding SOP or rules of the company, or maybe like how are you doing conversation that could be under small talk category.

5) Example of safe topic to talk at workplace is actually depends on the person with talk to or how they reaction when talking to you, but if it a colleague that we barely know, the topic that suitable to talk about is asking how is their day, talk about the weather or the things that related to work like the new system in the company.

6) Safe topics at the workplace : Have you worked here long?
Looking forward to the weekend?

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Group 5: Farhan, Bavani & Habib
Gender:
Women: Expecting to be treated in good manner such as talking kindly, not being rude in communication and being a good listener.
Men: More to being so friendly in communication without taking anything personally. Women tend to be emotional when it's comes to communication.

Personality:
Someone which is introverted will usually not get along with someone with much more talkative. The quieter one will usually not get along with someone that talked loudly or talkative

Ego:
Influencing the communication by not talking to someone properly because waiting for the another one to come and talk first.

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1.       ESTHER A/P SIGAMANI

2.       DANIA AFRINA BINTI HAZIMI

3.       HAN HANNAH JAE SUNG HAN

How does these personal characteristics affect communication?

a.       Age

Sensitivity and cognitive changes that impose limits on communication, these limitations reach their most extreme when it comes to communicating between younger adult and older adults.

b.       Emotion

Communication and emotion are closely linked. Emotions experienced while communicating with others can affect one’s message both verbally and nonverbally. Emotional awareness, or the ability to understand feelings, will help someone succeed when communicating with other people. If they are emotionally aware, they will communicate better.

You can improve your emotional awareness by focusing on these five skills:

·         Consider other people’s feelings.

·         Consider your own feelings.

·         Have empathy.

·         Operate on trust.

·         Recognize misunderstandings.

c.       Biased

Being biased can affect people’s lives. They can influence actions and decisions such as how we interact with an individual or a particular group. On the other hand, if the person is biased against anything, then the person is highly probable to think negatively of every aspect of that thing, hence the person leans negatively towards that thing.

For example, one common bias is that women are weak despite many being very strong. Another is that blacks are dishonest when most aren’t. The least, that obese people are lazy when their weight may be due to any of a range of factors, including disease.

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How this influence communicate with people ?
Personal characteristic
Gender- It may appear evident that men and women have distinct communication styles. Females, it is often assumed, communicate in a more indirect, complex, and emotional manner, which might suggest hesitation, tentativeness, and a lack of authority.

Age- Communication skills alter gradually with normal ageing, at least in part due to changes in physical health, despair, and cognitive impairment.
Vocabulary, grammatical judgement, and repetition ability, for example, remain largely steady with age, although understanding of complicated sentences and naming may deteriorate.

Ego- Influencing the communication by not talking to someone properly because waiting for the another one to come and talk first.

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A personal characteristics that a person should have is personality. For example , a person should have a honesty attitude. It is being straightforward and trustworthy in all of your interactions, relationships, and thoughts. Being honest requires self-honesty and authenticity.
Age is likely to function like many other personal differences in helping or hindering communication. Age like culture, beliefs, experience, language, and other personal qualities can affect both how we say what we mean, as well as how we interpret what others mean.
Education background - Education provides us with enough information so that we have sufficient material to organize our thoughts clearly so as to be able to convey them in an effectively and intelligible way to others.

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By: Shazwan, Gayathiri, Alissa

Age
As people age, their communication skills may vary due to physiologic changes in hearing, voice, and speech processes. Ones vocabulary will be determined by their age, as well as the languages they know and choose to use.

Gender
Gender will influence other person because some of them will be shy while having a conversation due to not having a communication with a person that they not known before such as with a new colleague at the workplace.

Position / Rank
Choosing a good position means finding a career that gives us a high chance of being successful and gaining job satisfaction but to be good and successful at the job also means that we need the specific communication skills to the tasks of the career. For example: A HR deliver dynamic presentations, write clear and effective emails and reports, socialise and talk to people from all backgrounds easily, and manage difficult or stressful employees and situations.

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PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AT THE WORKPLACE

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PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AT THE WORKPLACE

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Please watch the video on Workplace Communication.            1.  What is workplace communication?
2. What can be considered as effective workplace communication?
3. Identify the advantages & disadvantages of workplace communication.

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VERBAL COMMUNICATION - 'I' STATEMENT ACTIVITY

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VERBAL COMMUNICATION - 'I' STATEMENT ACTIVITY

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TASK FOR THE DAY (GROUP 2) NASTASHA,ADRIANA, HAN HANNAH, RAAJESWARI AND TEHSHAF

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TASK FOR THE DAY (GROUP 2) NASTASHA,ADRIANA, HAN HANNAH, RAAJESWARI AND TEHSHAF

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Identify the advantages & disadvantages of workplace communication.
Advantages:-
-have a positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates
-motivate employee
-increase productivity

Disadvantages:-
-lead to snowball effect etc high turnover rates
-lead to worker burn-out or information overload

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Done by : Group 4
— Khairun Najiha, Gurpreet, Angel Ashwini, Azfar Safwan, Muhd Shazwan & Habib

3. Identify the advantages & disadvantages of workplace communication.

Advantages :-

1. Improves worker productivity
2. increase employees job satisfaction
3. Positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates.

Disadvantages :-

1. snowball effect among workers
2. burnout or information overload

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1. Dania Afrina
2. Nur Farahin
3. Nur Suhaida
4. Tunku Sharifah Qashrina

1. Advantages

a) Improves workers productivity

Effective communication allows employees to get clear and definite instructions, which then enables them to act according to what is expected of them. Improvement in accountability then increases productivity in the workplace. If there is no accountability within an organization, no one will feel compelled to improve.

b) Can increase job satisfaction

Employees feel empowered if they are able to have upward communication. This type of communication is when information flows upward in an organization and usually consists of feedback. If bosses or managers are able to listen to employees and respond, this leads to an increase in employee job satisfaction.

c) Can also have a positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates

Communication is important for the employees as it is necessary for the workers to feel they are receiving truthful and updated information from their superiors. Studies have shown that companies with excellent communication are able to retain their surviving employees even after a layoff (a temporary or permanent discharge of a worker or workers)

1. Disadvantages

a) Workplace communication can lead to the ‘snowball effect’ in worker actions

For example, many times when employees quit, there is a snowball effect where additional employees also quit. This usually occurs due to employees who communicate freely with each other over workplace concerns. Companies can avoid this issue if they are sensitive to worker complaints and issues.

b) Can lead to worker burn-out or information overload

For example, of workers experienced significant stress and poor health due to the volume of information they’re required to process and a feeling of time pressure as senders require direct responses.

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GROUP 3 : Somaindran,Yogatharshini,Gayathiri,Deepa,Ashwiini,Dachaini

1.  What is workplace communication?

- A workplace communication is it can be in verbal communication and non-verbal communication to get information from the manager and employees. It can be between one people to another person, or it can be one person to a group. For example, if it is verbal it can be a face to face communication, if it is nonverbal communication then it can be through voice messages, text, notes and many more.

2. What can be considered as effective workplace communication?
Advantages -
i. It improves public relations.
ii. It increases job satisfaction and loyalty
iii. It builds a culture of teamwork and trust.
Disadvantages -
i. Dealing with Incorrect Information
ii. Waiting for a Response
iii. Navigating the Barriers to Communication

3. Identify the advantages & disadvantages of workplace communication.
-Offer positive feedback
If your co-worker performs a task well, tell him or her. Providing positive feedback is a great way to improve workplace communication. It also helps people view you more favorably and encourages open communication. Having a positive attitude in general at work will open the door for effective communication prompting people to respond more favorably to us.
Learn effective workplace communication skills by we will obtain the skills we need to be a confident, articulate professional who possesses effective workplace communication skills that employers will appreciate.

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- Group 5
1. Bavani Gobinathan 012021020248
2. Esther
3. Alissa
4. Asyura
5. Muhammad Farhan
6. Kauthaman

1. Workplace communication is known as the transmitting of information between one person or group and another person or group in an organization.

2. Effective workplace communication can be considered when there's upward communication and downward communication have existed in a company, where the employees get the appropriate feedback and instructions from the top management or superiors at the right time and in, a sufficient amount.

3. Advantages:
1. Improves worker's productivity: communication by the employees with their superiors could help the employees in order to gain even more understanding on the job, that the employees needed to perform due to the experience that the superiors have.
2. Increase employee's job satisfaction - Increase the satisfaction of the employees when they are receiving appropriate feedback and clear instructions from the superiors that could help the employees on how are they supposed to complete a job in their workplace.
3. Positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates - the employers could identify the surviving employees and the employers could help the surviving employees to perform better in their workplace

Disadvantages:
1. Lead to the snowball effects in workers' action - known as a situation in which one action or event causes many other similar actions or events such as increasing of complaints in an organization due to overloaded information at one time.
2. Workers' burn-out or information overload - when there's a lot of information are delivered, the employees tend to get confused and they might burn out in their workplace

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Interpersonal skills are those we use every day to communicate and interact with others, including listening, speaking and questioning skills. They are the foundation for success in life.

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- Strong interpersonal skills will enable you to talk to and work with all types of people, including managers, coworkers, and customers.
-It helps you to develop relationships with people. Strong relationships with the people you work with will help you succeed in the workplace.

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Sample Situations for Assertiveness Exercises and Training

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Perhaps office etiquette is something that differs from office to office and place to place. Even if this is true, comprehending basic etiquette in the workplace helps things run a bit smoother. Even if we know what social etiquette is, in an office setting, it is a little different when it comes to expectations.

What is office etiquette and why is it important? Office etiquette is simply defined as basic manners in the world of business. It is important because it cuts down on stress and conflict between coworkers, which ultimately affects the company's success.

Even though office etiquette is considered basic manners, some people need to be informed on what he is she should or should not do in the workplace. The benefits of learning etiquette in the office are many. It is likely that encouraging better workplace manners will create a better culture.

Basic Etiquette and Importance

Many workplace etiquette rules align with basic human decency, i.e., be kind, don't steal, and avoid raising your voice. While these are some of the glaringly obvious etiquette standards, there are a variety of other tips that will make the office environment better for everyone.

Meetings are common events in any industry. If attending a meeting be sure to pay complete attention to whoever is speaking. This means that you should not be speaking to your neighbor, texting, emailing, or playing a game on your phone. Also, be sure that your phone or tablet has been muted to minimize distractions. Avoid doodling and spacing out. Ensuring that the meeting moves along smoothly will boost productivity.

Proper office etiquette online comes into play when trading work emails. By responding to emails as quickly as possible, an employee can not only ensure that the necessary information is provided to complete projects on time, but also proves that the project is important. It's also courteous to reply as soon as possible. Leaving the sender hanging does nothing but raise more questions and waste time.

Be sure that common areas or conference rooms are not being utilized to take personal calls or turn into your office space. Allow common areas to remain in common areas. Keep conversations at an appropriate volume and recognize if you might do something to distract another employee from his or her work.

Consider the idea that others in the office may be sensitive to smells. This means avoid spraying (or wearing) perfumes or colognes, think about the smell your lunch might bring, and be sure to practice good hygiene. When people are working long days in one space, lingering smells are not generally pleasant.

Clean up after yourself. While it should not be your mother's job to pick up after you, it is most definitely not the purpose of your coworkers. Not only should you clean up any messes made in the common areas like the kitchen or lunchroom, but your office space should be tidy as well. If coworkers have to spend any amount of time in your space, or if they simply have to look at it, it should be well-kept.

Although working while sick can display your dedication to the job, it can also get others sick. It is not a form of good office etiquette to come to work coughing or sneezing. The transfer of illness between coworkers is a way to diminish staff for the life of the illness. If you absolutely must work while sick, ensure that hand sanitizer and disinfectant is used regularly, tissues are thrown in the trash, and your mouth is well-covered when sneezing or coughing. The spreading of germs is not good for any office, so measures of prevention should be taken seriously.

Respecting the privacy of others is also an important aspect of basic office etiquette rules. This often starts with the company defining appropriate boundaries when it comes to conversation and touching. Considering the feelings of coworkers is a big part of respecting the privacy of others. Think about how he or she might feel about the questions you ask before asking, or how they might respond to stepping into his or her personal space.

Just because you would be comfortable with a coworker sitting on your desk does not mean that someone else might. Be tolerant of others' views and ideas on what he or she is comfortable with. Consideration of other cultures and personalities is key to having an effective and cohesive team. Work as a team by treating coworkers like teammates.

With the inclusion of work etiquette, companies can see a variety of benefits. One of the most obvious of these benefits is the improvement in coworker relationships. With fewer complications between differing personalities, a business will find that the team works together more flawlessly and efficiently. That efficiency translates into productivity.

Utilizing proper business etiquette often allows for more growth within the company. Skills will not be overshadowed by a lack of manners. Communication will be enhanced by common etiquette practices, which in turn displays the ability to handle a number of professional and social situations. Employees that are better at communication are often those that are good at their jobs.

Having a sense of proper etiquette also inspires open minds that are inclusive to diversity. Because of the better relationships established from simple manners, workers are more likely to have great relations with people that are different from themselves. Etiquette provides an avenue for people of different races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and more to listen to different ideas and thoughts - that benefit alone branches out into a number of other benefits from a diverse team.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of office etiquette is how are moves beyond the workplace. Sometimes you might find yourself shocked at the lack of manners that others display in public. However, if companies were to make etiquette a priority, it can be difficult to turn off at the end of the day. Well-mannered employees would just become well-mannered people. That benefits everyone, not just the company.

The understanding that office etiquette is simply common manners and should be made a priority in a work setting is key to developing a strong team and brand image. While these kinds of manners may seem common sense to most, there has been a disconnect in some situations that call for the expectations of employee manners to be specifically defined. The next question that arises is, how do companies define the expectations of employee manners? Learning how to approach this is often vital to the success of a business.

Incorporating Office Etiquette

Despite the previous assumption that etiquette is common sense, developing specific rules and expectations surrounding the topic is the best way in which a company can ensure that employees understand how they are to act in an office setting. By having written expectations, confusion can be avoided between cultures. It is also ideal to incorporate some office etiquette training so that employees are more prepared for proper work behavior.

By defining the most common etiquette rules in the employee handbook, workers will understand the basics of what is expected of them. While it is most likely impossible to include every single rule regarding behavior in the workplace, it is a starting point. Company leaders can do a variety of things to encourage better manners at work.

Management should start by leading by example. If the higher-ups have the ability to get through a meeting without checking his or her phone, it should be possible for those further down the corporate ladder. On the flip side, a manager that is constantly looking at his or her phone or taking personal phone calls is one that encourages employees under him or her to do the same.

Even if a working group is incredibly close, be sure to use professional language - cursing in the work environment can slip into swearing in inappropriate work situations. By communicating efficiently and without added, unnecessary slang or lingo, a manager and his or her employees can be ready for business conversation when the need arises.

In addition to proper language and actions, training should be offered to all members of the organization. Unfortunately, most companies only put their senior most employees through business etiquette training. However, the benefits that a company would discover when all employees are trained can inspire the inclusion of all employees.

Training in etiquette can be as simple as going over specifics in a company-wide meeting or as expensive as hiring an outside company to do the process for you. Typically, outside companies are qualified in engaging personnel in ways like role play, group discussion, and written learning or tests. Deciding how to go about training is typically dependent upon the time you have to out into the training and the funds you might have available.

Office etiquette, while something many people simply expect others to have, is often a quality that should be taught. With the differences in culture, generations, and people in general, having employees that understand how they should act can save employees from a number of headaches.

Effects of NO Etiquette

Bad manners in the work environment can lead to a variety of struggles and problems. Although these issues might be small or pass in time, it is important to identify the effects of a coworker lacking etiquette. When we can identify the problem, we are better able to determine a solution.

One of the most obvious issues with a lack of manners in the workplace is anger or irritation. When a coworker is rude or ignores general rules of social etiquette, we might find ourselves with a sour attitude. If the behavior is affecting more than just your work, but also other coworkers, it may be apparent that the behavior needs to be addressed. While ignoring the problem and moving on with your day might be appropriate for issues that bother no one else, upsetting the entirety of the office is not a good work environment.

Taking action against coworkers that lack office manners is the only way to get the behavior to stop. The action taken should not be condescending or rude, as that will make the situation more uncomfortable. Rather, be kind and understanding toward the person committing the offense. Adults should have the capacity to discuss their differences in a professional manner.

Another side effect of bad manners in the workplace is stress. Stress causes a number of health concerns and can alter the course of a work day or performance. By combating stress in other ways, like letting in natural light, drinking enough water, and getting plenty of sleep, it may be easier to deal with the issue at hand. If these natural remedies make no improvements on your overall stress level, organize a short training session or meeting on office etiquette and its effect on stress.

Detrimental effects on the company as a whole can stem from just one employee with no etiquette. Strained relationships in an office setting can diminish productivity and develop a negative image. This is why addressing the matter at hand is imperative. When a talk with the person in question makes no change, nor does a company-wide informational meeting, it may be time to remind the person time and time again - while being realistic about the change. Remember, this person has likely made the issue a habit. Breaking that habit may take some time.

If an employee is unable (or unwilling) to make a change, it may be necessary to take disciplinary action. While the severity of the punishment depends on the specific behavior, it is important to make a change before the bad habit causes irreparable damage. It may seem extreme that a lack of polite behavior can cause such damages, but a toxic environment can cause hard feelings over time.

As previously discussed, office etiquette is, in its most basic terms, the basic understanding of workplace manners. It is an important part of the business office because of its impact on relationships within the company. Defining behavioral expectations is imperative in preventing issues before they start. If problems do arise and become bothersome to coworkers, discussing change is key to improving. Without behavioral change, a business can suffer in the long run.

How should an employee handle a confrontation with a coworker? First and foremost, always go into a confrontation assuming that your coworker had good intentions. Secondly, speak face to face rather than via email, even when uncomfortable. Lastly, think about if the confrontation is really necessary or if you can simply move on.

How can you move past anger or irritation at work? Physically move away from the issue. If something is starting to grind your gears, take a break. Go for a walk outside or put the stairwell to use. Do not approach the issue again until the emotional response has subsided.

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What is Office Etiquette and Why is it Important? | Open Sourced Workplace

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What is office etiquette and why is it important? Office etiquette is simply defined as basic manners in the world of business. It is important because it cuts down on stress and conflict between coworkers, which ultimately affects the company's success.

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Covid 19 has changed the way we work. WFH has become the norm. However, as workers begin to return to the office, there are changes in the way we conduct ourselves professionally.

Discuss with your group members on what can be considered as workplace etiquette for organisations in accordance with the new norm.
You may post your findings here.

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GROUP 4 ( CASE STUDY 4)
- Habib, Azfar, Angel, Shazwan, Khairun Najiha, Gurpreet

Introduction

- Joe works as a maintenance coordinator that needs to coordinate all of the departments under him to work together and make use of better resources.

- The increase of workload of his departments meant that more work for the understaffed departments

- This is why Joe needs to make sure that his staffs have a strong teamwork skills to work together

- Teamwork skills means that you can collaborate with other people and share ideas with them to come to a common goal

Problem encountered from the scenario

- Not enough budget to hire additional workers

- There is no teamwork in Joe department

- No creative thinking in Joe mindset

- Joe responsibility towards maintenance on campus

The Solution to encounter the issue

- Figure out what is really needed for that department

- Estimate the cost needed

- Schedule weekly meetings/ performance evaluation

- Training programs

Conclusion
- In conclusion, Joe need to fully utilise the resources that he have because it will become more better in accomplishing the job with a limited budget allocation in the organization.

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Group 2- nastasha,raajeswari, hannah,adriana and tehshaf

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Group 2- nastasha,raajeswari, hannah,adriana and tehshaf

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CASE STUDY TWO: SUPERVISING EXPERIENCED WORKERS

·       At a young age, Aidan was assigned as a supervisor and leader as well. He also possessed an extraordinary education background.

·        For example, people are much more likely to be drawn to you if you can maintain a positive attitude. A positive attitude also translates into improved self-confidence.

·        Listening skills, When working in a group, it's important to keep an open mind, so Aidan recognized his team members may see things from another perspective and hear them out.

·        Aidan use a Strong communication skill which reduce miscommunications and potential strife stemming from misunderstandings with their organization.

·        Aidan foster an effective communication which is critical to becoming an effective communicator in any organization. He also builds relationships with colleagues and sharing knowledge, information, and the development.

·        Aidan should develop training programs and meetings aimed at facilitating two-way communication with his experienced workers. Such meetings and programs will allow Aidin to supervise the implementation of new technologies and systems in the manufacturing processes, while also allowing the experienced workers to give him feedback.

·        Aidan should do effective negotiations that is, where you are seeking a win–win outcome, rather than win–lose will pave the way to mutual respect, trust and lasting interpersonal relations. Only by looking for a solution that works for both parties, rather than seeking to win at all costs, can you establish a good relationship that will enable you to work together repeatedly.

·        In a nutshell, he should possessed all the skills we mentioned earlier in order to become a  great leader and supervisor taking time to think about conversations and interpersonal interactions will enable Aidan to learn and continue to develop.

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CASE STUDY THREE : INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE (Gayu,Dachaini,Ashwiini,Soma,Tharshini,Deepa)

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CASE STUDY THREE : INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE (Gayu,Dachaini,Ashwiini,Soma,Tharshini,Deepa)

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- The most effective way of solving this problem is by , talk to others, such as friends, family, and colleagues about the internship to get advice on what you could do to improve your performance. Apply their advice when and where possible.
- Besides that , ask the supervisor for some time to think and follow up on this conversation in the near future. After thinking, come prepared with concrete questions to ask about how to improve your work and observations to share. Ask to collaborate on an action plan and set goals for your performance.
-The age-old rule remains. If a task will take less than two minutes to complete, finish it right away and cross it off your list. If you’re the type of person that frequently starts a task and fails to finish it, you know that it can begin to get daunting or even overwhelming. Finishing a task before you start a new one will not only help you improve your performance at work, but it will also help you minimize stress.

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What are interpersonal skills? Interpersonal skills are the behaviors and tactics a person uses to interact with others effectively. In the business world, the term refers to an employee's ability to work well with others. Interpersonal skills range from communication and listening to attitude and deportment.

As Rizal’s CFO, I will explain the importance of communication to him first. Rizal is an employee who does not understand why communication is important. Because of that, he is less likely to give an honest effort of improving his communication. As a CFO, I will tell Rizal that communication helps ideas spread throughout the work environment, brings problems to the forefront, lessens tension in the workplace and can result in friendships with co-workers. I will explain to Rizal that good communication reduces misunderstandings, which in turns reduces problems with work produced. If Rizal insisted to keep his way of communicating, I will send a confusing email to him and when we meet later, I will ask what he thought about it.

The problem:

·         Rizal is a poor communicator and seems to have alienated quite a few of his peers and employees.

·         Rizal is often aloof and distant, and his usual way of motivating performance is to simply dictate what will be done and expect compliance with his orders.

·         Rizal has good ideas but has little ability to present them well and act as part of the team.

The solutions:

·         Find one good trait in every co-worker - Not all of us like every single person we work with including Rizal but he can’t let his personal preference get in the way of peak performance. If a colleague’s personality clashes completely with his, the best way to handle the situation is by finding at least one good trait in that person preferably something professional.

·         Practice active listening – one of Rizal’s problems is he simply dictate what will be done and expect compliance with his orders. He has to practice active listening to improve his interpersonal skills. Rizal can do this by maintaining eye contact with the speaker, nodding his head, and repeating what his colleagues says in his own words. The speaker will feel respected and Rizal are likely to be able to recall the conversation more easily afterwards.

·         Create teamwork recognition programs - Rizal is often aloof and distant. The solution is Rizal’s CFO need to create teamwork recognition programs. Successful cooperation is rewarded, which encourages people to collaborate more frequently. Recognizing workers for things like reflecting corporate core values or making progress on significant company projects is a fantastic way to keep the momentum going for long-term growth.

·         Make communication a two-way street - Rizal is a poor communicator. The solution is to make communication a two-way street. Teamwork is only effective when team members feel comfortable speaking honestly, sharing ideas without fear of being shot down, making suggestions, and expressing their thoughts. Rizal can utilise a corporate communication platform that archives talk, ensuring that nothing important is lost in the process.

·         Measure Rizal's communication continuously - It is also, relying on annual reviews to measure employee engagement is a weak strategy and will not determine whether communication involves employees. To engage this workforce, organizations need to continue to innovate and create engaging communications.

·         Confirm and clarify - Like any important message, follow-up messages should confirm what you are communicating. Additionally, this is also an opportunity to ask for more details if needed. These messages clear up misunderstandings, which prevent future headaches.

·         Invite critiques and ideas - Let the colleagues know it is fine to express their ideas and feelings when necessary. Use examples to help the employee better understand. For example, suppose the employee has a way to decrease the time it takes to complete a certain task. The employee should relay that information to a supervisor or manager and talk about it further.

·         Discuss word choices – The CFO should tell Rizal that communication is more effective when words are chosen carefully. Tell him he should be direct with co-workers and managers when communicating but not overly blunt.

In conclusion, communication is essential for everyone in a company. Communication offers employees and managers alike the opportunity to express concerns and ideas in the workplace. An employee who lacks communication skills can become frustrated with co-workers, workplace rules and managers because his ideas and concerns are not heard.

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Case Study 3 (Alissa, Asyura, Bavani, Esther, Gauthaman)

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Case Study 3 (Alissa, Asyura, Bavani, Esther, Gauthaman)

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Introduction
- Definition of interpersonal skills at workplace
- Issues occured in workplace such as inactive workers and workers with unclear information on products and services
- Skills that need to improved would be verbal skills, listening skills, problem solving skills, decision making skills, team work and assertiveness

Issues
- Lack of effective communication skills
- did not pay close attention to what is being said, asking the other party to explain exactly what the he/she means and requesting ideas and statement and did not give the intern training.
- The supervisor did not have one to one communication with the intern, by having clear communication to know her abilities that what the intern can do

Solution
- The intern need to study more on how to approach customers
- The supervisor should monitor the staff training whether they already have the skills or not. ( like remembering the prices, communication skills with the clients)
- The intern should not say dont know instead the intern should went to the experience worker and try to ask them to teach the intern a bit.
-The intern need to study more on how to approach customers
- The intern should not say don't know instead the intern should go to the experienced worker and try to ask them to teach the intern a bit.
- The intern should communicate well with his supervisor to know what are his responsibilities in the company & department
- The intern should learn more about listening skills as it is important to get the job done properly

Conclusion
the intern should learn communication skills because it is important for the intern on how to communicate with the staffs in the company and also approach customers. Besides that, listening skills is important for the intern to learn because listening can reduce conflict.

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First and foremost, Aidan must understand his own motivations, strengths and weakness.  To be a good leader, Aidan should connect with his team by facilitating open communication, encouraging employee growth and development, and also giving and receiving feedback.        Aidan may identify areas for workers to improve their works. As a supervisor Aidan should find out the weakness of the workers and make some improvement and develop of the working knowledge. Secondly, Aidan need to focus on basic communication in the workplace. Lastly, Aidan also  use and practise his interpersonal skills in particular situations. He consciously putting yourself in those positions, and practising your skills, then reflecting on the outcomes, will help you to improve.

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First and foremost, Aidan must understand his own motivations, strengths and weakness.  To be a good leader, Aidan should connect with his team by facilitating open communication, encouraging employee growth and development, and also giving and receiving feedback.        Aidan may identify areas for workers to improve their works. As a supervisor Aidan should find out the weakness of the workers and make some improvement and develop of the working knowledge. Secondly, Aidan need to focus on basic communication in the workplace. Lastly, Aidan also  use and practise his interpersonal skills in particular situations. He consciously putting yourself in those positions, and practising your skills, then reflecting on the outcomes, will help you to improve.

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A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments.

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1. Identify the different types of meetings.
2. Provide examples when meetings are considered as ineffective.
3. How has COVID19 change the way we conduct meetings?
4. How do meetings work to shape the organizational culture?

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The Four Main Meeting Roles And Why They're Important

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Assign these four meeting roles for a quick, effective meeting: Leader, Recorder, Timekeeper, and Participant. Learn who does what, and why.

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The language and sample sentences discussed here can be helpful when you are either running or participating in a meeting in English.

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SAMPLE MEETING - MINUTES OF MEETING (EXERCISE 1)

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SAMPLE MEETING - MINUTES OF MEETING (EXERCISE 1)

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Bavani Gobinathan

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XAyg7umLIYKrnndiBldI_-tmj9CgrgmVcqP527k6GUk/edit?usp=sharing

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Meeting Agenda Template - MAKE A COPY TO USE

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Habib, Azfar, Angel, Shazwan, Khairun Najiha, Gurpreet