Page 360 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

348 | Model Question Papers

the absent decoder determines the contours of your communication. The textbook
for the nursery kids, for example, would be heavy on visual effects while the hand-
book for the management trainees would be idea rich and more formal in tone.
v. Interestingly, moreover, as a communication skill, writing mixes the private and
the public domains uniquely. As a communication event, it is for the eyes of the
decoder only. The decoder is reading in total privacy, and all by himself, the content
the encoder has generated but the concerns the encoder thereby shares with him deal
with the rest of the world.

vi. Such a double bind makes writing a very effective tool of communication. It is not
in vain that traditional wisdom maintains that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’.
A book by Fidel Castro, for example, read in the privacy of the decoder’s reading
environment has a more radical effect than Castro thundering on in a public meeting.
In the field of academics, for example, we can refer to Paulo Freire’s literacy primers to
understand how writing radicalizes its decoder. In this resistant sense, writing is the
only communication skill that makes, mars, and changes its decoder’s personality.
Hence, it can very well be claimed that even in today’s era of audio-visual explosion,
writing well is the need of the hour.
11. Team building works best when the following conditions are met.
i. There is a high level of interdependence among team members. The team is working
on important tasks in which each team member has a commitment and teamwork is
critical for achieving the desired results.
ii. The team leader has good people skills, is committed to developing a team approach,
and allocates time to team-building activities. Team management is seen as a shared
function, and team members are given the opportunity to exercise leadership when
their experiences and skills are appropriate to the needs of the team.

iii. Each team member is capable and willing to contribute information, skills, and expe-
riences that provide an appropriate mix for achieving the team’s purpose.
iv. The team develops a climate in which people feel relaxed and are able to be direct and
open in their communications.
v. Team members develop a mutual trust for each other and believe that the other team
members have skills and capabilities to contribute to the team.
vi. Both the team and individual members are prepared to take risks and are allowed to
develop their abilities and skills.
vii. The roles of the team member are defined, and effective ways to solve problems and
communicate are developed and supported by all team members.
viii. Team members know how to examine team and individual errors and weaknesses with-
out making personal attacks, which enables the group to learn from its experiences.
ix. Team efforts are devoted to the achievement of results, and team performance is
frequently evaluated to see where improvements can be made.

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