7 C’S FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

I- COMPLETENESS
1. Answer all questions asked
● If you have no information, say NO

● If having unfavorable information, reply with tact and honesty.

● List a needed details before answer the inquiry.

2. Give something extra, when desirable

● Sometimes write more to the sender. May be they don’t know what
they want.
● Include in you reply a welcome plus needed detail.

3. Check For Five W’s and one H

● What, Why, When, Whom, Where, How

II- CONCISENESS
1. Eliminate wordy expressions
● Use single-word substitutes instead of phrases.

● Omit "which" and "that" clauses whenever possible.

● Avoid overusing "It is," "It was," "There is," "There was," " There are,"
75
at sentence beginnings
● Whenever possible, use a verb in the present tense and active voice.

2. Include only relevant statements

● Stick to the purpose of the message

● Prune irrelevant words and rambling sentences.

● Omit information obvious to the receiver

● Get to the important point tactfully and concisely.

3. Avoid unnecessary repetition

● Use the shorter name if long one is mentioned once.

● Use pronouns or initials rather than long names.

● Cut out all needless repetition of phrases and sentences.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 III- CONSIDERATION
1. Focus on ‘YOU’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘WE’
● Show readers interest in first paragraph.

2. Show reader benefit or interest in reader.

● Whenever possible and true, show how your readers will benefit from
whatever the message asks or announces.

3. Emphasize positive, pleasant facts

● Stress on what can be done instead of what cannot be done.

4. Apply integrity and ethics

● Apply integrity with persons outside the organization.

● Let your customers know you are doing something for their interests.

IV- CONCRETENESS
1. Use specific facts and figures.
Whenever you can, substitute an exact statement or a figure for a

76 ●
general word to make your message more concrete and convincing.

2. Put Action in Your Verbs

● Active versus Passive Voice

● Actions in Verbs, Not In Nouns

3. Choose Vivid, image-building words.

● Figurative Language

● Concrete instead of Abstract Nouns

● Adjectives and Adverbs

V- COURTESY
1. Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative.
● Be tactful instead of Bluntness

● Show thoughtfulness and Appreciation efforts

2. Omit expressions that Irritate, Hurt, Belittle

● Avoid irksome expressions

● Questionable Humor

● Belittling Statement

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
VI- CLARITY
1. Choose short, familiar, conversational words.
● Use short words (when you have choice for long & short)

2. Choose effective sentences & paragraphs

Short sentences are preferred
Emphasis, for forceful, Clear expressions
●

Use topic sentence to express main idea.

●

3. Include examples. Illustrations, and other visual aids, when

desirable,
Sometimes use various visual aids effectively.
For lengthy explanations, give example or illustration.
●

Typographical aids can be useful.

●

Important statements should be underlined, colored or should be in

●

CAPITAL letters.
●

VII- CORRECTNESS
1. Use right level of language.
●

●
Formal
Informal
Substandard

2. Check accuracy of figures and facts.

77
Absolute accuracy is essential for effective writing and oral
communication.
●

● Verify all statements before writing.

3. Maintain acceptable writing mechanics.

Refer dictionary
Use computerized speller.
●

Hire an assistant who is good speller.

●

Double check for any careless omissions.

●

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 WRITING SKILL
An Important Skill
The skill that helps us most in our careers is generally the writing skill. We
write to inform, persuade, amuse or clarify. We would be required to write in
many situations, and it would be taken for granted that we would be able to
do this. This remains the case whether one writes internal memos, corre-
spond with clients, or write technical reports. Writing beautiful prose and
poetry is a talent. Writing effectively, however, is a skill that can be learned.

Organize Your Writing

Whether you are writing a memo to your co-worker or a report for your boss,
you should decide what information you want to convey. Here is how to do
this:
1. List each item you need to discuss.
2. Put them in order -- from most to least important
3. Write a brief summary of your entire memo -- this will be your first
paragraph.
4. Expand on each item listed in step 1.

78 5. If any action needs to be taken by the recipient, state that in your

closing paragraph.

Begin with the ‘Eight Tips’

1-Avoid wordiness:
Say out loud what you are trying to write. Listen to how the words sound.
For example, the sentence, "I found out that I should take a look at our past
sales figures in order to come up with a plan to help us re-evaluate our sales
technique" could be more simply stated as "I must take a look at our past
sales figures to re-evaluate our sales technique."

2-Write for your audience:

Use simple language. You don't want the reader to need a dictionary to
decipher what you are trying to say. You should not try to impress your
reader with your huge vocabulary. Chances are you will frustrate your
reader instead. Most people are juggling several tasks at the same time, and
are interested in receiving only necessary information. You are responsible
for making this happen. Instead of saying, "His gregarious nature
credentials him as a superlative candidate for the job," say "His friendliness
makes him a top candidate for the job."

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
3-Stay away from jargon:
If your work is very technical, but the person you are writing to is not well
versed in that field, stick to words that person will understand. For example,
if you are a Web site designer, this sentence in a memo to your client, a
psychologist, will make no sense: "What would you like me to use as the
BGCOLOR for your site: #ADD8E6 or #FFFFFF?" Anyone proficient in Web
page design knows that this question can be translated to "What would you
like the background color of your site to be: Light Blue or White?" However,
don't expect your client to be more familiar with this technical jargon than
you would be with their discussion of a psychological term such as
trichotillomania.

4-A cliché a day keeps the reader away:

At least it does not make him or her remember what you are saying. You
want your writing to be memorable. Because we hear clichés often, we
become desensitized to them. The words, then, are not uniquely associated
with your writing. Rather than saying "Don't put off until tomorrow what
you can do today" in a memo to a subordinate you are trying to motivate.
Simply say, "Stop procrastinating. Get the job done now."

5-Use the active voice:

The active voice makes your sentence stronger and usually shorter. Let's try
these examples. Passive voice: "Sales increased due to the networking I did."
Active voice: "My networking increased sales."

6-Don't be redundant:
It is not necessary to say "2 p.m. in the afternoon" or "the expectant pregnant
79
woman." Saying "2 p.m." or "2 in the afternoon" or "the expectant woman" or
"the pregnant woman" all convey what you want to say and are less wordy.

7-Pay attention to grammar

A good dictionary should be nearby, along with a thesaurus. A thesaurus will
allow you to keep your writing fresh by helping you find a variety of words
to use. Many of these resources are now available online.

8-Proofreading is one of the most important things you can do:

Since you probably do most of your writing on a computer, you have access
to automated spelling and grammar checkers. Beware though -- some words,
used in the wrong context may be missed by computerized spell checkers. For
example the sentence "To employees attended too meetings two learn about
the gnu software," would pass through the spell check without any
misspellings being detected. Have someone else proofread your document, if
possible. If time allows, put your composition away, and proofread it later, or
even better, the next day.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Forget the Past
Professional writing has very little to do with the composition and literature
learnt at school and college: the objectives are different, the audience has dif-
ferent needs. As doctors, we write for very distinct and restricted purposes,
which are best achieved through simplicity.

English at school had two distinct foci: the analysis and appreciation of the
great works of literature, and the display of knowledge. It is all a question of
aim. A novel entertains. It forces the reader to want to know: what happens
next. On the other hand, a doctor’s report is primarily designed to convey
information. The doctor's job is helped if the report is interesting; but time is
short and the sooner the meat of the document is reached, the better. The
novel would start: "The dog grew ill from howling so ..."; the doctor's report
would start (and probably end): "The butler killed Sir John with a twelve
inch carving knife".

In school we were taught to display knowledge. The more information and

argument, the more marks. In industry, it is totally different. Here the wise
doctor must extract only the significant information and support it with
only the minimum-necessary argument. The expertise is used to filter the
information and so to remove inessential noise. The doctor as expert provides
the answers to problems, not an exposition of past and present knowledge:

80 we use our knowledge to focus upon the important points.

For the Future

When you approach any document, follow this simple procedure:
1. Establish the AIM
2. Consider the READER
3. Devise the STRUCTURE
4. DRAFT the text
5. EDIT and REVISE

Aim
You start with your aim. Every document must have a single aim - a
specific, specified reason for being written. Once you have established your
aim, you must then decide what information is necessary in achieving that
aim. The reader wants to find the outcome of your thoughts: apply your
expertise to the available information, pick out the very-few facts which are
relevant, and state them precisely and concisely.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
The Reader
A document tells somebody something. As the writer, you have to decide
what to tell and how best to tell it to the particular audience; you must
consider the reader.

There are three considerations:

What they already know affects what you can leave out.
What they need to know determines what you include.
●

What they want to know suggests the order and emphasis of your
●

writing.
●

For instance, in a study proposal, subject specilist will want to see the
uniqueness of the topic, quality of the study, efficecy and user friendliness;
finance will be interested in duration, cost effectiveness and risk analysis;
and staticians will want the technical details of the design. To be most
effective, you may need to produce three different chapters for the three
different audiences.

In a nutshell your writing must be right for the right reader.

Structure
Writing is very powerful - and for this reason, it can be exploited. The power
comes from its potential as an efficient and effective means of communica-
tion; the power is derived from order and clarity. Structure is used to present
the information so that it is more accessible to the reader.
It all comes down to the problem of the short attention span. You have to
81
provide the information in small manageable chunks, and to use the
structure of the document to maintain the context.

While still considering the aim and the reader, the document is broken down
into distinct sections which can be written (and read) separately.
These sections are then each further decomposed into subsections (and
sub-subsections) until you arrive at simple, small units of information -
which are expressed as a paragraph, or a diagram.

Every paragraph in your document should justify itself; it should serve a

purpose, or be removed. A paragraph should convey a single idea. There
should be a statement of that key idea and (possibly) some of the following:
a development of the idea
an explanation or analogy
●

an illustration
●

support with evidence

●

contextual links to reinforce the structure

●

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 As doctors, though, you are allowed to avoid words entirely in places;
diagrams are often much better than written text. Whole reports can be
written with them almost exclusively and you should always consider using
one in preference to a paragraph. Not only do diagrams convey information
more effectively, but often they assist in the analysis and interpretation of
the data. For instance, a pie chart gives a quicker comparison than a list of
numbers; a simple bar chart is far more intelligible than the numbers it
represents. The only problem with diagrams is the writer often places less
effort in their design than their information-content merits - and so some is
lost or obscured. They must be given due care: add informative labels and
titles, highlight any key entries, remove unnecessary information.

Draft, Revise and Edit

When you have decided what to say, to whom you are saying it, and how to
structure it; say it - and then check it for clarity and effectiveness. The time
spent doing this will be far less than the time wasted by other people
struggling with the document otherwise.

The following are a few points to consider as you wield the red pen over your
newly created opus.

82 Layout
The main difference between written and verbal communication is that the
reader can choose and re-read the various sections, whereas the listener
receives information in the sequence determined by the speaker. Layout
should be used to make the structure plain, and so more effective: it acts as
a guide to the reader.

Suppose you have three main points to make; do not hide them within
simple text - make them obvious. Make it so that the reader's eye jumps
straight to them on the page. For instance, the key to effective layout is to
use:
informative titles
white space
●

variety
●

Another way to make a point obvious is to use a different font.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
Style
People, today do not have the time to marvel at your florid phrases or
incessant alliteration. They want to know what the document is about and
(possibly) what it says; there is no real interest in style, except for ease of
access.
In some articles a summary can be obtained by reading the first sentence of
each paragraph. The remainder of each paragraph is simply an expansion
upon, or explanation of, the initial sentence. In other writing, the topic is
given first in a summary form, and then successively repeated with greater
detail each time. This is the pyramid structure favoured by newspapers.

A really short and simple document is bound to be read. This has lead to the
"memo culture" in which every communication is condensed to one side of A4.
Longer documents need to justify themselves to their readers' attention.

The Beginning
Let us imagine the reader. Let us call him Dr X.

Dr X has a lot to do today: he has a meeting tomorrow morning with the

Principal, a call to make to the Administration office, several letters to
dictate concerning patient safety regulations, and this months patient-data
has failed to reach him. He is busy and distracted. You have possibly
20 seconds for your document to justify itself to him. If by then it has not
explained itself and convinced him that he needs to read it – Dr X will
tackle something else. If Dr X is a good manager, he will insist on a rewrite;
if not, the document may never be read!
83
Thus the beginning of your document is crucial. It must be obvious to the
reader at once what the document is about, and why it should be read. You
need to catch the readers attention but with subtlety.

Unlike a novel, the doctors’ document must not contain "teasing elevations of
suspense". Take your "aim", and either state it or achieve it by the end of the
first paragraph.

For instance, if you have been evaluating a new surgical Instrument

package for possible purchase then your reports might begin: "Having
evaluated the Surgtech Pvt, I recommend that ...".

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Punctuation
Punctuation is used to clarify meaning and to highlight structure. It can also
remove ambiguity.

Doctors tend not to punctuate - which deprives us of this simple tool. Despite
what some remember from school, punctuation has simple rules which lead
to elegance and easy interpretation. For a short summary of punctuation,
you could try a good dictionary.

Let us look at two uses of two punctuation marks. If you do not habitually
use these already, add them to your repertoire by deliberately looking for
opportunities in your next piece of writing.

The two most common uses of the Colon are:

1) To introduce a list which explains, or provides the information
promised in, the previous clause.
A manager needs two planning tools: prescience and a prayer.

2) To separate main clauses where the second is a step forward from the
first: statement to example, statement to explanation, cause to effect,
introduction to main point.

84 To err is human: we use computers.

The two most common uses of the Semicolon are:

1) to unite sentences that are closely associated, complementary or
parallel:
Writing is a skill; one must practise to improve a skill.
Doctors cure; accountants account for the cost.
2) to act as a stronger comma, either for emphasis or to establish a
hierarchy
The report was a masterpiece; of deception and false promises.
The teams were Tahir, Durrani and Haroon; and Mubashar, Malik and Mir.

Spelling
For some, spelling is a constant problem. Incorrect spelling distracts the
reader and detracts from the authority of the author. Computer spell-
checking programmes provide great assistance, especially when supported
by a good dictionary. Chronic spellers should always maintain a (preferably
alphabetical) list of corrected errors, and try to learn new rules (and
exceptions!). For instance (in British English) advice-advise, device-devise,
licence-license, practice-practise each follow the same pattern: the -ice is a
noun, the -ise is a verb.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
Simple Errors
For important documents, there is nothing better than a good, old-fashioned
proof-read. As an example, the following comes from a national advertising
campaign/quiz:

Question 3: Which Country has one the ‘Triple Crown’ the most times?
Won understands the error, but is not impressed by the quality of that
company's product.

Sentence Length
Avoid long sentences. We tend to associate "unit of information" with "a
sentence". Consequently when reading, we process the information when we
reach the full stop. If the sentence is too long, we lose the information either
because of our limited attention span or because the information was poorly
decomposed to start with and might, perhaps, have been broken up into
smaller, or possibly better punctuated, sentences which would better have
kept the attention of the reader and, by doing so, have reinforced the
original message with greater clarity and simplicity.

Word Length
It is inappropriate to utilize verbose and bombastic terminology when a
suitable alternative would be to: keep it simple. Often the long, complex word
will not be understood. Further, if the reader is distracted by the word itself,
then less attention is paid to the meaning or to the information you wished
to convey.
85
Wordiness
When one is trying hard to write an impressive document, it is easy to slip
into grandiose formulae: words and phrases which sound significant but
which convey nothing but noise.

You must exterminate. So: "for the reason that" becomes "because"; "with
regards to" becomes "about"; "in view of the fact that" becomes "since";
"within a comparatively short period of time" becomes "soon".

Often you can make a sentence sound more like spoken English simply be
changing the word order and adjusting the verb. So: "if the department
experiences any difficulties in the near future regarding attendance of
meetings" becomes "if staff cannnot attend the next few meetings". As a final
check, read your document aloud; if it sounds stilted, change it.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Conclusion
Writing is a complex tool, you need to train yourself in its use or a large
proportion of your activity will be grossly inefficient. You must reflect upon
your writing lest it reflects badly upon you.

If you want one message to take from this write up, take this: the writing of
a professional doctor should be clear, complete and concise. If your document
satisfies these three criteria, then it deserves to be read.

Paragraph Writing
Paragraphs form the basis of every type of writing. Although the purpose of
the paragraph may vary the structure the core message is always the same.
Every paragraph should develop and support one main idea, and should lead
the reader from one paragraph to the next.
Every paragraph should have:

● a topic sentence containing the main point

several developing sentences providing details to support the

86
●

topic sentence, examples and/or

quotations

● concluding sentence giving concluding support to your

topic sentence and linking to your
next point if possible

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 STRESS
Stress is a scourge of the modern day living. We are in the phase of
tremendous growth of knowledge, rapid social change, and technical
innovations. For many people, the pace of change is too fast, resulting in
stress.

Unfortunately a growing number of students are becoming victims of stress

and taking to harmful habits like popping sleeping pills, smoking and even
consuming drugs.

Stress is universal and could be a disabling human phenomenon. However,

it can also be a stimulant to growth. In fact optimum amount of stress is
necessary to achieve the best results'. It is the high degree of stress
persisting for relatively longer periods that is damaging for our physical and
mental health. For example, imagine being totally cool about a forthcoming
examination or an interview. What happens? You are not likely to be alert
and motivated to work for being successful. On the other hand, if you come
under too much of stress, it may cause confusion, disturbed thinking,
distorted perception, insomnia and such other symptoms that would result
in poor performance/outcome.

Thus, stress could be friendly and useful also and what really matters is
how you perceive a situation and go about managing it. Sometimes
situations may look similar but their management totally differs. For
example you may be performing very well at medical / dental college and yet
87
when you prepare for the postgraduate exams you know that your
performance at school does not guarantee your selection in such highly
competitive examinations. Therefore you have to work much harder under
greater psychological pressure for such competitive exams because you
would be competing with equally bright or even better students. If you accept
the challenge with healthy spirit and work hard under examination pressure
then the stress becomes friendly and helps you to achieve your goal.
On the other hand, if you are not mentally prepared to cope with the
demands of such situations, you are likely to experience severe stress that
may hamper your performance in the examination. Acknowledging the
source of the stress is a key to managing it.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 COMMON PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
OF STRESS
Short Term Effects Long Term Effects

- faster heart beat - change in appetite

- increased sweating - frequent colds
- cool skin - asthma
- cold hands and feet - digestive problems
- feelings of nausea - headaches
- rapid breathing - skin eruptions
- tense muscles - sexual disorders
- dry mouth - aches and pains
- diarrhoea - tiredness
- irritability - heart disease
- anxiety

88 MANAGING STRESS
"Now that I realize stress is affecting my well being, what can I do ?"
There are numerous ways to reduce stress in your life; the correct answer is
finding what works for you. Research has shown that cognitive-behavioural
therapy can be effective in reducing stress. Not only do you learn to react
differently to specific stress related activities, you learn to understand how
your thinking pattern contributed to the stress and how to alter your
thought process.

A few suggestions...
Take time out for self.
Focus on personal strengths.
●

Know your limitations.

●

Let go of those things you cannot change.

●

Change the way you look at things.

●

Talk about the situation causing stress

●

Breathing and relaxation exercises are key to reducing negative stress.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
An overall approach to improving every day life has proven to be the most
effective method to managing stress.

Take a walk, exercise, stretch, take deep breathes, laugh, play a game, see a
movie, express affection, share feelings, sing, paint, write, make new friends,
tackle problems head on, give thanks, let go, and laugh some more...

[Link]

Informational Links
MSNBC Mental Health Update
[Link]/news/mentalhealth_front.asap
●

Stress, Inc.
[Link]
●

Stress Management for Patient and Physician

[Link]
●

Web MD
[Link]
●

References
1. Lehrer, Paul M. and Woolfolk, Robert L. Principles and Practice of
Stress Management. The Guilford Press, New York, 1993.

2. Long, MD Phillip W. Internet Mental Health. [Link].

89
3. National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety Disorders.
[Link].

4. Posen, MD David B. The Canadian Journal of Continuing Medical

Education. April, 1995.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 COPING WITH EXAMINATION STRESS
As the examination time comes closer, many students develop lack of sleep
and hunger, anxiety, depression or a strange unknown fear. Attributing all
such symptoms, which arise out of stress, to the impending examination may
not be justified. A combination of factors such as the family environment,
parental attitudes and expectations, friends, social circle, individual
emotions and aspirations also play their role in causing stress. Fear of
failure too, adds up and multiplies your tensions. Such real life situations are
actually a challenge to your potentials and retaining your composure and
confidence at such times is the real test. No matter how good a student you
are or how well you have prepared for your examination no sooner you allow
yourself to be overwhelmed by the situation and come under stress the
battle is lost even before it begins.

We worry that we will not do well and this, in itself, can cause such
stress that we do not perform at our best on the day of the exam. The fear
associated with exams is largely due to our anxiety about failure. We may
worry that we will be disgraced and embarrassed if we fail, about how our
family and friends will react, and about letting ourselves and other people
down. It can often seem as if we are being judged and tested as people and

90 not just on the subject matter of the exam. In extreme cases we react as if
our lives depended on passing the exam.

Stress causes depression, forgetfulness, irritability and aloofness. It would

make you feel tired and listless and bring down your efficiency. You may
simply be unable to manage your time and get stressed or you may have set
a timetable for yourself that is too difficult to follow and you end up feeling
low and depressed for not being able to follow the regimen. A little
introspection here would help you develop an insight into the problem and
cope up with the stress. Proper planning and time management can prove
to be the best stress busters.

You may also choose or develop your own strategy for coping with stress. You
might use one or many of the strategies that are used in general to cope-up
with or reduce stress in life.

We all need a certain amount of stress to make us embark on tasks and want
to perform well. Most people have experienced the "buzz" that comes from
the anticipation of tackling and achieving difficult goals. Generally speaking,
that alert, excited feeling disappears if the task feels overwhelming, if we
feel under prepared, or if we can't see the purpose of what we are doing.

Try to keep a sense of perspective. While doing well in your exams may be
important to you in all sorts of ways, your life does not depend on them.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Strategies for coping with stress

The best way of avoiding stress and exam panic is to start preparing weeks
ahead, with a helpful work routine, good revision strategies and regular
time-out for yourself to relax and re-charge your energy levels.

Lifestyle
Try to balance work and your time off.
Try to take some exercise everyday. This helps you "switch-off"
●

ssmentally, relax body tension and feel more alert.

●

Try to "switch-off" mentally at other times by doing something

absorbing.
●

● Watch out for disabling thinking, e.g. "everyone else seems well

organized and able to cope, while I'm struggling", and challenge this,
e.g. "I have succeeded in exams in the past".
● Try to stop working an hour before bedtime. You may find it helpful to

do some muscular relaxation, which is particularly useful for relieving

stress.

The week before an exam

● Check the structure of the exam paper - multiple choice or essays,

number of questions to attempt, marks allocated to each question, and

then allow time accordingly.
● Revision: Vary subjects and their difficulty so that you don't get bored
91
or disheartened. Set realistic targets of what to achieve in the hours
available. Spend as much time on recall as on reading material.
Practice answers in exam conditions.
● Take preventive action on predictable health problems, e.g. to avoid

allergies, period pains, stress headaches.

● Try to avoid additional stress.

The day before the exam

● Check the date, time and place of the exam and arrangements to get

there.
● Check equipment needed for exam.

● Review your notes. Don't attempt to learn new material.

● Think through the exam situation - a mental rehearsal - and review

strategies to adopt if disaster strikes.

● Use relaxation techniques to ensure adequate sleep the night before.

● Avoid foods that might lead to digestive upset the next day.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 The exam day
● Stick to normal daily routine as far as possible.

● If you can't eat beforehand, take glucose or sweets in case you get

"light-headed" in the exam.

● Use relaxation techniques.

● If good for your confidence, briefly check your notes to confirm your

recall ability.
● Plan your journey to arrive on time. Take a watch.

In the exam
● Read right through the paper, plan your time, decide priority order of

questions, and plan your answers. Ensure answers are relevant. Don't
waste time being stuck, but change to another answer. Attempt the
right number of answers (more marks are gained in the first half of an
answer than the second). If time at the end, check over your work.
● If you panic in the exam, allow yourself a limited amount of time to use

relaxation/breathing control techniques to calm down. Don't indulge

yourself by thinking about the panic. Aim at getting on with the next
answer, or part of it, not at finishing the exam. Put into play strategies
rehearsed in your planning for the exam.

92

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 DEALING WITH EXAM PANIC
Stage 1: The "STOP!" Technique
If you think panic is starting, allow yourself up to 5 minutes to deal with it.
You probably feel tense, so concentrate on trying to relax some muscles and
breathing techniques to calm down. In doing this, it is possible to halt and
reverse the process of increasing tension and stress. The STOP! Technique
is a quick and effective way of doing this. The aim is not to achieve complete
relaxation, but to reduce unhelpful tension to a manageable level.

The technique takes less than a minute and can be done without other
people noticing.

Say STOP! to yourself.

Breathe in gently.
●

Breathe out slowly, relaxing SHOULDERS, ARMS AND HANDS.

●

Pause.
●

Breath in again.
●

Breathe out slowly, relaxing FOREHEAD AND JAW.

●

Stay quiet for a few seconds.

93
●

Carry on with whatever you were doing, deliberately moving more

●

slowly. If you have to talk, speak a little more slowly and with your
●

voice a little lower than usual.

You will find that, in spite of your feelings, the tension will lessen.

Stage 2:
Once you have calmed down, you may want to suck a sweet or glucose
(particularly if you feel light-headed or nauseous). Then try to define the
immediate trigger of anxiety. Is there a different way of approaching the
problem? If you are completely stuck, it might be worthwhile attempting a
new question, or a different stage of the problem question. Try not to think
about the actual panic, once you have acknowledged that it is there.

Stage 3:
If panic persists or returns when you start thinking about its trigger, try
again to relax your muscles and breathing, and try to clear your mind of the
problem - either by blanking it, or by imagining something pleasant for a
minute or two. Once your mind is relaxed, bring it back to the immediate
problem and just aim to do enough to get past the problem point, so that you
are then free to get on with the other parts.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 HOW TO GET THROUGH EXAMS
Here are 10 top tips by educational psychologists:

1. Get help: ask a teacher tutor or senior about how to revise, and how
to work when you are in an exam.
2. Take short rests during your time of revision. If your mind is tired, it
will not remember well.
3. Plan your work: revise at times when you know you will work at your
best.
4. Stay healthy: get enough sleep, eat sensibly.
5. Exercise: you need exercise to work well. Walk, run, play sport - what
ever you enjoy.
6. Be positive: stop thinking about the future and failing.
7. Do your best: no-one can do more than this.
8. Be alert: if you feel ill, talk to someone about your worries.

94 9. But don't be too relaxed! Some stress over exams makes you work
hard for them.
10. Be sensible: if it upsets you to talk to your friends about an exam when
it is finished, don't do it! In fact, don't even think about the exam you
have finished. What is done is done. You cannot change what you have
done!

To this advice, we would add:

If you are studying in the evening, don't go straight to bed afterwards. Your
mind will still be 'going round and round' - thinking too much. Do something
else, maybe walk or get exercise. Choose something that will relax you, and
make you think of other things.

You do not need to face exams alone. God can help you. Search for Him. He
can be a friend to you.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 ELEMENTS THAT PREVENT US FROM
PERFORMING WELL
Fear
1. Fear of the unknown
2. Fears of Inadequacy
3. Fear of Competition

Fear of the Unknown:

Remember when you passed the 9th and entered the 10th grade / class You
saw the huge bundle of books handed to you and your heart sank, wondering
how on earth you would be able to study all of them. When we face something
which we do not understand but can affect our life, FEAR is an instinctive
reaction of the mind.

How did you overcome fear of those books – by deciding to apply yourself and
understand each subject. Today you have mastered the subject and it is no
long a fearsome subject.

Many people are afraid of the dark- because they do not understand what it
contains. Once you switch on the light and see what is there, you are no
longer afraid. Fear is vanquished by knowledge - backed by determination.
There is a Chinese proverb which says " When you are afraid of the dark
walk straight towards it" When you make a sincere attempt to understand
95
and know - fear vanishes.

Fear of Inadequacy:
Many people have a low self esteem of their own capabilities. How can I do
it? Will I be able to pass? I am too stupid etc. This is a great drawback and
can kill the most promising talent in you.

There was a person who had a good technique of overcoming this fear of
inadequacy. He would compare himself with someone who he considered as
less intelligent. He would always think "If that guy can do it – why cant I?"
and he invariably succeeded.

A very senior executive in a multinational company quit his job and started
his own company. He had to correspond. The volume of correspondence was
not high to justify hiring a steno typist. So he wondered how to solve the
problem.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 He could think of only one answer – type himself! But he had never typed
anything in his life. So what! If an SSC graduate could learn to type, he saw
no reason why he could not learn it also – and he did learn – at the age of 48.

So when you are assailed by doubts about your capability, try comparing
with someone less fortunate than you are, who has passed that test. You will
be surprised how it works wonders.

Fear of Competition
Many students are so anxious & tense about their rank or position that it
affects their performance. The burdens of the past and anxiety about the
future act as a very strong brake upon performance. What you have achieved
as of today is because of the hard work and study in the past. Thus you may
say "you are today, a product of your past." It is logical to conclude that "what
you become tomorrow depends upon how you perform today."

Remember two rules which have always proved true:

● "The past is a good teacher, but a very poor guide to the future"

● "Do your best – Forget the rest"

[Link]
[Link]

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C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 MASTERING FEAR
As the venerable Mark Twain once said, "Courage is resistance to and
mastery of fear - not the absence of fear". We constantly encounter fear in our
everyday lives; whether it is triggered by a spontaneous event like a traffic
accident, or if it lingers within you for months when you have doubts
your self.

A few of us have learned to master this dreaded emotion through experience

and time, however, many people still live in constant fear for most of their
adult lives.

Know your enemy

In order to control and even overcome fear, you must first learn what it is;
"To conquer thine enemy, you must first get to know it." The emotion of fear
stems from several hormonal and neurochemical responses in the brain
which trigger the "fight-or-flight" response. These symptoms are meant to
stay active for only a few seconds or minutes, which is just enough time for
a person to react to the object of his fear.

What do you think happens, however, when that object is not real? What if
it's simply a situation created by your imagination? In this case, for many
people, the high levels of adrenaline and increased cardiorespiratory rates
remain in the body for longer periods, adding more stress and consequently
making the body experience "burnout" and total exhaustion.
97
Love your enemy
The next step in conquering your fears is to actually fall in love with them.
Sounds crazy? Not really. Falling in love with fear simply means recognizing
the symptoms and becoming aware of its presence, and devoting your
conscious mind to it.

Turn your fear into a little experiment. When you start feeling nervous and
anxious, put in a conscious effort by taking a moment to say to yourself,
"It's beginning. I'm becoming afraid." By acknowledging fear and keeping
company with it, you will eventually learn how to master it.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Conquer your enemy
"Conquering" fear does not mean destroying it. When you conquer some-
thing, you take control of it and become its master. No one can ever com-
pletely destroy fear, and why should you? It is still a part of your defence
mechanism whether you like it or not. Therefore, here are a few easy mental
and physical steps you can follow to master fear:

Get up: Many people have panic attacks early in the morning while
they're still in bed. What you should do is get up and out of bed. There
●

isn't a more vulnerable place to be when panic strikes than in bed,

under the covers and prone to an attack.

You should get up and get the morning paper, turn on the TV and
notice that life goes on around you. Get dressed and go outside. See
that there is life and action around you at all times. It puts your terror
into a certain perspective and makes it small.

Exercise: Get moving enough to get the blood flowing. Do some

sit-ups, push-ups, lift weights and walk the dog a few blocks. This truly
●

works wonders. Exercise replaces those "fear hormones" in your body

with hormones that promote strength and power for longer periods of

98 ●
time.

Sing or whistle: Pick your favourite tune and sing or whistle it

continuously. This is simply another way to control your breathing and
calm yourself down.

Live in the "here-and-now": The following phrases can help you

unwind when unpleasant thoughts enter your mind; "There's no
●

problem I have to solve at this moment in time," and "The most

important thing I can experience at this moment in time is relaxation."
Saying these phrases aloud will force you to concentrate on the
tasks at hand and sway your mind from focusing on things in the
future that may never occur.

Think positive: Reviewing a past success, particularly before a

presentation or a meeting with your boss, is an excellent way to
●

eradicate the butterflies. You become instantly reminded that you've

achieved great things before, and there's no reason why you shouldn't
achieve them again.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 Again, repeat these phrases to yourself, "I can handle this" or "I know
more about this than anyone here". It pulls you away from the animal
reflex to stress (the quick breathing and cold hands), and toward the
reasoned response, the intellect. The result? You calm down.

Food and fear: Eat something simple like toast with tea or an apple.
It's hard to be afraid when one is eating, and it's especially hard to be
●

in fear when the sugar and other nutrients from whatever you are
eating enter your bloodstream.

It's not just a coincidence that people in fear like to eat. Metabolized
food is energizing, refreshing, and calming. There's the obvious
problem, however, of possible excess, but we'll leave that for later.

Talk to yourself: This is the part where you "fall in love" with fear.
Tell yourself some extremely basic facts about fear, life and your
●

present situation. Here are some suggestions as to what you should

talk about;

1. When you are in fear about things that you do not have now,
especially money, property and prestige, think about what you do

2.
have: a wonderful family, caring friends, and interesting work. The
list goes on and on and every point wipes away some fear.
Remember and tell yourself that there is no profit in fear, no
pleasure in fear and no wisdom in fear.
99
3. When you are in fear that your life has been wasted, make a list of
every good thing you've ever done and then allow yourself to feel
proud about them.
4. Always tell yourself that you are the master of your own body and
mind. Only you can control fear and make it your slave. Never
become a slave to your own fears, especially when they begin to
hurt others like your family or friends.
5. Get plenty of rest. It's almost impossible to feel secure when you're
exhausted or frightened.
6. Devote time for meditation and prayers. Believe that God is there
to help you. He is on your side.
Try these simple suggestions. Considering that the alternative
is being controlled by your fears, these ideas are worth a try.
Good luck!

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Knowing that we cannot actually control the passage of time, it makes sense
to try and find a way to manage our time. To meet all of the demands on your
time, including hospital, work, family commitments, committees and other
activities, it is important to develop organization and time management
skills.

There are three levels of planning to consider when managing your time.

1. Planning your work

At the beginning of a entering a program / rotation it is important to spend
some time thinking about what you want to achieve and how you will go
about it. Some questions to ask yourself are:

- What are my long term goals?

- What do I want to accomplish in this training program?
- How much time do I need to spend on my studies?
- How much time do I have for other things?

100 Once you have answered these questions you will be able to begin to plan
with a clear understanding of the tasks you need to accomplish in order to
achieve your long term goals.

An important part of planning is Prioritizing. Some considerations for

prioritizing your time are:

Amount of time: Don’t spend all your time on one or two tasks / subjects
while ignoring others. Designate regular study times and plan other
commitments around these, not vice versa!

Level of urgency: Decide what is urgent, and deal with these tasks before
tackling tasks that can wait. Make sure that you note when major
assignments are due, so that you can plan your time accordingly. Begin with
the tasks that have the earliest deadlines, not those that are easiest or most
interesting!

Level of importance: Decide whether some tasks / subjects / topics are

more important to you in terms of your long term goals. You should also
consider how much time you might spend studying for a 20% exam compared
to an 80% exam as well as how much internal assessment you have to do and
how much it is worth in comparison to your exam.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
Personal priorities: Consider how your personal priorities might affect all of
the above. Think about a shift in time commitments as exams move closer.

Tasking: Another important element of time management is Tasking. If one

of your goals is to write an essay, break this goal down into smaller tasks by
asking yourself what steps you need to take to complete the essay. Make sure
you keep the smaller tasks manageable, relevant, specific and realistic. Once
you have created a task list, try to estimate the amount of time you will need
to complete each task. Decide on an amount of time per week that you can
commit to practising your essay writing and group the tasks together to
equal the time you have allocated.

Example: Tasks for writing an essay:

Identifying topic and scope

- choosing topic
●

- analysing question
- defining scope of essay

Researching
- finding information
●

●
- reading and taking notes

Writing
- writing plan
101
- producing first draft
- summarising

Re-drafting
- editing and re-drafting
●

- final changes and formatting

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 2. Weekly planning
A weekly plan allows close monitoring of your time so you know how many
hours you have each week for study. When you are creating your weekly
plan:
◆ Try to schedule your study at the time of day that is most productive

for you. For some people this is in the morning, while for others it is the
afternoon or evening.
● Make sure that the time you allocate for study is quality time. Do not

persist with study if you are feeling very sleepy as you will not be
learning effectively. Take a break every hour, and if you are finding it
particularly difficult to concentrate, slot in some other activity between
study sessions.
● Schedule in your formal and informal commitments. There is life

outside of hospital! Be sure to schedule in all of your formal

commitments etc. Don’t forget your informal commitments like family,
friends, and sports.
● Study the subject or subjects you find most difficult or boring before the

ones you find interesting. This will help you to maintain concentration.
● Review your goals. Set aside time each week or day to review where

102 you are in terms of your goals.

● Plan your study environment. Be proactive and choose an environment

that suits you best. Make sure to remove all of the things that may
distract you from staying on task.
● Create ways to reward yourself. Reward yourself regularly, be creative

and have fun with your rewards.

3. Daily Planning
Planning your day helps maintain an immediate focus on the tasks you need
to complete. There are a number of ways to manage your daily planning.
These include:
● when to plan your day: You can complete your following day’s plan at

the end of each day to help provide continuity or you can try and
compile your daily plan at the beginning of each day. Label each task
‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, with ‘A’s being the most important tasks to complete.

Maintain motivation: It is very common for students to lose interest and

motivation at some stage during their studies. This may be due to changing
interests, employment, family problems, or any number of other factors, so
don’t be surprised if you find yourself in this situation. Accomplishing your
daily tasks is one strategy that will help you maintain momentum and keep
you motivated.
[Link]

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 STUDY TIPS
Study when:
● Study difficult (or boring) subjects first.

● Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions.

● Be aware of your best time of day.

● Use waiting time.

● Use a regular study area.

Study where:
● Choose a place that minimizes visual and auditory distractions.

● Use the library or empty classrooms. Get out of a noisy area when

possible.
● Don't get too comfortable. Sit (or even stand) so that you can remain

awake and attentive.

● Find a better place when productivity falls off.

You and the outside world:

● Pay attention to your attention.

● Agree with roommates about study time.

● Avoid noise distractions.

● Notice how others misuse your time.

● Get off the phone.

● Learn to say no.

● Hang a "Do Not Disturb!" sign on your door.

103
● Ask: "What is one task I can accomplish toward my goal?"

● Ask: "Am I beating myself up?" (Lighten up, don't berate self).

● Ask: "Am I a perfectionist?"

● Ask: "How did I just waste time?"

● Ask: "Would I pay myself for what I'm doing right now?"

● Ask: "Can I do just one more thing?" (Stretch yourself).

Reproduced with the permission of Gregory Wells, Coordinator, William

James Center, Davis and Elkins College, Elkins WV., NACADA Conf. 1987.
[Link]

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS
If possible get official, legal access to past short essay questions.

Note:
1. How the questions are phrased?
2. How much time is allow (approx) per question?
3. How many marks are allowed per question?
4. How much writing space or word limit is allowed per question?
- Spend a little time understanding what the examiner is trying to
ask.
- Spend time organizing your answer.
- Answer according to the demand of the question. even if the
question seems vague and lengthy try and keep your answer to the
point as far as possible. Remember, in a short essay you can get
only so many marks!

104 - All examiners are influenced by how easy to read a paper is: write
as neatly as you can. Leave plenty of space whenever possible. It is
always a good idea to give headings and sub headings.

Make a flow chart whenever a process is asked for, or write in points or steps.

C OMMUNICATION S KILLS
 SCALE FOR ANALYSIS OF ESSAYS
LEVEL OF ARGUMENTATION/ CONTENT EXPRESSION PRACTICAL
ACHIEVEMENT JUSTIFICATIONS (STYLE OF WRITING) APPLICATION

EXCELLENT The writer provides highly The information presented Typically clear beginnings, The learner has
(10) logical arguments. Both matches exactly with the middles, and ends. developed a highly logical
(positive and negative) requirements. It is evident No digressions are pre- piece of work based on
aspects are presented that references are from sent. clearly defined principles /
very nicely. The writer has varied sources and Transitions are smooth theory. There seems to be
very clearly presented his/ include a good number of and logical. no confusion in the learner’s
her own stance on the new ones Mechanical errors are mind as to how to use the
topic and has defended it absent. theory/ principles that
suitably. Proper references Ideas are well organized were provided. The work
are provided for the and communicated clearly developed is highly
arguments. and concisely. useable.

GOOD The writer provides logical The information presented Generally well organized The learner has devel-
(08) arguments. Both matches the require- according to definite oped a credible piece of
(positive and negative) ments. It is evident that plans. work based on clear cut
aspects presented are references are from varied Typically clear beginnings principles / theory. There
balanced. The writer has sources and include a and ends. seems to be almost no
tired to present his/ her good number of new ones Most transitions are confusion in the learner’s
own stance on the topic smooth and logical. mind as to how to use the
and has defended it at Mechanical errors do not theory/ principles that
most places. Arguments confuse reader, but in were provided. The work
are supported by proper each composition developed is highly
references. there may be several useable.
minor errors or one or two
major errors.
105
 106
SCALE FOR ANALYSIS OF ESSAYS
LEVEL OF ARGUMENTATION/ CONTENT EXPRESSION PRACTICAL
ACHIEVEMENT JUSTIFICATIONS (STYLE OF WRITING) APPLICATION
The writer provides logical The information presented Endings may sometimes The writer is unclear at
ADEQUATE arguments. Adequate bal- is mostly according to be awkward or abrupt. some places regarding
(06) ance is missing in only a what has been asked. Transitions are typically what principles/ theory to
few cases. The writer has The number for refer- logical but may on occa- apply. There is some con-
tried to present his/ her ences included is barely sion lack depth fusion in the learner’s
own stance on the topic minimal to support the and/or direct relevance. mind as to how to use the
and has defended it at arguments. Latest refer- Digressions may be found theory/ principles that
most places. Suitable ref- ences are in sufficient here and there but they were provided. The work
erences are provided for numbers. do not hamper the flow of developed is vague at
the arguments in most text. some places only. At
cases. some places lacks flow of
process/ thought. Majority
of the ideas/ propositions
are useable.

The writer provides logical The information presented Possible digressions or The writer is unclear at
INADEQUATE arguments. Balance is is at places according to elaborations are confusing most places regarding what
(04) missing in some cases. what has been asked. to reader. Some principles/ theory to apply.
The writer presents his/ The number for transitions are logical. There is confusion in the
Beginnings and endings learner’s mind as to how
her own stance on the references included is
may be awkward or to use the theory/ princi-
topic but fails to defend it inadequate to support the ples that were provided.
abrupt. Key elements may
adequately. References arguments. Latest refer- The work developed is
be unevenly developed or
are not provided for the ences are insufficient in omitted. Mechanical vague at most places. At
arguments in most cases. number. errors, some minor, some most places lacks flow of
major, which may on process/ thought. Majority
occasion confuse reader. of the ideas/ propositions
are useable.
 SCALE FOR ANALYSIS OF ESSAYS
LEVEL OF ARGUMENTATION/ CONTENT EXPRESSION PRACTICAL
ACHIEVEMENT JUSTIFICATIONS (STYLE OF WRITING) APPLICATION
POOR The writer fails to provide Lack of necessary Topic may be clear but no There seems to be total
(02) any argument at all. The information. overall organizational lack of clarity to the read-
writer does not present plans exist. er as to what principles/
his/ her own stance on the There are many theory has been applied.
topic and fails to defend it. digressions or over-elabo- There seems to be great
References are not rations or little confusion in the learner’s
provided for the development mind as to how to use the
arguments. altogether. theory/ principles that
There is little sense of were provided. The work
beginnings or endings. developed is vague, lacks
Many mechanical errors flow of process/ thought
interfere with under and does not seem to be
standing. useable.
Incomplete sentences are
present.

107