1. IntroductionHuman race has been evolving from stone era to the modern knowledge era, witnessing different timely revolutions. Despite the various deviations and complexities within each era, one special necessity was predominant for existence. Its the basic need to communicate. Various studies show that communication is not only for sharing information and data, but also for developing mutual exchange of understanding and relationships. Different dimensions of communication are being discussed as we evolve and modernize ourselves.The modern business world has become extremely volatile and dynamic with the ever increasing development trends in information technology. This volatility and detailed nature requires the businesses to be vigilant on the information they acquire through different mediums. As a consequence, any business that is reluctant on acquiring the correct information at the correct time is in the great danger of failure. Communication has been studied as a key management tool where none of the management functions would be effective without proper communication. This proposes the dilemma that communication is an essential part for the successful execution of managerial functions. According to the well known management authors, every employees success is directly related to how well they communicate. Drucker (1977) believes that ones success as an employee, which is much more here than getting promoted, will depend on his/her ability to communicate with people and to present own thoughts and ideas to them.Guffey (2010) quotes that surveys of employers consistently show that communication skills are critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement and organizational success.Not only the employees success, but proper communication mechanisms also affect the health of the CEO too. According to Lippincott business world is full of cautionary tales that often hinge on simple truisms such as the importance of internal employee communication affecting the health of the CEO.Lippincott (2014) argues that the CEO who communicates actively and honestly with employees will be rewarded with loyalty and support may seem glaringly obvious. But it is surprising how often this tenet is brushed aside in the executive suite.In the prevailing knowledge era, effective decision making in any organization depends heavily on communicating the relevant information to the relevant personnel within the standard time frame. Effective presentation skills and listening skills have been widely accepted as key tools in this extremely important process. This suggests the vital fact that the managers in modern business era should be excellent in effective presentation skills and listening skills in order to be successful.

2. Effective ListeningWidely accepted researches suggest that a personal I.Q. (Intelligent Quotient), one standard deviation above the normal human value, will give birth to an executive. Thus, in order to become a professional in some field and specifically to have the cognitive capacity to handle the level of work as a professional require an accepted level of I.Q. But its amazing to see that theres little relationship with the effectiveness of the professionals with their personal I.Q. Emotional intelligence is what needs to be mastered in order to become effective in professional lives. Among all of the soft skills required for above average emotional intelligence, Listening plays a vital role.With the accelerating trends like internet, teamwork, social networking, global contests and emphasis on customer service, workers are communicating more than ever before. As the previous studies suggest, communication has become a vital ingredient in every successful organization and three quarters of high quality communication involves listening. Listening is especially important in the workplace because we spend so much time doing it. Although estimates vary, it is thought that most workers spend 30 to 45 percent of their communication time listening. Executives spend 60 to 70 percent of their communication time listening. (Guffey, 2010, p. 58)Most of the employers report that soft skills such as listening, speaking are most likely to determine the hiring process and career success of professionals. As Guffey quotes (2010) numerous studies and experts report that good listeners make good managers and that good listeners advance more rapidly in their organizations. This suggests that listening skills are important for worker satisfaction, career growth of the employee and organizational effectiveness in the long run.

2.1. Listening processWhile hearing can be defined as a sense that allows perceiving physical sound waves, listening is more towards a mental process. Experts say that we hear with our ears but listening is done with our minds. The differentiation between the two activities is quite apparent with a unique understanding about the classification. Raman & Singh (2012) explains that hearing is a more like a physical act which requires only the reception of sound waves where as listening is an active process. Listening might be defined as the art of hearing and understanding what some one is saying. There are various stages in the process of listening. It is valuable to note that humans participate in all these steps, often unconsciously, in an active listening activity; the complex process of listening can be reviewed in five major steps as in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Listening Process

Source: Author

2.1.1. The Sensing/Selecting StageCommunication process consists of two parties, a sender and a receiver. In this stage, the speakers (sender) voice, carried as sound waves through air, will stimulate the hearing organs of the receiver. The neurons connecting will transmit the received information to brain where they will be audio processed. Not all sounds would be selected for further processing but only the important stimulus. The selected audio stimulus would be then converted in to a message by the brain. There are reasons where this stage could be unsuccessful. If the user is unconscious on the speakers speech (sleepy, concentrating on something else) and has a disability in hearing, this stage would not succeed. Also when the audibility of the speech is not enough and when the surrounding noise level is very high, listener would not be able to receive proper aural stimuli and decode the message. When the speaker is not relaying the message clearly the decoding would be difficult. Therefore for an effective listening the above should be avoided at all instances.2.1.2. Interpreting StageExperts have defined interpreting as deriving meaning from the words. At this stage the listener is engaged in the act of decoding the message in a way he or she can understand well. Understanding the meaning of the message delivered by the speaker in speakers point of view will happen at this stage. Interpreting a message in the speakers point of view is essential in effective listening. Since the listener is actively engaged in the process of decoding the message, it is at this stage that various barriers would emerge such as linguistic problems, emotional barriers and Semantic barriers.2.1.3. Evaluating StageAssigning a meaning to the decoded message will take place at this stage. Evaluating is unique for each and every listener as this is influenced by the perception that they have towards the speaker and the information. Also past experience, attitude, personal values, assumptions affect the evaluation stage. Thus it is possible that the original message of the speaker not being inferred correctly. Therefore its the effective listeners responsibility to evaluate the correct message delivered by the speaker regardless of his beliefs. 2.1.4. Responding StageThis stage initiates completing the two way communication process. At this stage the listener starts to respond to the message. The listeners feedback, actions and reactions will depend on whether he or she has clearly understood the message or not. This stage also reveals the level of the listeners attention and inference on what the sender has sent. Asking questions, giving feedback and clearing any unclear portions of the senders message will usually take place at this stage.2.1.5. Memorizing StageEffective listening will play a major role at this stage. The main purpose of effective listening is to enhance the knowledge, getting new information and developing mutual relationships. So remembering is essential as it would help the listener to retain the knowledge for the future, for extended periods. Also this would successfully complete the communication process allowing further effective communications and relationships to arise.2.2. Keys to Building Powerful Listening SkillsEffective listening does not only happen during a presentation. Audience needed to be prepared even before the initiation of the event and after the event too. Therefore effective listening is a detailed process and few of the tips which help to make the listening success can be stated as follows:

2.2.1. Ascertaining and Controlling distractionsDistractions can either be internal or external. Moving away to a comfort zone will help removing the surrounding external physical distractions. Internally, an effective listener should try to focus totally on the speaker. In extreme conditions such as when you are emotionally charged, whether angry or extremely happy, it is a good idea to postpone any serious listening.2.2.2. Active involvementTrying to complete another task at the same time you are listening would worsen the effective listening process. Maintaining eye contact, listening to more than the spoken words and understanding the body language would be key points.2.2.3. Separate facts from opinionsOften speakers preface presentations with statements such as, I think, it seems to me, as far as Im concerned to, when an opinion is presented. This helps the effective listener to differentiate between facts and opinions. A good listener will always be vigilant about the credibility of the presenter in proposing opinions, and they do not unconsciously accept assertions as facts.2.2.4. Avoid interruptingGood listeners let speakers have their say. Interruptions are not only impolite, but they also prevent from hearing the speakers complete thought. 2.2.5. Ask clarifying questionsAn effective listener will wait for the proper moment and ask questions to clarify him without attacking the speaker. Often asking open ended questions would be understood as positive since it draws out feelings, motivations, ideas and suggestions. 2.2.6. Paraphrase to increase understandingRephrasing and summarizing a message in the listeners own words would be vital in understanding the objective of the speaker. Its a responsibility of the listener to be objective and nonjudgmental in this key.2.2.7. Take notes to ensure retentionNot trusting the memory would be sometimes valuable for an effective listening process. Hence, a jot down of key ideas would be extremely valuable in the long run. 2.2.8. Capitalizing the lag timeUsing the lag time to review what the speaker is saying would be a vital key in this process. For example trying to separate the central idea, key points, and details would enrich listeners knowledge process. Organization the ideas, silent rephrasing and summarizing the speakers message would be effective tricks for keeping your mind from drifting.

3. Presentation skillsMalon (1997) suggests that one of the greatest fears in life is that of public speaking. He quotes that one survey had found that it was even greater than the fear of death. Presentations are an essential tool for effective management in any organization. It is a part of managers role to present information or offer explanations to others. Most of the managers whether they like it or not will occasionally speak in public. Indeed good presentation skills are essential for any manager to get ahead of the carrier. A presentation would be effective if the content is good, well structured, better interactions with the audience with the use of presentation aids such as audio and video aids, gestures and etc. After an effective presentation, if the audience is buzzing on the presented key points, then the presenter has done a successful job. The purpose of a presentation is to communicate information or messages to an audience in a way which should be effectively understood by the audience. The communication process is given in Figure 2.

Source: AuthorPlanning the presentationStructuring the messageTransmitting the messageFeedbackMessage received by AudienceFigure 2: Communication Process

3.1. Keys to effective presentation skills

Presentation skills, just like any other skill, can be learnt and further developed by practicing, learning by examples and constantly reviewing the feedbacks. Good presentation skill is not innate. As illustrated in Figure 2, there are four basic stages in any effective presentation.

3.1.1. Planning StageKey element of planning a presentation is to answer the basic questions of what, why, when, how, where and who. Establishing a purpose or an objective is the first most important step in planning a presentation. The four main objectives of any communication are; to inform, to persuade, to request for an action or to build a relationship. Objective of the presentation will influence the design, structure and approach of the presentation. When planning the presentation, presenter should make sure that the audience will listen, understand and be influenced by what he or she says. Following key items would be extremely worthy to follow in order to be effective in presenting. Getting to know the profile of the audience If the group is diversified, choose the most needed audience group/groups. Do a preliminary research on what do the audience know about on the theme (in which the presentation is going to be on) The Point (Theme) is the most important and link everything that the presenter present to the theme at every probable occasion Any of the aids used by the presenter (audio, video, jokes, etc.) should be pointed to the big theme that is being delivered. Be clear not to present too many big points during the presentation, as it would confuse the audience.

3.1.2. Preparation stageIt is a must to be prepared well to deliver a good presentation. As Pemberton says Fail to prepare is to prepare to fail, which highlight the fact that preparation is the key to success. An effective presentation is based on one main point and the supporting points should reinforce the main argument. These points should be simple. If the presentation is having few keywords, those should be elaborated in the presentation. Also the speaker should make sure that the audience grab these keywords and carry those with them at the conclusion of the presentation.The messages should also be structured to be timely. Also its important to rehearse the presentation to ensure that it can be finished within the scheduled time period and to be thorough with the facts. Also identifying the areas in the presentation which needed to be spend more time in explaining and vice versa are salient as well. Also there should be a small clarification on the counter theme and the presenter should show that the theme outweigh the counter theme. Following should be followed to have an effective structure in a presentation: The Point should be reinforced by the points (P1, P2, , Pn) that are included to the presentation Points should be arranged in an understandable and narrative manner. First impression is very important and delivery of The Point in the presentation initially is essential too. There should be an explanation on what is this presentation is about Closure is more important than the start Use visual aids, audio, video, statistics, humor, stories to support the points and which would reinforce the big point. Use voice modulation, body language, effectively and be thorough in what you present Use Big, Bold, Brilliant visual aids Avoid unnecessary humor, statistics in the presentation. (even though the presenter like the data very much, remove them if not necessary)

3.1.3. Transmitting the messageAlthough the content of the presentation is extremely important, it is not the content but the way you present is more important. Its not what you say as much as how you say it (Malone, 1997)Recent studies show that the speakers appearance and delivery are much more important than the content. This tells the importance of body language for a successful presentation. For the audience to absorb the messages and to remember the contents, this phase should be very interesting. Even the modern research suggests that people tend to judge the effectiveness of a presenter on 7% verbal content, 38% vocal interest and 55% body language. Following would be key points, worth to note in handling body language while presenting an effective presentation. Keeping the proper eye contact with the audience Using facial expressions properly Gestures and posture of the presenter (Hands inside the pocket, keeping the arms crossed, touching your hands nervously and Keeping the hands behind should be avoided) Proximity (Keeping a comfortable distance from the audience) Use your voice effectively (Presenter should use tone, pace, pitch, pause and volume to modulate the impact of the message)

3.1.4. Message received by the audienceEvaluation of the feedback is a must to develop good presentation skills. This helps the presenter to learn from the mistake he or she has done and correct those. Furthermore, the environment should be pleasing to the presenter as well as the audience. If the environment is too noise or disturbing, the message delivered would not be effective. Also use appropriate techniques to retain the attention of the audience (as described above). Seating arrangement is also important as all the persons in the audience should be able to see and hear the presenter.For an effective presentation the steps that the presenter should follow are given by Toastmasters International (2008). Table 1shows extracted points to follow for an effective presentation.

Table 1 Keys to Effective Presentation SkillsGuidelineDescription

Attention getting openerThis helps to retain the attention, establish credibility, and motivate them to listen. This can be done by an interesting quotation, astonishing fact, question, interesting story or humorous fact.

CostumeIf the presenter could match the costume to the speech it would be effective as it will ease the understanding and will be interesting to the listeners

GuidelineDescription

Descriptive LanguageUsing words and phrases that make your message to life. Active words are much better than vague words. As an example I jog through the store once a week is much interesting than I go to the store once a week

Eye ContactThis shows that the speaker is focusing on each and every person during his speech. If this is not practiced the audience would get bored. The best is to scan the audience one by one and to do that smoothly.

Facial ExpressionsIf used effectively this would help the speaker to retain the interest and the attention of the audience. Good facial expressions would support the speakers emotions.

GesturesGestures can mainly be conveyed through hands and the body. Using appropriate gestures to show the size, passion, and emotions would be very effective. Also the gestures will reinforce the speakers message.

HumorHumor can induce sparks in a presentation. Especially in long, technical presentations the audience tends to be bored and they can be refreshed with proper usage of humor in a presentation. Using humor to tease or discriminate the audience should be avoided.

KnowledgePresenter should be thorough with what he presents. He should do his preparations well to be knowledgeable on the information that he presents. Speakers with thorough knowledge on the subject are demanded most.

ListenEffective presentation is not only delivering the message but also being vigilant on the reaction of the audience as well. This will help the speaker to know whether the audience is interested on the speech or he has to change his tactics to retain the attention. This can be checked by the facial expressions, body language of the audience and also the questions they ask would indicate the level of understanding of the audience

GuidelineDescription

Moving aroundLooking at a fixed object for a longer duration is tiring. So a speaker should move around the stage to lessen that. The moving should not be overly done as it would convey that the speaker is nervous. It should be done wisely and purposely. A speaker could break his movements by the points hes presenting. Also this could be combined with body expressions as well.

OrganizingThis is very important in a presentation. The information that a speaker is delivering should be arranged in the proper order.

PracticeAmerican writer Ray Bradbury said Practice, practice and practice. Before delivering any presentation its essential to practice it. Rehearsing it in front of a mirror or a known audience (family, friends) would give the necessary feedback for any changes needed.

Quote, Reference and SourcesIf the speaker is using a definition or a special quote, its essential to refer the originator or to mention the source to show the credibility of the speech.

Using technologyThis is essential in modern world presentations. As electronics helps in almost all of the modern presentations, its better to be experienced in the equipment prior to the presentation.

Unnecessary pauses and wordsThese would convey that the presenter is nervous and unprepared on the presenting material. Unnecessary words such as um, uh, okay, actually and etc. should be avoided. Also repetition on a single word throughout the presentation is not appropriate as well.

VoiceUsing the variations in the voice is much important. Variations would be volume, pitch, rate and pace. Raising the voice when a point is needed to be carved into audience, using slow, saddening voice to show empathy and etc. are few examples.

GuidelineDescription

Believing in youYes, you can! is important for an effective presentation. The presenter has to believe in what he presents then and only then he can convince the audience as well.

Final impressionIn any presentation the listeners would only grab very few and important points. Therefore its essential to convey the key message at the end of any presentation as it would be the last that audience would receive from you and would be retained with them. Also giving a summary on the key points spoken would be effective as well

LanguageTry to use the most convenient language for whole audience. Avoid technical jargon and deliver the points in a simplistic manner. Use visual aids in clarifying the complex points.

Source: Toastmasters International

4. Action plan to improve my effective listening skills

Table 2 illustrates the shortcomings that I possess in the activity of effective listening and the action plan I would follow to mitigate them.

Table 2 Action Plan to Improve My Effective Listening SkillsDrawbackAction Plan

Most of the times, I find that its very difficult to focus on academic presentations.Best way to keep focus is to train the mind by meditating. Practicing meditation as well as practicing brain concentration exercises would help me to overcome the drawback. (Brett & Mackay, 2012)

I arrive at conclusions listening halfway. I tend not to listen once I come to conclusions.I exercise my mind not to come to conclusions until the speaker has finished his turn. Only after the senders communication is finished I should come to conclusions.

DrawbackAction Plan

Im incompetent to understand and comprehend most technical presentations. The major reason for this is not doing my home work. I would properly do my home work and get ready to listen before the presentation.

I feel sleepy during long presentations.Would try to sit in the front of the audience and do my homework so that I can avoid unwanted presentations and concentrate more on relevant material.

Sometimes the language becomes a problem where I dont understand some English words.I would improve my vocabulary. I would try my best to learn a new word every day

Often when I lose one key point, I find that Im not concentrating to the other points too.This is because of the fact that most key points are linked. Taking notes and asking questions would help me resolving this.

I day dream when the non verbal, Para-verbal communication skills of the presenter is poor. I start imagining how I would have done this presentation.This is again with regard to the concentration. Better concentration practice would resolve this point. Further note taking would help to concentrate on the major points, but not on the presenter.

While pretending to listening, I think of something else, most of the times about bad experiences that I had to face.I would practice to switch off the other unrelated matters while Im listening. Better concentration would be always the key.

Source: Author

5. Action plan to improve the presenting skills

Table 3 illustrates the shortcomings that I possess in the activity of effective presentations and the action plan I would follow to mitigate them.

Table 3 Action Plan to Improve My Presentation SkillsDrawbackAction Plan

I easily forget the key points and my plan to link between sub points when Im in front of the audience. I would practice any presentation several times in front of the mirror to get rid of the nervousness and also I would thoroughly go through and be confident on the content of the presentation as well.

I usually do not get proper English words to express my idea. Although I know what to present, I fail because of language related barriers.Better practicing gives me confident. Better English would equip me to be the best presenter within my community. I would ask questions myself during my training period and try to answer them instantaneously.

I tend to use unnecessary pauses, ums, ahs during my presentations. This is because Im reluctant about my content. I usually do this if Im not confident about what Im presenting. Better preparation is the key action point.

I wait until the last minute and do not concentrate on the proper etiquette such as the dress. Managing my time is the fundamental key. I would try my best to be at the presentation at least 30 minutes-1 Hour before the presentation and test everything so that I grow confidence.

I tend to add too much content to power point slides.Using visual aid is vital. But I should learn to put only the attention grabbing details in the slides. Stories should not be put, but they can be interpreted orally. Also I will stop using unwanted unprofessional animations.

DrawbackAction Plan

Im afraid of the questionsI would be prepared on the subject that Im going to talk about and if the theme is completely new and too technical, I would allocate some extra time to educate myself

I tend to overrun allocated the time period because of too much points.Plan my presentation extremely well and practice with a watch in front of me. If the time limit still exceeds, I will drop few sub points.

I would need to further improve on attention grabbing techniques.Having a better understanding about the content would equip me to define the best introduction and the conclusion.

Source: Author

References Brett, & Mackay, K. (2012, August 8). 12 Concentration Exercises from 1918. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from The art of manliness: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/08/08/12-concentration-exercises-from-1918/ Drucker, P. (1977). People and Performance. New York: Harper's College Press. Guffey, M. E. (2010). Business Communication: Process and Product. Cengage Learning. Lippincott. (2014). Employee Communications Can Affect a CEOs Health. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from Brand Strategy and Design web.: http://www.lippincott.com/en/insights/employee-communications-can-affect-a-ceos-health Malone, S. A. (1997). Mind Skills for Managers. Gower Publishing, Ltd. Raman, M., & Singh, P. (2012). Business Communication. OUP India. White, C. (2008). Better presentations from A to Z. Retrieved 3 2, 2014, from Toastmasters Magazine: http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive/2008/May/FromAZ.aspx

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