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Communication Skills and Life Skills

Lab Manual for Third Semester Diploma Courses

State Board of Technical Education and Training

Telangana

Contents

Module: Communication Skills

Unit One Listening- I

Unit Two Listening – II

Unit Three Introducing Oneself

Unit Four Describing Objects

Module: Life Skills

Unit One Positive Attitude

Unit Two Goal Setting

Unit Three Time Management

Unit Four Problem Solving and Decision Making

1 Listening – I

__________________________________________________________________________

Objectives: On completion of the unit, you will be able to

listen for the main idea.

listen for specific details.

Session 1

A passage

Activity 1 Individual

Answer the questions orally:

1. Why do you think about the past incidents?

2. What do you take photos and record videos for?

3. How do you take photos and record videos?

Activity 2 Pair

Listen to the audio (Session 2).

Answer the following questions.

Share your answers with your partner’s answers.

1. What is this passage about?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. According to the passage, Digital cameras are better than ( )

a) Old cameras with film

b) Mobile Phone cameras

c) Both

d) None of the above

3. Why does the narrator keep his photos online?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. What do you mean by ‘child’s play’?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

5. What is better in your view, digital camera or mobile phone camera or old camera? Why?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Session 2

Biography


Answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever seen children selling some items at the cross roads? How did you feel and

what were your reactions?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2. Is there anything that we can do to prevent or stop child labour?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

3. Can you name a person or two who fought against child labour?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

4. Can you identify the people in the above picture?

____________________________________________________________

5. What is the common point between the two?

____________________________________________________________

6. Who won the Nobel Prize for peace in 2014?

___________________________________________________________

Activity 2 Pair

Fill in the blanks after listening to the audio (Session 3).

1. KailashSatyarthi has been fighting against child labour since he was

_________________.

2. He bought ______________ for children when he was ________ old.

3. He gave up his job as a __________ to fight against child labour.

4. The UN adopted ______________ because of his tireless campaigning against child

labour.

Activity 3 Pair

Listen to the passage again and mark the statements as true or false.

1. Satyarthi studied Electrical engineering. True/False

2. He rescues children only in India. True/False

3. KailashSatyarthi rescued children from 144 countries. True/ false

4. Goodmark puts tags on rugs produced by children. True/False

5. Four of Satyarthi’s colleagues were murdered. True/False

Activity 4 Pair

Listen to the passage again and orally answer the following questions.

Compare your answers with that of your partner’s.

1. Why did he give up his job?

2. What did he establish in 1980?

3. How many children had he saved by the time this essay was written?

4. What is the purpose of a programme like Good Weave?

5. What difficulties did Satyarthi face?

Activity 5 Group


1. Did KailashSatyarthi inspire you? How?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2. How should one’s childhood be? Present your views.

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Session 3

News


Answer the following questions orally:

1. What are domestic animals?

2. What are wild animals?

3. Where do you find wild animals?

4. Have you ever heard of wild animals come across people?

Activity 2 Pair

Listen to the conversation (Session 4) and answer the questions.

1. Which town did the crocodiles enter?

_________________________________________________________

2. Where did the elephants enter?

_________________________________________________________

3. What did the tuskers do?

_________________________________________________________

4. What frightens animals?

_________________________________________________________

5. Name the two animals that have entered the villages of Telangana?

_________________________________________________________

6. What is meant by ‘herd’?

_________________________________________________________

Activity 3 Pair

Listen to the conversation again and answer the following questions:

1. Why do animals enter human habitat?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2. Why did elephants enter a school premises in Karnataka?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

3. How can we protect ourselves and safeguard animals?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Activity 4 Pair

Listen to the conversation again and answer the following questions:

1. Which word refers to a group of elephants? Write the names of a few animals with which

the same word can be used.

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

2. Find out the antonyms for the following from the audio.

a. Help X

b. Create X

c. Exit X

d. Defend X

Activity 5 Pair

1. How will you react, if you see wild animals in your Polytechnic?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. What measures do you suggest to prevent wild animals entering villages?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Session 4

A Song


Answer the following questions orally and then write in the space given.

1. Why do we listen to music?

_______________________________________________________

2. What kind of songs do you usually listen to?

_______________________________________________________

3. Why do children ask questions?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

4. As a child did you ask your mother any questions?

If your answer is ‘yes’, mention any two.

a.________________________________________________________

b. ________________________________________________________

5. Do you have questions to ask even now? What sort of questions?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

6. Do you think we should encourage people to have questions about their future? Justify your

answer.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Activity 2

Listen to the song (Session 6) and fill in the blanks while listening to it.

When I was just a ______ girl

I asked my ______, what will I be

Will I be pretty, will I be ______

Here’s what she said to me

Que Sera, Sera,

Whatever will be, will be

The _________not ours, to see

Que Sera, Sera

What will be, will be

When I was young, I fell in love

I asked my ___________ what lies ahead

Will we have _________, day after day

Here’s what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera

Whatever will be, will be

The future’s not ours, to see

Que Sera, Sera

What will be, will be

Now I have _______ of my own

They ask their mother, what will I be

Will I be _______, will I be _______

I tell them ________.

Que Sera, Sera,

___________________________________

___________________________________

Que Sera, Sera

What ___________________


Listen to the song again and answer the following questions.

1. How many people does the speaker question?

______________________________________________________

2. Whom did she question first?

_______________________________________________________

3. What question did she ask her the sweetheart?

__________________________________________________________

4. What did the child ask the mother?

__________________________________________________________

5. How many times does the line ‘que sera sera’ occur in the song? ( )

a) 2 b) 4 c) 6 d) 8

6. The singer has

a) sons b) daughters

a) How did you arrive at the answer? Identify the phrase or word that helps you.

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Activity 4 Pair

Listen to the song again answer the questions.

1. Write the questions that start with ‘will’.

Ex: Will I be pretty?

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

2. What is the concert of the poet in this song?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

3. Is this a sad song or a happy song? Justify your answer.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Assignment

Collect the lyric of a popular English song.

Note down the part which is often repeated and discuss with your friends why that part is

repeated several times.

2 Listening-II

__________________________________________________________________________

Objectives: On completion of this unit, you will be able to

Listen and understand the main idea

Listen and identify the specific details

Session 5

A Dialogue



1. Do you believe that women too should have rights like men?

2. What are the rights that women should have?

3. Mention the names of some social reformers who fought for women’s right.


Listen to the conversation (Session 10) and answer the questions.

1. When was SavitriBaiPhule born?

____________________________________________________

2. Where was she born?

____________________________________________________

3. What was her age when she got married?

_____________________________________________________

4. Who was her husband?

_____________________________________________________

5. Who was her greatest support?

______________________________________________________

6. What did she fight against?

______________________________________________________

Activity 3 Pair

Listen to the conversation again and answer the following questions.

1. Why is SavitriBaiPhule called a social reformer?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. Can we call her husband a supportive man? Why?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. What is the significance of the school started by them?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

4. How did SavitriBaiPhule die?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

5. What is meant by ‘empowerment’?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Activity 4 Pair

Listen to the conversation again and answer the questions.

Discuss the answers with your partner.

1. Match the following synonyms.

a. Immature 1. Revolt ( )

b. Immense 2. Young ( )

c. Support 3. Instruct ( )

d. Rebel 4. Huge ( )

e. Educate 5. Bear ( )

f. Pioneer 6. Forerunner ( )

2. Is there gender discrimination in our society? If so, write two instances where you have

observed it.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. What should we do to eradicate gender discrimination from our society?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Can you think of some rights which only women should have?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Session 6

An Interview

Activity1 Individual


1. Why have you joined Diploma instead of Intermediate?

2. What do you want to do after your Diploma?

3. Have you ever attended an interview?

4. Why are interviews conducted?

Activity 2 Pair

Listen to the interview (Session 12) attentively.


1. What is the name of the candidate?

___________________________________________

2. How many people are there in the conversation?

_____________________________________________

3. How many interviewers are there?

_______________________________________________

4. Where is the candidate from?

_______________________________________________

5. Which subject does she like?

_______________________________________________

6. From which school is she?

_____________________________________________

7. List any two of her hobbies:

a) ____________ b) ____________

Activity 3 Pair

Answer the following questions in the space given.

1. How did the candidate locate the place of interview?

________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. What does GPA stand for?

_______________________________________________________

3. Give the synonyms of the following words:

a) Reputed ----------------------

b) Fascination ----------------------

c) Inclination -----------------------

d) Fetch ------------------------------

Activity 4 Pair

Read the following questions.

Discuss with your partner.

Answer individually in the space given.

1. How did Bhavana perform in the interview? Justify your answer.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. How were the questions of the interviewer? Was the interviewer encouraging or not? How

can you say that?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. If you are the interviewer, will you select the candidate? Give reasons.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Assignment

1. Speak to a person who attended an interview recently. Note down the questions that he/she

was asked, and prepare yourself to answer similar questions.

Session 7

A Dialogue


Answer the following questions orally.

1. Define ‘success’.

2. Speak of any two successful people you have seen.

3. How can one be successful in life?

Activity 2 Pair

Listen to the dialogue (Session 14)

Answer the following questions

Compare your answers with your partner’s

1. What is the name of the chat show? ( )

a) Businezz Buzz b) Coffee n Coffers c) Money Matters d) Charts n Chats

2. Who is the celebrity guest on the show? ( )

a) an actress b) an entrepreneur c) a politician d) a social worker

3. What is the host's name?

4. Was the guest born with a silver spoon in her mouth? Yes ( ) No ( )

5. Whom did she employ?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Activity 3 Pair

Listen to the dialogue again and answer the questions.

1. What according to her helped her brand become popular?

a) ________________

b) ________________

c) ________________

2. What is the name of her trust?

_____________________________________________________

3. Whom does the trust help?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

4. What is the meaning of ‘underprivileged’?

________________________________________________________

5. Is the guest happy with her life? Explain.

_________________________________________________________



1. What is meant by ‘charity’?

_________________________________________________________

2. What does the idiom ‘born with a silver spoon in mouth' mean?

___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. What do you understand by the words

a) Start up

_____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

b) Entrepreneur

_____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

c) Philanthropist

_____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Activity 5 Pair

Answer the following questions individually.

Share your answers with your partner.

1. Would you like to start your own enterprise? What kind of enterprise would it be?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

2. What are the skills and attitudes required to run an enterprise?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Assignment

1. Imagine that you are the host of a chat show and are going to interview a famous person.

How will you plan for the interview?

2. Learn the pronunciation of the following words:

i) Entrepreneurship

ii) Chef

iii) Chore

iv) Rendezvous

Session 8

Telephone conversations



1. What do you do in your free time?

2. Do you talk to your friends? How often?

3. Why do we talk to people on the telephone?

4. Do we use telephone only for communication these days?

Activity 2 Pair

Listen to the conversation (Session 15)

Answer the following question:

1. What are the names of the two friends?

_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. What are the friends discussing?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Where do they plan to meet?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Does Venkat like to watch horror movies?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

5. What are horror movies?

_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Activity 3 Pair

Listen to the conversation again and answer the questions.

Compare your answers with your partner’s.

1. Why doesn’t Uma like to watch horror movies?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Write the names of the two horror movies mentioned in the conversation.

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Which movie do they finally decide to watch?

_____________________________________________________________________

4. At what time does the movie start?

_____________________________________________________________________

5. What is meant by ‘keen’?

____________________________________________________________________

Activity4 Pair


Compare your answers with your partner’s.

1. Why do Venkat and Uma want to watch a movie?

_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. How many kinds of movies are mentioned in the conversation?

_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

3. Why doesn't Venkat want to watch the movie ‘Tangled’?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Activity 5 Pair


1. Discuss with your partner what kind of movies you like to watch. Write about them.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. Have you watched any horror movie? Write about your reactions.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. Why do people watch horror movies?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. Introducing Oneself


introduce yourself

learn vocabulary relevant to making introductions

know the difference between an informal and a formal introduction



1. Mention a few situations where you introduce yourself.

2. How do you introduce yourself to a new tenant in your neighborhood?

3. Do you use the same kind of introduction in all situations?

4. How many types of introductions are there?

Activity2 Pair

Listen to your teacher introduce herself/ himself.

1. What are some of the details that went into your teacher’s informal or a personal

introduction? Answer orally.

2. Write down some of these details and share it with your partner.

Introduction

Check your answers with the details given below:

An informal introduction usually gives the following details:

Name

Age

Native place

Education

Hobbies

Likes

Dislikes

Family

Role model

Goal

Activity 3 Pair

You have seen the details that go into an introduction. Answer whether you agree or

disagree with the statements given below.

Check your answers with your partner.

1. An introduction gives a lot of information about one's family members including siblings.

Agree / Disagree

2. It must mention the place where we grew up. Agree / Disagree

3. It mentions our caste and religion. Agree / Disagree

4. Our hobbies have to be mentioned. Agree / Disagree

5. It mentions short term and long term goals. Agree / Disagree

6. Your best friend’s details have to be mentioned. Agree / Disagree


Read the introduction of a student given below and check whether it includes all the details

discussed.

I am Radha. I am studying Diploma final year in Electrical engineering at Government Polytechnic

for women, Medak. I am 17 years old. My native place is Siddipeta. I like singing. I dislike junk

food. My hobbies are watching television and reading books. My family consists of my parents and

a younger sister. My father is a farmer and my mother is a home maker. My younger is studying 9th

class. My goal is to become an engineer and work in a reputed company. My role model is my

father because he is very hard working.


Write your informal introduction.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Follow your teacher's instructions and do a line up.

Activity 6 Pair


1. Which details can you add to a self-introduction when you attend an interview?

__________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2. Which details are not necessary for a self-introduction for an interview?

__________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. Will your hobbies, likes and dislikes be the same in a personal and a professional

introduction?

__________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Activity 7 Pair

A. Given below is a range of things one may enjoy doing. Pick some of the following that

would be appropriate to mention in an interview:

Reading books, watching television, playing cricket, cooking, gossiping, wasting time, taking

breaks, playing with children, travelling, gardening, chatting with friends, singing, listening to music,

sleeping, social work, playing video games, updating my skills, watching movies, reading journals,

playing with pets, browsing, collecting coins

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

B. You are going to introduce yourself in a formal meeting. Work with your partner and mention

your choices. The first one is given as an example.

1. My skills: a). computer knowledge b). ____________ c). ____________

2. My strengths: a). ability to work in a team b). ____________ c). ____________

3. My limitations: a). lack of confidence b). ____________ c). ____________

4. Likes: a). gardening b) ____________ c). ____________

5. Dislikes: a) wasting time b ____________ c). ____________

6. Hobbies: a) collecting coins b). ____________ c). ____________

Activity 8 Pair

You are applying for the post of an engineer. Pick out words that are effective for use in an

introduction to talk about your strengths and weaknesses.

Punctual, team player, narrow minded, helpful, friendly, determined, cautious, ambitious,

accomplished, creative, motivated, dynamic, stubborn, talented, workaholic, idle, obedient, loner,

responsible, lazy, perfectionist, relaxed, easy going, enthusiastic, quick- learner, flexible, passionate.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Activity 9 Pair

Read the following introduction and discuss how it differs from an informal discussion

given in Activity 4.

My name is Radha. I have completed my Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Government

Polytechnic, Medak. I am 18 years old. I have excellent communication skills. I like to work in a

team. I dislike wasting time. My strengths are my time management and my multi-tasking ability.

My weakness is I am not good at working on computers but I am willing to learn and improve. My

introduction is incomplete without a mention of my family. My family consists of my parents and a

younger sister.

Write your introduction.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________

Follow your teacher's instructions and form two circles and practise your introduction.

4. Describing Objects


learn vocabulary and expressions useful for describing objects

describe objects



1. Imagine that your father bought you a smart phone yesterday. Describe it to your friends?

2. Imagine that you lost your bicycle in your polytechnic. When you are making a complaint

how would you describe your bicycle and what details would you include in the complaint?

3. Imagine that you do not know the name of an electronic gadget you saw in a shop. How do

you describe it to you mother?

4. Your father is in a clothes shop in Mumbai and wants to buy you clothes for your next

birthday. How would you describe the clothes that you would like him to buy on telephone?


Identify the following ones using the hints that describe them.

1. I have two wings. I can fly in the sky but I am not a bird. What am I?

____________________________

2. I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg,

I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg,

I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole,

I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole,

What am I?

_____________________________

3. I have a many legs, but cannot stand.

I have a long neck, but I have no head.

I cannot walk and I cannot see

But I keep things neat and tidy as can be.

What am I?

__________________________

4. A container without hinges, lock or a key, yet a golden treasure lies inside me.

What am I?

_________________________


Describe the following objects:

1. The national flag of India

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. Tooth brush

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. An electric-kettle

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

It is easy to describe objects if you follow the following steps:

Learn the words that describe an object.

Learn a few expressions which are useful in describing an object.

Describe the object either from top to bottom or left to right.

Mention its parts, if it has any.

Mention its uses or functions.

Vocabulary useful for describing objects

Feature Words

Shape round, oval, square, flat, long, diagonal, diamond-shaped,

pear-shaped, heart-shaped, zigzag, elliptical,

rectangular, triangular, circular

Colour red, blue, yellow, green, orange, pink, amber, jade, ashen,

grey, brown, crimson, maroon, magenta,

indigo, purple, violet, beige, silver, gold, bluish-green,

greenish-red, purplish-yellow,

inky-blue, icy blue, copper

Size large, small, short, tiny, enormous, huge, average, pint-

sized, microscopic, mid-sized

Material Wood, plastic, rubber, mud, metal, cloth, paper, glass,

stone, wool, chemicals, leather, cardboard

Weight Grams, pounds, kilograms, heavy, light weight,

Uses For writing, cooking, bathing, calculating, etc.

An object can be described using the following expressions:

It is made of....

It comprises.....

The shape of an object is....

Its colour is.....

It is used for.....

It looks like....

It is available in.....

Now describe the following objects using the vocabulary and expressions given above.

1. Mobile charger

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. A Bangle

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. Mango

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

4. Wrist watch

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

5. Fan

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________


What is in the bag?

Your teacher shows you a small bag. The teacher keeps an object inside the bag without

showing it to you. .

Guess what is kept inside the bag by asking ‘yes/no’ questions or wh-questions.

Activity 5 Group

What is it?

Feel the objects kept in a bag.

Do not see the objects kept in the bag.

Describe each object.

The other students tell the name of the object after listening to the description of the object.

Assignment

1. Describe the following objects:

a) Television

b) Motor Cycle

c) Bed Sheet

d) Pressure cooker

LIFE SKILLS

1 Positive Attitude

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will be able to

● think positively

● change your attitude

● overcome negativity


1. Answer the following questions orally:

1. Do you think you are a happy person?

2. What is your usual reaction to a difficult situation?

3. Are you happy with your life as it is now?

4. Does your future worry you?

5. Can you recover from failure quickly?

6. Life is a struggle, full of difficulties and problems. Do you agree or disagree with this

statement? Why?


Happiness doesn't depend on any external conditions it is governed by our mental “attitude.”

-- Dale Carnegie

1. Read the story given below and see how you can relate it the concept of positive attitude.

A very old lady looked in the mirror one morning. She had only three remaining strands of hair on

her head, and being a positive person, she said, “I think I will plait my hair today.” So she plaited her

hair, and she had a wonderful day.

A week later, looking in the mirror, preparing for her day, she saw that she only had two strands of

hair remaining. She exclaimed, “Aha! Two hairs ... I will do a centre parting today". She happily

parted her hair, and as usual, she had a great day.

A few days later, she saw that she had just one hair left on her head." One hair! “She smiled," I

know, a pony tail will be perfect. "And again she had a great day.

Some days later she looked in the mirror. There was no hair. She was bald. "Finally bald ", she said

to herself, “How wonderful! I won't have to waste time on my hair any more". And again she had a

great day.

Write what you have understood about positive attitude from the story.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________

Positive attitude is a state of mind that involves beliefs and feelings that influences our

behaviour. It makes people optimistic that good things will happen in their life. Positive thinkers

learn from their mistakes and are able to write off negative incidents. They train their mind to see

good in every situation.

Activity 3

“Your attitude not your aptitude will determine your altitude.”

--ZigZaglar

Understanding one's attitude is an important step in changing one's attitude.

Write your positive and negative qualities.

Positive (+)

I like my ...

Negative (-)

I want to change my...

Having a positive attitude is good. But know that change takes time. Don't force your positive

attitude. Know what is wrong and set it in a context. Denial or blocking things will not work.

Activity 4 Pair

Now that you have assessed your positive and negative qualities, you know the areas you

need to improve.

What are some qualities others like in you?

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________

Self-love and an awareness of our positive qualities helps us develop a positive attitude.

Appreciation by others also reminds us of the positive qualities in us.


“Adapting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.”

-- Hans Seyle

As you

take baby

steps

towards

developin

g a positive attitude youhave to hear the difference

between positive and negative language and negative

self-talk. Then all reactive language can be changed to proactive language. Cut the negative self-

talk. See the difference in negative self-talk and positive affirmation.

Now write your negative language and see how you can change your language.

Negative self -talk Positive Affirmation

I will try I will do it

I have to I choose to

This is just the way I am I can do better than this

You ruined my day I am not going to let you spoil my day

We cannot change a situation but we can change our reaction to it. We can make a start with

changing our mind set or moving away from negative self-talk to positive affirmations. Make it a

habit. Practice is the key. Anytime you feel negative emotion stop and say: something is important

here, otherwise I would not be feeling negative emotion .What is it that I want? Now simply turn

your attention to what you want.


“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”

-- Maya Angelou

Read the following paragraph.

Write how you can visualize a negative situation positively.

Changing our internal dialogue from negative to positive is an important and effective step

towards building positive attitude. Our mind can be trained to think positively. One way to move

away from negative thinking is to think about a situation positively. For example exams fill you with

fear, anxiety and worry. To move away from this negative attitude think consciously about the

situation oppositely. Think of yourself writing the exam cheerfully. Think in plenty of detail like -

feelings, talk, behavior, etc.

Norman Vincent Peale explains how to change our negative attitude to a positive attitude. Imagine a

bottle filled with black ink .The black ink represents our negative thoughts. The easiest way to

empty the ink bottle, the negative thoughts, would be to tip it over. However, the bottle is stuck to the

table it is kept on. How do you get the ink out of the bottle? The best way to empty the bottle of the

dark ink is to pour in clean water. As the water pours in and begins to overflow, the ink will spill

over the sides of the bottle. Pour in enough clean water till all of the ink is gone. You can decorate

your bottle of clean water with flowers. Positive thinking is like pouring clean water over negative

thoughts. Repetition is so very important. After you practice positive thinking for some time you will

begin to notice that your reactions are changing. Instead of becoming worried or stressed you will

find yourself repeating your positive thoughts on autopilot to respond to whatever situation you are

facing. It is then that you know your ink bottle is becoming cleaner.

Now write how you can change a negative thought or an experience to a positive one.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

____________________

Activity 7 Pair

A few ways of learning positive attitude are given below.

Mention some other ways of learning positive attitude.

Ex: Meditation, writing, find a hobby, exercise, have fun

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________


Attitude of gratitude

Instead of thinking about all the things wrong in your life write about all the things you are

grateful for in the space provided below.

You will be surprised to see how blessed you are.

Ex: 1. I am thankful for my youth.

2. I am grateful for my good health.

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________

Activity 9 Pair

Read the following story and write what you have understood from it.

Once two salesmen were sent by a shoe making company to a country to explore and report on the

market for shoes.

The first salesman reported, "There is no potential here-nobody wears shoes."

The second salesman reported back, "There is massive potential here. Nobody wears shoes".

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Negative attitude affects our life and prevents us from realizing our full potential. It makes us

depressed, pessimistic and unable to cope with the challenges of life. People with positive attitude

are happy and successful. They are optimistic and have better outlook on life.

Some obvious benefits of positive attitude are given below.

Mention some more benefits of positive attitude in the space provided.

1. Reduced stress

2. Self-esteem / confidence

3. Success

4. _________________________

5. _________________________

6. _________________________

7. _________________________

8. _________________________

Assignment

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

-- Winston Churchill

1. Read the given extract and write a paragraph about how Randy Pausch 's life is a lesson in

positive attitude.

Randy Pauschtaught computerscience at Carnegie Mellon University. He was well liked and a

respected teacher. He was married and had three children under the age of 6. In 2006 he was

diagnosed as suffering from pancreatic cancer. He underwent every treatment possible, but in 2007,

the doctors told him that the cancer was incurable. They told him that he had only six months to live.

He had a very optimistic attitude and took careof his family. He spent time thinking about ways to

make his loss bearable for them. He wanted to leave happy memories for children, and to make sure

they knew how much he loved them. But he was always thinking, if something more could be done.

His university invited him to take part in the "Last Lecture" series. The idea was for people

to give the speeches as if they were about to die soon and this was their last lecture. So in September

2007 he gave his last lecture titled “Really achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. He spoke about his

childhood dreams, and how he fulfilled them. He shared all the lessons he had learned during his life

and encouraged people to have fun, and to make the choice to have a positive attitude. He expressed

gratitude to the people in his life. The optimistic, fun and light-hearted tone which he used in the

lecture was incredible. The lecture was videotaped and put on YouTube. It quickly went viral and

made him famous. The lecture inspired people to take a new look at theirlives. Thousands of people

were motivated by his positivity and can do attitude. He appeared on TV and published a book titled

"The Last Lecture" that became a bestseller. In July 2008 Randy died at the age of 47. His words of

wisdom influenced innumerable people and he managed to leave behind a big legacy of positivity

and hope without even trying to.

2. You can watch Pausch’s lecture, The Changes in Me, on YouTube.

How will you react in the following situations and show your positive attitude?

1. When someone insults me, I will _____________________________________

2. When I get low marks, I will _________________________________________

3. I will do something I have not done before and that is ____________________

4. When I fight with my parents or friends, I will ___________________________

5. If I identify my pet worried, and I will ___________________________________

Quotations:

1. “When everything seems to go against you, remember that the airplane takes off against

the wind not with it. “ -- Henry Ford

2. People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude. John C. Maxwell

3. Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. Voltaire

4. It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to. Annie Gottlier.

5. People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well neither does bathing that's why we

recommend it daily. ZigZaglar

6. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It

is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. -- Wade Boggs

2 Goal Setting

Objectives


understand goal setting

differentiate between short term goals and long term goals

distinguish personal goals from professional goals

understand SMART goals

set goals


Read the following story and answer the questions in the space provided.

The Mahabharatha is, apart from being an epic, one of the best personality development books in

the world. In that epic, there are many episodes and one of them is the episode of Ekalavya.

Dronacharya was the guru of the Pandavasand theKauravas. He used to teach various skills of war to

them. He taught archery to Arjuna in his ashram which was near Ekalavya’s home. Ekalavya was

also fascinated by archery and he wanted to learn it to save the deers in the forest from the leopards.

He requested Dronacharya to teach him archery but as Ekalavya was a shudra, and Dronacharya was

supposed to teach only royal families, his request was declined. Since his aim in life was to become

an expert in archery, his hunger for archery was still alive. He went home and in front of his house he

made a clay idol of Dronacharya and practised archery looking at his guru’s idol taking inspiration

from it. He went on practising until he excelled even Arjuna who was a direct disciple of

Dronacharya.Today there is Ekalavya temple built in honour of Ekalavya in Khandsa village in

Gurugram city of Haryana.

i) Who was Ekalavya?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

ii) What was his goal?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

iii) How did he learn the archery?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

iv) Did his thirst for learning or reaching his goal stop when he was rejected by Dronacharya?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

v) What do you learn from this story?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



i) What do you want to become in life?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

ii) How long do you think it takes for you to achieve your goal?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

iii) What are the steps you take to achieve it?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

iv) Can you achieve it?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

v) Is it relevant to your qualifications and life?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

vi) Have you set any time limit to achieve your goal?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

vii) Do you check how far you have travelled towards your goal?

___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Activity 3 Pair

Ask your partner whether he/she had any goal in the past, and how many goals he/she has

achieved so far.

Ask what strategies he/she has used to achieve the goals. Note down their responses in the

space provided.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________

Activity 4 Group

Talk to your group members to find out what their long term goals are.

Ask them how they are going to reach their goals.

Ask them the hurdles that they may face in reaching their goals.

Note down their responses in the space provided.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________

Additional information:

A ‘goal’ is something that we want to do, achieve or get within a few minutes, hours or days

or years. ‘Goal setting’ is trying to achieve our goal and making our dream a reality. Every

individual will have a goal in his or her life, may be a small one or a big one. All of us are

born to achieve something. We must find out what we are made for, what our abilities and

skills are and try to reach our goal. If you do not have a goal, invent or set a goal and achieve

it. Without any aim or goal, our lives become miserable and meaningless. Everything in this

world has a purpose.

Depending upon the time it takes to reach a goal, we call goals ‘short-term goals’ and ‘long-

term goals’. What we want to achieve immediately or by the end of the day or in a month or

so may be called a short term goal. What we want to achieve after a few years or a decade or

so may be called a long term goal. And goals are mainly of two types based on their purpose.

They are personal goals, and professional goals. For example, your personal goal may be to

buy a house or a car or to be happy in life. Your professional goal may be to become the

manager of a particular company or to become an I.A.S. officer or so. Whatever your goal is,

it must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable (Achievable), Relevant, and Time-bound.

Before setting a goal you must have a clear understanding about your priorities that is what is

important and what is not. And after considering everything you must set your goal. If the

goal is a big one, you can split it into smaller chunks and then achieve your goal step by step.

Any goal appears huge until you begin approaching it. A journey of thousand miles begins

with a single step. That one step can change your life. Perseverance, hard work, belief in

yourself, self-motivation, etc. are very important in making a dream a reality. If you think

you can, you can. With this positive attitude, and internalizing inspirational and success

stories, you can always attain your goal.

Strategies to achieve goals:

i) Set a goal which has SMART features

ii) Be clear about your goal

iii) Be focussed like Arjuna

iv) Have positive attitude, be confident and believe that you can

v) Behave as if you have already reached your goal

vi) Be motivated

vii) Be a creator, not a victim

viii) Keep checking at regular intervals how far you have travelled towards your goal

ix) Organize your time doing the most important and the toughest thing first

x) Avoid unimportant things and time wasters

xi) Jump into action, do not procrastinate- it is now or never


Read the following goals and check whether they fulfill the SMART features of goal

setting.

Goal Specific Measurable Attainable Relev

ant

Time-

bound

Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes

No

Yes No

i)I want to become an

engineer

ii)I want to be rich by

next year

iii)I want to buy a big car

in five years

iv)I want to marry a good

person after completing

Diploma

v)I want to be an

engineering graduate

with more than 70%

marks by 2025

vi)I want to be a happy

person


Read the following goals and write whether they are personal or professional goals.

1. I want to be happy. ( )

2. I want to complete the work assigned to me in time. ( )

3. I want to help my colleagues whenever they face problems in solving the office problems.

( )

4. I want to buy a Swift Dezire car next year. ( )

5. I want to be the richest person in the town. ( )

6. I want my boss to consult me in any difficult situation. ( )

Write at least five personal and five professional goals you would like to set.

Personal goals:

i) __________________________________________________________________

ii) __________________________________________________________________

iii) __________________________________________________________________

iv) __________________________________________________________________

v) __________________________________________________________________

Professional goals:

i) __________________________________________________________________

ii) __________________________________________________________________

iii) __________________________________________________________________

iv) __________________________________________________________________

v) __________________________________________________________________


Write down at least five of your short term goals and two long term goals in the next ten

years.

Your goals should have SMART features.

Write in detail how you are going to achieve them.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Assignment

1. One should have goal after goal in one’s life. If you have achieved a goal, you should set

another, be it a short term goal or a long term goal. Otherwise life becomes insipid. Do you

agree with this statement? Justify your answer in 150 words.

Quotations on Goal Setting

A goal properly set is halfway reached – ZigZiglar

First Things First –Stephen R Covey

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it –Paulo Coelho

A goal should scare you a little, and excite you a lot –Joe Vitale

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream –C.S.Lewis

Review your goals twice every day in order to be focused on achieving them –Les Brown

3. Time Management

Objectives


manage time in an optimum manner

plan and prioritize your activities

Activity 1 Pair

Read the following:

Write what you have understood about the importance of time in the space provided.

1. Once upon a time, there was a business man who worked hard for many years to lead a

luxurious life in the future. After earning a lot of money, he thought of taking rest from his work to

lead a comfortable life. Then suddenly an angel of Death came to him to take his soul from the

body.

He offered a lot of money to the angel of Death and requested her to come after some time.

The angel did not accept. He requested her to take all his property and give him at least one hour

time so that he could admire the beauty of the Earth for the last time and spend a little time with his

kith and kin.

The angel refused his proposal again. Finally, he pleaded the angel to give him at least one

minute so that he could write a good bye note. The angel accepted to do so. He wrote a note:

Time is more precious than money. It is very limited. Make the best use of it.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________

2. One day two foxes watch a wild boar sharpening its tusks on a tree-trunk. One of them, out of

curiosity, asks the wild boar why it is sharpening the tusks though the huntsmen are not out that

day. The wild boar tells them that it also knows that the hunters have not come to the forest. It

tells them that it needs sharp tusks whenever its life is in danger. Then there will be no time to

sharpen them.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________

3.

Each aeroplane has a limited number of seats for the passengers depending on its size. The

airlines wish to make as much money as possible by selling the seats. The price of the seat

depends on various factors like seasonal demand, route competition, availability of seats, advance

booking, etc. The seat in an aeroplane has some value, if it is occupied. But once the aeroplane

takes off, the airlines cannot sell the seat and the value of the seat comes down to zero.

The same principle can be applied to time management also. The value of time depends on the

work executed during that period. Once a second is elapsed, nothing can be done. Its value will

come down to zero like the value of a vacant seat in the flying aeroplane.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________


Imagine that you won one lakh rupees in a lottery. After deducting the taxes, you received Rs.

86,400=00. You should spend all the money. You should neither invest nor lend nor donate the

money. Write down how you are going to spend the entire money.

Sl. No. Item amount

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Every day has 86,400 seconds. Every second is precious. One should have a proper plan to spend

every moment. In modern days, time is more precious than money. Let us not squander the time.


1. How did you spend last Sunday? Use the following table to describe what you did that

day?

Sl. No. Activity Time Spent

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Additional Information:

Effective Time managing strategies:

Planning: Set your goals clearly. Monitor the progress at regular intervals.

Organizing: It is the ability to organizing one’s tasks according to the priorities

Multi-tasking: You can do many works at a time.

Prioritizing: Complete the urgent and important works first. Do not start with the easier

ones. Do not focus on unimportant tasks first.

Taking pauses: Breaks at regular intervals give you the time to monitor the progress.

When you resume the work, you will do with more enthusiasm.

Do a time log: Prepare the schedule for the whole day. Write down what you do every

hour of the day.

Avoid distractions and interruptions to your work: When you are disturbed, think wisely

and find a solution to the problem quickly and resume your work. Don’t get

disheartened.

Avoid procrastination: Never postpone your works. The best time to do any work is

usually now.

Create habits: Practise to do tasks at the same time

Activity 4 Pair

Read how some great people managed their time wisely.

Write what you have learnt from those successful people in the space provided.

a) Richard Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur, wakes up at 5.00 a.m. to work out, which

he claims boosts his productivity significantly.

b) Mary Callahan Erdoes, the CEO of J P Morgan Asset Management, manages her

calendar rather than it manages her.

c) John Daymond, the founder and CEO of FUBU and entrepreneur says, “I am always

trying to maximize my time. For example, I’ll do my emails when I’m on a plane,

instead of when I’m in the office. I try to have my team members handle as much of the

meetings as possible ...”

d) Ariana Huffington, the author and entrepreneur, makes sure to take breaks during the

day, especially for meals. She believes that taking pauses not only boosts productivity,

but decreases stress.

e) Tracy Anderson, the celebrity trainer and fitness entrepreneur, writes down notes and

visualizes tasks on paper.

What have you learnt from those successful people?

1._________________________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________________________

4._________________________________________________________________________

5._________________________________________________________________________

Activity 5 Pair

Imagine you have a couple of days of time for the end examination.

Arrange the following activities in the time quadrant:

Urgent Not Urgent

Important

Not important

collecting material for the examination

pressing clothes

getting the bicycle repaired

chatting with childhood friend

visiting the library

collecting the hall ticket

revising the syllabus

getting the doubts clarified

cleaning the house

watching TV

playing games

cooking the food

reading material

attending a birthday party

getting hair cut

Activity 6 Group

Mention any ten common time wasters.

Mention the best method of overcoming each time waster in the following table.

Sl. No Time Waster How to overcome

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Activity 7 Group

Imagine that you are going to Hyderabad for the first time from your village/town to take an

entrance test on 27th July from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. You have to catch the Hi-tech express to

come back to your place at 11.00 p.m. on the same day. You have the following activities on your

list. How do you manage your time between 11.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.?

Hints:

a) Prepare the schedule.

b) You can skip some of the following activities, if you want.

c) Try to complete as many as activities as possible.

d) Prioritize the activities.

Things to Do

Your friend requested you to buy him a pair of dress from Sultan bazaar.

You planned to visit Charminar, Salarjung museum and Mecca Masjid. You need eight hours

to visit these places.

You read about Wonder La, an amusement park. You need four hours to visit it.

Your mother asked you to bring imitation jewellery from Charminar.

You wanted to buy books at Koti. You need two hours to go there and buy them.

Your father asked you to go to the Divisional Office of LIC of India, which is situated

opposite to the Secretariat and submit the policy document.

Your classmate asked you spend evening time at the Lumbini Park, Tank Bund and Necklace

Road.

You wanted to buy dresses, shoes and a wrist watch.

Your cousin’s dance programme is at RavindraBharathi from 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Your maternal uncle’s house is near Secunderabad railway station. He invited you for the

dinner.

Assignment

1. You are going to organize one day tour programme. Prepare the schedule.

Complete the following table.

Sl. no Activity Time

1 Assembling at Polytechnic 7.00 a.m.

2 Bus starts 7.15 a.m.

3 reaches to the Picnic spot 9.00 a.m.

___________________________________________________________________________

The proverbs and quotations on time management:

1. Time and tide waits for none.

2. Time is money.

3. “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to

do today” – Steve Jobs

4. “Lost time is never found again: - Benjamin Franklin

5. :Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels,

and what one achieves” – Jawaharlal Nehru

6. “The way we spend our time defines who we are” – Jonathan Estrin

7. “The rich invest in time, the poor invest in money” – Warren Buffet

8. “Nine tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time” – Theodore Roosevelt

9. “ A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life” –

Charles Darwin

10. Time is the greatest equalizer; everyone has 24 hours per day.

11. Time serves the wise, rules the fools.

12. Time has wings.

13. One today is worth two tomorrow.

14. Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.

4 Problem Solving and Decision Making

Objectives


define ‘problems and decision making’

think rationally

think out of the box

take proper decisions

learn to solve problems

Activity 1 Pair

Solve the problem given below.

Answer the question orally.

Two Indians were going together to Germany in a flight. One was big and another was small. The

small Indian was the son of the big Indian, but the big Indian was not the father of the small Indian.

How do you explain that?


Link all the nine dots using four straight lines, without lifting pen and without tracing the same

line more than once.

Activity 3 Pair

Read the following story

Discuss its importance with your partner.

Write it down in the space provided.

A kleptomaniac goes to a doctor and says, "Doctor, I don’t know what happens to me but whenever I

see something, something inside me forces me to steal. Have I become a thief? Please help me".

The doctor prescribes him some tablets and says, “If you're not cured in a month, can you get me a

54" LED TV?”

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Activity 4 Group

How do you solve the following problem?

You have only thousand rupees. The whole week is ahead of you. Your sister comes home in the

evening from college and says she urgently needs a new dress to go to college because the only dress

with less number of stitches is totally unusable. The last day to pay your younger brother’s tenth

class examination fee without fine is nearing and only five days are left. You have to take your

mother who is suffering from a deadly disease to the specialist doctor for medication. Your father’s

spectacles fell down and became useless. As he cannot read newspaper without them, he needs a new

pair of spectacles. Your mother asks you to bring rice as there is no more in the house to cook even

for the next morning.

Justify your answer.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Activity 5 Pair

How do you face the following problems?

Write in the space given.

Problem 1

You are a first year student. It is the first week in your institution. Though there is a display on the

institution notice board regarding anti-ragging, your seniors are ragging you.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Problem 2

You are selected for inter-college sports meet. Yours is an agricultural family without any other

source of income. But it is time for harvesting in your village which is 5 km away from your college.

Every year you help your father and mother in cutting crops.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Additional information:

A problem is a difficult situation in our lives. We may face it boldly or evade it or pretend that

there is no problem at all. But as long as we are alive we will face problems in every walk of life,

be it a small one or a big one. We may be able to wink at some problems but there are certain

problems in our life which we cannot avoid facing. We can avoid some problems sometimes but

not all the problems all the time. But once we are ready to face problems, they excite and challenge

us and bring out the best in us. We can become better persons after solving each problem.

Every individual has his own problems, and every problem has at least one solution. If you

know what your problem is you can think of solving it. To solve a problem, first you have to define

it. If you know what your problem is, you have half solved it. And then you have to think critically

and laterally to find out various solutions to that problem. And finally considering all the effects,

choose the best answer for that problem at that moment. What is the best solution at one point of

time may not be the right one on another occasion. If the chosen solution is not very effective,

think of alternatives.

Decision making and problem solving go hand in hand. To solve a problem, we have to take

right decision after considering a problem from all directions. That includes thinking critically,

creatively and laterally. To think critically is to think logically, clearly and objectively, approaching

an issue from all directions. There should be only valid arguments but not beliefs. Belief is

subjective, which blinds our eyes. To do this we need to know our strengths and weaknesses (A

sort of SWOT analysis is required). That means, logical step by step reasoning with clarity without

any prejudice towards a person or thing directs us towards the right solution to a problem. And

coming to Lateral Thinking, in simple terms, it is nothing but thinking out of the box. It means

thinking in an unusual way, nobody has ever thought of.

When you think of a solution or solutions for a problem, you must keep in your mind the

practicality, legality, ethical implications and acceptability by the society.

Activity 6 Pair

What are the steps in solving a problem?

Use the above information to write your answer.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________


Read the following statement.

Write ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in the brackets.

i) We should avoid problems. ( )

ii) Problems are pleasant things to face. ( )

iii) To think critically is to make subjective judgments. ( )

iv) A problem is a difficult situation. ( )

v) Lateral thinking means thinking like all others. ( )

vi) There are many problems which have no solutions. ( )

vii) While we solve a problem, making a decision, we should know our strengths and weaknesses.

( )

viii) Problem solving makes us lively and enthusiastic. ( )

ix) Thinking out of the box is thinking differently. ( )


Imagine yourself travelling in a train which has been hijacked and lost the control of the

driver.

How do you decide what to do?

Write down the various steps you take in solving the problem.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________


Find suitable solutions.

a) You met with an accident one month before your examinations. You are unable to attend

classes to understand lessons and take notes. Lab syllabus was already completed. As you

were very regular earlier, there is no problem of attendance shortage. You must attend your

exams because you are in final year Diploma; otherwise you lose a valuable year.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________

b) You are working for a software company in America getting good salary. But one day Donald

Trump became the president of US. And the problems started and you lost your job. Suddenly

you are on the streets. You have lot of experience and some money which you have

accumulated in the States.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Activity 10 Group

Read the following story:

Discuss with your group and write down what you have understood.

A party of suppliers was being given a tour of a mental hospital.

One of the visitors had made some very insulting remarks about the patients.

After the tour the visitors were introduced to various members of staff in the canteen.

The rude visitor chatted to one of the security staff, Bill, a kindly and wise ex-policeman.

"Are they all raving loonies in here then?" said the rude man.

"Only the ones who fail the test," said Bill.

"What's the test?" said the man.

"Well, we show them a bath full of water, a bucket, a jug and an egg-cup, and we ask them what's the

quickest way to empty the bath," said Bill.

"Oh I see, simple - the normal ones know it's the bucket, right?"

"No actually," said Bill, "The normal ones say pull out the plug. Should I check when there's a bed

free for you?"

(Source- businessbal.com)

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Assignment

You are very rich and come to institute on a costly bike. You attend institute regularly and are very

good at studies. All the lecturers like you including the principal. Due to this success most of your

classmates are jealous of you, speak bad things about you and propagate lies about you. How do you

solve this problem and make your friends like you?

Quotations

The biggest problem in the world could have been solved when it was small. - Witter Bynner

Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality,

overcomes everything. -- GeorgeLois

Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.

-Henry Ford

A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved. - Dorothea Brande

The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that

having problems is a problem –Theodore I Rubin

The man who has no more problems to solve, is out of the game. - Elbert Hubbard

Documents

Communication Skills and Life Skills - svpmbnr.ac.in Skills and Life Skills.pdf · What do you take photos and record videos for? ... Name the two animals that have entered the villages