Managerial excellence is so simple yet so difficult to achieve. When we have
the pleasure of observing or knowing some of the most successful executives,
we realize that the dazzling skills which separate the successful one from the rest are self-confidence, poise, determination, focus, passion, air of leadership, etc. Most individuals already have got the skills, knowledge, talents and attitudes to succeed. What they lack is an inimitable set of application skills known as soft skills or life skills. Managerial success is not just the result of knowledge and talents; it is about exploiting what one has to the fullest extent and applying them in a positive manner. Many managers fail to take advantage of the talents and are unable to reach the peak as they do not possess the right personality, communication skills, right mental frame, etc. Organizations lay relentless emphasis on acquisition and development of hard skills; however, they pay inadequate attention to enhancing soft skills which have become crucial for personal effectiveness. Post-globalization, many organizations have realized that soft skills are indispensable for the advancement of individuals and managerial effectiveness. The present issue deals with a range of issues from communication to personality, which, it is felt, would be of immemse interest to the readers.

Communication is the lifeblood of any organization. As the amazing developments in communication take the business world by storm, business world is frantic about maintaining effective communication processes. Communication becomes complex and ineffective due to barriers and disruptions. The author, Sanjay Shrivastava, in his paper, “Comprehensive Modeling of Communication Barriers: A Conceptual Framework”, makes an attempt to conceptualize various models of vital barriers that ruin the communication process and suggests ways to surmount such barriers.

There are wide concerns about how serious we are in imparting quality education to future generations. As per ASSOCHAM’s study of “Emerging Economies on Quality of Education”, India stands almost at the last in terms of quality of secondary education, while Russia and Brazil have maximum scores. In addition to the woeful shortage of teachers, quality of their training is of great concern to all stakeholders. In the paper, “An Analysis of the Impact of Professional Training on the Performance of Teachers”, the authors, Purna Prabhakar Nandamuri and K V Rao, make an attempt to understand the perceptions of the heads of schools regarding the impact of in-service training programs on teacher performance at secondary level.

Exact vocabulary is of tremendous importance if a person wants to make the best of his talents and get the most from life. Most people would agree that spectacular vocabulary is a prerequisite for colorful language and career effectiveness. In the paper, “Vocabulary Conundrum: A Practical Approach”, Vitthal Gore presents diverse strategies like inculcating reading habits for developing rich vocabulary. The present paper suggests various strategies for vocabulary development with a practical approach.

When others stumble, people with great habits thrive and accomplish stupefying success. Paradigm shift in our habits can drastically change the way we perceive and act, leading to greater effectiveness. In the paper, “Effective Work Habits for Professional Growth”, the authors, V Radha Devi, V Sunita and Monzy George, explain how establishing proper work habits is helpful in providing a sense of direction to accomplish individual and professional growth.

In the paper, “Effectiveness of Case Study in Life Skill Development: An Analysis”, the author, K B Sridevi, presents how the case pedagogy imparts managerial competence and decision-making skills by putting them in close contact with the actual business situation. She demonstrates how life skills, such as analytical skills, decision-making skills, application skills, oral communication skills, time-management skills, interpersonal or social skills, creative skills, written communication skills and self-analysis skills, can be effectively imparted through case teaching.

Courage to pose right and stimulating questions is the mark of an inquisitive mind. The quality of questions also reflects the quality of the mind that poses the questions and can lead to great learning. The paper, “Probing: An Effective Tool of Communication”, by M Selvalakshmi, is an attempt to understand the essence of ‘probing skill’ for interpersonal effectiveness. Today’s managers are not only faced with the challenge of asking the right questions but also putting it in the right manner to get the desired results. The need to give importance to probing and its benefits in the corporate world is also explored in the paper.

The book, The Effective Manager – Skills and Strategies, authored by V R K Prasad, is a comprehensive treatise on the different facets of a manager’s life and how transforming self is the only way to become successful in the corporate world. The book-reviewer, Padmashree, in a refreshing style, presents an elaborate and excellent overview of the book, citing the crucial and striking features of the book. The book is inimitable in style and contemporary in its approach, and caters not only to the needs of the students pursuing MBA, but also to the needs of vibrant practicing managers and research scholars in the field of HR and business communication.

-- M Showry
Consulting Editor