Module 1 - Business Understanding
Why do businesses exist? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
To generate profit/increase their value for their owners/shareholders
What food or drink are you allowed to consume at your workstation/desk in the client's office? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
Water only
What are the 4 types of communication? (Each teammate names only 1 type of communication.)
1. Verbal
2. Written
3. Visual
4. Non-verbal
What's the most important objective of an email subject line? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
It should prompt the audience to open the email.
If Saranya has sent the slot booking link for Business Readiness training, and you're unable to attend either of the slots, then what should you do? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
Inform Saranya/Elliot ASAP.
How do you calculate profit for a company? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
Profit = Sales - Costs = Selling Price - Costing Price
What are at least 4 features of male and/or female professional dress/grooming, regardless of the client's workplace culture? (Each teammate names only 1 of the features.)
Men:
1. Clean-shaven or neatly trimmed facial hair
2. Closed-toe shoes
3. Western clothing (unless on festivals)
Women:
1. No flashy jewelry/accessories
Men and women:
1. Modest dress
2. Light perfume and apply deodorant
3. Neat hair
4. Neatly pressed and clean clothing
What are the 3 factors to consider when choosing your medium/channel for communication? (Each teammate names only 1 communication medium.)
1. Urgency
2. Importance
3. Risk of misinterpretation
What are the 3 rules of an email subject line? (Each teammate names only 1 rule.)
1. Short
2. Specific
3. Action-oriented
What are the 2 things you should always bring to your Xangars trainings and meetings? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
1. Pen/pencil
2. Paper/notebook
What are at least 3 different unique departments in a life insurance company? (Each teammate names only 1 department.)
1. Finance
2. HR
3. IT
4. Product
5. Operations
What are at least 2 ways you can stay engaged during a meeting with a client/your team? (Each teammate answers only 1 of the ways.)
Join meetings early
Take notes
Avoid being on your mobile
Give eye contact
What are the 4 steps for effective communication in order from start to finish? (Each teammate names only 1 step.)
1. Empathise with your audience
2. Set a single, realistic communication objective
3. Pick your communication medium/channel
4. Actively listen to your audience
Which of the below WhatsApp messages is/are effective ways to start communication about a new topic? (Teammate answers the entire question.)
(A) "Hey, Vikas. how r u?"
(B) "Hello, Vikas Sir--can you please share the data?"
(C) "Good morning, Vikas Sir. Would you be able to share the claims data validation in a .CSV file, so Xangars can meet Tata AIA's 10/04 delivery deadline?"
(D) "Hi, Vikas ji. I hope you enjoyed your holiday with your family. Goa is such a nice place. I went one time as a kid, and I can't wait to back. We'd really appreciate if you can help us by sharing the claims data validation. We're under so much pressure from our seniors to finish on-time, and I trust you can understand that we don't want to stay late in office. Hope to hear back from you soon!"
(E) "Vikas Sir, welcome back. We'd appreciate if you can kindly share the claims data validation in a .CSV file. As such, Xangars can meet Tata AIA's 10/04 delivery deadline."
(C) and (E) are short, professional, specific, action-oriented, and frame the request in the interest of the client
In case you have an issue/piece of feedback/complaint, but you're not comfortable sharing it with Elliot, Saranya, or anyone at Xangars, then how can you share it? (The teammate answers the entire question.)
By submitting it in the anonymous feedback form shared on the Xangars Interns WhatsApp group
As a Software Developer at Xangars, what are at least 2 ways you can increase profits for the company without lowering your salary? (Each teammate names only 1 of the ways.)
1. Provide better-quality services to clients, leading to more projects and thus higher sales
2. Do my work more efficiently, reducing the need to hire more Software Developers for the same amount of work and thus lower costs
3. Respect and conserve company resources (equipment, electricity, supplies), thus cutting office costs
What are at least 3 ways you can respect the client’s time, other than meeting task/project deadlines? (Each teammate answers only 1 of the ways.)
Reach office early
Don’t take long lunch or other breaks
Don’t come to the office sick
Take permission from manager/HR for leaves
Rank the below communication mediums in order from least likely to most likely to be misinterpreted by an audience. (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
(A) Text communication (email/WhatsApp)
(B) Face-to-face meeting
(C) Video-call
(D) Regular voice call (no video)
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
Name 2 rules of etiquette specific to professional WhatsApp groups. Rules that also apply to private WhatsApp messages don't count. (Each teammate names only 1 rule.)
1. Ask to invite new group members or share an invite link
2. Keep conversations that don't apply to most group members outside of the group
3. @ tag relevant group members in your messages to give notifications
What is 1 example (not necessarily mentioned in training) of a well-known product that is sold both B2C and B2B? (1 teammate answers the entire question.)
1. Microsoft Windows
2. Apple iPhones
Scenario: You're a Xangars Software Developer working with client Akasa Air on their internal HR portal for employees. You promised Abha to deliver your contribution by yesterday. However, today you're still stuck and haven't delivered anything yet to Abha, who has to share the team's deliverable with Akasa Air. You wanted to prove you can do the work alone, so you never informed anyone you were behind schedule.
Question: How do your actions hurt the following people? (Each teammate answers only 1 of the below.)
1. Akasa Air
2. Xangars
3. Your team
4. Yourself
Akasa Air: The client may miss its deadline and lose credibility with its own employees (those benefiting from the HR portal)
Xangars: The client may lose trust in Xangars' ability to meet deadlines and give less business to Xangars in the future
Your team: Others may have to work extra time to compensate for the time you've lost, and Abha may get stressed by having to face an angry client
Yourself: Your manager notes you prioritising your ego over the company's goals and gives you less responsibilities and increments in the future
Scenario: Your client is Disney Star, and you're working on building a new feature for gamification of sporting matches among OTT viewers. This feature can give the client an edge over its industry competitors.
Questions:
1. Who the 2 different groups of people with whom you can communicate about this work?
2. Who are at least 2 different groups of people with whom you should communicate about this work?
(Each teammate names 1 group of people only.)
1. Ok to communicate: (A) Xangars, (B) the client
2. NOT ok to communicate: (A) Friends, (B) family
Pretend to have a conversation with your 1 of your teammates. Act out and name 3 of the aspects of active listening. You have 60 seconds to plan with your partner only and then 30 seconds to act out and name at least 3 aspects of active listening. (Teammates #1-2 act out the scene, and Teammate #1 names 3 of the aspects demonstrated.)
2. Taking notes
3. Giving eye contact to the speaker
4. Confirming understanding by summarising/rephrasing what the speaker said
Which of the below email subject lines is most likely to be effective? (The teammate answers the entire question.)
(A) "WRT the meeting about project"
(B) "URGENT!!! Please share data for Xangars"
(C) "Tata AIA data sharing issues causing Xangars team to work late on weekends and release schedule delays that will result in timesheets not getting approved"
(D) [Approval Needed] Xangars v. 1.13 Scope?
(E) "(no subject)"
(D) is short (38 characters), specific, and action-oriented (seeks approval)
What is the meaning of the name Xangars? (The teammate answers the entire question.)
"संघर्ष" - struggle, conflict