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Archive for the ‘Workplace Communication’ Category

Forget GQ! These days it’s your CQ that matters…your Communication Quotient. Degrees and awards are fine, your bilingualism and knowledge of the latest programming languages are nice, but how good a communicator are you? In English? With co-workers and customers?

Every job description emphasizes it: must have excellent communication skills. In performance reviews many get marked down for it. And as entrepreneurs who wear many hats, speaking with many voices is also a requisite skill. So how is your communication quotient?

Communication takes many forms. Think for a moment about a typical workday. You must communicate with customers, clients, co-workers (both superiors and subordinates), vendors, and even city, state and federal bureaucrats. Perhaps you even have interns or volunteers to communicate with. On occasion you’re also speaking with the media, members of your association or even competitors. How well are you communicating with each?

Each form of communication draws on different skills, each requires different approaches and sometimes even a different lexicon. The checklist below has broken out many of these types of communication into categories. Place a plus, minus or equal sign next to each line to rate whether you see yourself as already strong (+), average (=) or weak (-) in each area.

Can You Interact Successfully with Strangers?

- Make Small Talk?

- Ask them About Themselves?

- Tell Them About Yourself?

- Introduce Two Strangers to Each Other

- Discuss Current Events with Confidence

Networking and the ability to work a room are invaluable skills for a small business owner. Knowing how to introduce yourself to others through your elevator speech can also open many doors of opportunity. As you meet strangers are you exuding confidence? (To read more about elevator speeches: http://www.expressionsofexcellence.com/articles.html#elevatorspeech.)

Being able to mingle and mix, compliment strangers and inquire of their line of work is an effective way to expand your sphere of influence and prospect for new business. You can even qualify prospects deftly while schmoozing.

How Effective Are Your Communication Skills?

- Can You Give A Prepared Speech?

- Can You Speak Extemporaneously?

- Can You Make A Sales Presentation?

- Can You Interview Someone Else? Be Interviewed?

Some basic communication tenets to keep in mind in public speaking situations:

1. Speak clearly and audibly at all times.

2. Don’t rush your presentation. Pare its content down if you have too much to cover in the time given.

3. Enunciate effectively. For many, English is a second language. Focus on the consonants of each word.

4. Employ vocal variety to keep people paying attention. Avoid sing-songy patterns of speech.

5. Learn all about interview dynamics

How Versatile A Communicator Are You?

- Can You Make A Cold Call?

- Can You Train Others?

- Can You Conduct A Meeting As Its Leader?

- Can You Constructively Critique Another’s Performance?

I help small business owners take the chill out of cold calls. Once you understand the rules of the game, develop your script, learn to bypass gatekeepers and handle objections adeptly you will find cold calling to be better than going to the dentist.

(For more information on cold calling instruction: http://www.ExpressionsofExcellence.com/cold_calling.html)

• Sometimes the true test of your understanding something is the challenge of training others. How well can you communicate your knowledge to others? Do they “get” it? Are you sure? Training requires its own approach.

• Taking the lead in conducting meetings and discussions can be a delight once you understand how best to apply your leadership. You don’t have to master Robert’s Rules of Order to be able to fairly and ably conduct meetings.

• Constructively critique another’s performance can be one of the hardest things to do. Learn to separate performance from person, to get specific and also offer remedies or corrective plans, as well as benchmarks for success.

• Employ active listening techniques to insure you are hearing the other party and they are feeling heard as well. Many professional and interpersonal difficulties arise from a feeling of not being heard. Learn ways of insuring that you are hearing correctly and similarly being heard.

When The Going Gets Tough…

- Can You Handle Constructive Criticism?

- Can You Assert Yourself When Necessary & Speak Up?

- Can You Negotiate Effectively?

- Can You Co-exist With Diverse Personality Styles?

See Hecklers, Hardliners, and Heavy Questions for tips on this difficult area of communications.

Many of us shy away from speaking up and speaking our for fear of negative feedback or political ramifications. In our quest to be liked or avoid “making waves” we bite our tongue and look the other way instead of righting wrongs and correcting improprieties. Yet there are times when speaking up and speaking out is the right thing to do. Learn to speak your mind when it’s time, professionally and with precision, to get the results you desire.

Negotiating effectively can involve different types of communication skills. You may actually want to induce silence, or to repeat yourself, reiterating your stance or stipulations, for effect. Listening skills and creative problem solving skills are also involved. Learn to speak the language of win-win and be able to reiterate your adversary’s perspective so as to build consensus.

There is no right way to speak. Each of us speaks in our own communication style. Some of us use long sentences and many words, others are short winded and direct. Learn recognize how best you communicate and how to best communicate with others.

How Effectively Can You Communicate in “One-on-One” Situations

- Can You Instill Trust in Others? Engender their Support?

- Can You Diffuse Verbal Criticism and Maintain Control?

Learn coaching and training techniques for speaking one-on-one with co-workers, subordinates and superiors. Learn to communicate with others so as to build trust and confidence in others.

Where Do You Go From Here?

We’re all developing our Communication Quotient on the job. Learn to recognize how different forms of communication require different skills. Make a point of analyzing your style and the results it engenders. Where can you improve? Can classes, practice or coaching help? Become a student of improved communication. As for feedback. Study those whose communication style you respond to. Seek to raise your own CQ!

ROSWELL, GA., Aug. 18, 2008 — ¿Qué pasa aquí?

 

An officer stops a car for speeding. As the officer approaches, the driver is frantic. The driver is waving his arms, shouting incessantly in Spanish and pointing to the passenger who appears to be in agony and his holding his side.

Is this:

a. the get away car and the two men who just robbed a store down the road, one of whom was shot, or

b. a man and his nephew who are rushing to the hospital because the nephew has appendicitis?

If the officer doesn’t know even basic Spanish this situation could easily turn tragic. With Workplace Spanish® a dangerous situation can be averted.

 

Workplace Spanish® offers both Spanish learning manuals accompanied by audio CDs, and an easy-to-use CD-ROM called “Click It™” which features clickable audio Spanish terms and expressions that help law enforcement professionals speak Spanish in a basic and effective manner without having to learn academic Spanish. It uses relevant “bite-size” terms and phrases to get a message, question or response across.

Workplace Spanish worked closely with the Las Vegas police department in creating the law enforcement program. Workplace Spanish president Tom Sutula says, “They told us what was critical to them on a day-to-day basis – what was most important to their officers. Like most law enforcement departments, they didn’t have the time or budget to have everyone become fluent in Spanish.”

Over the past year law enforcement agencies from across the country including Nashville, TN, Eagan, MN and the FBI’s Atlanta office have addressed language challenges by adding Workplace Spanish® . They all recognized that the lack of clear communication for their staffs could be frustrating, potentially dangerous and costly.

Sutula says that Workplace Spanish® has been used by thousands of officers. Many appreciate the flexibility of the new Click It™ CD-ROM. “It gives them the ability to look up an expression and “click on it” to hear the Spanish and phonetic pronunciations played aloud. They can either repeat the Spanish or play it loud enough for a Spanish-speaker to hear.”

Detailed information and sample excerpts from on the Law Enforcement program are available on the company’s website at the following link: www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/law_enforcement.htm

Roswell, GA – April 07, 2009 – Greentree Health Science Academy in Hamilton, Ohio proudly teaches Workplace Spanish® after two of their students assisted EMT personnel at the scene of an accident of non-English speaking Latinos.

Emily Anderson and Emily Ulrich were driving to school when they saw a car swerve and slam into a guardrail right in front of them. The victims were non-English speaking Latino women. Anderson and Ulrich had taken Workplace Spanish® for HealthCare at Greentree Health Science Academy, which proved to be just what was needed. They assisted the EMT to find out the women’s vital information and where they were hurt.

Greentree Spanish teacher, Julie Jestice, was absolutely astounded by her students’ heroic actions and use of Spanish during the emergency. “What they did was amazing.  I have always agreed with the Workplace Spanish® theory but what these high school teenagers did really made me a believer.” Jestice enthused.  “The traditional Spanish classes at their previous schools only confused them.  For our high school medical assistant program, I use the “Workplace Spanish®  for HealthCare” book to teach them real life, job-specific language skills.  I also added games like “Simon Says” and used role play conversations to help them practice speaking and to remember vocabulary. These girls surprised everyone by doing what the EMS and police with years of experience on the job could not do.  With the ever increasing Hispanic population this need is only going to increase.  This ability in Spanish will give the girls an advantage during job interviews or prevent them from being downsized.”

I’m excited to teach my students a real life skill that will use on the job and in daily life.  Emily and Emily have proven publicly that Workplace Spanish® is simple and effective for learning Spanish! I’m thrilled to give the students a skill that is so empowering.”

Tom Sutula, Workplace Spanish president, adds “This kind of story shows perfectly what we are trying to achieve with our learning materials and that this way of learning Spanish is very usable. It is wonderful to hear such a great success story.” For more information please visit www.workplacespanish.com or e-mail info@workplacespanish.com.

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops learning materials that help people communicate with Spanish-speakers in various work situations. Designed for time-stressed professionals, the company’s programs are very easy to use, especially for people who need to start speaking Spanish quickly. They do not teach grammar and no prior Spanish training is required. Users learn Spanish pronunciation and relevant “bite-size” terms and expressions that are important for work and daily conversation.

Roswell, GA, October, 28 2008 – Workplace Spanish, Inc. has added “Hotels & Hospitality” to its repertoire of Spanish learning materials. The new learning program will help English speaking managers and supervisors in the hospitality business communicate with their Spanish speaking staff members.

“Workplace Spanish® for Hotels & Hospitality” was developed specifically for hotels, motels and other hospitality properties where basic, effective Spanish will improve communication and teamwork with Hispanic associates resulting in higher quality service and property maintenance.  The 75-page, 2 audio CD program covers all the important conversational expressions as well as supervisory and hotel-related topics including Interviewing, Scheduling, Job Rules, Standards, Safety, Accident & Emergencies, Hotel Terminology & Locations, Housekeeping, Laundry and Property Maintenance.

Tom Sutula, President of Workplace Spanish, Inc. stated “The hotel and hospitality industry was in dire need of an easy Spanish learning program like this to help keep their business running smoothly. With today’s diverse workforce, speaking even a little job-specific Spanish will translate into better understanding, teamwork and efficiency, which pays off in smoother operations and enhanced profitability.” For more information please visit www.workplacespanish.com or e-mail info@workplacespanish.com.

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops job-specific learning materials for both English and Spanish-speakers.  Designed for time-stressed adults in government, industry, health care and education, the company’s materials are easy-to-use and non-academic; they do not require prior language training.  Workplace Spanish® programs have been used by over 350 colleges and schools across the country and are suitable for class training or self-study.

 

Roswell, GA, December, 15 2008 – Workplace Spanish, Inc. has launched a new program to its “Trabajadores Series” of English learning products. “Inglés para Trabajadores” is designed for companies who want to train their Spanish-speaking associates in “workplace English.”  It is the second in the “Trabajadores” series and is applicable to workers in virtually any industry.

While the company is well known for its wide array of Spanish-learning products, “Inglés para Trabajadores” addresses the needs of organizations with Spanish-speaking workforces. Developed from the worker’s perspective, the learning program will help Hispanics communicate in basic English to ask about pay, job duties and work procedures, and many other topics”, said Tom Sutula, president of Workplace Spanish.

“From an organization’s perspective, learning English that can be used at work is a win-win for the company and the employee,” Sutula continued. “The company will improve its productivity, while the employees will become better skilled and more valuable.”

The program includes a 55-page manual with audio CD and is also available on the company’s exclusive Click It ® CD-ROM. While it can be utilized on a self-study basis, it is best used in a class training environment where a bilingual leader can answer questions and guide “students” through the most appropriate material. Workplace Spanish, Inc. also offers customization services to meet specific needs.. For more information on this program and the company’s “Trabajadores Industriales” program, please visit the company’s website at www.workplacespanish.com or send an e-mail to info@workplacespanish.com.

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops job-specific learning materials for both English and Spanish-speakers. Designed for time-stressed adults in government, industry, health care and education, the company’s materials are easy-to-use and non-academic; they do not require prior language training. Workplace Spanish® programs have been used by more than 75,000 people across the country. Over 350 colleges and schools have used Workplace Spanish® materials for training in their local communities.

Roswell, GA, February 2, 2009 – Food Lion LLC has selected “Workplace Spanish® for Retailers and Supermarkets”, a learning program developed by Workplace Spanish, Inc., to improve communication in their supermarkets with Spanish-speaking customers and associates. Store supervisors, department managers and other key associates will utilize the popular learning materials to develop basic Spanish skills.

Jose Perez, Food Lion’s Language and Translation Specialist, stated that “Workplace Spanish® for Retailers and Supermarkets” includes the relevant vocabulary, expressions and practice scenarios that best suits our needs. The materials are just very practical and easy to use. We are not expecting associates to be proficient Spanish speakers, but the Workplace Spanish® program will give our people a chance to make customers and associates feel more welcome. We want to create great customer experiences. By knowing some appropriate Spanish, we are reaching out and connecting with our Food Lion Spanish speaking customers and associates.”

“Enabling basic communication between English and Spanish speakers is the mission of our company”, Tom Sutula, President of Workplace Spanish, Inc, states. “We develop basic learning programs that cut through the language barrier and improve communication. This results in better understanding, teamwork and efficiency, which will pay off in better customer relationships and smoother operations. This is more important than ever in these challenging economic times.”

With stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, Food Lion LLC addresses the Hispanic population growth by making Spanish a part of their vocabulary. They are hoping to create awareness and do their part to bridge the language gap.

Workplace Spanish®, Inc. develops job-specific learning materials for both English and Spanish speakers. Their manuals and Click It® CD-ROMs are available for over 25 different industries and occupations. The company will customize programs to meet specific needs. For more information please visit www.workplacespanish.com or e-mail info@workplacespanish.com.

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.:

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops job-specific learning materials for both English and Spanish-speakers. Designed for time-stressed adults in government, industry, health care and education, the company’s materials are easy-to-use and non-academic; they do not require prior language training. Workplace Spanish® programs have been used by over 350 colleges and schools across the country and are suitable for class training or self-study.

Food Lion, LLC:

Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG). Food Lion LLC operates more than 1,300 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harvey’s, Reid’s and Sweetbay. These stores meet local customer needs and preferences for the freshest and best quality products. Food Lion LLC employs approximately 73,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

For effective business operation there is a great need to ensure that your business has smooth flow of information. Business activities are better handled when a business owner ensures there is easy communication flow. Allowing communication ease within a company is a fundamental aspect to consider since it greatly contributes to business growth.

Whether you have a big or small business, it is imperative to install equipments that enable effective communication flow between the various departments. Some of the easy communication systems include the intranet and phone extensions among others. The internet is also an important tool, not only to access information but also help in relaying of information in real time through the use of email services.

Efficient communication helps reduce business operation cost since it cuts down on the use of hard copies. In addition, it reduces the amount of time that would otherwise be used to send physical letters. Memos and request that require quick action can now be implemented faster by just a lick on a button, thanks to modern technologies of relaying information.

Apart from installing proper communication equipments, business owners should take time to train their staff on how to use the systems appropriately. This will eventually translate to easy business operation and more so save time. Though miscommunication plays a role, one of the major reasons of many companies failing, is lack of proper flow of information.

For those who have a small business, do not consider it as an extra cost to install communication systems since such structures determine whether your business will grow or remain stagnant.

The method by which communications are dealt with and messages are exchanged within the business is crucial to the efficiency of the organisation.

If communication is faulty, late, and unclear or office politics are allowed to get in the way, then the ultimate loser is the business.

There is an old adage that I have come across many times in reception areas across the country while waiting for my appointment to show. It reads something like “This person can sack everyone in the organisation right up to the chairman – It is the customer and he or she must be looked after at all costs.”

The final communication to the customer initially starts from the boardroom, leading down via managers to the employees who in turn are responsible for communicating with the customer.

Thus, breaking this down further, the directors must be able to communicate effectively with each other in the boardroom so that the strategy can implemented and passed to the respective people in the organisation.

But for this to happen, there has to be an understanding of roles within the board and then an effective way of arriving at policy. This may sound obvious but some small businesses contain directors that either arrived by default or due to long service. The hard fact of the matter is that a few directors don’t know what they are doing or are supposed to do.

Next, each person in the boardroom must be an effective communicator and willing to make allowances for personal traits or the communication within the boardroom itself, never mind the business as a whole, is liable to break down.

The same goes for communication of the policy decisions from the managers to their staff, as there will undoubtedly be, in my experience, resistance to any form of change.

People don’t like change and will often try and opt out. Any new policy should be communicated clearly and the reason for change laid out so that they make logical sense.

Then, on the staff level, one may encounter office politics or empire building, and this again can and does handicap businesses and the communication within.

So what communicative measures are available to help against this? Again, in my experience, the use of motivational and bridge-building techniques are invaluable.
Everybody can have a say if need be prior to the directors taking the decision and this creates a feeling of being part of a team. This is where consultation prior to any major decision being taken is invaluable.

This ultimately has the effect of producing a more efficient organisation and projects a much better corporate image within the business and ultimately to the outside world. This in turn will lead to a feeling of confidence among customers and may even help to increase the order level or the total spend involved.

Word of mouth in the outside world will then take its natural course and the company’s market placing should be improved.

With efficient, successful communications existing in a business, this leaves the directors free to focus on the other two main areas necessary for business growth – strategy and marketing.

Focus on these two other areas will theoretically lead to more sales, greater return on capital employed, which in turn can lead to improved profitability if the marketing is carried out properly and eventually, wage increase capability.

This in turn, again hypothetically, should produce a greater feeling of togetherness and ease communication difficulties through increased trust as the people in the organisation benefit from the increased productivity.

Roswell, GA, September 1, 2009 – Workplace Spanish, Inc., developer of the country’s most widely used Spanish learning materials for the workplace, introduces new “Learning Kits” for its 25 job-specific language learning programs.

“Our objective is to help people in the workplace communicate in Spanish or English in a basic, effective manner resulting in better understanding and teamwork as well as smoother operations”, said Tom Sutula, president of Workplace Spanish, Inc.

To help accomplish this task more readily, the company has added its Click It® CD-ROM to all of its learning programs. This provides customers with 3 tools to help cut through the language barrier – an easy to use manual for desk use, audio CD(s) to listen to in the car and Click It® for PC use.

“Click It® adds a new dimension to our learning tools”, Sutula said. Using free Adobe Reader software, a user simply searches for what they need to say in English, then clicks on it to hear the Spanish and phonetic pronunciation. “They can either learn and repeat the expression or play it aloud for a Spanish-speaker to hear. Nothing could be easier.”

Stressing that its language tools are designed for quick workplace communication, not language learning proficiency, Sutula compared the company’s products to online learning programs, ‘which are expensive and often started but not completed’. “From a customer’s perspective, our tools get them up to speed quickly without a long learning curve. In today’s time-stressed world not many people have time for hours of study”.

For more information and samples of the company’s products, please visit the website at www.workplacespanish.com or e-mail info@workplacespanish.com.

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish, Inc. develops job-specific language materials for both English and Spanish-speakers. Designed for time-stressed adults in business, government, health care and education, the company’s materials are easy-to-use and non-academic; they do not require prior language training. Workplace Spanish® programs have been used by 80,000 people and have been taught by more than 350 colleges and schools across the country. Its learning kits are suitable for self-study or class training.

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Workplace communication skills are not acquired in a day but it really needs practice and will to do it from inside. Effective workplace communication not only helps you in saying and expressing yourself correctly but also one of the ladders to grab higher position. Effective workplace communication skills present you and your thoughts as a perfect person for the job. So communicating properly and in a right way is important in every sphere of life. All sorts of jobs these day like doctor jobs, airline jobs or IT jobs need employee who can communicate effectively. These employee also have bright chances of going to higher positions because they can say what is right or wrong in a very effective way.

Organize Your Thoughts
If you are not an organized person then before speaking it is better to manage and organize what your are going to speak. If it is an instant talk then you can speak at slow speed(but it should not be too slow) so that you can work on your thought. But if you have time then it is better to manage your thoughts first. Like you can pen down what you are thinking and then arrange them in an order so that it becomes an effective workplace communication.

Listen and Observe Things
Check the people around you who talk effortlessly and very effectively.  Observe what and how they are presenting their thoughts while speaking to others both professionally and personally. Then ask yourself certain questions based on this whether you are confident enough to present your thoughts and ideas in a similar manner or not. Do not try to copy but find out the difference between and work on the gap.

Do not React Immediately
You are into a conversation and other person is saying something on which your reaction is required. Make sure that you do not interrupt in between the talk. Wait, manage your words and then speak. Think about positive as well as negative points.

Read a Lot
This is absolutely necessary and true that if you have knowledge then you can speak effectively and  so reading should be considered as an important and effective workplace communication skill. By reading quality articles not only related to your job but also on other issues will help you a lot in gaining knowledge on diverse  topics. Therefore after regular reading you will have so many things and thoughts to share.

Be Confident
It is your first time when you will be facing the audience while delivering a speech. You are nervous, which is obvious. But apart from this you will have to be confident. Think about all the positive points and person you think has a positive influence on your life. This will give boost to your confidence.

Have Right Body Language
Now you have all the above mentioned qualities but this one is missing. It means that you are destroying all other things as it is an icing on the cake. You body language must be parallel to your communication and this is also considered as an effective workplace communication skill. Maintain the right posture and stiff shoulders to show that you are ready for the conversation. At workplace never sit in a relaxed way.

Have a Good Command on the Language
Now which so ever language you are using to converse in the office you must have command over that. Make sure to have good vocabulary and ways to frame and re-frame the sentences in various ways.
Apart from this make your personality very appealing for good workplace communication skills. By following all these you can really improve your communication skills at workplace.