Product Description
Practical guidance on thriving-and surviving-in the workplaceAre you worried about losing your job? Are you retired but forced to re-enter the workforce to keep up with the rising cost of living? Do you find yourself lucky to have a job at all, no matter how difficult or unpleasant the environment may be? Thriving in the Workplace All-In-One For Dummies gives people of all ages, in any job, and in any type of workplace the information, tips, and advice needed… More >>

Thriving in the Workplace All-in-One For Dummies

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Effective workplace communication is very essential for smooth and efficient functioning of an organization. The manager should have proper communication with his subordinates, else it will lead to absenteeism amongst workers, lower productivity, development of grapevine networks in an organization. There should be two-way communication in an organization. Manager should have personal contact with his subordinates. He should clearly communicate goals and policies of the organization to his subordinates and should get feedback on these goals and policies.

Feedback plays a very important role in the communication process. It enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our message. Giving the subordinates chance to provide feedback is important for maintaining a open communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For example: after communicating a job assignment, he should ask “Do all of you understand?”, “Is that clear?”, “Do you have any doubts?”, etc. This will ensure that whether his message is understood or not.

Both upward and downward communications are important. Upward communication will keep manager informed about employees job satisfaction, employees feelings for their peers and about organization in general. Downward communication is important so that manager can give job instructions, explain the roles and policies and explain the issues which need immediate attention. Similarly we have horizontal communication in an organization which is also very important. It is essential that people working at same level should have effective communication amongst them so that there is co-ordination between them. Communication at workplace should be clear, concise and specific. There should be effective use of body language at workplace. Body language reflects the position of a person in the organization. A manager should make effective use of his body language while communicating with his subordinates.

Communication at workplace is mainly of two types – Verbal (Meetings, Speech, One to One feedbacks etc), Non Verbal (Written, printed, emails etc).

“We wanted to give health care providers an easy-to-use Spanish tool that would enable them to question, examine and discuss Swine and regular flu diagnoses without having to take classes or lengthy training sessions,” said Tom Sutula, President of Workplace Spanish. “The anxiety and concern about this disease is high. Not being able to examine and communicate with Hispanic patients raises their fears even higher and creates a climate of frustration for the health care provider.”

The mini-program is available by download from the company’s website at www.WorkplaceSpanish.com. It is delivered in the easy-to-use Click It(TM) format developed by Workplace Spanish that utilizes PDF files with embedded sound bites so users click on English terms to hear the Spanish and phonetic pronunciations spoken aloud. Users can either repeat the phrase or play it loud enough for a Spanish-speaker to hear. “MP3 files for iPod and music player are also available for download”, Sutula added.

The ‘Swine Flu Patient Examination’ mini-program is priced at only $5.00 per user and the MP3 audio files are $3.50 per user. Multi-user purchases can also be made from the company’s website and organizations of 100 or more users can obtain a site license to use the program on their internal network. Commenting on the reasonable price, Sutula said “we felt this was extremely useful material and did not want price to become a purchase obstacle.”

Detailed information and samples are available on the company’s website at www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/SwineFlu and www.WorkplaceSpanish.com/SwineFlu_sample.pdf

About Workplace Spanish, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Workplace Spanish® materials help people English and Spanish speakers communicate simply and effectively in various work situations. Designed for time-stressed professionals, managers and associates, the company’s materials are easy to use and non-academic. They do not teach grammar and no prior Spanish training is required to use them. Users learn Spanish pronunciation and how to say “bite-size” terms and expressions, in Spanish, that are relevant to their work environments and everyday conversation.

New Workplace Spanish® Learning Kit for Human Resource Professionals

Roswell, GA, September 15, 2009 – Workplace Spanish, Inc. has introduced its completely updated “Workplace Spanish® for Human Resources” program designed to help English speaking human resources staff, and general supervisors, communicate with Spanish speaking applicants and employees.

Available from the company’s website as a “learning kit, the package includes a 70 page manual, 2 audio CDs, and the company’s exclusive Click It® CD-ROM. It covers all the important conversational expressions as well as key job related topics including Interviewing Applicants, Checking References, Performance Expectations, Scheduling Employees, Pay and Benefit Information, and handling Accident & Emergencies.

Tom Sutula, President of Workplace Spanish, Inc. stated “Human Resources is the hub of most organizations beginning with job applicants walking through the door. Our easy to use learning tools enable English speakers to better communicate with Hispanic applicants and associates. This will result in better selection, evaluation and understanding which translates into smoother, more efficient operations.”

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 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. Workplace Spanish® learning kits are suitable for self-study or class training.

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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!

 

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

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.

“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.