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Posts Tagged ‘Workplace’

Mission to give staff a voice in the workplace
Many would agree that it is essential in business to have a motivated and productive workforce with a clear sense of purpose. But in reality, lots of companies fail to achieve even a basic understanding of “employee engagement”. Business Editor Bernard Ginns reports on the issue… (15/12/2009 09:27:47)

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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.

Workplace Communication = Money!
Train your staff and survive the hard times

Thousands of businesses are failing each year, and millions of people are losing their jobs. Therefore, a serious look at your company and its ability to survive is called for. Every business needs that extra edge to rise head and shoulders above the competition. If your company does not develop that extra edge, there is a very good chance it will fail and you’ll be another casualty of this fragile economy. This is a demanding market and prospective clients require excellent service – and they want it with a smile. They expect courteous treatment and, if they don’t receive it, they will look elsewhere. To avoid this situation, every person in your company should put forth extra effort to make the company look top notch, and worth doing business with.  Your must train each member of the company in effective workplace communication by training them in communication and negotiation skills, corporate communication, and employee communication.   

For example, ask yourself these questions: Who answers the phone for your company? Who greets clients when they come into your place of business? If you don’t, do you know who does and how qualified that employee is? How do staff members communicate with each other? Has your company had a continual turnover of employees or a problem with workplace productivity? Does your company promote productive employee communication?  These are extremely important questions to ask and answer. The future of your company could be at stake.

Pretend for a minute that I am a prospective client (a medical doctor) who wants to spend $150,000 on either a product or a service at your company. I call your business to make an appointment and am faced with a surly receptionist, smacking her gum and talking to her co-worker while answering the phone. What are the chances that I will make an appointment? And even if I do, who greets me at the door when I arrive at your place of business? Is it someone with an “attitude”, or someone who is too busy talking to a colleague to bother with me? Or, is it someone who has difficulty with the English language? Or, someone who looks and dresses like a street walker? Now what are the chances your business will get my business? However, let’s say I ignore all this and make arrangements to use email because going into your place of business dismays me. Now, I receive email from one of your employees who failed to use spell-check before sending the email to me, plus the subject line is empty. Also, I am addressed by my first name instead of by my title and last name. Do you honestly believe that I will still want to do business with you?

In view of the above scenario it is apparent that appropriate and effective communication between client and staff is incredibly important, as is effective communication between staff members. Remember, the client in today’s marketplace is looking for prompt and outstanding service. If that client can get a bargain along with the right degree of respect and effective communication from staff members, the chances are you will get a client who will do business.

Cast your mind back, to either going to a business office, or to a local burger joint; were you greeted with a smile? Did the greeting employee even look at you when taking your order? Did you get the feeling that you were important? More than likely not! However, if these employees had been trained in effective communication, your experience would have been quite different. Let your company benefit from a communication coach. It would greatly enhance your employee/ client communication, your interoffice communication which all points to the bottom line; your business’s profit margin. Interactive communication workshops will benefit your staff and give your company a leg-up in the business community. Thus, failing to train staff to be effective communicators and thereby losing a prospective $150,000 client is just bad business.

Peter Lett Communications – Peter Lett is a published author and expert on Communications & Negotiations and specializes in communication workshops, seminars and business coaching
www.peterlett.com