Communication articles

Communicating with Peers (12/28/2011)
... Show your peers that you respect their ideas by encouraging them to contribute and listening to what they have to say. If you are at all confused about an idea being presented, try repeating it in your own words. This will not only clarify your understanding, but will also show you are interested. Really listen to your colleagues — don't just wait to jump in with your own ideas. Listen to their words, thoughts, and feelings....

Listening (12/28/2011)
... Listen to be influenced. Concentrate. Don't allow your mind to be absorbed with developing rebuttals. Let people finish their points. Only when they keep repeating the same point should you interrupt and indicate your understanding....

Communicating: dealing with the informal information (12/22/2011)
... If you don't have new information, encourage questions, which may uncover rumours you are not aware of. Keep a flip chart in your work area. Write news on it regularly. Allow your people to record questions that they want to deal with at your meetings. Anticipate issues that might provoke negative gossip....

How to Handle Difficult People (12/22/2011)
... Send them notes, faxes, or e-mails instead of phoning or getting into face-to-face conversations. This will work particularly well if the person in question will be around for only a short while. Focus on the issues. Try not to criticize them, for to do so will only increase your frustration as their behaviour deteriorates. If you can bear it no more, let the person know how he affects you....

Hiring: Conducting the Interview (12/21/2011)
... Find out why he reprimanded the person, what happened afterwards, and what he might have learned from the incident. Using the application form as a guide, question the interviewee about gaps in employment history; particular accomplishments; references you can contact. Get to the facts of the matter, especially when the applicant has presented a professionally prepared resume. Question the interviewee closely about achievements or qualifications that seem overinflated. Keep your questions in logical order so you can get an in-depth perspective on important issues....

What you can do to improve your meetings (09/07/2011)
... People who don't have an interest in or knowledge of the subject matter will throw you off track or slow you down. Send the agenda to participants a few days in advance to give them time to prepare. Book a meeting room early and make sure it has all the needed equipment. AT THE MEETING Get organized. Ask one person to keep time, another to keep the minutes, and a third to record key ideas on a flip chart....

How to Keep Meetings Short (09/07/2011)
... Ask them to come prepared to deal with agenda items. Prepare an agenda. This document should state the objective(s); identify each step in the meeting; indicate how long each item will take. AT THE MEETING Start meetings on time. Don't wait for latecomers....

Exit Interview (09/06/2011)
... The more serious the company is about changing things, the more forthcoming you might be. Deliver your message professionally. This means that you should: Avoid foul language. Avoid exaggerating. Don't use words such as "never" or "always....

Giving Feedback (09/06/2011)
... Ask the person when it is convenient to meet. This will get buy-in to the process. In the unlikely event that the employee refuses, you will need to be more assertive. Agree to a venue. The feedback should be obtained as soon after the problem occurs as possible....

How to Manage People Involved in Meetings (09/06/2011)
... Avoiding giving people a political platform. Don't allow people to use your meeting for their own political agendas. If someone's tone of voice is hostile and she begins to hijack your meeting, intervene when she stops for breath and point out firmly but politely that the matter may be important but that this is not the meeting at which it will be addressed. Avoiding debates. If a person is totally out of line, making exaggerated claims or suggesting ridiculous ideas, don't debate with him....

The Ten Deadly Sins of Communication (09/05/2011)
... This is an indirect way of dealing with a problem. It's better to be more direct. Telling people to do something instead of asking them to. People don't respond to being treated like children. Threatening....

Ways to network successfully (09/05/2011)
... Find something that you have in common — impatience at waiting, the same sneakers, books, etc. Behave in a friendly manner. Display a happy, warm disposition. Observe people's reactions to you and respond accordingly. If the initial reaction is negative, try someone else....

Ways to make your meeting meaningful (09/04/2011)
... This will give you an opportunity to participate fully and play an influential role in any decision-making process. Be enthusiastic. Offer to take minutes, be the flip-chart recorder, or play some other useful role. Your commitment will be appreciated and emulated. Do your part to keep the meeting brief....

Receiving Feedback (09/02/2011)
... If the information is extensive, consider making notes. When the feedback is done, summarize and echo back to the "giver" your understanding of what he has said. Thank the person for the feedback. Let her know how useful it was. More important, tell her how you're going to use the information to change and improve....

How To Effectively Communicate With Your Doctor (03/11/2010)
... If you feel all of your questions weren't answered by your doctor, be honest and share them. Also, you can ask your nurse to contact your physician on your behave or have your advocate call the office. Help your doctor to help you! Remember, this is your body and your desire to get well that is most important. .....

Verbal Abuse (10/07/2009)
... Foul or demeaning language refers to using swear words or words like stupid or idiot to cause a person to feel less about her or himself. Thus language is used to put the other person down and gain a psychological advantage where the abuser thus presents him or herself as superior. Here, one person belittles the other through the use of language. Hostile tone, volume or intensity of deliver may appear as shouting, yelling or screaming or alternately, talking quietly yet intensely, so as to instill fear. Typically this form of verbal abuse causes the victim to acquiesce for fear of self-harm, particularly scaring the person that matters might escalate to include physical abuse....

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION (11/25/2008)
... Role-play is one cornerstone of learning communication skill - role-play with experienced actors as simulated patients rather than amateur role-players selected from the group. Discussion of each simulated consultation is carried out along pre-decided rules of feedback, designed to explore what has happened; working from the strengths of the learner towards weaknesses; among friendly, discreet and equally vulnerable colleagues. Learning from feedback can be enhanced by using a video-recording of the process. A few hours' work can only raise awareness. A new skill needs to be practised at least three times and often more before it will stick....

Power of Our Thoughts (07/23/2008)
... The psychic treatment can be given to the objects, conditions, circumstances, environment, etc. exactly in the same way as you give psychic treatment for physical conditions in your own body, or in the body of another person. When your thoughts become creative psychically they will bring results in your life which at first will appear to you just unbelievable, startling, miraculous and supernatural. But really there is nothing miraculous and supernatural in the results which come purely by the use of the higher forces of Nature, known as psychic powers. Every move of the process which transforms your thoughts into things is made in accordance with natural law and order of Nature....

Types of Communication (05/18/2008)
... For those who report to you intelligent feedback sets the stage for reaching agreement on all issues related to the work effort. Regardless of the topic under discussion there are misinterpretations and misrepresentations that must be rationalized. Written Communication We learn to write by writing and not by reading about writing. Written communication takes on many different forms. It includes general correspondence, reports of different types, project proposals, procedures, record keeping, operating instructions, spreadsheet data, announcements, documentation, and presentations....

Disciplinary Interview (04/24/2007)
... If you work in a unionized workplace, inform your shop steward of the interview, although the company probably will already have done this. Find out what rights you have or don't have. DURING THE INTERVIEW Respond to reason, logic, and the facts. Listen to what is being said. Don't be defensive....