November 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Communication

Communication
By: Kamyar Shah
Posted on: 2008-01-29

Article Summary: Communication

One of the rather siginificant issues in efficiency is business communication. In particular I am interested in 360-Degree feedback, speak-out programs and improvement contests.

360-degree feedback refers to the process of collecting information and evaluation from all relevant parties concerning a particular individuals' performance, which may include superiors, coworkers, and team members. Personally, I have a serious problem with this kind of feedback. In my experience and opinion, it is a great mistake to ask equals or coworkers for feedback: such feedback is naturally biased. In either case, the feedback can hardly be neutral due to factors such as consequences or rivalry. I believe that feedback should be obtained by neutral superiors which are only interested in objective evaluation that may lead to improvement. Otherwise, it may create a hostile work environment.

Speak out program is referred to the process of collection and evaluation of employee input in decision making. This particular process will enable the employees to contribute to the firms' decision making by taking advantage of the knowledge of front line workers. I certainly have a positive experience with this sort of input: mid and upper management are usually far away from day to day process and flaws of daily tasks. The most reliable input is from those that actually have to deal with customers and clients. Thus, their input is more accurate and can be invaluable to streamlining and higher profits. Naturally the information and input has to be evaluated for neutrality: this can be easily achieved by cross referencing several employees' information.

Improvement contest refers to competitive evaluation of implemented improvement actions, whereby internal assessment mechanisms decide on the validity and value of each contestant group. Personally I have not yet witnessed a successful implementation of such process. I believe that such contest would be contradictory to clan culture of team work and success: since by definition, improvement contests are the evaluation of team efforts, it is contradictory to recognition of individual efforts. I realize that team work and team efforts are invaluable to success of most companies, however, since the basic building block of a team, is its individual members, I would suggest that personal and individual efforts should be recognized first. Thus, I believe that a successful improvement contest has to recognize the individual efforts as well as group efforts.

Ultimately, all three of these concepts are tools of communication which are meant to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of corporate productivity. It is vital to analyze all of them in context of individual setting and individual corporate culture. Any selected process or combination of procedures has to be chosen and optimized based on predictive advantages within particular industry, and clan culture.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Kamyar Shah
Communication Or visit our Storage Unit Finder

Perceive Each Other

Relationship Communication - How Couples Perceive Each Other

Just because someone is listening to me, I don't assume that they got the communication that I sent. Neither should you.

So after I say something, I have created the habit of asking my listener what s/he heard from me. I also like to check in on my own perceptions about what I've heard from someone.

Rather than assuming that my perceptions about what other people mean when they say something are accurate, I've gotten into the practice of asking if what I heard was what they meant to communicate to me.

Here's one great example:
I had assumed for a while that when my lover didn't ask for my support (because I certainly ask for his) that it was because he didn't think I had anything to give him. I was really upset about this story I was telling myself and it was affecting how I related to him. I found that I resented asking for his support, and did everything in my power to avoid it. I felt awful because it thwarted my natural inclination to ask. But he wouldn't ask me… It was a viscous circle.

When I finally checked in and asked "I've had the feeling that you don't ask me for help because you don't think I have anything to offer you. Is that accurate with what is happening for you?" He laughed. "Absolutely not," he said. "I just can't seem to ask. It's my issue. I really value your help," he said.

Lately we've been working with asking each other what we RECEIVE in our communications and it's fascinating how much of what is SENT is altered by way of how we hear things. He could say "I don't want to talk about it," and I will hear "You don't want to talk to me." We then have an opportunity to clarify and better understand how each of us uses language.

If you use the words "sense," "feel" or "intuit," you let your partner know "Look, this is a perception."

No one wants to be TOLD how he or she is." I sense you're angry," is an opening. "You're angry," is a dead end. Then simply ask, "Is that accurate?" "Does that resonate with you?" "Is that what's going on for you?"

It feels great to have someone care enough to really get it right and to be able to reflect your communication back to you with accuracy.

Perception Checking:
Ask who you're talking to reflect back to you what s/he heard. If what you had hoped to send and what they received are different, you've got a place to start from to clear up any misconceptions and get yourselves both "on the same page."
After someone says something to you, reflect back to him or her what you've heard. Discover if it matches. If it doesn't it gives you both the chance to make sure that the message that's being sent is the one you're getting.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
Karen Brody is the founder and creator of Making Love Simply Divine. Karen is a relationship and sexuality coach, spiritual counselor and speaker, whose passion is to help people experience their potential for love in relationship. Find out more about Karen and get more of her incredible advice, tips, and other information at http://www.MakingLoveSimplyDivine.com http://www.MakingLoveSimplyDivine.com

Video Communication

Video Communication Says Better!
By: Bogdana Baska

Article Summary: Video communication through video emails helps you to communicate better as you can see the person and talk as if you are right in front of him or her. Video communication is better than plain emailing because with it you can feel the presence of the person right in front of you and you may be able to express your thoughts better.

There are many ways to share your thoughts, feelings and information with
your friends, customers, colleagues and relatives. It is a bit difficult
to communicate when the person is very far away staying in some other
country or state. But technology has advanced so much that it is now
possible to interact with people all over the world with much ease. Thanks
to the advent of the Internet, emails can now connect people from
different countries in just seconds. What is more interesting is that it
is now possible to communicate better than plain email. Yes, now we have
the video emailing technology.

Video communication through video emails helps you to communicate better
as you can see the person and talk as if you are right in front of him or her. Video communication is better than plain emailing because with it you can feel the
presence of the person right in front of you and you may be able to express your thoughts better. Video emailing can be of great use for the Internet marketing.
With the help of video emails you can convince your customers better about your
products or services. It would be just like meeting your customer right at
his place. Video emails can also help to prevent as misconceptions or
misinterpretations that ruin relationships. Long distance calls are very
expensive Video emails help you to stay connected with your loved ones.

Video technology also helps you to enhance the performance of your
business and you can gain huge profits. There is an innovative technology
what is known as video blogging. Video blog is a web blog, which is used
as a communication vehicle. These video blogs also include supporting text
and images. Video blogging is now the fastest growing technology in the
field of Internet marketing. Video blogs help you to grasp the attention
of your customer faster than a plain email because we are all living in a
visual society. We get attracted to a product when we are able to see it
personally. You can now use video blogging to promote your website, to
boost up your Internet marketing by using video emails instead of simple
newsletters. You can use videos to build up your customer list and reap
huge profits. You can also send your customer a video blog to show how to
use a product.

Video technology has now made it possible to communicate
with your loved ones through video emails and also through video chatting.
Communication is always better through videos because we understand a lot
of things through the facial gestures and body language of the person.
This helps to build a strong relationship and bonding. With faster
computers and Internet connections, video technology is the next
revolution of this decade. Video technology has now made it possible to
communicate with your loved ones through video emails and also through
video chatting and that too free of cost. Communication is always better
through videos because we understand a lot of things through the facial
gestures and body language of the person. This helps to build a strong
relationship and bonding. It is now possible for you to stay connected
with their cell phones, computers, iPods through video chatting and
emails. Hello World Company boasts the first fully integrated system of
video communication and it offers various facilities such as hello mail,
hello instant messenger and hello live. Hello mail offers its users the
facility of sending videotexts and messages. Hello instant messenger is
the hottest messenger tool, which allows you to send video clips and
messages to your friends. This facility is available along with the hello
mail. Hello live is a web casting tool which helps you to broadcast to
more than 100 viewers at a time and this would be of great help to the
small business owners. With faster computers and Internet connections,
video technology is the next revolution of this decade.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Bogdana Baska
Bogdana Baska VMdirect Affiliate To learn more about this products or the opportunity please go to: http://www.videosocialnet.com/

A Quick Start

Communication Skills: A Quick Start
By: Sri Hari

Article Summary: Here is the easy way to learn about Communication skills without going through a 300+ pages book which, one can forget about before he finishes it Always start with an Intention: Anything we start, including communication skills, usually has reason and a starting point. While we become conscious about this fact for the obvious things like brushing our teeth to avoid tooth decay, we forget to give the same importance to our communication. We start talking, go through all...

Here is the easy way to learn about Communication skills without going through a 300+ pages book which, one can forget about before he finishes it

Always start with an Intention:

Anything we start, including communication skills, usually has reason and a starting point. While we become conscious about this fact for the obvious things like brushing our teeth to avoid tooth decay, we forget to give the same importance to our communication. We start talking, go through all the niceties and then some how stumble upon the reason for conversation or make it up by that time.

The problem with this approach is that the message looses its power. If you keep doing this often, you loose the power to bring it to work when needed. As a soldier polishes and keeps his guns fit even during peacetime, we have to keep our arsenal of communication skills handy to use, when required.

Develop flexibility in language and in approach:

Most people will think being flexible means using all the words in the Dictionary. Having a good vocabulary does not mean that people have to run for a dictionary every time you speak. Instead, a good vocabulary means that you have created enough choices and variety in your language to suit the listening or reading requirements of many people.

Flexibility is also needed in your approach to communication. Developing more than one approach is really good. If your style of approaching women is the Nice Guy, try the cocky and funny approach. See how that works. One more area that we can change and notice the results very quickly is by modulating our voice. Here is quick exercise to learn how to modulate your voice. Practice speaking a Para in a British accent. Do your best to be British. If you find it hard watch BBC and imitate them. Next, try sounding American and then French or Chinese (speaking in English).

Once you have done at least 4 accents, switch between them as often as possible, in practice. After you do this for a while, notice how you naturally are modulating your voice and how you find it easy to choose from different tones and tonality. More about this, on my website.

One Caution: Please do not measure any new skill by the initial response you get because, all new skills need to be naturalized before it becomes effective. (http://www.communication-skills-4confidence.com/effective-communication-skill.html)

As you develop flexibility, you will find yourself more comfortable to live with and then others will also find you comfortable to be with.

Forget techniques and learn the principles:

A lot of managers are fond of using something called a Sandwich technique. It is situation where you slip in a negative comment or feedback layered in between two positive comments. It is a good technique no doubt. But if you repeat it to the same old staff for 2 years, it means you are not capable of innovating. People get conditioned to any one particular behavior over time and so the technique looses its impact.

We all have a favorite way of reacting to situations. We gather these techniques by experience and by learning from others. What we eventually forget is that they are just techniques, and are replaceable. Something like software programs which almost always gets replaced by a better version. But since it works so well to us, we get possessive about it and find our selves bound by it. It becomes difficult to break that mould. A person in a mould is like a frog in the well. He has limited reach and limited awareness.

Using techniques is like giving a fish to the hungry man while understanding the principles is like teaching him fishing. So, instead of getting all cluttered up with techniques understand the principles driving them. You will find many on my website.

So to be the survivor of the fittest in the field of communication skills, always start with an intention in your mind. Once you master this, your level of influence will increase rapidly. Take away your focus on techniques and learn the principles. This way you tap the source of power itself rather than a branch. The last and most importantly, develop flexibility in your language and approach. It will maximize your capacity to reach your audience and thus your power.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Sri Hari
Sri Hari has been developing new insights in communication skills helping thousands enjoy a happier life at http://www.communication-skills-4confidence.com/©SriHari200

Communication Skills Training

Communication Skills Training - Effective Communication
By: Robin Chandler

Article Summary: Communication Key Skills, this document outlines some of the pitfalls and bear traps that litter our everyday Business Communication Issues. Together with some useful approaches to Effective Communication.

Good Communication Skills are essential

Being an effective communicator takes real skill. Communication skills have to be developed, honed and added to on an on-going basis. They are the heart of interpersonal skills and the greater your awareness of how it all works, the more effective your communication will be.

To be effective in business, you have to communicate well. To be a good manager, you have to communicate exceptionally well.

Here we look at basic communication dynamics, learning skills to improve your communication, using effective communication to improve and promote interpersonal relationships, creating an effective communication strategy.

We could write a book about the importance of communication key skills, but for now you can content yourself with some essentials for becoming a more effective communicator.

Communication Core Skills - The Essentials

Communication is Individual

We're Not All The Same

When you look at communication, presentation skills are not all there is to it. Far from it. Everyone communicates differently and sees the world differently. The greatest skill you can have in order to instantly and significantly improve you communications skills is to understand the other person's point view and how they see the world. Then you can adjust your own communication to take that into account.

Change Yourself to Change Others

Alongside this has to be the knowledge that the only person you can be sure of changing in any communication is you. Therefore, the most effective way to be in charge of what happens in any communication dynamic is changing what you do. When you can do this you are well on the way to promoting better relationships.

You are the Only One of You

There's never one right way to communicate. Authentic effective communication always happens when we reply on those things we know to be true about or for ourselves. Remember your personal style probably says more for you that all the words you use can.

What's Already Working?

Most people tend to look at what's wrong with themselves and other people rather than focusing on what already works. Remember, something (more than one thing, of course) has to be working well for you to have got this far already!

How Communication Happens

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Interpersonal skills. Everything communicates. Remember! If you aren't clear about what you mean and what your intention is, the other person (or people) could easily (and sometimes deliberately), misinterpret what you mean.

What you do matters as much as what you say. It's now accepted that the words account for only 7-11% of a communication. Your behaviour will 'read' unconsciously to other people and you can certainly be more in charge of the reading matter!

Language is one of the most powerful reflections of how we think and feel about ourselves and others. You need to be aware of the padding, justifications and excuses you use and whether they are appropriate. You can make a big impact simply by changing some of your language and developing your verbal skills, This way you can significantly improve your communication skills.

Communication Cycle

There is a neat communication cycle we've come across that can help you understand how to make communication work better. It means that you can take responsibility for every stage on the Communication Cycle:

Spoken - Heard - Understood - Agreed To - Acted On - Implemented.

Be aware of where you or others tend to fall off the cycle.

What can get in the way of Effective Communication

Here are some Common Barriers to Effective Communication.

We all make Too Many Assumptions

Be aware of the assumptions you make, especially making something up and then acting as though what you made up was true. Notice if you alter your behaviour with certain people because of the assumptions you make about them. Also be aware of the assumptions you think other people make about you.

Assumptions aren't necessarily 'bad'. Sometimes it's important to let people keep their assumptions (or some of them at least!) about you.

One effective way to deal with assumptions is to say to the other person, 'I've assumed such and such. 'Is that true?' or 'I'm making an assumption here about... Do you agree?'

Good communication in the workplace is often sabotaged by too many unconfirmed assumptions.

Patterns/Reverting to Type

We are pattern-making beings, which is good. However, sometimes we get so used to behaving and responding in certain ways that it's hard to see that there's any other way of doing things. When the pressure is on or we are under stress, even our best intentions may go out the window as we revert to type.

Habits, patterns, routine ways of thinking and behaving are difficult to change. Noticing your patterns at least gets you aware of them! One way to practise this is to see how many communication habits and patterns have crept into your workplace. Try not to judge them. You can always decide if you want to change them or not.

Needing to Be Right

This is one area we all know about - the need to be right and in turn for the other person to be wrong. One skill that does need practise is to let go of needing to be right. Think of it as presenting information or a point of view rather than having to bludgeon someone else with your arguments.

If you want to promote effective relationships, this is one of the greatest communication key skills you can have is to be able to change what you want from a communication. You may have started out wanting the other person to agree with you, but by giving that up you can change your want to letting them know you understand their point of view.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict

One of the purposes of conflict is to arrive at a resolution, so if you avoid conflict, the problem usually (though not always) gets worse. The earlier you can identify that there is a problem and intervene, the better it will be. Good communication skills require you to be able to resolve conflict.

Agreement

Find something (anything will do) in the other person's argument which you can genuinely agree with. This is a great way to take the wind out of someone's sails and ensure you don't get drawn into an insoluble argument. People usually won't listen until they feel heard.

Bridge Building

Really listen to what the other person is saying - they usually give a lot of information without realising it. Building bridges by making an offer can help enormously, as can changing what you want.

'I' not 'You'

Use 'I' statements, not 'You' statements to avoid blaming. This also means that you take responsibility for how you feel, rather than making the other person responsible for making things all right for you.

Improving Communication Skills

Be a Good Influence

Attitude

You can change the direction of a communication if you change your attitude. There is no one attitude that's the 'right' one to have, though being direct and clear certainly helps.

Effective Listening and Responding

You can have tremendous influence on a communication as the listener and the responder. When we get little or no response from the listener, we often project our assumptions onto them about what they are thinking (and usually we assume they aren't thinking good things about us!).

Be Positive

Use affirmation and encouragement to get the best out of people. Notice when others do things well (even if it's part of their daily routine). This shows you're being attentive; most people respond well when they know that others are aware of what they do.

Quite simply, the workplace can be a far better place to be if you consciously sprinkle your communication with positive feedback.

The Importance of Basic Communication Skills

What's most important is that you don't leave the business of communication to chance. Raise your awareness, develop your skills and you'll be a role model for effective communication.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Robin Chandler
Jo Ellen and Robin run Impact Factory who provide Communications Training, Public Speaking Presentation Skills, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching for Individuals.

Communication Success

7 Steps to Business Communication Success
By: Dot Olonovich

Article Summary: Do you face a business communication challenge? Follow these steps to improve your communication in a targeted area.

Copyright 2006 Logical Writing Solutions, Inc

What is success? The answer to that question is both personal and institutional for those of us who work in the business world. In essence, success is the ability to accomplish the task at hand. Technically, it is "to achieve one's aim to prosper".

You need thriving business relationships to prosper. In fact, we can measure much of our business success in terms of the viability of business relationships. Relationship health is directly affected by the quality of communication. Use the following steps to achieve communication success and to strengthen your critical business relationships.

Step 1: Identify a few communication weaknesses.

Can you think of any communication challenges that you face? It's time to brainstorm and quickly make a written list.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about your own communication challenges: * Are your employees happy and satisfied? * Are your clients glad to provide referrals? * Are your partners and stakeholders well-informed and confident? * Do you feel motivated and inspired? * Do your conversations flow?

As you review the bulleted list above and consider your communication challenges, identify each challenge but don't get bogged down with other details.

Step 2: Decide to address the most bothersome communication weakness.

This choice is yours to make. However, whatever challenge you choose, you will find that the other relationships are naturally strengthened as you develop proactive and positive communication skills. You do not have to fix everything at once in order to benefit from this exercise!

Now that you have selected your challenge, it's time to stop and think about what makes it so challenging. In other words, if success was easy you wouldn't be working on this right now. Many leadership or business management challenges are a result of busy-ness. Leaders don't realize that others need communication that is: * Professional * Complete * Positive * Concise, and * Wholly relevant without any irrelevance

If you are a leader or a manager, communication is your job. People expect you to do it and do it well. The responsibility for communicating is yours. It would be literally impossible for others to compensate for your poor attention to communication.

In spite of the advice of gurus world-wide, there seems to be a reluctance to buy into this idea. We all want to believe that we can just do our jobs well and receive the kudos. We want to believe that we are responsible for our own success. The truth of the matter is that most of us will be hindered, more or less, when we ignore communication or become passive.

Communication may not come naturally, and you may need to work on it. Communication brings power to your professional and personal life. Critical relationships can thrive with your attention.

To gain an understanding of how to resolve the weakness, you need to look at your communication patterns. You will develop communication that is regular and has flow. Communication, however, is not just about giving out messages. Communication is listening and speaking, receiving messages and conveying messages. Typically, listening is the thing that gets us into trouble. We don't do it.

Step 3: Listen to others for a week.

I know you're grumbling! Is a week really necessary? Yes. We're not just talking about passive listening either; you will ingeniously create opportunities for listening. Listening must be practiced, and acting on incomplete information may be more harmful than doing nothing.

Consider how long you have been without the power of listening, and realize that a week is a small price to pay. While you are listening, you are reserving judgment and allowing the answers to come to you. Others often already know where the problem lies. They may even have ideas as to how you can fix the problem. Active listening requires practice, so be patient.

You may politely and nonchalantly ask for input during this time, but keep things casual and neutral by not being too intense and by refusing to form or give your opinion. This gives others the freedom to develop their thoughts and express them without disagreeing with you. Be sure to take notes on potential solutions.

Step 4: Define success and the benefits in this area.

After a week, you will probably have many ideas about how you could move forward. First, take a moment to define your ideal outcome. This is your defined target. You may not feel that you can make the mark on the first try. However, you need to choose to believe that success is possible and likely, and that you will have a reasonably positive response to your efforts. Your attitude affects your motivation and your outcome.

In addition, think about what benefits you hope to achieve. How would life or business be better as a result of your desired outcome?

You are painting the picture of what you'd like to see. For example, "Our clients know that we value their relationship as well as their business. We don't tell them this; we show them. Every call is answered in a polite manner. Each concern is personally addressed. We listen when they speak. We thank them for their input. We keep them informed of new products and company news. We are considerate in our pricing. We thank them for each purchase. In return, they have no interest in checking out other providers, and they remain loyal in spite of the efforts of our strong competitors. We have steady growth in our revenue."

Step 5: Make your proactive communication plan, being sure to establish checkpoints.

This plan will come out of your definition of success and your listening activities. Some examples of proactive communication would be providing customer service seminars for your employees, taking on a visible role that reaffirms your commitment to personal service, starting a service blog discussing best practices, scheduling individual meetings to check in with employees, or establishing standards of excellence and rewarding employees who excel or improve. Notice that these items are not remedial. You are not resolving past problems, but establishing a firm foundation for the future.

Also notice that you would choose one activity to plan. For example, if you choose to focus on a customer service seminar, you will define the necessary tasks and place those tasks in your planner. Choose your communication activity based upon whether you need a long-term or short-term effort. Also, consider the availability of resources and plan accordingly.

You may have to practice needed skills. For instance, if you are planning to present a customer service seminar yourself instead of outsourcing, you may need to schedule time to develop your presentation skills. If you are nervous about your skills in an area, practice those skills until you become calmly confident.

Step 6: Implement your plan.

Implement your plan, keeping your ideal outcome in mind as you go. Review checkpoints frequently to ensure that you are on track. Involve others in the plans when possible, or have an accountability partner. As things fall into place, you may be surprised at how well everything is going! Once your activity is complete or the communication fix is in place, it's time to take a realistic look at what you've accomplished.

Step 7: Evaluate the results.

Congratulations! How did you do? If you look at your definition from Step 4, you will be reminded of the gains have you have achieved. You may also note unforeseen obstacles that you overcame. Remember to thank those who helped you along the way, and make sure to reward yourself for your efforts.

Now you've seen the power of communication at work. Communicating will become easy (or easier) as you go through the 7 Steps to Business Communication Success again. Communication is the key to your success.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Dot Olonovich
Dot Olonovich helps executives and businesses to improve their relationships and profitability through professional-quality communication and writing. Her unique qualifications include an accounting degree and extensive business knowledge. To learn more about Dot, go to http://www.logicalwriters.com or contact her at dot@logicalwriters.com or 610.933.1989.

Effective Communication

Effective Communication in Just 7 Steps
By: Robert F. Abbott

Article Summary: Aim for effective communication by following seven steps listed here, steps that push us to consider reader and listener responses. When we focus on those responses, we're more likely to get the results we want.

Good writing and good design. These are the criteria of a successful newsletter, right? That's what I used to think when I first started writing and publishing newsletters.

But, as I became more involved with my clients, and their expectations, I realized I'd been wrong. The quality of writing might be good, bad, or indifferent; they didn't really care. But, to them, effective communication meant something else entirely: Getting the right responses from their readers.

And, the more I thought about that, the more I realized that all effective communication involves the right kinds or the right numbers of responses.

When we communicate, we want something to happen. We want a particular result or results. And, when we communicate with results in mind, we're working toward effective communication.

Good writing and speaking do help us get a response, of course, because they help get the message across. As I've argued in my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, a newsletter that doesn't get read cannot get a response from readers.

So, writing, designing, speaking, and all those other creative activities matter. But, in the end, responses are what count, and effective communication means getting the responses we want.

This applies to all kinds of effective communication, and not just campaigns aimed at customers or prospects. Managers who send messages to employees, for example, want employees to respond in a particular way. In some cases, they want employees to act or think differently, in other cases they simply want to reinforce what the employees already do.

For a couple of employee newsletters I published, effective communication meant greater awareness of health and safety issues. If the newsletter communicated effectively, then it should have helped reduce the number of plant accidents and helped employees lead healthier lifestyles.

One more point: Effective communication cannot be achieved without articulated objectives. As the old adage goes, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will do." Or, as the inimitable Yogi Berra put it, "If you don't know where you are going... You might end up someplace else."

With that, let's create a quick and easy checklist that takes us through seven basic steps required for effective communication:

1. What is your objective, what do you want to happen? Do you want more sales, reduced employee turnover, renewals by members? Be specific about your objectives, and if you can attach time and dollar values to them so much the better.

2. Can you articulate, in terms of your objectives, what you want listeners or readers to do? What action should they take? What thoughts do you want in their minds? Do you want to reinforce existing thinking or behaviors?

3. Know why readers or listeners would do what you're asking in your message. It's all very well for you to have objectives and to send messages, but you'll also have to offer something to them, something they value. Think of commercial broadcasting, in which you get free entertainment in exchange for listening to (and sometimes responding to) commercials.

4. What message content will motivate them to act? What subjects will prompt them to act? For effective communication, look for topics that engage and motivate readers or listeners.

5. How will you present that content? There are several editorial choices that affect effective communication: entertaining, informing, consulting, challenging, and solving problems.

6. How often will you have to repeat the message? In many cases, you'll need multiple contacts to get the response you want. Sales people, for example, generally figure on an average of seven contacts before a prospect becomes a client or potential client.

7. Will you get enough revenue to cover the cost of communicating (if you put numbers to your objectives)? In a marketing context, for example, how many sales would you have to make to pay the cost of your advertising campaign?

In summary, aim for effective communication by following these seven steps. They move us in the right direction because they force us to think about reader and listener responses. And, when we focus on responses, we're much more likely to get the results we want.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Robert F. Abbott
Robert F. Abbott, is the author of "3 Easy Ways to Power Up Your Writing." Increase your mastery of business communication by reading his easy-to-understand articles at Communicate-with-Confidence.com . Read dozens of articles in several business communication categories.

Workplace Communication

Workplace Communication: Management's Responsibility
By: Robert F. Abbott

Article Summary: How is good communication at the place you work? Effective workplace communication is only possible when mechanisms exist to move information both up and down within the organization, and management must take responsibility for establishing and maintaining those mechanisms.

Does your company or organization have good, or at least adequate, workplace communication? Do you get the information you need, and do managers get information from you the way they should? In this article we'll take a look at management's responsibility for setting up and maintaining workplace communication.

A few years ago the British Broadcasting Commission aired a series of unique business documentaries titled Back to the Floor. If you're not familiar with the series, it featured real-life Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who leave their comfortable offices and go work on the front lines of their organizations for a week. Cameras followed the CEOs and recorded their interactions with staff, and their responses to those interactions.

In one episode, the managing director of London's Heathrow Airport took the plunge and worked in customer service for five days. That meant facing customers and dealing with their problems, including problems created by the airport's own management team. As is often the case in other business stories, the critical issue in this episode was workplace communication.

At Heathrow, we saw a CEO taken by surprise, over and over again, as he learned about work life at the front lines. The CEO was rebuked by employees on the front lines, as well as customers. The staff wanted to let him know about the trouble they had because the people at head office weren't listening to them.

And, that gap in workplace communication was a fairly constant refrain in all episodes, as one CEO after another found out he or she doesn't know much about what happens when the organization comes face-to-face with real customers and their needs.

Heathrow is hardly an exception. When I published a communication newsletter, the most frequent reader feedback involved management's failure to listen. Readers made it clear that managers in their organizations did not know what happens in their world, and even more importantly, felt management did not care.

There was also a feeling that individual managers were to blame. However, in my research and experience, it's not a 'moral' failure on the part of individual managers, but rather an institutional failure. In other words, the mechanisms that allow or facilitate workplace communication simply don't exist.

The first step in establishing and maintaining those mechanisms is for management to accept responsibility for them. Unless management takes the initiative, there can be no channels for workplace communication, whether up or down the hierarchy, to flow.

After all, employees can -- and often do -- express their ideas and emotions. But nothing can happen unless someone in management allows it to happen.

For example, in the Heathrow program, the managing director spots some trash in an out-of-the-way spot and calls in a cleanup crew. The customer service manager, who supervised the managing director for the week, chastised him for incurring an expense that wasn't in the budget (an appropriate response because the customer service manager would be chastised by his immediate superior if he had done that). In response, the CEO made a key policy change on the spot (never a good idea); yet what he really needed were mechanisms to get and give information about such problems, and a then policy that stipulated when exceptions could be made.

By creating a mechanism that allowed workers at the front lines to communicate about that kind of problem (trash), he would get both better results and greater employee loyalty.

In summary, effective workplace communication is only possible when mechanisms exist to move information both up and down within the organization, and only management can establish and maintain those mechanisms.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Robert F. Abbott
Robert F. Abbott, who wrote the booklet Communication Flows in Organizations, has written hundreds of business communication articles. To read more of his free workplace communication articles, go to Workplace Communication on the Communicate-with-Confidence website.

Communication Skills

Communication Skills 101
By: Ryan Pearson

Article Summary: Learn the keys to mastering communication. Better communication can equal more happiness and inner peace in your life.

Learn the keys to improving your communication skills and become more effective in getting what you want in your life.

The reason why most people have unsatisfactory results in their life, is because they have poor communication skills. People get frustrated when they don't get what they want,and often times don't realize it is because they did not communicate clearly, what it is they wanted.

Poor results come from poor communication, not only in personal communication, but also in metaphysical communication. One of the main reasons why many people do not get what they want in life is because their way of communicating what they want is unclear.

You must be very clear on exactly what it is you want when communicating with another person, The Universe, or yourself.

I know you may be thinking, what do I mean with yourself. A lot of times we are wishy washy with what we want. We tell ourselves "I kind of want this,but I also kind of want that." or "I guess that would be alright.". We need to be very specific with ourselves of exactly what it is we want. We cannot express clearly, to someone else, what we want if we are unclear, about what we want, ourselves.

First we will discuss how to communicate with your Higher Power to get what you want, then we will discuss how to communicate with other people. I am using the term "Higher Power" or "Universe" because I do not want to offend any one's religious beliefs. You can replace the term Higher Power with God or whatever name you believe the creative source to be called. The principles for communication will be the same.

To manifest what you want in life, from a metaphysical standpoint, I would highly encourage you to sit quietly with a pen and paper, and write exactly what it is that you want to create in your life. Write what you want in great detail. The more detailed you are, the better. Remember, this is about being extremely clear about what it is that you want.

After you have written what it is that you want, I would highly suggest that you read what you wrote one to three times a day out loud. This will benefit you in two ways. First, it will help your mind get extremely clear and focused on exactly what you want. Your mind being clear will help you stay focused, take proper action and communicate to others in a more clear, concise and effective manner. The second benefit is, the two most powerful ways to communicate with the Universe, to manifest, is through writing and speaking. Writing creates the most energy, with speaking creating the second most energy. Writing and speaking to the Universe are your two most powerful ways to create what you want.

Now let's talk about our everyday communication with other people. There are many elements that go into positive effective communication. There is verbal and nonverbal communication.

The words that we use only make up 7% of our communication. The other 93% is voice tone and body language. What that means is, before you have even said a word, you have already said a lot.

It is very important to practice paying attention to your body language and voice tone. It is important to be aware of your voice tone, when you speak. Have you ever had someone ask you for something in a whiny sounding voice; or how about in a very demanding tone of voice? Think back to when someone has approached you with either of these voice tones. Did you really want to give them what they were asking for? Probably not, you were probably pretty turned off by their approach. Having a friendly confident tone can be very effective.

Body language is huge! So many people are giving the wrong signals and they don't even realize it. Your words and voice tone may be saying one thing, but your body is saying something very different. The non verbal speaks louder than the verbal, always. The person that you are communicating with will most often not even realize that they are being effected by your body language, however they are, it happens on a subconscious level.

Pay attention to your body language. First of all make sure you are standing up straight with your shoulders back. Good posture shows that you are self confident. Everyone is attracted to a person who is truly confident. You are much more likely to have someone say yes to you, when you exude self confidence, than if you do not. Another tip is to avoid standing with your arms folded in front of you. Arms folded communicates that you are stand offish and blocking the other person from getting through to you. It also communicates disinterest.

Eye contact is so important, because of so many reasons. I will just cover a few reasons here. For one thing, it shows strong self confidence. It also allows you to have a strong connection with the person you are communicating with. A lot of people do not trust a person that avoids eye contact and building trust is the number one component to effective communication. Eye contact can be hard for some people. If you are someone who has difficulty with maintaining eye contact, begin practicing now. It begins with awareness, then practice, then mastery. One of the most important skills that you can practice and master is maintaining good eye contact.

Next comes the words that we use. Even though words are only 7% of our communication, they are still extremely important and require conscious awareness to use them effectively. There is so much to cover, when it comes to the words we use. I will share some resources for you to study on your own, that will help you with everything that we just covered. First let's cover what I believe to be one of the most important things to be aware of when it comes to the words you use.

Most people's main focus when they communicate is on themselves. They use the word "I" over and over again. It can be very valuable for you to understand that most people's number one interest is themselves. One of your greatest tools to be a great communicator is to stop using the word "I", "Me" and "My" so often and start using the word "You", "Your" and "Yours" much more often. People love to talk about themselves, and if you let them do it, you will be their most favorite person in the whole world, because most of the people they talk to are talking about themselves most of the time.

Another important thing to realize is that people love the sound of their own name. Use a persons name often during a conversation with them. They will be putty in your hands.

Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth so talk less and listen more. And really listen, a lot of times when another person is speaking we are caught up in our head thinking about how we are going to respond or just waiting for our turn to speak. Listen with you complete focus and attention on what they are saying then trust that you will be able to respond organically. The best communicators are the best listeners, not the best talkers.

To really master these skills and take your communication to a whole new level, I would highly recommend that you begin to study NLP. NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. By mastering NLP, you will become a master of influence. NLP will cover the best way to use your words, how to build powerful rapport, how to read other people and so much more.

Here are a couple of tips on how to build powerful rapport. First when talking to someone on the phone or in person, match their speaking style. It is a good idea to match the voice tone and speaking speed of the person that you are talking to.

Another powerful tool is to mirror the body language of the person you are communicating with. Don't mimic them, just subtly mirror them. When you do this you are sending them a subliminal message that you are just like them.

Remember, no matter where your communication skills currently are, you can always be better. To be a better communicator it just takes self awareness, the desire to be better and practice.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Ryan Pearson
Ryan Pearson Personal Empowerment Coach http://www.lifecoachryanpearson.blogspot.com

Relationship Communication

Ingredient in Relationships

Listening - An Essential Ingredient in Relationships

Some people have the gift of gab. You might be one of those born with a natural ability to talk to people and get your point across. But true communication that builds up a relationship isn't about how well you talk or how persuasive you can be. It's a give and take between two people. Surprisingingly, it's a skill that sadly seems to be lacking in most people, because one of the common reasons for relationships breaking up or losing what I call its happy-worthiness is an inability to communicate effectively.

Communication comes from a word that means to "share between...". Webster formally defines it as the exchange of information between individuals. In most cases, people don't have a problem with talking. As long as we're not mute, talking isn't a problem for most of us, especially us women. Communication in a relationship or marriage isn't just about getting your point across, it's also understanding what the other person is saying to us and responding appropriately. You can't understand what you're spouse is saying if you're not LISTENING. We need to learn to close our mouths and listen to what they have to say. We can't hear them if we're still talking or if we keep interrupting.

We actually don't listen with our ears, but with our mind. Why did I say that? Of course, we hear the sound of the words with our ears, but we process what it means with our minds. Our minds are developed to reason or think a certain way by experiences we've had, things we've been taught, what we give our time and attention to, and the various kinds of training we've received. What we hear with our minds determine the response that we give. Lets look at two people listening to the sound of a car engine revving. If one is a trained mechanic, he will hear something different from the other person who might not be. Both of them will come up with two different conclusions. One has a trained ear, and the other doesn't, but they both heard the same sound.

I've observed that people's previous relationship experiences affect their communication in their current relationship. If they've had difficulties with their past partners, it tends to colour the way think so they end up responding negatively to their spouse or partner. Some times, what happens is that they're hearing something the other person didn't actually say. I had a problem of jumping to conclusions while my husband was talking. Before he even finished what he was saying, I would interrupt him with a reply based on my assumptions. He would simply say, "Why don't you let me finish?" My assumptions about what he was saying and what I thought he meant blocked my mind from hearing what he was really saying and so I couldn't understand him. I learnt to stop jumping to conclusions because I got tired of saying "I'm sorry" all the time. Humble pie doesn't taste very nice you know.

I began practising keeping my mouth shut and my mind open. As a result, we began to communicate better and understand ourselves better when we talked about one issue or the other. This helped us tremendously in minimising conflict in our relationship and resolving those times when it existed. Effective communication affects every aspect of a marriage relationship. From money to intimacy. Sex doesn't build up intimacy, communication does. So it's really important that we learn to communicate effectively and listening is a very important key in effective communication.

A lot of times, when you hear your spouse say, "You're not understanding me", take a step back and ask yourself, "Am I really listening with my mouth closed and my mind open?" If you aren't, then learn to close your big mouth, open up your mind and let them talk. It might not be easy at first, but you'll be so glad you did. If not, humble pie anyone?

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
Valentina Ibeachum's incisive counsel has helped pre-weds prepare effectively for marriage as well as helped troubled couples resolve relationship crisis. For Free Relationship Advice, or to download her Pre-Marriage Preparation Questionnaire, log on to http://www.relationshipwrks.com now.

Open Communication

The Power of Open Communication

A relationship without open communication will inevitably give way to deception. There is no grey area. It is better to hurt another with open communication than to betray with deception. You will find that even the act of open communication prevents deeds that would normally be performed under the veil of dishonesty.

A relationship is a gentle lowering of individuality or Ego. A free flow of ideas, perceptions even insecurities should come to the surface and be discussed. In the ideal environment, no taboo or perceived craziness is outside the limit of open discussion. All taboos are society's programming anyway- which is far from open at the present time. Even governments and companies have not recognized the power of open communication with their people.

To suddenly start being open after a long period of hiding is far more difficult than being open on a regular basis. But inevitably this line has to be crossed, and accepted. An environment suitable for revealing all is the first stage of open communication. Both parties must be willing to hear anything and refrain from allowing their Ego to jump into the fray; to judge, feel hurt or angry.

Next comes regularity. At first the impulse to be dishonest "in order to protect someone" will be strong. This is the first stage of dishonesty that is justified has being beneficial to the other person. Slowly this nurtures roots of deeper deception. If the root is cut while it is young and even little white lies are absorbed by the light of open communication - no lie can ever grow.

Does this mean one can share all thoughts, all ideas, or beliefs with anyone? It should. For now you'd get locked up or thrown into an institution as a madman. But there will come a time when society's contract with dishonesty and illusion gives way to a deeper understanding of open communication. In the meantime there can be a selective agreement of open communication between a single couple, a single family, a single company and it's employees, between a single government and it's people before finally the whole world accepts the idea as norm.

Everyone may not like the idea at first, preferring to hang on to the perceived power that comes through lying. It is they who will prefer to go to war when the truth has been set free. Granted, there is a fine line between loose lips that sink ships and open communication in the spirit of greater love between two enlightened individuals. Open communication does not mean running the mouth like a loose cannon. It means selectively choosing your words in a way that will bring about greater harmony between yourself and another party. And avoiding the acts that would disrupt that harmony whenever possible. And in the rare cases where a controversial decision must be made in haste and a decision was made in error, it can quickly be discussed, accepted and learned from.

Most great tragedies begin with a small deception that gets cultivated over time. If you can learn to be open even when on the surface it appears that it will not serve you, over time you become the person that can always be depended on for the truth. And because the truth is a power sought from the depths of every Soul- anyone who possesses it will hold a position of great power. Respected, admired and even revered for their sincerity, and openness even in times when the truth is unpopular and their name risks being tarnished- they rise above the primitive contract of society and peer into a new world waiting on the horizon.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
James Rick Stinson 23 year old author of Garden of Life, avid meditator and personal development coach. A young entrepreneur currently running a business overseas in the Philippines. For more- http://www.jamesrick.com/blog

Communication Is A Foundation

Communication Is A Foundation Of Good Homeschooling

Good homeschooling starts with good parent to child communication skills. Regardless of the educational philosophy or the curriculum followed, the most effective educational tool is good, effective communication with your child.

The burden of good communication is definitely on the parents. Children will learn and absorb good skills when guided by the parent but more importantly, by using the parents as role models.

Kids will do as parents do so here are a few guidelines for good homeschool and family communication:

1. Make the Time.
In today's complex world, it's even more important to make sure you set aside time to talk. That doesn't mean you have to hold a formal meeting. Sometimes the best discussions take place while you're driving the car or puttering around the kitchen.

2. Listen to the Little Stuff.
Kids will talk to you if they know you're going to listen, whether they discuss heavy issues such as sex and drugs, or everyday things like schoolwork. If your kids know you're listening, they are more likely to trust you enough to talk about everything in their life.

3. Listen Between the Lines.
Because a lot of kids find it hard to talk to their parents about things that really matter, parents have to pay special attention to what their kids may be trying to say. It helps to pay particular attention to emotions, not just the emotion itself, but its intensity, too.

4. Ask their Opinion.
Few things please children (or anybody else) more than being asked their opinion. You don't have to ask about important issues all the time, either.

5. Don't Interrupt.
In a national survey, more than half the children said that when they talked, their parents often or sometimes didn't give them a chance to explain themselves. It's a good idea to give your children some extra time to explain their opinion or desires, even if you think you know what they're going to say.

Building a healthy relationship with your child begins with good communication choices you make each day. When you take the time to listen to your child, instead of brushing her off, you are building connections.

When you respond in a manner that validates her feelings instead of invalidating them, you are teaching her to be caring. When you help her to choose appropriate actions, you are helping her to be more competent.

What are some final things to keep in mind as a role model for effective and positive communication with your children? Connect instead of disconnect, assist instead of taking over, listen rather than lecture. Stop firmly rather than grabbing or jerking.

Help instead of abandon. Explain instead of force. State rather than shriek. Smile more, frown less. Think about your relationship in the long run.

Implementing just a few of these ideas can make a huge difference in your homeschool and family environment. Remember, you just have to start and start with a single step.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
Joyce Jackson is an educational expert and consultant in northern California. For her latest book and information see http://www.homeschoolingeasy.com.

Great Tips

Great Tips to Effective Letter Writing

Many people may wonder the need for letter writing in a world dominated by emails. If you wish to streamline your communication, never ignore the power of a well constructed letter. An email cannot achieve the impact that a well written letter can generate. Whether it is business, sales, cover or personal letter, you can master it by learning some simple tips.

1. The content of a letter should be planned well. To streamline your communication, make a draft of your letter. This will help in communicating effectively. Make sure that all the points have been detailed and check your letter for readability. Rephrase those sentences that can be misunderstood. Check the spelling, especially, the name of the receiver. Another key aspect is the consistency in the spelling of names. To be on the safer side, it is always wise to prepare a draft of business, sales and cover letters.

2. Use of language. For business letters, always use formal language. Sales letters need to attract potential customers. So they can be informal with catchy headlines. But when the sales letter talks about guarantee, delivery and other core issues, use a formal tone. Cover letters should always be written in formal language. Maximum flexibility with language can be shown in a personal letter. Depending upon your relationship, you can choose a formal or informal language. To streamline your communication, you should learn the art of selecting the appropriate tone for your letter.

3. Your letter might be intended for several people. This does not mean that it should not have a personal touch. Always write a business or sales letter like writing to a single person. A personal touch in your sales letter or newsletter will make the reader feel more comfortable. The reader should never feel like reading a brochure. The letter should have the effect of a personal conversation.

4. One of the best methods to streamline your communication is to make effective use of all modern day writing techniques. Use headlines to indicate the subject matter. Make use of bullets to detail important points. Use simple language. If a scientific term is used explain it in parentheses. You can make use of italics, bolding and underling in the letter. You can also create a template for your letter.

5. Brevity. Today, people do not have time to spend on reading long letters. Make your point in least number of words. Never deviate from the core subject. Unnecessary deviations from the subject can cause your readers to lose interest. Sometimes the reader may totally ignore the letter.

Letters are an important tool of communication. Remember, they can also become documental evidences. Your success in the modern day world depends on how effectively you are able to streamline your communication.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
John Khu is an experience entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specialises in communication development and personal happiness. http://www.communicationessence.com

Communication is everything

Mobile Phones: Making the World Smaller

Today, communication is everything, and this is evident in the way in which we get our everyday products from all over the world. Before the invention of the telephone, it was unimaginable that one would ever be able to converse with somebody even twenty miles away. In the world of today, we can't even bring ourselves to visualize what life would be like if we could not speak across oceans and continents.

There was a time when a telephone was attached to a wall and could move only as far as the telephone cord. Today, even in our homes we are able to chitchat about about the weather and everything else under the sun from not just the drawing rooms, but also from the kitchen, the bathroom, the attic, or any other place you can visualize. And all this because the telephone had finally become cordless.

There was a time when the car phone was seen as being a major advance. Who would have imagined that there would come a time when you could talk while you were moving from one place to another. Yet, even with cordless phones and car phones, we continued to be fixed to something – in this case, the house and the car respectively.

Then the big boom happened! We saw the invention of something that introduced a great shift in the way in which the world carried out its communication. The spotlight time of the mobile phone had now begun. This was obviously very different from the days when letters had to be posted whenever some message of great importance was involved. Back in the days when post was the only way to communicate quickly, one could never have imagined getting super-fast answers. But now, as mobile phones continue to exercise their sway over our lives, the buzzword is instant communication.

We are the children of the communication era, and can observe the rise of newer and newer modes of communication. And what could give voice to this era than the mobile phone the mobile phone. We are no longer tied down by telephone cords. We are able to talk to our near and dear ones, our colleagues and mentors, and whoever else we would like to even as we keep moving around.

Gone are the days of having to keep in mind important phone numbers. We have passed the days of looking for a pay phone if we want to make a call. The mobile phone has made life so much easier for us, by allowing us to make and receive calls at all times!

Source: Free Articles

About the Author
The author Ajeet Khurana recommends Samsung U600, Luxuries, and Technology.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Internet Radio

The Story of Internet Radio by Phil Young

For many years now, radio programmes have been successfully transmitted over the world wide web. In this article we will take a look at the story of internet radio so far.

Internet radio can be more accurately referred to as ‘webcasting.’ This is due to the fact that it is not transmitted via traditional wireless means. Instead, it is ‘streamed’ through an on-demand service via a computer.

In layman’s terms, this involves splitting the audio files into ‘bits’ and transporting these from a computer to an internet radio unit over a wireless network. Once the bits have arrived at the radio, they are re-assembled and played back to the user. Often, this results in a delay which is known as ‘lag time’

Internet radio was first conceived in 1993 by Carl Mamalud who launched Internet Talk Radio, a weekly talk show comprising interviews with computer experts. A year later, the Rolling stones became the first band to be broadcast over the internet in a ‘cyberspace multicast concert.”

1994 was a groundbreaking year, as it also marked the launch of the first commercial station to embrace the new platform. WXYC of North Carolina, USA began broadcasting their FM programming over the net on the 7th November that year.

In 1995, the first internet-exclusive radio station ‘NetRadio’ was founded. This initially proved to be successful, growing to provide over 100 channels of music and spoken channels, but went under during the dot com boom in 2001.

Today, many FM radio stations now broadcast over the internet. In addition to these, the new medium has opened up the airwaves to thousands of independent, internet only stations.

Internet radio is popular with expatriates, who may not be in range of their favourite stations. It is also a good medium for alternative and niche programming, which may not always find its way onto commercial FM stations.

Electronics e-tailer Big Box shop have 2 of the best internet radios around, both of which allow users to listen to thousands of radio stations directly from their computer. These are:

BT internet radio

BT’s internet radio complements their range of broadband and on-demand services around the home. This top-spec unit comes with the superb sound quality and all the features you would expect from such a well-renowned brand. The BT internet radio is available at Big Box Shop with 29% off RRP at just £105.74.stratus 1500 range.

Health and Safety

Health and Safety in the Office by Christopher Carter

If you think the office is not a hazardous environment, think twice. There are many potential hazards in the modern office that need to be taken into account during commercial interior space planning and design. Architects, interior designers, and manufacturers all need to be aware of the issues concerning the function, quality and safety of the working environment.

The health, safety and comfort of employees are the highest priority issues in commercial interior space planning and design. The material used in the manufacturing, the fabric, the paint, lacquer and finish all have significant impact on the health, safety, and welfare of employees. But maybe more than anything else, the indoor air quality is one of the most important issues, if not the most important, to be considered in commercial interior design and planning.

Air inside office buildings contains a wide variety of pollutants that have the potential to adversely affect the health of employees. Poor indoor air quality is known to cause “sick building syndrome” or “building related illness.” As a result of long exposure to these pollutants, employees may suffer from these building-related illnesses. The World Health Organization estimates as many as 30 percent of new or remodeled buildings have unusually high rates of poor air quality. In addition, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health cites poor ventilation as an important contributing factor in many “sick building” cases.

In addition to these health considerations, indoor air problems might significantly reduce employee productivity. A recent report to Congress on Indoor Air Quality estimates that the cost to industry could be in the “tens of billions of dollars per year.” The failure to take precautionary measures will be highly costly for business.

Most experts believe that the solution to poor indoor air problems is proper ventilation. Ventilation refers to the combination of processes which results in the supply and removal (exchange) of air from inside a building. These processes typically involve:

• Moving outdoor air inside;
• Mixing the outdoor air with some indoor air;
• Distributing this mixed air throughout the building; and
• Venting a percentage of the indoor air outside.

Most facility owners and business are not aware of the codes, regulations, standards and guidelines related to ventilation. For instance, during the development of building codes, ventilation standards called for approximately 15 cubic feet per minute of outside air for each building occupant (although this was primarily a focus not on health, but to dilute and remove body odors). However, national energy conservation measures modified this formula to 5 cfm per occupant largely as a result of the 1973 oil embargo.

Fire safety is another major concern in interior design. Materials used in office furniture and also carpeting not only produce toxicity but also flames. According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), more people die in fires because of inhaling toxic fumes and smoke than from the actual flames. A good knowledge of materials and their properties (i.e. inflammability and toxicity) is a must when it comes to interior office design and furniture manufacturing. To avoid adverse effects on employee health environment-friendly paint, non-toxic wood glue and water-based, no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) lacquers and finishes should be selected.

The health and safety of employees is not something that can be taken lightly. We need safe and healthy environments, and architects, interior designers, manufacturers, and even occupants need to be aware of the potential health hazards of the offices. The awareness of workplace safety must be raised and the compliance with the regulations and standards must be enforced.

When it comes to environmentally conscious office furniture products and eco-friendly initiatives, and the health of individuals, MAiSPACE is the leader in the office furniture industry. The environmental, economic, health and social benefits of adopting green strategies are countless, and MAiSPACE has been working to provide environmentally sensible solutions that make your office a healthier place since 1993.

At MAiSPACE, we take pride in our products, because as the manufacturer, we apply strict controls throughout the manufacturing process guaranteeing you that the most stringent standards are being met. Our material selection, manufacturing practices and finishing techniques are exemplar.

Read More about Health and Safety in the Office. MAiSPACE.com will help business owners and operators make smart choices in Systems Furniture and Office Cubicles for their offices and selecting the right office workspace setup.

Career

Manage Your Career - Forming a Vision For Your Career

It is extremely important to know where you are going in life. In this article, we will work out exercises that will help you enhance your career choices and explore other options. We aim to help you form a career vision and determine your perception of an ideal day at work!

Forming a vision is an engaging and an introspective exercise. However, it can be optimally formed if you rid yourself of any 'life conditioning' that you have had in the past.

We want you to unlearn it all and do this exercise with a blank fresh mind. This way you can keep biases and prejudices as bay and look at the options available to you in a totally different light.

Don't think about the advices and suggestions given to you by your family and friends. This is all about exploring what you want and where do you see yourself. Steer clear, that there is no such thing as an ideal or unconventional career. What suits you is the ideal and right career for you.

Don't get bogged down by the intentions of your parents to find a respectable career that they did not have. This is the chance for YOU to create the career that YOU want!

So kick start the process and rid yourselves of all personal barriers such as lack of motivation or laziness and of all the expectations and aspirations of your friends and family.

Career Planning Exercises

The following exercises will help you to determine your likes and dislikes as well as your career aspirations. Please take your time in answering the questions.

As you answer the questions, you will start to formulate some conclusions as to what is 'right' and what is 'wrong' in a career for you.

Q. LIFESTYLE: Identify the key characteristics of your ideal lifestyle - what would they be? i.e. 2 hours quality time with the kids every night, earn $60,000 pa, 30 minute travel time to work, 2 holidays per year, work in a team, etc. Does/will your current career allow you to achieve your ideal lifestyle?

Q. LIKES/DISLIKES: What are your likes and dislikes at work? Make 2 lists below. What activities do you enjoy? Which activities would you rather avoid? Does your current job have more likes or dislikes?

Q. STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES: Put yourself in the shoes of a potential employer. What are your key strengths and weaknesses? Think experience, qualifications, training, ability, attitude and knowledge.

Q. PERSONALITY: Does your current career fit with your personality type? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you like to learn by doing or by thinking and reflecting? Do you like variety and changes to the work that you complete or do you like routine and certainty?

Q. Ideal Day at Work: Describe in as much detail your ideal day at work - what sort of things would you be doing?

Q. Ideal Career Characteristics: Based on all that you have written in this book so far, determine the ideal career for you. Imagine you are a kid again, what would you like to be when you grow up?!

Development Tip

Career Development Tip . . . Time for a Check-up!

I know! I know! I hardly have time to think about what I have to do tomorrow. So what's this about a career development check-up? I have a good job I'm happy with. Isn't this all just a monumental waste of time?

This reaction makes a lot of sense if we lived in a perfect world where there were no bumps in life . . . or in our career.

But just take a look at recent history to see how fast things can change. There are the obvious changes caused by 9/11 and Katrina. But also recent mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, oil prices, world conflicts, etc. Not mention dramatic and sometimes unpredictable changes in our personal lives like births, deaths, sickness, divorce or unexpected loss of employment.

So, when it comes to your job or career, you have to think of it as an investment. After all, a lot depends on your regular paycheck . . . personal success, family welfare, future growth, home, car, vacations. If that investment suddenly fails, where do you stand?

Of course, we don't like to think of things like that, but they happen anyway. And this is where a career check-up comes into play. In a few simple steps you refresh your career goals and objectives. Then take some steps to give yourself the assurance that if anything ever happened to jeopardize your job or career you're covered.

We call it having a "Failsafe Career!"

Basically you take the time while you're at the top of your game to plan ahead for the next step. You do that either to avoid crashing from a sudden job loss. Or to make sure you have a smart track to run on for the future.

Why is it worth having a Failsafe Career?

Once you've completed this forward-thinking strategy you're good to go for the rest of your life! You have an intelligent plan for the future. And you're protecting your most important investment . . . YOU!

Fortunately, there's a carefully-crafted program that can walk you through this important check-up and give you the insurance policy you need to guarantee you won't be shorted in the future. Check it out!

Singing

Learn The Basics of Singing by Georgia Reader

Whether you have dreams of a life as an opera diva, or you want to knock them dead on Broadway, you already know that have a long road ahead of you, but one way that you can make sure that that road gets a lot shorter and a lot less bumpy is to make sure that you have the basics of singing nailed down.

When you have the fundamentals down, you will find that the rest comes much more easily, so make sure that you take the time to work on the basics. Stay calm and have faith that when the basics are mastered that everything will look a lot clearer to you!

When you are thinking about the basics of singing, you will find that the first thing that you need to worry about is pitch. While we all know what an off-key note sounds like, getting it right can still be problematic. Taking the time to learn how to recognize pitch can be instrumental towards getting it right. Secondly, you will find that you need to think about breath. If you have ever taken signing lessons, your instructor will likely get you started with correct breathing, and rightly so! Your breath is the force that pushes your voice and knowing how it works can improve your singing a great deal.

You will also find that rhythm is another measure of good signing. Knowing how to figure out the beats of a song and learning how to keep that beat going is going to be important, and unless you can mesh with any music that is playing, you will find that you are going to have some significant problems. Your diction refers to how clearly you can sharpen and shape your voice. You will find that unless you have sharp diction for your songs, no one will understand you. When you are thinking about the basics of singing, keep in mind that you will also need to address your voice. Remember that your voice and your vocal cords are an important part of your singing and that the more you know about your own voice and your limits, the better you will be when it comes to surpassing them!

Having a solid grasp of the basics of signing is an extremely important part of any singing that you do, whether you are looking to sing in public or just for a few friends. You will find that learning about these basics and being mindful of them will sharpen up your performance along with making sure that you understand any flaws or weaknesses your voice has.

When you are looking to improve your singing voice, you will find that understanding the basics can give you a place to start off from, where you can figure out what you need to strive towards and work on.

Remember that knowing the basics of singing and how they pertain to you will give you a sharper edge as singer. A singer who knows the basics can often beat out a person who has raw talent but is untrained, so make sure that you use this to your best advantage; seize on these important tools to get ahead.

Guitar

Playing the Guitar - The History of Ibanez Guitars by Ignatius Gluck

Not only does the guitar itself have a rich and varied history but the companies that manufacture them are interesting as well. Everyone writes about the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Strat but today let's talk about Ibanez guitars. Ibanez guitars have built a name and reputation for themselves. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Pat Metheny, Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman of The Offspring all work their magic on Ibanez guitars. Vai designed the Ibanez JEM and Universe electric guitars. Satriani plays an Ibanez JS Series axe. Metheny tools around on an Ibanez PM120 guitar. Wassermann punks out on an Ibanez NDM series guitar. Many more artists have discovered Ibanez instruments.

The company that manufactures Ibanez guitars, Hoshino Gakki of Japan, went through a period of lawsuits brought against it for copying various models of Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker guitars. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all if you can get through trademark infringement.

Ardmore, Pennsylvania was the home of the "Elger" guitar, handmade instruments which were produced for a music store called Medley Music. Opened by Harry Rosenbloom in 1954 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania the business was having trouble finding guitars to sell. Guitars were very popular and manufacturers were having trouble keeping up with demand. To solve the problem Rosenbloom created a guitar manufacturing company called Elger Guitars. His children Ellen and Gerson were the inspiration for Elger.

In 1964 Rosenbloom ended guitar building and became a guitar importer. Elger Guitars signed on to be the North American distributors for the Hoshino Gakki Gen Company, the maker of Ibanez guitars. To appeal to guitarists with limited funds Ibanez produced axes that resembled Gibsons, Fenders and Rickenbackers and sold them for a lot less than the big name guitars.

Norlin, the parent company of Gibson, filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement. Ibanez settled out of court and began producing their own original guitar designs and vastly improved the quality of their products. Today Ibanez produces not only guitars, both electric and acoustic, but amps, effects boxes and assorted other guitar paraphernalia.

Whether you choose Ibanez, Gibson, Fender or another of the myriad guitar models available, just get your hands on one and learn how to play. Save gas and learn at home. The guitar courses I've reviewed are available at http://www.reviewsbytheigmonster.com

Tips Information

Bass Fishing Tips Information

I trust that the next article will help you to better empathize this topic.

Is there anything in the world as restful as spending a day fishing? Likely not, or not so that I can think of anyway. Fishing for me is the best sport in the world, and the best of all the dissimilar types of fishing types available just happens to be, in my humiliate spirit anyway, sea bass fishing, or bassin’ as it is also lovingly referred to!

Whatever you call it, there’s no denying that sea bass fishing, as well being a restful pursuit, is also an stimulating one. It requires that you put your thought caps on, and at the same time, you need to be able to take it at ease and lay in wait for the fish to bite.

It’s a characteristic of many contradictions, as you would no doubt have guessed, but one thing is guaranteed, if you’ve never tried Bass fishing before, you will either take to it like a fish to water (!), or you will look on it with loathing and distaste. It’s a “love-it or hate-it” kind of thing.

That said, there are many sides to Bass fishing which you might not to the full value if you are only just beginning the Bass fishing game. However, there is no denying that for perpendicularly excitement and suspense, there’s nothing like getting a largemouthed bass on the end of your line, and waiting to see who will come out the winner, you or the largemouth!

Which brings us to one point that you will want to look at while you are Bass fishing, and that is whether you want to be a largemouth Bass fisherman, or a smallmouth sea bass fisherman, or a striped Bass fisherman, or – you get the drift, right? There’s nothing to say that you will need to be one or the other exclusively, but most Bass Fisher have their favourite types of Bass which they like to see on the end of their line.

As a Bass fisherman, you also have the dissimilar types of freshwater bass fishing itself to take from, like for example Surf casting, Fly fishing, stream fishing, or fishing from a boat.

There is no one particular method which is preferable by Bass fishermen when you go by of the boat-fishing. Bass part fishing in a boat seems to be the preferable method for most good Bass fisherman, and if you think you might delight it and want to try it out, there are freshwater bass fishing parties which you can bring together to test drive and see if you like fishing from a boat.. to learn more on this subject, please check our web site by following our link below...

Thank you for Taking you time to read through this info if you’re interested in gathering more knowledge please continue to search this site.

Phenomenal

Tips And Tricks For Phenomenal Winter Fly Fishing

Fly fishers come out in the spring, casting their fishing flies out over water in the early morning sun. Often the streams are crowded not just with other anglers but with swimmers and tubers who scare away the fish. Finding that dream spot on a stream can be difficult but rewarding, and the dedicated fishers continue to cast their lines through the summer and fall. And when winter comes, that is the time to put away the fishing flies and wait for spring to return. Or is it?

The fish aren't hibernating, so why should the fly fisher? There are fewer people on the river. The fisher doesn't have to get out at daybreak, since even the fish know better than to be out when the temperature is near or below freezing. Instead, an experienced winter fly fisher will amble down to the river about midday, taking advantage of the brief window of opportunity to find the fish rising in sunlit pools.

Winter fishing usually calls for wet flies rather than dry. The fish are sluggish in the winter and don't want to chase fishing flies, so it's best to drop the fly right in front of their nose. Winter flies often have a brass bead so they can sink more quickly than glass or plastic fishing flies with lower densities.

Motion and color are important when choosing the right winter fishing flies. Materials like rabbit strips and marabou work well, as does anything that will catch the light. White and yellow are good colors, though black and red seem to work well too.

Use a hook with a large gap, such as a scud hook or a size 10-14 singer-style hook. Sparse fishing flies work better than denser patterns. Nymphs tied to a tapered leader are usually the preferred winter fishing flies. Attach a split shot 10 inches above and a strike indicator far enough up the line to keep the fly drifting just above the river bottom.

Winter fishing requires attention to more than just your fishing flies. Long periods in the cold, not moving, maybe even standing in the water, can bring hypothermia on quickly. Dress in layers and add more clothing than you think you'll need. Mentally check your hands and feet throughout the day and if you start to lose feeling, it's probably time to go in.

Winter fishing sessions are shorter than in other seasons; as little as an hour or two. Bring along the right fishing flies, the right techniques, and the right equipment and winter fly fishing can add a whole new dimension to your fishing experience.

Furniture

How to Choose Safe Furniture for Your Baby Nursery

When expectant parents start planning their home to welcome their new baby, finding the perfect baby furniture tops the list, when preparing the nursery. In most cases, parents start by selecting the baby crib, for this is where their child will begin to learn about their world.

How Baby Nursery Furniture Has Changed

In the past, a cradle was the first piece of baby furniture, usually handmade by the father or grandfather of the child. As the baby grew, other beds were made according to the size of the child. Today, a handmade piece of baby furniture is usually a unique baby gift.

You will find baby cribs made from a variety of materials, in different shapes and styles. When you begin looking at baby cribs, make sure that the slats are set close together to prevent your child's arms or legs being caught in them. Look for a crib that has a heavy gauge steel frame with bolted rails to securely hold the baby crib mattress and box support. Baby cribs that offer four way, double safety locks are the best, because they prevent the side of the crib from dropping unexpectedly, which can cause injury to your child. You will see many cribs, changing and activity tables constructed with decorative posts, cutout designs or projections that may look pretty, but are not safe for your child.

Decorating the Baby Nursery

Once the baby crib is selected, the other essential piece of baby nursery furniture is the changing table. And remember, it is just as important for you to be comfortable in the baby nursery. You will be spending many hours there with your baby, so a comfortable chair and a good reading lamp are required. Whether you prefer an overstuffed Foster chair or a comfortable wooden rocking chair, choose this piece of baby furniture just as carefully.

The colors, patterns and shapes in the baby nursery touch every aspect of your baby's development, from baby bedding to baby furniture. You have your choice of feminine, masculine or neutral color palettes to create a beautiful baby nursery. As you make your selections of baby nursery furniture, it is important that all the materials used in the baby furniture be certified non-toxic and manufactured according to established safety standards.

Building Peace of Mind into Baby Nursery Design

One of the most useful and unique baby gifts available today is the baby nursery monitor. Even when you have the safest baby crib, you cannot be with your baby every single minute. The baby monitor lets you hear when your baby needs your immediate attention.

Baby

How to Make Sure Your Baby is Safe 24/7

After the weeks it may take for your new baby to begin to sleep for more than 3 hours, a baby monitor will prove to be a valuable tool in caring for your infant and yourself. By placing a baby monitor in close proximity to the baby crib, it can transmit the sounds in the baby nursery clearly, if you are using an audio baby monitor. If you are using an audio/video baby monitor, you will be able to see and hear your baby even in low lighting.

Using a Baby Monitor for Safety

Beside the usual things that occur with babies, unfortunately, there are some sobering facts about infant mortality that have provided very powerful lessons that should be heeded. Infants are at once extremely resilient and fragile. Some accidents suffered by infants, were caused by poor design in baby cribs and led manufacturers to narrow the space between the slats that are a common feature. Makers of baby bedding are now using natural fiber materials.

But beyond baby nursery furniture and baby bedding, the way we view the environment of the baby crib has also changed. New mothers are advised to put their babies to bed on their back to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and to remove any pillows or extra blankets from the baby crib once their child becomes physically active to prevent suffocation.

A video baby monitor can give you that extra measure of security by being able to view your baby from a distance. If you are parent of more than one child, installing video baby monitors throughout their area of activity can give both of you some creative space.

Finally, as your child grows and becomes aware of the baby monitor, they will feel more secure knowing that you are able to hear them if they need you. Two-way baby monitors will allow you to talk to your child while you are preparing food in the kitchen or washing their baby bedding.

Baby Monitors are an Important Part of the Baby Nursery

It has only been a few years since baby monitors were introduced to the marketplace. Today, more mothers-to-be are including them on their baby gift registries and with the selection of baby monitors growing, the back seat baby monitor is one of the more unique baby gifts. You can find both wired and wireless baby monitors for use in any situation or environment. Between the excitement of a new baby and all the major furniture choices you will have to make, a baby monitor will make it a little bit easier to be a parent.

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