Career Tips and So Much More

Many people –even skilled speakers—often fail to get their points across when intensive issues come up during meetings or on-the-site encounters. The main reason behind this is that they have never been taught to get their message across under difficult situations.

Suppose you’ve just been severely criticized, here are ways to help you handle critics and criticisms in a meeting:
1. Compliment
Compliment the critic if he has made an important observation. Often just a little praise and recognition disarms critics and changes their attitude toward you.
2. Pause
If the criticism is unjustified, one good way to handle this is to pause, remain silent and say absolutely nothing. Someone in the audience realizing that the question is unfair will often answer for you. Don’t dwell on the point; get on with your presentation.
3. The survey
If an accusation is made in which you feel there is absolutely no way you could answer and win, here’s the best way to handle it. In a calm voice, ask the critic to repeat the statement so you can write it correctly on a chalkboard or whiteboard in front of the room. Then you may hand out small pieces of paper and ask each person in the group to write either “agree” or “disagree.”
Have someone other than your self or your critic collect and tabulate the votes and announce the results. If your points were valid, you’ll find the group will normally agree with you. If the group doesn’t agree, be sure to acknowledge their position and quickly get on your next point.

How to neutralize objections
Never forget—it’s always a critical moment when objections come up. The way you handle them is directly related to your chances of getting your message across. Here are four suggestions:
1. Keep calm.
Always keep calm. Show empathy. Never be resentful. Never raise your voice or attempt to gloss over the objection. None of these things work!
2. Request more information.
Ask your challenger to expand on the objection. If it’s a valid objection, it’s your responsibility to respond. More frequently your challenger, not being as familiar with your point as you are, quickly exhausts his or her position and is unable to push you further.
3. Restate the objection as a question.
Most objections are presented as statements. Regardless of how they are presented, the secret is (1) to restate the objection as a question and (2) to verify whether this is or is not your opponent’s objection. An example follows:
“Your question, Mr. Jones is: ‘How will the newly proposed database system affect the business productivity?’”
The next step is to verify whether this is or not the objection. Simply say “Mr. Jones, is that the question?” If Jones says “yes,” you know exactly what his question is and you can answer it precisely.
Just suppose Jones said “no.” Then say, “Mr. Jones, if that’s not the question…then what is the question?”
4. Comparison
Another way to neutralize objections is to draw a large “T” on the board in front of the room. On one side list the advantages of your idea or proposal and on the others side, with the group’s assistance, list the disadvantages. If the points you were presenting had merit, this will be self-evident from the material on the board and you can continue with your presentation immediately.


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 Visual images in presentations, whether for business or for other social events, are idea enhancers. Keep in mind that audience members are still listening to what is being said while the graphics are shown. Why is this an effective approach to present products or ideas? The “double message” reinforces the memory process.

Here are some basic guidelines for making creating effective visuals:
• Use visuals to reinforce key points
• Use only one idea for each visual
• Use only one illustration for each visual
• Make letters big and readable. Presenters shouldn’t have to read the visual to the audience; it should be readable from any point in the room. One good rule calls for titles and main headings to be three inches high when projected in an average meeting room.
• Use no more than three sizes of letters on each visual; uniformity aids in easier reading.
• Use no more than four colors on type-only or graph visuals.

The impact of colors
Colors draw attention and brighten a presentation. Colors can also be used to emphasize key points. For example, when four lines of blue are followed by one in bright red, the red type screams “this is important.”
A study on color versus black and white advertisements in magazines showed that readership of color ads was 80 percent greater than that of black-and-white ads; that sales of the products advertised increased 50 to 85 percent when color was used; and that the retention of ad content was increased 55 to 78 percent when ads are printed in color. In colorful visual presentations, similar benefits should be expected.

Psychologists have shown that when people are accustomed to color, presentations that are not in color receive less attention. In today’s world or colored media, everyone has become color oriented.
Color visuals can be created easily with a number of means from the least expensive multimedia feed from the computer to the most elaborate set-up imaginable by man. Technology is readily available and study results are in. The fact is, using visuals in a meeting or training session improves attention and retention levels, increases the perceived value of the material and the speaker, and creates a more interesting and professional atmosphere.

So, in your next presentation, if you’re not using at least eight color visuals, you could be coming up as many as 8,000 words short.


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A company resident reviews a feasibility study for an environment protection project in a small community where the company’s headquarters building is located. A personnel manager discusses with union leaders the forthcoming collective bargaining agreement. A marketing manager reviews videos of proposed media campaigns. A group of employees discuss the latest changes in the top management over coffee at the cafeteria.

If corporate communication is not generally well understood, it may be because corporate communication is still evolving. The concept is an offshoot of the growing recognition by top management of communication as a strategic resource in achieving corporate goals and objectives.
As the term implies, corporate communication encompasses all the communication activities undertaken within the corporate context, whether formal or informal, regardless of direction or flow of information (i.e. top-down, bottom-up, horizontal).
What corporate communication aims to achieve is to integrate the various communication activities within the corporate organization and recognize them as key management functions. It seeks to upgrade public relations. It seeks to upgrade public relations, organizational communication, and advertising into the level of scientific discipline quite removed from the level of gut feel. As the International Management Magazine (June 1985) noted, corporate communication-related activities a common direction or framework.
The growth of corporate communication can be attributed to the trend among progressive companies to appoint a communication man to top managerial positions (and even in the executive board). Corporate Executive Officers (CEOs) are beginning to realize that the success or failure of corporate strategies depends on how communication resources are harnessed.
Communication: The Nervous System of Organizations
A review of definitions of the term organization indicates how critical communication is the very existence of an organization. Koontz and O’Donnel define organization as a communication decision-making network. Peter Drucker states, “The organization is above all, an information decision-making system.” Communication is not a secondary or derived aspect of an organization, but rather the essence of organized activity and is the basic process out of which all functions derive.
It is quite clear then that communication links the various parts of an organization; it is the principal tool of managers. Through communication, the manager receives the information needed in making the right decision, and once the decision is made, manager must communicate it to others.
Perhaps you often hear managers saying, “Our problem is communication.” Indeed, many managers use communication as an excuse if they are not able to achieve their goal or objective. While it is true that communication is a vital skill of managers, it would be wrong to conclude that an effective communicator alone makes a good manager. An effective communication for a wrong decision will not do any good to the company. Conversely, for a manager to be an effective planner and decision-maker is not enough. A good decision (or action plan) must be translated into action.

Copyright © 2011 Athena Goodlight





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Learning to identify and control one’s stress personality is the key to a better work environment. West Coast psychological consultants Rene Tihista and Mary Dempcy identify the different faces of stress and suggest ways to counter the behavior:

The Serial Pleaser
The Serial Pleaser always wears an ever-present bland smile and feels guilty about even thinking of saying “no.” These people believe that people respect them for all that they do for others, so they try to please everybody and eventually end up pleasing nobody.
In a corporate setting, serial pleaser bosses can’t say “no” to anything. Employees who are controlled by pleasers remain overworked, overwrought, and underpaid. They often work overtime to mask slipping productivity.
To manage better, ask your supervisor to order your work by priority. Try refusing at least one request made on your time each week.

The Internal Timekeeper
The Internal Timekeeper perceives that his or her own survival and self-worth depends on staying busy. They love to do several tasks at once. They bustle all day but aren’t efficient. The Internal Timekeeper boss typically demands everything done “yesterday” and is so busy staying busy that there is no real time for his staff.
All projects are top priority for an employee who has an Internal Timekeeper personality and each new task becomes yet another emergency. Because work gets duplicated, families and relationships suffer.
To cope with this personality, cut activity list by one fourth, allowing time for interruptions, which are a normal part of any day.

The Worrier
The worrier frets, paces, and wrings his hands often. Worriers lack trust in their own abilities and always expects the worst. Their common perception is that worry will protect them from unforeseen disasters.
A worrier executive worries not only about his own mistakes bust of others as well. Thus, a worrier boss often looks over the shoulders of his or her staff, eventually driving away original and creative thinkers. They worry about making decisions instead of just making them.
A worrier employee on the other hand, tends to be over-meticulous and never has a problem that isn’t laden with disaster. Insignificant events are blown out of proportion while important chores are left undone.
Up-to-date information is the best cure for a Worrier’s woes. When making decisions, try to list all the options available, eliminate the least desirable and pat yourself on the back for thoroughness. Then, carry out the decision. Write down all your decisions made during the month and note how rarely disaster occurs. Learn not to worry about the problems of others beyond your control.

The Sabertooth
The Sabertooth personality never directly expresses anger. Instead, anger seeps out in disguise – through petty arguments, sarcastic observations or statements. These people are chronically irritable, hostile, and frustrated. They perceive the world as a hostile and unfriendly place therefore they must keep up an adversary position toward life.
The boss with a Sabertooth personality rules rather than supervises, and live by the motto “I do not have hypertension, I give it.” The Sabertooth employer won’t delegate tasks for fear of eroding his or her authority. They will just explode when asked to give explanations or directions. They love to chew up bystanders such as sales clerks, food servers and mates.
To counter the stressful effects of a Sabertooth personality it is recommended to learn expressing anger aloud: “I feel angry right now about such and such.” Sabertooths must also try to be assertive and realize that confrontations are negotiations, not yelling matches.
The Striver
This is the most seductive of the stress personalities. The Striver promises fame and fortune, viewing life as an endless climb to the top and measures happiness by status and possessions alone. The Striver’s perception is “Your measure as a person is your own accomplishments.”
Striver-dominated bosses expect from the staff the same slavish devotion to the job they themselves put into it. They consider only the production side of the business and ignore the human side of the work arena.
Striver employees are outspokenly disdainful of others’ abilities. They seize every opportunity to work every minute – at home or at work—fully utilized.
It is advised that Strivers need to learn to stick to their own areas of expertise and let others contribute in their own ways. Strivers must learn to delegate authority, to relax and spend time with loved-ones.

The Internal Con-Artist
The Internal Con-Artist thrives on reckless action but on the other hand is the voice of procrastination. This type of person perceives that self denial is punishment and detrimental to survival.
A boss who is an Internal Con-Artist loves to put off decisions, talks workers into flaky propositions and usually gets into situations that border on the illegal, unethical and dishonest.
A worker with this personality avoids work and concentrates on looking prepared instead of being prepared. These type of workers think that the current job is only temporary and that the real career lies just around the corner.
To cope, start saying “no” to petty impulses at least half the time, as a start. Bone up on the techniques to self control and pay attention to detail.

The Critical Judge
The Critical Judge is the damning internal voice, constantly finding fault – pointing out sloppy job here or a dumb remark there. They perceive that the constant negative self-criticism will make on try harder, that successes are naught but “strokes of luck.”
Bosses with the Critical Judge personality set standards that are unrealistically high. The employee with a Critical Judge personality give higher ups exaggerated credibility, feels stupid for asking questions and is generally defensive.

To overcome a Critical Judge personality, learn to be objective about criticism by seeking it from those you admire. Consider the positive side of calculated risk-taking by experiencing new challenges and opportunities. Seek career counseling and learn what skills, knowledge, and abilities you can bring to a new job.
In the professions, say Dempcy and Tihista , The Striver and The Sabertooth behavior tend to dominate in business; many Pleasers wind up in nursing and service industry; and Critical Judge tends to show up among teachers and professors. Worriers are found among accountants and bookkeepers, while out-of-control salesmen often fall into the Internal Con-Artist patterns.
While these can generally be true, these stress personalities know no professional boundaries—they enter any workplace door that’s open to them.

Copyright © 2011 Athena Goodlight

 
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“I’ll do that later.” “…when I find the time,” “it depends on my mood,” “when I feel like doing it,” “perhaps, in time, we’ll see.” Do these phrases sound familiar? There is actually nothing wrong with these words; but when saying these becomes too comfortable too regularly, it has already become an implication of a behavioral pattern. You have snuggled lovingly into the procrastination habit.

Good news is, you can still take better control of your life if you break this procrastination habit. You will discover that when you take the action, the necessary motivation will follow.
Here are some suggested techniques for breaking the procrastination habit:
1. Make a list.
Definitely there are things needed to be done. Sort out the tasks by making a list of what you “should” do. Do the distasteful and unrewarding tasks first and check them off as you do them. You will notice a psychological lift as you accomplish each task.
2. Weigh your reasons.
On one side of the paper, list the reasons why you are procrastinating or delaying the fulfillment of the particular task. On the other half of the paper, list the benefits for taking action right away.
3. Bite-size it.
Do the “divide-and-conquer” approach to manage your tasks especially the big and daunting ones. Break the task down to smaller, manageable steps.
4. Keep a journal.
Record the “shoulds,” have to’s,” “musts,” “ought to’s” and other negative motivation techniques you may have been using on yourself. Make a point to challenge these, and substitute “I choose to do” thus and so. Examine each situation, each task, each problem or situation objectively, in light of your own best interest. Keeping a daily journal will help make you aware of how you may be sabotaging your own efforts and thus encourage you to “want” to change.
5. Set up your own rewards system.
When you set up rewards for yourself, make sure they are highly satisfying. Reward yourself immediately each time you choose actions instead of procrastinations. The most effective reinforcement in developing new habits is positive reinforcement.
William James in his essay on habit has some suggestions on self motivation and new habits:
• Decide to start making the change immediately while you are motivated.
• Don’t try to do too much too quickly. Just force yourself to do one thing that you’ve been putting off.
• During the period when your new habit is taking root, do not permit any exceptions. William James compared it to a rolling ball of string: a single clip can undo more than many turns can wind up. He said success or failure, during the retraining period, hinges largely on you making a commitment and closely following the schedule you set up yourself.

Copyright © 2011 Athena Goodlight





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If you are supervising or managing employees and you want to know if they are sure about how to complete their latest assignment. How do you go about finding out? When we want to get our message through, how do we talk to our employees? Are we doing a good job at communicating with each other? Here are some suggestions on effective employee communication:

1. Have an open door.
Be available when employees have a problem or question to discuss. Let your employees know you want to talk to them and are interested in what’s on their minds. This will not only be helpful to your employees, but also will help you stay up-to-date on issues and activities.
2. Be frank.
Let your employees know when there is a problem with their performance. If you’re not up-front when a problem occurs, the same mistake could be repeated. Employees would prefer to know if you are displeased, rather than to guess about it or hear about it through the grapevine.
3. Be trustworthy.
Earn your employees’ complete trust and confidence. Employees expect you to be confidential with personal discussions. They also expect you to stick to your word. If you don’t earn your employees’ trust, don’t be surprised if you don’t gain their respect either.
4. Discipline in private.
Never talk to am employee about a problem in front of his or her peers. It shows a lack of courtesy and tact.
5. Give your employees your complete attention.
When you answer the phone or otherwise interrupt a conversation with an employee, the message you are sending is that your telephone call is more important than your employee. Remember, your primary job is to supervise your staff. That means your employees are your priority.
6. Have an open mind.
Acknowledge the fact that your employees may know something that you don’t know. Be open to their suggestions. The key is to hear your employees out before you make a decision on their suggestion or opinion. Don’t make assumptions without knowing the facts.
7. Don’t show favoritism.
Treat all your employees equally. Of course, it is natural to have preference for one person or another. However, the point is to avoid biased actions. No employee should know who your “favorite” is.
8. Communicate frequently.
Talk to your employees as often as possible, particularly regarding their work performance. Bi-annual performance review is not a substitute for daily or weekly feedback. Also, keep employees informed on a regular basis on how the business as a whole is doing.
9. Show respect.
Never talk down to your employees. The days of the highly authoritative management style are over. Today’s employees demand to be treated as intelligent, competent participants in the business function.
10. Give praise.
If your employee has done an exceptionally good job, let him or her know. Be specific about it, too. “Nice job,” is okay, but it is better if you tell employees exactly what it was you appreciated about their work. That way they know which strengths they can build on.

 Copyright © 2011 Athena Goodlight


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The first five minutes of your day is very important. How you begin your work day often determines if you’re satisfied when it’s through.

You can improve the quality of your workday by deciding what it is you want to accomplish. You’ve got to specifically identify the self-defeating behavior in your early morning routine and set about to change it. Let us take a look at the common scenarios and identify some problems.

The distractions

• Small talks and social conversations in the lobby, in the elevator, at the coffee pot, in the ladies’ or men’s room, etc.

Although socializing is an undeniable part of work life, if it automatically and regularly occurs at the beginning of the day, chances are the socializing will get in the way of work that needs to be done.

• The mail

Even though you spam filter has done its job, it’s not likely to contain the most urgent and the most pressing items of the day, more so with snail mail letters. The habit of checking your mails first more often than not comes from a combination of childish curiosity and a desire to slide into the work routine in the least demanding way possible.

• Interrupting phone calls and text messages

Even more so than mail, unnecessary phone calls and text messaging distracts and steals time away from work.

• Chitchat with colleagues

This, most common interruption combines all of the problems of the above items with a double dose effect done by two or more people resulting to detriment of the task ahead. They come in the form of “important” dissemination of facts (office gossip) or “brightening up” someone else’s day (flirting).

• Coffee breaks

Coffee breaks are intended as a break from working productively. This is the appropriate time for socializing. However, if the worker hasn’t really begun working yet, it’s a different story.

Generally, the worker who is most productive can take full charge of his or her day. This is true because active, decisive responsibility is likely to be more productive than passive habitual response. Because of the nature and variety of work situations, every worker’s appropriation of these truths will be particular and personal. But general guidelines can be applied.

What do you have to do?

• Save the socializing for later.

Keep your greetings at the lobby, elevator, or washroom short and courteous. Your mind should be on your work and not to become involved in extended conversations at the beginning of the day.

• Start the day with a plan.

Before going at the end of the day’s work, the last task you should do is to arrange the next day’s schedule. Of course, there will be occasional emergency interruptions, but they will only be occasional, not daily.

• Spend the first hour on the most important task.

Devote the first hour of the workday to the accomplishment of an important task that needs to be done. Have your secretary or an assistant take all phone calls and handle other interruptions.

• Establish a phone policy.

We could work more efficiently if we devise and adhere to a “phone philosophy.” It would probably increase the productivity of workers in some specific company set-ups if this would even be a company-wide policy. You may also apply this as a single employee or in your own business set up. For example, you may inform your secretary or specify to your clients that you only accept calls at a specific time period, say 10 am – 5pm only. You may also use a different cell phone number for business and another one for family to separate the available calling hours.

One of the benefits that might result from this practice is that your business associates will respect you more. If they discover that you value your time enough to protect it, chances are they’ll begin to value it more highly, too.

Remember, also that answering the phone is a passive reaction, and not as productive as an intentional action.

• Make your coffee break an actual break.

This is your time for socializing. Even the most dedicated and disciplined worker’s attention span has limits. In the long run, it is just as counterproductive to attempt to conduct business nonstop for eight hours as it is to mix your professional and social life.

• Finish your day with a plan.

A productive worker always knows how to plan the next morning’s activity. At bare minimum, the next day’s most important item should be isolated and prepared.

Of course, no recipe, not even a general one, is suitable for each specific situation. Different individuals have different warm-up rates, and different jobs require different strategies.

For all of us, how we begin the day gives a significant impact on how we feel when the day is through.

Copyright © 2011 Athena Goodlight




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