Workplace Communications: Seven Simple Rules for Getting Along at Work

Do you know that most people spend at least a third of their time at work? Read on to discover 7 simple communications rules to help you improve your relationships with co-workers-and raise your quality-of-life-at-work.

Emotional Intelligence - the Secret to Success in the Workplace

In many of today's organisations, people are struggling to cope with excessive emotional pressures. They often react to these pressures with bitchiness, aggression, backstabbing, gossipping, complaining and other purely childish behaviours. And many in leadership positions are modeling these very behaviours! In short, organisations are tearing themselves apart from the inside out. It's time to stop the madness Daniel Goleman, author of the 1995 classic Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books), says that the best remedy for battling our emotional shortcomings is prevention. It's a strong arguement for introducing emotional intelligence training into all aspects of our workplaces, from leadership to customer service. It's never too late to improve your emotional intelligence.

Work Place Communication and Confronting Abuse at the Office

When people talk about abuse in Work Place Communication circles many people assume right away they are talking about sexual abuse; either a woman boss against a man, a Gay man taunting a straight man or a Man making sexual remarks to a woman.

Conflict in Workplace Teams: 5 Ways to Capitalize on Healthy Conflict and Make Better Decisions

In workplace teams, individual IQs might average 140, yet the collective IQ might be closer to 85. So said neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Richard Ross when commenting about unproductive conflict at work. It doesn't have to be that way! Here are five key strategies for any organization that wants to capitalize on the upside of conflict.

Employee Partnership Through Delegation

If you want to develop high performance employee partnerships, you must do so by example. One way to lead by example is to exhibit self-confidence. You can show that you are a confident leader. A leader has personal power. A boss gets his or her power from the title on a business card. Show your confidence by delegating tasks and responsibilities to your team members. Delegate in a way that builds alliance relationships so team members become interdependent with one another rather than dependent or independent.

Improving Effective Communication

The essence of communication, the types of communication, the function of communication, the obstacles of communication and especially the ingredients of effective communication are discussed in this article. Effective communication can only be realized when we as both, sender and receiver of messages, are willing to change certain habits.

The O J Simpson Case - The Impact of Race Communications - Nu Leadership Series

Examine how the notion of diversity has become a test-bed for social unrest. Learn what the OJ Simpson case did to America regarding racial harmony and communications. Nu Leadership is a column that explores the changing workforce and social environment as it relates to leadership development.

6 Tips to Controlling Your E-Mail (Before It Controls You!)

I bet you now receive ten times more e-mail messages than snail mail. Manage your e-mails as you would other correspondences that cross your desk: Handle it only once! Excerpt from Dr. Julie Miller’s Fourth Edition, Business Writing That Counts! Controlling Your Time I bet you now receive ten times more e-mail messages than snail mail. Manage your e-mails as you would other correspondences that cross your desk: Handle it only once! Here’s how: 1. Promise yourself to check e-mail twice daily. Time management of your e-mails remains crucial for sanity. Checking in twice a day allows you to handle your messages in a timely and professional manner without being chained to your computer. E-mail messages, like phone messages, should be returned within twenty-four hours. 2. Manage your e-mail. As you scan your e-mail, decide whether you will: • Delegate: Not your area of expertise? Forward it on! • Delete: Older than three months? It’s history…or at least material for a reference file. • Do it: Rule of thumb: if it will take less than two minutes, respond. • Defer: Assign a date and time to respond later. Use Outlook to set this up. 3. Create a folder per project; create files with the same names. Time management demands you control the onslaught. Organize data into files and folders, then prioritize folders according to the project you’re working on or the message frequency from one client. For project management, an efficient system is mandatory. Also, on important e-mails, consider cc’ing yourself so your files will contain complete sets of key correspondences. 4. Answer briefly—others will learn to expect it. Get in the habit of writing concise, to-the-point messages but with a personal touch. You’ll quickly teach others not to expect a long, detailed answer from you. Wayne McKinnon gives this tip in his book, The Complete Guide to E-Mail: For a brief response, just writing in the subject line may be enough. You can insert the letters EOM (end of message) followed by brackets. 5. Turn on an Out of Office responder in your absence. Courtesy counts! 6. Consider using this checklist to remind yourself about what’s important. Accuracy • Are all spelling, punctuation, and usage mistakes eliminated? • Are your facts correct? • Have you double-checked included dates, days, and times? • Are all promised documents attached? Relevance • Is the content of your message business-related? • Is the e-mail appropriate to send to everyone on your list? • Have you met all confidentiality requirements? • Does your tone match the subject and your audience? • Is the subject line appropriate for your e-mail’s content? • Does any part of your message seem emotionally charged or insulting? • Have you included everything your audience needs to know? Does your e-mail follow a logical progression? Is your e-mail too long or too short? Is your material timely? How do you feel when you read your e-mail? Do all recipients know what they are supposed to do in response to your e-mail? Dr. Julie Miller is a business writing expert, consultant, author, speaker, trainer, and coach. Dr. Miller, founder of Business Writing That Counts!, works with corporations, organizations, educational institutions, and professionals to improve the quality of their writing. Visit her website at www.businesswritingthatcounts.com to sign up for her FREE e-newsletter and you’ll also receive her FREE E-mail Proofreading Checklist: 16 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hitting ‘Send’.Here’s how:

Fierce Conversations, Part II

In the first article on fierce conversations, we examined the fact that doing business is essentially an extended series of conversations. Conversations that are robust, thought provoking and passionate. These are what we refer to as fierce conversations. In this, the second of three articles, we focus on why listening is so important, why few of us are consistently effective listeners and what can be done to improve listening skills

Hospitals - Creating a Friendly Work Environment

Hey who knew? Whether or not people choose to admit it, each and every employee in a healthcare setting plays a huge roll in their facility and it starts in their own backyard.

Hazard Communication Basics Part 1

OSHA has found contractor’s compliance with the hazardous communications regulations sadly lacking since its inception- with lack of a Hazard Communication Program, or employee training usually being in the top five most cited violations by OSHA.

Office Chairs and Ergonomic Tips to Position Your Seat for Productivity in the Workplace

Some employees can spend most of their day simply seated in front of their computer in an office chair completing the daily tasks. Knowing how to properly position your office chair can lead to better productivity in the workplace and of course, a much happier you and hopefully a much happier boss. Ergonomics and good positioning of your executive or task seat can prevent fatique and discomfort as well as promote circulation and good body health.

Memoir: Partial or Impartial

The reader of this memoir will surely discover that I never had any fixed aim of resigning from the job which I loved to do. My intention is not offend any one but to pay my last gratitude towards the organization.

The First Step to Leadership: Letting Go of Illusions

The first job of a leader is to dispel his/her own myths, to let go of illusions and assumptions that are inherited notions, and to be aware of not simply WHAT one is thinking, but HOW one is thinking and WHY.

How to Understand Canada’s Emerging Diversity Issues - Nu Leadership Series

Examine how other countries such as Canada deal with the tricky issues related to diversity. Nu Leadership is a column that explores the changing workforce and social environment as it relates to leadership development.