Colorful Metaphor or Poison Pill?

A short, tongue in cheek, poke at CNN's recent suggestion that colorful metaphors can be poison pills for a business. The article suggests good communication would be difficult at best without metaphors because people aren't Joe Friday, just the facts, computers.

Working Effectively Across Borders and Cultures

The last few decades of globalisation have fuelled intensive competition between organisations. With companies relying on individual talent to make them grow effectively in competition with global and local rivals, staff at all levels must heed the diverse cultural backgrounds of their colleagues and those in third party organisations. In a culturally diverse working environment the chance of misunderstandings and miscommunication is elevated with potentially disastrous consequences. The real success of an organisation is significantly related to the extent to which it effectively manages culture-based issues. Cultural training programmes are thus considered vital by many companies seeking to work more effectively across borders and cultures.

Effectively Using Email in Not-For-Profit Organizations

In the age of the electronic message, many not-for-profit organizations are missing out on vital communication opportunities by doing things the way they’ve always been done. Organizations who successfully leverage email as an instant communication tool can reap the benefits every day.

Charismatic Communication: Words that Lose Hearts - Part 2 Unconscious Leakage

People have had a lifetime's experience of being deceived and deceiving others, and at an unconscious level many of the words people use to escape responsibility or to deceive are interpreted as markers of deception by those who hear them.

Charismatic Communication: Words That Lose Hearts - What I'm Saying Is...

You're often grossly inadequate to the task of hiding your prejudices, foibles, misgivings and desires. You truly are your message and attempts to hide the truth can be uncovered in language. Most people have had a lifetime in both being deceptive and detecting deception.

MS Outlook -- Set Up an Appointment and Place It on Someone's Calendar

I think MS Outlook is still the best mail organizer for the money out there, especially for Enterprise-size offices.

Corporate Food Gifts

Corporate food gifts are a great way to gain a cutting edge in the competitive corporate world, where gifts have a huge significance. Corporate gifts are given to clients, employees, vendors, partners and others with whom a company does business. These gifts are given to reinforce, maintain and build business relationships. Food gifts have an ingrained personal value and therefore are a good way to show gratitude or loyalty, demonstrate appreciation, or subtly market one’s business concern. The food gift market, with an eclectic range of choices catering to every individual’s demand and choice, can be further customized and personalized to add some individual touches.

Lessons from Sports Commentators: Give Credit to Co-Workers

Do the departments in your company bicker, complain and criticize each other? If so, there's a lot that your people can learn from sports commentators. This article outlines this message.

Assertiveness Succeeds: The Ask Andy Columns

In an advice column format our wise guide explains how to be more assertive and so to become more successful in work and in personal relationships. This unique article is like advice columns you've seen in newspapers and elsewhere.

Flat Rate Conference Call Service Options

Find out what is available for conferencing rate plans are available in today's world for your business.

Non Verbal Communication is also Work Place Communication

We all know that not all communication is verbal; for instance the other day I was driving down the freeway and there was a guy in a BMW talking on his car phone while honking his horn with his elbow. His other hand was sticking straight out the sunroof and on that hand was a single middle figure sending me his desired communication.

Become a Credible Communicator: Make Honesty Your Policy!

To command attention when you speak, you have to be credible. Credibility in the workplace means believability. Are you striving to be a credible communicator, here is the right way to speak and write.

Are They With You or Against You?

It seems that we often fall into the trap of creating a 'them' and an 'us' - a 'silo' mindset. It can kick in surprisingly fast! We have seen organisations of twenty or so people who have divided themselves up into different functional groups, where 'Sales' complain about 'Operations,' 'Marketing' fingerpoints at 'Sales,' the ‘staff’ are suspicious of 'management' – and everybody sits in the same room! This mentality is caused by individuals' and groups’ perceptions of each other - 'them' - that over time start to appear to be the truth. Let’s take a look at what’s going on from some different angles-