Communication Skills
Business Grammar Basics
Do you know what the eight parts of speech are? Such a question probably brings back memories of dull grammar lessons in elementary school, where you first heard the term parts of speech. What's the point of learning these now?
Being reminded of the functions of different parts of speech can help you write with more confidence...
Business Writing Basics
To write effective and appropriate business messages, you need to know your readers. Are you addressing multiple readers or a single reader? How much knowledge do your readers have of your subject, and what issues concern them most? These are just some of the questions to consider before you start writing your message...
Communicate with Diplomacy and Tact
Communicating with diplomacy and tact is more than a skill. It requires an awareness of your environment and style, and an ability to adapt to different situations...
Constructive Feedback and Criticism
The performance of any organization depends upon the performance of every individual. Giving feedback is a necessary skill and can involve anyone in an organization, whether it is manager-to-report, peer-to-peer, or report-to-manager...
Cross Cultural Communication
With so much business happening on a global scale, cross-cultural communication is more important than ever before. Communication is always a challenge, and when diverse cultures interact, good communication can be even more challenging...
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotions arise within ourselves – through our complex brain circuitry that we sometimes call 'wiring. ' No one else is responsible for our emotions – we own them, and we must be aware of them in order to manage them, recognize them in others, and develop relationships...
E-mail Essentials for Business
In today's fast-paced world, information is sent and received more rapidly than ever before. But how do you ensure that the messages you are sending are effective, acceptable, and will be taken seriously?
The use of proper e-mail etiquette is the cornerstone for ensuring your message gets across quickly, appropriately, and concisely...
Getting Results without Direct Authority
How can you get results if you don't have authority? Cultivating relationships and establishing credibility are necessary, because they allow you to influence others. If you have effective influencing skills, you'll be able to get what you need or want from others – whether it's your boss, a peer, or someone in a completely different department...
Issue-focused Negotiation
People often see negotiation as a matter of sticking to your 'position' while playing tug-o-war. But taking 'positions' involves an emotional/ego component inevitably leading to a dead end in negotiation...
Listening Essentials
Do you feel the need to better understand the basic meaning of a conversation, or a presentation given at the workplace? What about the need to identify what is being said to you in a more effective manner? Although relatively straightforward in theory, the process that transforms effective listening into successful communication requires great skill, awareness, and practice....
Running Effective Business Meetings
Whatever their format, efficient meetings are those that not only accomplish tasks but progress in a way that makes the best use of participants' time. Because meetings are one of the most expensive modes of communication in today's organizations, it's critical that you optimize the time you spend in them...
Telephone Essentials for Business
Virtually every single company in the global economy uses the telephone for at least a part of their business. For many organizations, the telephone is the primary form of communication with customers, clients, and colleagues...
Working with Difficult People
Anything taken to an extreme can be a liability, and this is true of human behavior. While confident, cautious, or energetic people can be perfectly tolerable in small doses, they can also be annoying or problematic when their behavior is over-the-top...
Workplace Conflict
Conflict, when hurtful or unresolved, puts distance between people who need to work together, and often results in a loss of talent. 'Not getting along' shouldn't be the reason people fail to contribute or leave organizations...
