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Maddeningly Detracting Phrases (Part 1 of Many Such Posts)

September 9, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

   Consider the number of phrases you hear – and use – that take away from your message when you speak and write. I heard myself say "positively wonderful" to a client this morning. Do you know of something that is wonderful that is not positive? Here are some more phrases that come to mind right away:

  • Positively wonderful (already noted this one).
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More Than A Degree, You Need Skills (Validated)

August 30, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

  Ah, how the Wall Street Journal validates that which I espouse in all my programs, books, blog posts, and more!

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2010 survey lists the following skills as those that employers seek:

  1. Communication Skills
  2. Analytical Skills
  3. Teamwork Skills
  4. Technical Skills
  5. Strong Work Ethic

I highlighted them in green because they are where the money is. (Poor grammar; rich advice.)

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Right Writeful Style Guide (Tongue-In-Cheek)

May 14, 2010 by Sylvia · 4 Comments 

A friend sent this to me. If this makes you laugh, then you "get" it and already understand rules for writing well. If the following does not make you smile, then grab a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style or an online facsimile and start studying. I suggest you keep a dictionary, thesaurus, style guide, and instant word guide readily available anyway. I use all of these – hard copy and online – constantly. Enjoy!

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“Social” of Social Media = Interpersonal

February 25, 2010 by Sylvia · 1 Comment 

A Nielsen Wire study notes statistics on the rise of social media use in recent years.

READ STUDY RESULTS. (Nice graphs, too, for us visual information processors.)

The "social media phenomenon" can no longer be considered a "new thing". Google, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other sites have been around long enough for an entire generation of people to know nothing except these tools! And that generation is a growing part of the workplace.

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Filed under Change, Communication Skills, Generational, Interpersonal Skills, Language, Networking, Online Skills, Technology Connection, Written Communications · Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Quilts: Slave Communications Along the Underground Railroad

February 3, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

As a student of communications methods of varying types, I am fascinated by the variety of ways in which we communicate with each other. One of the messaging systems of the past controversially includes quilt codes used by and for slaves as they escaped to freedom. Quilt patterns were used to communicate safe-passage messages and other information along Underground Railroad routes. More information about this form of communication is in this article (The Crisis Forum LINK) and in the book, Hidden in Plain View: The Secret Story of Quilts and The Underground Railroad, by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard.

Link to this post (102 words, 1 image, estimated 24 secs reading time)

Filed under Communication Skills, General Interest, Language, Reference, Visual Communication, Written Communications · Tagged with , , , ,

Success Language: Wordsmith.org

January 30, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

    A resource for developing language skills – Wordsmith.Org.

     This site has the following resources:

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Positive Words

January 29, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

     Why is it that you can say the same thing as your colleague, yet your colleague gets a positive response and you receive a less-positive one? It could be that the words you use reflect a less-than-positive expectation or outcome. Incorporate positive words into your messages when you communicate.

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IM NT UR BZNS WRTG STL

January 26, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

  When I was a child I watched my mother-who was a head secretary in a public school-write using a technique called Gregg shorthand. This writing technique involved using symbols that appeared to me as squiggly lines to represent words and phrases. Using shorthand enabled my mother and secretaries like her to record dictation quickly. They then transcribed their shorthand notations into full sentences.

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Eschew Obfuscation_01

January 23, 2010 by Sylvia · 2 Comments 

  (As seen in a recent major newspaper; I won't reveal the actual publication.)

"What we have seen over the past few days has been a mix of improper disclosures of partial information mixed with inaccurate information and then drawn into unfounded conclusions."

The meaning of "obfuscation", from dictionary sources: obfuscate (verb); obfuscation (noun)

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E-Mail @ Three Inches Squared: Eliminate E-Mail “Wheelies”

January 23, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

     I am eyeing a technology purchase; one of those new PDA/cell phones called a SmartPhone. The new gadget I'm eyeing will allow me unlimited access to my e-mail while I am on the road.

     With the tiny, 3-inch screen of a PDA-Personal Data Assistant, e-mail length and frequency becomes even more an issue than it already is on the computer screen. To help maintain sanity while communicating using PDAs, here are tips on keeping e-mail manageable for those tiny screens.

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2009_Jan-thru-Jun Summary: Pings, Tweets, Updates, Posts (Sylvia Henderson_Springboard Training)

January 17, 2010 by Sylvia · Leave a Comment 

Effective Communications Month Tips:
June is Effective Communications Month.
(http://www.mhprofessional.com/?page=/mhp/categories/chases/content/special_months.html#june)

  • Tip#11: Speak w/a telemarketer & ask questions. Make THEM listen & answer. More tips @ http://ping.fm/mOBxk
  • Tip#10: Vary your vocal usage.
  • Tip#9: Practice saying tongue twisters out loud.
  • Tip#8: Enunciate.
  • Tip#7: Listen to an audio broadcast & envision what the people talking look like. U hear vocal cues.
  • Tip#6: Write a formal email note that is only 1 screen long (does not require scrolling). Here's why. http://ping.fm/WdSuN
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Filed under Body Language, Career_Professional Success, Change, Communication Skills, Customer Service, Interpersonal Skills, Language, Leadership_Management, Meetings, Online Skills, Personal Presence, Reference, Success_Motivational, Visual Communication, Working Together_Teamwork, Workplace Etiquette, Written Communications · Tagged with

10 Tips for Communicating Effectively (Effective Communications Month is June!)

January 14, 2010 by Sylvia · 1 Comment 

(From "Stuff for Busy People: Proven Techniques You Can Use to Be An Effective Communicator" pocket reference book by Sylvia Henderson.)

Here's a sample of the 91 tips I've written and published in the above Pocket Reference Book. Ordering instructions are at the end of this post should you so choose. Feel free to pass these tips around to those who can benefit from them!

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