National Email Week Update 2013

By Terry Orr

Building upon last years article (http://kisbyto.blogspot.com/2012/06/national-email-week.html) there are a couple additions to add: first some dos and don’t from renowned network manner’s from Julie Spira and second the importance of using email in your daily activities.

Julie Spira is a netiquette expert and author of “The Rules of Netiquette: How to Mind Your Manners on the Web” provides these excellent Dos and Don’t for email etiquette:

DO use spell check and proof-read your emails for accuracy.

DON’T correct someone’s spelling or grammar unless they’ve asked for a critique.

DO send yourself a draft of an important email before pushing the send button to see how it will be received.

DON’T push the send button in an email when you’re upset, angry or over-tired. Chances are you’ll feel different about it in the morning.

DO keep your email correspondence brief and to the point if you’d like a reply.

DON’T write a novel, as typically only the first third of the email will get read.

DO include a signature block in your emails.

DON’T assume someone will recognize your email address, especially if you’ve just met.

DO remember that SPAM is a four-letter word.

DON’T add someone to your email list for your newsletter without their permission.

DO remember that all emails can be forwarded.

DON’T include emoticons and acronyms in your sign-offs in business emails.

DO be specific in your subject line.

DON’T send an email with “no subject” listed.

At the end of the digital day, when in doubt, don’t send an email if you aren’t sure it will be received properly.

Importance of using email to communicate with others – a lesson learned the hard way. If you rely on verbal communications as your primary means of communicating with others – follow up with an email recapping those discussion to ensure all parties are in agreement.  This is also a good practice when several email, social media, verbal and other means of communication have taken place – it is simply a best business practice!  For us Baby Boomers – it is even more important!

So keep those emails moving right along – remember to save those that could be important!

(Images from Google) 

Aphasia Awareness

By Nurse Diane

A friend of my husband, a very lovely lady who was married to my husband's pastor, had a stroke.  She has recovered from her stroke, however her ability to speak did not return to 100%.  Much like Kirk Douglas who suffered a stroke in 1996.  Although he has some ability to speak, the progress has been long and slow and requires much work with a speech therapist.  Both are able to communicate; however their speech is slow, and sometimes difficult to understand.

A good friend of mine's brother in law suffered a stroke last month that attacked the top of his brain and he totally lost the ability to speak, however that doesn't mean that he lost his intelligence.  They all suffer from a condition known as Aphasia.

Aphasia is an impairment of language ability ranging from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write. It can occur suddenly as with a head injury or stroke, or develop over time with dementia, infection or brain tumor.

Signs and symptoms

People with aphasia may experience any of the following behaviors

• Inability to comprehend language
• Inability to pronounce, not due to muscle paralysis or weakness
• Inability to speak spontaneously
• Inability to form words
• Inability to name objects
• Poor enunciation
• Inability to repeat a phrase
• Persistent repetition of phrases
• Uncompleted sentences
• Inability to read
• Inability to write
• Limited verbal output
• Difficulty in naming

Treatment

Treatment is according to the cause of aphasia, but the main course of treatment involves working with a speech therapist.

June is National Aphasia Awareness Month.  For more information see: http://www.aphasia.org/ 

(Images from Google) 

International Business Image Improvement Month – Update

By Terry Orr

Remember the expression – “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – well it is true, as most of us know – often first hand.  We can however work to continue to make a good impression during our daily lives – and in business. Your image is more than just your visual brand, it’s your customer service, it’s your marketing and sales, it’s how you communicate with customers and how they view you, and it’s the way you do business.

So how can you improve your impression on others?

• Find out from others what they think?
• What can you do to improve your image to others?
• What is it others do – that impress you?
• What is it others do – that insult your sense of fairness and good business practices? Are you or your people doing it as well?
• Take a few moments at the end of each day and ask yourself – if I had to do over something today, what would I do differently? Then apply that lesson learned.
• Consult a professional organizer or image consultant to help you improve your office and appearance.
• Consult a web or graphic designer to design your website, blog, business cards, and brochures

Be consistent – the look and feel across all your marketing channels and your customer will feel at ease wherever they come in contact with you.

(All images from Google)

Improving our Ability to Communicate

By Terry Orr

Here at KISBYTO over the past two plus years have provided many communications related articles and links to help in becoming a better communicator.  There are three new links from experts in their field of communicating better and we encourage your to read these summaries and follow the links for more valuable information.

Mark Evans wrote an interesting article titled, “Communications 101: How to Communicate Better.” While this article was published in April 2007, I believe he has covered the basics quite well.  In order, he writes about In Person, Phone Calls, Video-Conferencing/video phones, E-mail, and Instant-Messaging.  (http://www.markevanstech.com/2007/04/29/communications-101-how-to-communicate-better/)

Keeping it Simple.

Another excellent article was written by Marielys Camacho titled, “10 effective tips for better communication skills” and are provided below.  (http://www.voxxi.com/communication-tips/)

Think before talking: Having a clear idea of the information you are transmitting will help you in presenting a well-structured and trustworthy message. It will also prevent you from saying something you are not supposed to say or from passing a confusing message to the receiver.

Be honest: Honesty is the most important factor when communicating with others. It helps you create a bond with the other person and at the same time will help you in gaining the respect and admiration of the receiver. Be honest all the time and you will never have to regret anything you have said.

Practice active listening: Effective communication is not only the way we communicate with others – it also includes the way we listen to them.

Ask questions: To have a better understanding of the topic of discussion, it is important for you to ask questions.

Watch your body language: Body language is as important as any other form of communication.

Try to see other people’s points of views: When you take in consideration other people’s points of views you will have a better chance in making them feel you care about their opinions and at the same time, it helps you in establishing a good connection between you and other people.

Don’t judge: Pretty simple – don’t do unto others what you don’t like done unto you.

Don’t overwhelm the other person: When communicating with others, it’s important for you to express your opinion without trying to manipulate the conversation.

Provide constructive criticism: If you feel like you need to criticize other people, make sure you use constructive criticism.

And lastly, but certainly as important as those above is WikiHow’s excellent article, “How to Develop Good Communication Skills” (http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Good-Communication-Skills) in four important steps:

Step 1 - Understanding the Basics of Communication Skills

• Know what communication really is.
• Have courage to say what you think.
• Practice.

Step 2 - Engage Your Audience

• Make eye contact.
• Use gestures.
• Don’t send mixed messages.
• Be aware of what your body is saying.
• Manifest constructive attitudes and beliefs.
• Develop effective listening skills.

Step 3 - Use Your Words

• Enunciate your words.
• Pronounce your works correctly.
• Use the right words.
• Slow your speech down.

Step 4 - Use your Voice

• Develop your voice.
• Animate your voice
• Use appropriate volume.

By becoming a better listener we also improve our ability to communicate better and if we practice these fine tips about in our daily interactions with others.  Open and honest communications are essential in every aspect of your daily life. 

Do you have any Better Communicating tips to share?  We would love to see them.  Thanks!

(All images from Google) 

Grandchildren and Grandparents

How children perceive their Grandparents. HOW TRUE, and still so sweet.

1 She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye....

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in... Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised "Mine says I'm 4 to 6."

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting." she said. "How do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'I and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one child. "No," said another. "He's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close."They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog.

World Communications Week

(Google Image) 

By Terry Orr

“Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information by speech, signals or writing.”

Means of communicating were rather simple when I was born: post cards; letters; telegraph; telephone, sign language; smoke signals (didn’t work to well in the city); radio and the beginning of television; of course – telewoman (big smile) and best means face-to-face.  Sixty some years later each has improved and digital communications is leading to way to new and improved means of communicating with others.

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Last year at this time - Cherie Burbach wrote in her article on World Communication Week: Communication problems can affect every area of our life, from our jobs to our friendships. You might think that "better communication" just means talking more, but the reason definition has to do with effectiveness. This includes listening, paying attention to non-verbal clues, and speaking clearly so that both your intent and message is obvious.

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While our tools and methods of communicating have vastly increased over the past few years – our ability to effectively communicate has become more challenging and often finding ourselves less effective.  While I am here sitting in Bob Evans finishing my breakfast writing this article and wondering just how we got ourselves into this rut of being poor communicators in general. Here are some thoughts to consider:

• Short Hand;
• Abbreviations
• Lack of understanding between generations;
• Lack of patience;
• Audiences have dramatically changed;
• We have gone from local to regional to national to global environments;and
• Diversity.

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Dennis Rivers at NewConverations.Net recently updated his “A Guide to Listening,, Self-expression, Creative Question Asking, Gratitude, and more” is available for free in PDF format and contains lots of good information. Dennis focuses on seven communication skills challenges and a brief description of each follows.

Communication Skills Challenge One: Deep Listening. Listen more carefully and responsively, acknowledging the feelings and wants that people express in word and mood. Actively acknowledging another person’s experience does not have to mean that you agree or approve.

Communication Skills Challenge Two: Explaining your conversational intent and inviting consent by using one of 30 basic conversational invitations such as, “Right now I would like to take a few minutes and ask you about… [subject].” The more involvement a conversation is going to require of the other person, the more you will benefit by sharing your conversational goal and inviting the conscious cooperation of your conversation partner.

Communication Skills Challenge Three: Expressing yourself more clearly and more completely how to express yourself in a way that gives your listeners the information they need to:

Understand (mentally reconstruct) your experiences more fully

Empathize with what you are experiencing.

One good way is to use “the five I-messages”: What/how I …

Observe;

Am feeling;

Because I interpret/evaluate/need, and now I;

Want to request; and

Envision/hope for from request.

Communication Skills Challenge Four: Translating your criticisms and complaints into requests for action and explaining the positive results of having your request granted. Do this for both your own complaints and the complaints that others bring to you.  Focusing on the positive outcome shows respect to the recipient of a request as having a positive contribution to make, and shifts focus from past mistakes to present and future successes.

Communication Skills Challenge Five: Asking questions more “open-endedly” and more creatively.

“How did you like that movie?” is an open-ended question that invites a wide range of answers. “Did you like it?” suggests only “yes” or “no” as answers and does not encourage discussion. Sincerely asked open-ended questions can open up our conversation partners.

Communication Skills Challenge Six: Thanking: Expressing more gratitude, appreciation, encouragement and delight in everyday life.  In a world full of problems, look for opportunities to give praise. Both at home & at work, it is the bond of appreciation that makes relationships strong enough to allow for problem-solving and differing needs.

Communication Skills Challenge Seven: Adopting the “living-as-continuous-learning” approach.  Make the practices described in challenges 1 through 6 important parts of your everyday living and learning. Pay attention to each conversation as an opportunity to grow in skill, awareness and compassion.  Work to redefine each of your “opponents” in life as a learning and problem-solving partner.  Assist the processes of change in your world by personally embodying the changes, virtues and styles of behavior you want to see in others.

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So let’s all take a few minutes, catch our collective breaths, reflect on the helpful ideas listed above and start working to communicate better in all areas of our lives.

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References and Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication

http://notesdesk.com/notes/business-communications/types-of-communication/

http://www.creativedisplaysnow.com/articles/history-of-communication-from-cave-drawings-to-the-web.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_communication

http://friendship.about.com/b/2011/11/03/november-1-7-is-world-communication-week.htm

http://newconversations.net/