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Here’s an article I came across on the Effective Communication principle. It was written by Jonathon Hardcastle. It looks at some of the things that may cause barriers to effective commmunication and by default effective business practises. Read and enjoy…

According to Peter Drucker in his article “The Transnational Economy” written back in 1987, “To maintain a leadership position in any one developed country, a business-whether large or small, increasingly has to attain and hold leadership positions in all developed markets worldwide. It has to be able to do research, to design, to develop, to engineer and to manufacture in any part of the developed world, and to export from any developed country to any other. It has to go transnational.” But is going international as simple as it sounds in this passage, or business leaders and executives need to consider another usually unforeseen barrier commonly referred to as “the effective communication principle?”

Companies in developed countries such as the United States must engage in international business transactions or lose an important competitive advantage. Such firms have not only found tremendous commercial opportunities a thousand or ten thousand miles from their plants, but they have also found cooperative partnerships because of a community of interest. Community of interest is in fact the common ground upon which a business relationship can be based and later flourish. If a firm in Japan, for example, finds an American company with expertise in marketing and handling its products in foreign markets, then a community of interest has been found and remains to be exploited to the advantage of both. But how is that possible and on which factors does it depend upon?

Although the answer is rather complex, undoubtedly one factor is that the worldwide level of technology has greatly advanced easing the process of communicating among people located in different countries. Their ability to share information almost instantly has turned the globe to resemble a village, and as a village its citizens can communicate with one another quickly and easily with the use of various technology-based methods. But then again how come and the message is not received in the manner intended when sent by the messenger? The answer is simple: worldwide we share the much of the same information and technology, but no the same culture. Our family, recreational, financial and other values are different, as these values spring from diverse experiences, expectations and habits. Even if the language used to communicate is the same, the cultural differences between states are evident and a message can be distorted or at least not understood as one intended.

Technological advances in the last 100 to 200 years have spread and been adopted and refined worldwide. But cultures based on thousands of years of development are slow to change. For many, they should not change, as these cultural differences among societies and nations give individual identity to each group. In fact, this persistence diversity in the thinking of human beings has made this world an exciting place to be in. But at the same time it has also created barriers that constitute a major challenge for communicators. Even with the advancement in the transition of information, when words and actions are not understood in the same way because of differences, communication can suffer. This is a key factor for people to remember when dealing with different cultures or employed in different countries from that of their origin. Verbal or nonverbal communication can have different meanings to different people and thus careful consideration and examination of the others’ environment can ensure a better delivery of a message and overall a much more successful communication process.

 

Jonathon Hardcastle
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/the-effective-communication-principle-66923.html

 

Michael Noone is The publisher of communication skills articles at the site http://www.topcommunicationskills.com

 

Technorati Tags: barriers to effective communication, communication skills, Effective Communication

 

Effective Communication is good, right? Personally, I believe it’s next to impossible to have a healthy, rewarding relationship without it. Sure, the level of required relationship communication depends on your level of intimacy with the person you are communicating with. But, can open communication ever be destructive, even when the communicator thinks they are providing a helpful message for the recipient? I would say it all boils down to knowing your audience. Think about what you are about to convey, and then try to predict how your recipient is going to react. Is the message sensitive or volatile enough to destroy the relationship you currently have? If so, it’s best to think twice. Sounds simple enough, right?

Take this story, for example. I know a woman that, for her whole life, carried resentment about how her father raised her. This story begins when she was 50 years old and her father was 72. She felt she had not been nurtured and supported as much as she needed when she was growing up. Her father was a “hard-liner”. We all know the type. A man made of mostly discipline and not enough encouragement, keeping his feelings to himself. Something compelled the woman to spill her guts and write her father a letter. In this letter she described how she felt about her relationship with her father. She pointed out many of the shortcomings in her life and how she felt he was the cause of them because she “didn’t get what she needed from him”. She pointed these things out in a very polite manner; obviously assuming her father would understand and feel compassion for her. What actually happened was quite the contrary. The father was very angry after reading her letter and felt he was being attacked. What was once an acceptable relationship was now broken beyond repair. At the time the daughter wrote the letter, she thought it would benefit her to get those things off her chest and didn’t take time to ponder how her father would deal with such things.

The case above could be considered “bad communication” as it damaged the relationship it was meant to improve. Here are some things you might want to consider before initiating a discussion with someone, especially when your message contains sensitive, blaming or potentially negative information.

1. What do you expect to accomplish with your message?

2. Try to predict how your audience will respond. Are you prepared for an unexpected outcome?

3. Is it so important for you to get your message across that it’s worth the risk of breaking the relationship? In some cases it may be, such as a case with a friend or spouse.

4. If you predict that your message may cause undesirable results, you may want to use a good friend or family member as a sounding board, so you can clear your head of your thoughts. Even more so, it can be very beneficial for you to write the person a letter but never deliver it. I believe this works better than spilling your guts to a third party.

5. You can ask advice from a trusted friend or family member (especially if they know the recipient of the message). However, always make the final decision on what to do. Your advisor probably has nothing to lose and may not give you proper advice in the matter.

Relationship communication is important in everyone’s life, whether with friends, family, business associates or complete strangers. For that reason, care should always be taken on how to communicate sensitive information. Can communication be a bad thing? I think it always depends on the circumstances. Sometimes you need to choose to hold back or potentially lose the relationship.

Carl Herkes
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/communication-in-relationships-is-there-such-a-thing-as-bad-communication-10767.html

 

Here is another interesting article I recently came across by Dennis Jaylon. Had you ever considered that you could learn how to improve your Communication skill by using the telephone ?

 

Read on….

Who would not want to create a smart and enchanting persona? And is that possible even on telephones? Yes… It is Possible!

The modern day telephones enable us to do more than we could do with them till some years back. But before we get to that, let us look at some of the features that are there in telephones today  Caller ID (CLIP), Voice Mail, LCD screen, call back facilities and many many more. Plus there are added enhancements to make our conversations crystal clear like  superb sound quality, digital speakerphone, even stylish designs add the zing factor in our messages.

Now coming to the features of modern telephones and how they help us in creating a charismatic and effective personality over the phone.

Let us start with Caller ID or CLIP facility  Caller ID shows us the numbers that are calling us. If the number looks familiar, we can tweak our voice a little to create just the image we have or desire to have in the caller’s perception. For example, if it is from office or from a colleague, you can sound professional and smart. And if it is from a dear one, you can turn down the professionalism and present a softer you.

Then there is ‘Voice Message Recording service’ which enables you to drop a message when the receiver on the other end, is unable to pick up the call. You can record your message by clearly telling your name and the reason for which you called. If you are calling someone who does not know you, you should clearly tell your name (spell it, if required) and leave your contact number. Give a time when you can receive the call back and also give a brief summary for why you called up.

The more clarity you have in your message, the more you create a good impression. And with the help of modern day telephones and their multiple features, utilise all your capabilities to make your mark.

Dennis Jaylon is a renowned business writer who has years of experience in writing technical reviews, product descriptions and product feature analysis of technical gadgets and gizmos. He has won appreciation especially for enlightening people about the latest communication gizmos…the Telephones.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Jaylon
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Telephones-Help-You-Improve-Communication-Skills&id=589848

Technorati Tags: communicatio skills training, communication skills, how to improve communication

Mar
09

Brain Research: Blueprints of a New Era

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Brain science has been one of the central topics in the scientific world in the last decade. The development of several new technologies has allowed scientists to reach a superior level in research methods.

Such technologies – particularly brain scanning techniques (PET, fMRI, CT, etc.) – have enabled experts to perform procedures which were thought to be in the realm of science fiction in a near past. In the verge of an advanced era in the perception and manipulation of the human mind, an ethical discussion was raised in the Old continent.

Meeting the ‘Meeting of Minds’

“Meeting of Minds – European Citizens’ Deliberation on Brain Science, was a unique exercise involving the general public in a discussion on cutting-edge science. Citizens from nine European countries will suggest what they think should be done with our new-found knowledge of the brain. They will debate the ethical, social and legal implications with international experts. The citizens’ conclusions on the use of new technology, medicines and techniques will be offered to policy-makers at the European, national and transnational level.” (www.meetingmindseurope.org)

Breaking through Brain Research

The outcome of the meeting of minds was one of the most elaborate displays of democratic decision-making in history. 126 citizens, 9 countries, 12 organisations and another dozens of professionals from several areas: resulting in over 100 recommendations that are being analysed by stakeholders in the fields of brain research and politics. The meeting’s organisation committee recognised several ‘new’ areas in brain research which are becoming increasingly relevant in our daily lives, and designed most recommendations based on probable outcomes from these areas.

Brain Stimulation

The initiative to solve psychiatric problems derived from common mental health disorders, such as OCD, has provided the background for neuro-surgeons to endeavour in “tinkering at people’s brains”. Innovative procedures, such as the insertion of electrodes that emit mild currents to communicate with the patient via a wireless system, are part of this area. Issues? The definition of normality: how are medical treatments going to affect different social groups and who should, and should not, be treated.

Brain Scanning Technologies

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has been used to identify patterns of cognitive behaviour in the human brain. Scientists have attempted to use it for lie detection and even to recognise which areas of the brain are being used when a stimuli is provided. Scientists have even attempted to scan several different people in order to define a ‘normal’ brain structure. Issues? Privacy and a patient’s right to refuse treatment are the major concerns which result from this type of research.

Regulatory Drugs

Several drugs have been developed to treat patients with brain disorders, such as compliance and conduct disorders. The ability to provide a ‘quick fix’ to particular behaviours has induced research in this area. Issues? Again the definition of normality: there is a concern on whether some conditions are in fact disorders that should be treated. With further development of research, such drugs could be used for social control.

Cognitive Enhancers

In the last decade cognitive enhancers have been a central topic of discussion in brain research. Drugs which improve memory, alertness and other cognitive functions have been developed, and drug companies are prepared to market them to the general public. Issues? There are several concerns about the non-regulation of such drugs, which could become a quick fix for ‘mental problems’. This culture would play a role in decreasing the importance of preventive treatment.

Genetic Profiling

Increased research in the brain’s structure and functioning is giving scientists the opportunity to relate the genetic structure of individual’s with the possible development of particular brain conditions. Such procedure could allow the recognition of pattern which would predict the incidence of mental health diseases prior to the actual development of the disease. Issues? The burden of knowing the future for an individual that is likely to develop a mental health disease.

Themes and Final Recommendations

The project’s meeting on January produced more than 100 recommendations in six different areas of brain research. Following are some of them:

Regulation and Control

- Increase the transparency of public funding allocation mechanisms and its links to solving social issues.

- Extend the reach of ethical oversight to non-experimental research.

- Prevent the misuse of human beings for experimental research.

- Make disclosure of privately-funded brain research activities into a legal requirement.

- Increase transparency of ongoing research to align public funding.

- Increase public funding for fundamental research.

- Minimise bureaucratic barriers to encourage collaborative research.

- Strengthen legal regimes on discrimination against persons with mental conditions, particularly in their workplaces.

Normalcy versus Diversity

- Foster greater inter-disciplinary knowledge to improve thinking about norms

- Take into consideration that diversity is “normal” and positive for the development of society, the arts and science.

- Counteract a “social pressure” for medical treatment.

- Do not treat patients if they do not wish it.

- Offer a broad range of treatment options and support, provide alternatives to medical treatment and complementary medicine or combine various approaches.

- Put more emphasis on prevention.

- Reinforce communication between patients and specialists in charge.

- Reallocate resources in favour of basic research.

- Give high priority to brain research.

- Ensure that the increased knowledge that brain science provides is also applied in other fields such as teaching, learning, thinking, and creativity.

- Do not allow enhancing drugs for people who have to pass exams.

- Definitions should be flexible as society moves on.

Public Information and Communication

- Promote broadcasting of scientific documentaries during viewer-friendly hours.

- Start a “Brainpedia” similar to the general Wikipedia encyclopedia in the internet.

- Mobilize medical students and create opportunities for them to go public in order to enter a permanent discussion with practitioners, organizations, and citizens.

- Keep the medical press independent of pharmaceutical industries.

- Promote the information flow between experts.

- Encourage a more interdisciplinary approach.

- Introduce or improve communicative skills in the education for medical doctors in order to improve the doctor-patient relationship and the quality of information.

- Establish more direct information links between experts and patients. Scientists should be discouraged to publish immediately every new development in research in popular media.

Pressure from Economic Interests

- Introduce incentives for pharmaceutical companies to conduct fundamental research.

- Initiate foundations that support patients with rare diseases.

- Foster independent information about drugs that are positioned as consumer products.

- Keep the ban on advertising for prescription drugs.

- Require that sources of financing are listed with every academic contribution.

Equal Access to Treatment

- Make efforts to ensure equal access regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, economic capacity and social status.

- Make sure that people are well informed about treatments and non-medical alternatives in order to avoid exclusion from services.

- Extend the understanding of necessary treatment to prevention and create respective institutions and programs.

- Incorporate citizens and patients’ organizations in decision making on allocation of resources.

- Target mental health care to particular groups (elderly, ethnical groups, socially weak groups…) to increase efficiency.

Freedom of Choice

- Create interdisciplinary support teams for patients and their families.

- Improve the geographical distribution of diagnosis and treatment units for patients and their families.

- Set up a multidisciplinary group to define “unbearable psychological suffering”. The established criteria should serve as a foundation for laws on euthanasia independent of public opinion, one group emphasized.

- Guarantee equal access to treatment as a self-evident precondition for choice.

- Carefully prioritise public funds. Conduct a clear information policy on the costs of prophylactic measures, check-ups, and treatments.

- Don’t streamline research along political, financial or materialistic deliberations but keep it open in all scientifically relevant directions (blue sky research).

The Next Steps

“Since January 2006 the partner organisations have launched different types of initiatives at both national and European level to disseminate results and provide policy advice to relevant stakeholders and policy makers. Such initiatives include presentations in relevant fora such as national parliaments and scientific conferences, and the organisation of policy advice workshops. Willing citizens can play a key role during these events.” (www.meetingmindseurope.org).

Will the international efforts to overlook brain research work? The process is on its way, and time will tell. If the implementation of the several proposed recommendations is effective through the political, medical and social layers of participant EU countries – it may be time to consider how scalable this project could be.

As the knowledge of brain functioning and particular interactions between neural networks is increasingly expanding, a discussion could arise from the very heart of mental health: how much impact can brain research provoke in the several mental health disciplines? Will learning paradigms shift – or will brain research support contemporary theories? The blueprints of a new era are under development – and the next steps will be promising.

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Pedro Gondim
http://www.articlesbase.com/psychology-articles/brain-research-blueprints-of-a-new-era-139845.html

Everyday, the world of communication comes out with innovative ideas that can be implemented for making lives easier. With this magnificent growth, the demand of cost-effective and reliable communication process is also increasing. In the corporate world, communication is the only method to grab good business, trust, and customers worldwide. Currently, deficiency in the channels of communication can cause severe loss to any business or personal relations and this can effect growth too. Not only major business houses but also the small and novice establishments are concentrating and paying more to provide more strength to the communication channels. The world has come closer with the advancement in the field of communication. Gone are the days when signing any deal or contract took several days. Now, with just a click of the mouse, we can reach as many number of people at a time, without much effort.

Nowadays, with the growth in technology and infrastructure, getting better business deals and prospects from the other countries have also become very easy and effortless. From the comfort of your living room, you can stay in touch with your family and professional acquaintances. IP telephony, video conferencing, internet, e-mails and many such innovations have changed the way the world is staying in touch. These technological changes that have come about with time are not only reliable but they are also the most cost-effective way for communicating to almost any corner of this world. Among all these finer technologies, IP telephony is the most easy-to-use technology that is much suitable for almost all business entities.

Telephone machines, call activating and terminating devices, multimedia computers on either side with multimedia accessories such as microphone, speaker, or headphones with built-in microphones, or dedicated terminals over the Internet are some of the tools that facilitate the process of making calls routed through the internet. And thus, the users get more cost-effective telephonic processes. The infrastructures that are used in these processes may vary according to the orientation of users towards voice or data. Better bandwidth utilisation is only possible through the convergence of Internet technologies and telecommunication. Thus, this process gives the ultimate VoIP solutions at very minimal cost.

The VoIP is completely controlled by software and that is really the most important part of this technology. These software are generally bundled with many other services and applications. Most of the people often think that the voice quality using VoIP solutions is worse than that available within the conventional Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN) setting. However, these thoughts are completely hollow, voice over IP telephony being one of the most reliable and clear methods available to ensure Effective Communication. Voice loss, jitter, and packet delay were some of the hurdles that came in the way of this process of routing calls. However, thanks to the rapidly improving technology, the obstacles such as voice loss, jitter, and packet delays have become matters of past. In some countries, the quality of VoIP Telephony has become subject to government decrees.

This telephony service is completely reliant on call making and call ending devices. The users of such telephony services may make various sorts of calls like PC to PC, PC to telephone, telephone to PC, telephone to telephone. If you are using PC on one side of the calling process then to get the full joy of your call, you must be equipped with audio devices such as microphone and speakers. A proper gateway must be used to convert a transmission format between telephone and the Internet while you are using a telephone to make an IP call.

Noteworthy efforts have been made to popularise Internet telephony in this world for unambiguous application-level support and apparent usage of wireless networks. In many countries, the Voice over IP telephony services are hosted by various local service and solution providers. With multi-purpose communication features, the future of IP telephony systems has become promising. The regular improvements are taking place in the integration of VoIP telephony is really going to make these services very hard to beat.

Kristen
http://www.articlesbase.com/voip-articles/ip-telephony-better-communication-is-what-it-serves-337437.html

When you are in any kind of relationship and the ex lover or spouse still has a presence in the other person’s life, it can be hard. This is especially true if the ex is causing a problem with the new relationship that is going on. Many people who have to deal with this problem in their life and they have to think of ways that will help them get through it.

When you truly love someone, you will find ways to work around just about any problem. This will also include the negative influence of your husband’s ex wife. You will have to come to terms with the problem and together you will have to come up with a solution that will make everyone involved happy and able to go on with his or her life.

If an ex wife is trying to make your relationship sour with your husband, you will have to do something about it. You can choose to ignore the problem and not worry about it, but this is not a very realistic idea. Most people that are in this situation will have to eventually say something and do something about it. You cannot just sit back and let someone try and ruin your relationship.

The first thing that you need to do when your husband’s ex wife is having a negative effect on your relationship is to discuss it with your husband. You have to make sure that he knows how you feel. You may want to ask him to talk to the ex wife and see if she would step back for a while. This may not always be a good idea depending on how well the ex and the husband get along.

If the husband has no luck talking to the ex wife, you may have to take care of this problem on your own. There is no sense in threatening the woman. Violence is never the answer and it will only get you in a bigger mess than what you are already in. If the women are making your marriage stressed, you should tell her how you feel.

If she has no remorse and does not agree to leave you alone, you should simple wipe her out. Block her phone number from your home phone, do not accept her mail or any other phone calls and try to ignore her completely.

Some times the ex wife is not even physically in the relationship. There are some cases where there is just so much tension from the past that it is causing some problems in your marriage now. If your husband’s ex wife was mean or had a bad temper, you may see that your relationship with your husband now is stressed. He may feel that the same thing is going to happen with you. Maybe other issues he had to deal with while he was married to the ex have to be sorted out. If so, your husband may not have worked through those problems and now it is hard for him to move on with you.

You need to work through these problems with your husband. Communication is the key to keeping your marriage on track and for going in the right direction. You want to make sure that you are keeping the lines of communication open so that you can discuss freely and problems that you are having. Talk to him about the negative effects that the ex wife has placed upon your marriage. Find out if there is anything that can be changed to make the situation more comfortable for both of you in the marriage.

If the talking is not working, you may have to take the next step and that may be counseling. This is something that you can do to make try and fix the problem. You have to be ready to go the distance when you are married and if that means that you have to seek counseling, so be it. There is nothing to be ashamed of and you may find that you have lasting results that can better your marriage all around.

The main thing to do when your husband’s ex wife is having a negative effect on your relationship is to talk about it. Sort through the details and try and come up with new ideas to make the problem go away or to be resolved.

You have to figure out a way for everyone to get along so that there can be peace with everyone. This is of course especially true if there are children involved. All of the appropriate steps have to be taken to ensure that the children are not bothered by this problem that the adults are having.

Mailcucan
http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/how-to-deal-with-the-negative-influence-of-your-husbands-exwife-on-your-relationship-73289.html

Mar
09

Business Phone Systems

Posted by: admin | Comments (2)

Modern day businesses understand the importance of a top quality communication strategy. Without communication, it is often not possible to execute even a single business process. Business telecommunication has become a necessity irrespective of the size of the organization. The best systems incorporate data and voice using the same communication channel. A number of business phone systems are now available. The phone management system allows integration of wired and wireless devices.

In any office, certain devices like office phones, fax machines, and VOIP devices are essential. Also, mobility communication has to be enabled among the employees so that they can communicate amongst each other easily. Teleconferencing and video conferencing services may be used to interact with employees and clients situated in another part of the world. Mobile broadband Internet is used for connecting employees distributed across various branches. Navigation has become easier because of the facilities provided by mobile communications. If the businesses make use of different channels, they can be controlled easily by using up-to-date communication management solutions.

Networking the business telecommunication devices has become an integral part of business phone systems. If many devices have to be connected, a private branch exchange (PBX) system should be considered. Overseas calling and communication will become easier and cheaper with the installation of VOIP services. The greatest advantage with this technology is that you can install a VOIP system complementary to the existing telephone network. VOIP communication makes it possible to transfer voice and data through the same communication lines.

Before setting up a business telecommunication system, it is important to identify what equipment you see necessary for the running of your office. As standard office phones you may opt for cordless phones or handheld devices. Certain employees may prefer to use PDA’s.

It can be said that the telecommunication systems have enabled businesses to reach new heights of efficiency. Previous systems were often bulky and expensive to maintain. Modern day telecommunication devices are preferred because these systems can be installed at low investment costs and offer maximum integration of devices.

Security is also a major area that companies have to consider in relation to business phone systems. The decisions should depend on the security of the medium through which the information is passed. If the security of the system is could easily be compromised, there is a high probability of data breach which is of course undesirable.

The mobility of both voice and data communication devices pose additional problems related to data security because it becomes much more difficult to manage secure the flow of data across all your mobile devices. Business telephone systems allow you to incorporate top security features so that your data is secure.

So make sure you partner with a reputable and Effective Communication provider, one that understands your business requirements and can offer you secure and lasting communication solutions.

Orb 1
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/business-phone-systems-735480.html

Interpret romantic body language from a woman by looking to see if she is playing with her hair, touching her face and neck, licking her lips or making really strong eye contact. Identify signs that a woman is feeling romantic, such as facing you a lot or touching you, with help from a dating coach in this free video on dating and relationship advice.

Expert: Jessica Claire
Contact: www.newyorkdatingcoach.com
Bio: Jessica Claire is a professional dating instructor at New York Dating Coach in New York City. She is one of the only female coaches for men in this industry and has been coaching since 2006.
Filmmaker: Paul Muller

Duration : 0:1:15

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Technorati Tags: advice, boyfriends, communication, dating, girlfriends, Relationship, relationships, tips

Mar
07

ATTRACTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR BUSINESS

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Attractivity, LLC’s “Attractive Communication” skills-training/coaching/seminars/workshops reveal 110 powerful skills/codes/secrets of effective/attractive business communication.

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