Winter Storm Coming and Your Risk Assessment

Winter Storms Neptune and Octavia are on their way! Are you prepared?

1. Now is the time to plan ahead for future business-oriented weather-related potential risks.  Depending on your business and location(s), who will make the crucial decision to close (if that is an option for your work-site)? If you close, what processes will be affected? Is there a way to transfer those responsibilities to someone else to handle remotely - and do they have the right equipment to do so, at an appropriate level of security? 

Who will respond to phone calls and e-mails, handle expected deliveries or products to be shipped out? Whose job will it be to notify patients, clients, students, customers, vendors or others that you are closing?

If your plan is to shelter in place, who will make that decision and how much advance notice will employees have?

Will those employees who have children in schools, elders in daycare or other responsibilities such as pets have an option to take the day off?

2. Be prepared at home for a winter storm. Information at www.ready.gov can help prevent frozen water pipes and much more.  If power lines come down, do you have alternate sources of light, such as extra D-batteries and flashlights that use them (as they last longer than smaller batteries and generate more light)? Do you have a way to cook and a manual can opener? How do you plan to stay warm if you have a home with electric heat? Do you have extra bottled water?  Do you have extra diapers, medicine and other supplies if you can't get to a store due to icy roads? If you use a C-pap machine or other electrical equipment for medical purposes, do you have a home generator or a battery-powered option for the machine? If you have medicine that needs to be refrigerated at a constant temperature, how will you manage that if your electricity goes out?

Do you have renter's or homeowner's insurance? If so, have you read the policy and know what it covers? For example, if a tree falls, does it cover some or all of the cost of having it removed? What about if it damages your home or vehicle? Are the contents of your refrigerator and freezer covered if there is no electricity and the food spoils?  If you have to stay in a hotel because of home damage, is that covered in your policy?  Do you have the telephone number and policy number to call the insurance company if you need to file a claim for renters', homeowners' or auto insurance? If you have this information, is it written down on paper in case your electronics do not work? (If you don't have renter's insurance and you rent,  do consider getting this insurance as soon as possible, definitely before the next storm. It can be inexpensive to get, and can be a lifeline if you have a disaster in your apartment or rented home.)

3. Lastly, how well is your vehicle equipped for being on the road in bad weather, even if your commute is usually a short one? Do you have an emergency kit consisting of blankets, extra hats, gloves and warm socks (because cold affects extremities first),  a flashlight with extra batteries,  an orange emergency triangle, emergency foods, water,  jumper cables and more? (There are lists of what to include at http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/emergency-kit.php.) If you have babies or young children, do you have necessary supplies such as extra diapers and toys in the car for them?  Do you fill up your gas tank when the weather starts looking ominous, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged?  You can't control the weather, so think ahead about what you could need and put it in a vehicle emergency kit today!Be prepared for the these severe storms; plan now!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in communication for business. Our e-book, Executive Communication Strategies, offers valuable tips in 18 communication skills for leadership. Get the e-book today!

Presentation skills: How to be more relaxed before giving a speech

There are many ways to calm down before a big presentation. Unfortunately, some of them are unrealistic, such as climbing stairs fast and shaking yourself all over.

Here are three reasonable ways. The first way is to practice, much more than you think you need. Practice using key words for ideas in the speech, not by memorizing the actual presentation. (If you memorize and then forget a word, you may freeze and then forget the rest of the presentation.) Reading the presentation eliminates or minimizes crucial eye contact with the audience; you are there to deliver your presentation, not read it!  Practice both the order of the key words, which you mentally link together, and also by giving the presentation in the entirety.

Second, if appropriate, keep a list of the key words, written in large letters, in front of you. This can be your "security blanket'. Hopefully you won't need to even look at it, though, if you practiced enough.

Third, use slow, deep breathing before you go up to the podium.  Breathe in deeply, and then slowly breathe out. This is a calming exercise, and also gets more oxygen to your body. (Picture the oxygen going down to your toes as you breathe in.)

Public Speaking: You Can Do It!  is a tip-filled e-book that offers many valuable ideas on writing and delivering powerful presentations. It is one of many from Business Speech Improvement's collection of e-books.

Determination of customer/patient/employee needs before they enter your office

Many professionals today, especially doctors, lawyers, accountants, managers and consultants, need to keep careful track  of their time for billing purposes.  If a client, employee or patient has his concerns  organized in writing before walking into your office, the visit is likely to be much shorter.

One smart doctor developed a form, listing the basic categories for which people came into his office. In his case, it listed symptoms, follow-up issues, prescription refills and tests. Everyone entering his waiting room was handed a clip-board to which a pen was attached, and asked to complete this form.

They handed it to him when they entered his exam room. It saved him and his staff a lot of time, and kept his office remarkably on schedule!

What are the main reasons people come into your office? Would a form like that, or simply giving a space to list problems, solutions already tried  and suggested solutions be helpful to you?

Business Speech Improvement provides communication coaching. Our helpful e-book, Executive Communication Strategies, offers valuable tips in 18 areas of communication for leadership. Learn more about it here!

                                 

Online free hearing screening services - and why they can be inaccurate

Hearing loss is increasingly common. As baby boomers age, they may experience presbycusis, or a loss of hearing due to age. Those in their late teens and early twenties for the first time in history are also developing hearing loss, due to the use of ear buds (which are closer to the vital hair cells in the inner ear). Loud music played for long periods of time close to the inner ear can cause irreversible hearing loss.

As a result, there are many services offering free online hearing screenings.  Usually they are sponsored by companies that sell hearing aids, so naturally, they want to find potential customers. Those reviewed gave misleading information due to 1 or more of 5 factors. First, only one specified the need for sound-occluding headphones for greater accuracy; regular flat headphones allow more outside noises to be heard, which can mean fewer words or beeps are heard. That one also mentioned that background noise must be minimized or avoided. Taking a hearing screening when a TV is on in the background, or a fire engine's siren is heard as it whizzes past your home, can give inaccurate results.

Sound quality is affected by the sound-card in the computer, and also whether any calibration is done to your hearing needs. A different site did a calibration check; its' accuracy is unknown.

Directions on the sites varied widely. Two were very confusing. In one case, the screening was done initially and then a second time after the directions were re-read. Not surprisingly, the reported level of hearing jumped from 38% to 75%. They didn't specify whether this meant  75% of the words were understood, or whether it was 75% of certain hertz or pitches as  appropriate for my age.  The result was meaningless. Speaking of age, only 3 sites asked my age, which all should have done.

One site that seemed the most accurate for pure-tones (those beeps) was also the most complicated to understand, and did not attempt to measure listening in noisy situations, which is what most people want to know.

Some of the sites referred people to certified audiologists for more testing; all should have done this.

Save yourself the inaccuracies so prevalent in these online sites. If you are concerned about your hearing, go to a certified audiologist (in the USA) and also ask about how recently their testing equipment (in a sound-proof booth, not just a portable audiometer) has been calibrated. Your hearing is vital; you deserve accurate results!

Business Speech Improvement offers a valuable e-book called What Did You Say? to help 

employees and others cope with hearing loss. Learn helpful no-tech and low-tech solutions to improve communication!

Using local expressions with non-local customers?

Using local expressions with non-local customers?

A luxury hotel asked for help because guests were confused by some interactions with staff members. The staff, such as room attendants and front desk staff, were using local expressions which the guests did not understand.

Examples were "mash the light" (meaning "turn out the light"), put it up (meaning "put it away),  "bless your heart" (which has different meanings depending on the situation and the speaker's tone of voice) and "turn at the red light" (meaning "turn at the light, regardless of whether it was red or green"). A manufacturing operation in another town had problems when staff used the expression, "I don't care to" (which meant there  that  "I'm happy to").

Local expressions are fine if your listener is local, and a native. Otherwise, the use of local expressions can be a communication impediment; listeners can be confused or misinterpret them. In situations where the listener is in pain or sick (such as medical facilities),  traveling , in a luxury facility (such as an upscale hotel) or otherwise stressed, the use of local expressions is not appropriate for conveying a professional message.

If your staff is using local expressions, the first thing to do is to compile a list of the local expressions and their intended meaning. Newcomers to the area can help you identify such as expressions as they will notice them more easily. Then write the standard English meaning next to each expression and explain to the staff that standard English needs to be used on the job with customers to get the message across clearly. So, get out your "ink pen" and start writing!

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, and consults with businesses in many industries on improving communication skills.

American English Pronunciation: Which "th" sound ( ø or ∂) do I use?

                          

English has two "th" sounds, and there is a phonetic symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet for each one. Attendees in the seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals often ask me which "th" sound they should use for a given word.

If the word has a long vowel sound, use the voiced "th". An example is the word "bathe". If the word has a short vowel sound, use the unvoiced "th", as in the word "bath". If you are not sure,  use whichever sound comes naturally!

 

For more on Business Speech Improvement's seminars and e-books on verbal communication, click here.

Better Business Communication Day: the most important letter in "persuasion"

                             

        Better Business Communication Day: the most important letter in "persuasion"

Better Business Communication Day is January 20, 2014.  Much of business involves persuading others, or being persuaded (or not) by others. Here are some tips on how to persuade others, or to detect when others are trying to persuade you.

We persuade when we appeal to someone else's interests. For example, in his incredible speech, "I Have A Dream", Dr King spoke about the struggles that some of the listeners had gone through recently, such as coming out of jail. He also spoke about their common experiences in America.

In business, consider the concerns and needs of the person you are persuading. Does your supervisor want more prestige, lower operating costs, or higher productivity? Does your customer want less hassle, a more user-friendly device, or quicker service? These factors are usually grouped into more

(pleasure) or less (pain).

If you are being persuaded, try asking these four questions. First, what are the disadvantages to the proposed action? Second, do all the pieces of the proposed solution fit together, such as the vendors, time-frame, employee scheduling, and customer expectations? Third, ask if there is anything else you should know about this situation. Fourth, listen carefully for the persuader's emotional overlay, such as fear, excitement or frustration; ask how he feels about this and why. Then, say nothing for a few seconds. This will often bring forth additional information from the persuader.

So what's the most important letter in "persuasion"? Why, "u", of course!

This information is summarized from page 16 of the Executive Communication Techniques, an e-book by Business Speech Improvement. This tip-filled e-book offers techniques from 18 different vital communication needs of today's executive. Get the e-book now and be better prepared for work tomorrow!

Better Business Communication Day: tips for better techniques

Monday, January 20th, 2014 is a very special day, indeed. It is both Martin Luther King, Jr Day and also Better Business Communication Day.

Dr. King's eloquence was remarkable, and his diction outstanding. He painted memorable "word pictures" in his famous speeches, enabling us to see his vision, and he had the skill of making memorable phrases.

If you have not listened carefully to his extraordinary "I have a dream" speech this year, do so - and focus on both his message and his technique.

Better Business Communication Day gives each of us the opportunity to reach a little higher towards those heights. Here are two techniques to use.

First, record your voice reading a paragraph, and then speaking to a family member or friend. (Alert them if you are recording them as well.) What do you want to change about your speaking skills? How are your diction, phrasing, persuasive abilities, and rate of speech?

Second, set a three week improvement goal, which is short enough to keep you motivated. Are you going to say a certain sound better, learn how to overcome a fear of public speaking, be able to speak slowly when leaving a telephone number for someone, or something else? There are many resources available online to help you achieve these. For example, there are pronunciation buttons on online dictionaries which will help you pronounce many difficult words.

At the end of that time, record yourself again to listen to the difference.

Speech coaches can make speech improvement easier and more efficient, providing crucial feedback and exercises. Business Speech Improvement offers coaching in diction, presentation skills, accent modification, speech rate, and also economical e-books that are available 24/7. For details, click here.

Responding to a Compliment

Some people have difficulty responding to a well-earned compliment. They may not like to accept praise, may not feel they earned it, or feel embarrassed by the compliment because they consider themselves humble. Nonetheless, a compliment is a verbal gift, an acknowledgement that someone has noticed and considers your action to be praise-worthy.  As such, the proper response is a simple, "Thank you!" 

If making small talk is also difficult for you, the e-book "Small Talk:Connecting with Others" explains small talk's big impact. It also gives you tips on starting, continuing and ending a conversation with others. Get this helpful e-book here.

Decision-making: A vs B - What if There's a C?

                         

A favorite technique of people who want you to make a decision is to offer you two choices, A or B.

Professionals in many fields use this method. Do you want to meet on Monday or Wednesday at 2 PM?

Do you want to try treatment X or Y? Do you want to study your spelling or your history first?

Think beyond the box, though. Consider if there is a third option that for some reason the person is not mentioning.  For example, in the case of a medical treatment, is there a third process such as physical therapy that might be an equally effective option for a given problem?  Is there some reason the person is only offering you two choices and has not mentioned a third one, such as a business person having a financial interest in the two options discussed?

This critical listening question is similar to the 10 that are discussed on page 16 of the tip-filled Executive Communication  Strategies, the e-book you'll wish your boss had read! Learn techniques ranging from appreciation to critical thinking and persuasion, 18 different subjects in all. Find out more here!

Maintaining a Conversation: Don't Know What To Say?

Don't Know What To Say in a Conversation?

Have you ever been in a situation in which the other person is talking about something to which you don't agree (but you don't want to say anything), or you have no idea what he is talking about?

Sometimes a neutral answer is best. Great examples include, "What an idea!", "Oh my goodness", "Is that so?", or  even "I see".

"Small Talk: Connecting with Others" is a helpful e-book just packed with ideas on how to start, continue and graciously end conversations. It can be used for both business and personal conversations. To get it, click here.

Conversational dynamics: Using open-ended versus closed-ended questions

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to control a conversation? Maybe you were in a hurry, the other person was very talkative, or you needed to encourage him to speak at greater length.

Open-ended questions are those which can have many possible correct answers. For example,

"How did you...", "What happened next?" or "What are the possible implications of ...?" Closed-ended questions can have only 1 or 2 possible answers, such as "What's his name?" or "Do you want to do that on Monday or Wednesday at 2 PM?"

Use open-ended questions to encourage people to talk. (To encourage them even more, wait a couple of seconds after they stop speaking, to see if they will say any more.)

Use closed-ended questions to control the flow, if you only need specific information, or if you are in a hurry. Closed-ended questions at the start of a conversation with someone who is reluctant to speak are also effective; change to open-ended questions when the person relaxes.

Communication strategies for leadership development are available in an e-book packed with valuable tips like this! Executive Communication Techniques  has sections on 18 different vital communication techniques today's leaders need to know and use. This powerful e-book and individual coaching are by Business Speech Improvement.

Wondering about your hearing? Two questions to ask

As baby boomers age, and as those  who have been exposed to loud music through ear-buds and other sources get older, hearing loss is becoming more common. For the first time in history, an increased number of those in their late teens and twenties are showing signs of hearing loss; most hearing loss is not reversible. It takes, on average, 7 years for many people to decide to get their hearing tested.

If your doctor prescribes a hearing test, some insurance plans may cover the cost. Check with them first.

When you decide to get your hearing tested, do so with 2 questions. First, skip the portable booths and machines, and go to someone with a permanent booth. When the machines are moved, their delicate calibration can be changed, making the results inaccurate. Even with a permanent booth, ask "When was this device last calibrated?" Expect an answer within the last year.

Also ask the qualifications of the examiner. Look for a name-tag that says "CCC-A" or a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology.

A person who has finished at least his master's in audiology (now usually a doctorate) but is in his first year of work may have a name-tag that says "CFY-A", or Clinical Fellowship Year - Audiology, indicating he is being closely supervised. In other words, you want someone who has extensive training to test your hearing, beyond the screening stage.

If you have a hearing loss, your audiologist will prescribe a hearing aid if it is appropriate. (Not everyone can benefit from one.) It takes training, called aural rehabilitation, to get the maximal benefit from a hearing aid.

There are some things you can do at work to make communication easier. First, try to talk to people in a quieter setting. Close the door, go to a quieter restaurant or go at off-hours, turn down the noisy radio, or just be in front of and near  the person who is talking.

Second, consider getting some special equipment to make it easier to hear on the telephone or in a meeting. This equipment is called assistive listening devices (ALDs). The equipment can be used with or without a hearing aid. Your audiologist can suggest any that might be appropriate. If the equipment is needed to help you do your job effectively and safely, talk to your human resources department about purchasing it for you.

If you have a documented hearing loss, let your employer know. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects qualified people with known disabilities  in the areas of hiring, training and firing. However, if your employer does not know about your disability, you are not covered.

For more information, Business Speech Improvement offers a helpful e-book, "What Did You Say? Coping with Hearing Loss". (Scroll to the bottom of the page for this.)

  

Surprising rules of American English Pronunciation

Surprising rules of American English Pronunciation

American English comes from many other languages and countries. Non-native speakers are often surprised by some of our silent letters and exceptions to the rules.

There are  5 words in English with a silent "th" in them. They are asthma, clothes, months (but not month), isthmus and northeaster (which is a type of blizzard).

Five words in American English pronunciation have a silent "h" at the beginning of the word. (There are many more with a silent "h" in the middle of the word.) These 5 are heir, honor, honest, hour, and herb (although some people do pronounce the "h" in herb).  Many words have a silent h in the middle of the word, in English. When ""gh" and "rh" are at the front of a word, such as ghost and rhinoceros, the "h" is silent.

Do you want to learn more of these rules and exceptions? A seminar on American English Pronunciation Improvement for Non-native Professionals is now enrolling learners! Get the details and enroll today at www.Business SpeechImprovement.com/accents !

Make your speaking vocabulary more powerful - today!

Whether you give presentations to large audiences or simply answer the question, "How are you?" with a single word, you have the opportunity to be a memorable speaker.

Words have power - if  you choose the right ones. Here are two ways to do that.

First, consider the power of the simple adjective. For example, most of the country today is experiencing record low temperatures.  Some might describe the temperature as "cold", but a more powerful way would be to use words such as below-freezing, frigid or numbingly cold. You could use many more options, found at http://thesaurus.com/browse/cold.

Try an experiment. Think of some synonyms for "good", such as fabulous, fantastic, excellent, and wonderful. Use one of them enthusiastically when someone asks you how you are, instead of saying the boring "good". Watch the other person's reaction of surprise, which may be non-verbal. Keep using that synonym all day, and try another one the next day.

Second, write down words you hear and read that seem powerful to you. They may be short or long, but often they are not commonly heard.  That's why we notice them. Try using a few of them yourself. Often the sports headlines in newspapers have powerful words, or you can use an online thesaurus. 

Business Speech Improvement (www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com) provides customized training in many aspects of communication, including public speaking. Both coaching and an economical e-book, Public Speaking - You Can Do It!  are available. Public Speaking - You Can Do It! includes 15 pages of easy, practical strategies, including the use of more powerful vocabulary,  for delivering better presentations.

What is the job of a leader?

                         What is the job of a leader?  

New Year's is a traditional time to reflect. As I begin another year of leadership, I am trying to define what the job of a leader is, and how I can do it even more effectively.
According to Max DePree, "The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. " Theodore Roosevelt put it another way, "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it."

Leadership to me is developing a plan for the future, selecting motivated people, coordinating and cheering on the team of workers, providing resources if needed, and staying out of the way while the workers figure out how to do their jobs.

What do you think are the 5 most important jobs of a leader?

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive, customized training in verbal communication skills. This includes executive communication skills.

Your rate of speech: why "too fast" actually takes longer

Your rate of speech: why "too fast" actually takes longer

The physician was speaking to the patient, explaining why he had made a certain diagnosis.

The patient merely stared, baffled. He knew the physician was speaking English; he was talking so quickly, though, and using so many new words that the patient had no idea what the doctor was saying.

Finally, the doctor paused, and the confused patient timidly said, "Could you say that in plain English?"

The doctor had to start over and explain it again. Have you ever had an experience like that?

People speak quickly for many reasons. For some, it's a cultural habit. For others, they presume the person to whom they are speaking is in a hurry, may be a supervisor, or otherwise has little time to listen. Some people speak fast because they assume that this makes them sound more knowledgeable, especially to people from other professional backgrounds.

Other  people talk rapidly because of time pressure to get to the next meeting or client/patient. Many people say routine things fast, such as telephone greetings, because they say them so often and don't realize how they sound to the listener. Lastly, there are some people who speak fast, realize it, and don't know

how to slow down. (A few of them are genuinely unable to slow down on their own, due to neurological disorders.)

If your rate of speech (or that of your employee) is fast, think about which of the above reasons applies to you. Speaking fast often means either the listener asks you to repeat yourself, or he does not understand you but does not bother asking you to clarify. In that case, your message is lost.

There are a number of techniques that you can use to slow your rate of speech down. To begin with, after realizing why you speak too fast, then think about when you talk rapidly. Is it during a certain event, such as when you give presentations, or when you speak to your supervisor? Is it all the time, or just when you answer the telephone? Are you able to slow down at all when you try?

Business Speech Improvement offers individual coaching and also an ebook, How to Speak Slower in 6 Simple Steps (scroll down for this).

Your message is worth communicating clearly! Get some help  today!

While you are here, check out the many archived blog posts on communication!

"Get your act together": Executive function

       "Get Your Act Together": Executive Function

Do you know someone who has difficulty planning, sequencing  and implementing actions? For example, if he is an adult, he knows he has to go somewhere, but consistently forgets to take the things he needs for the trip? Maybe he has trouble getting steps of a project, or several errands, done in the best order.  Does he have trouble with time management and multi-tasking? This is a consistent pattern of difficulty, not just once or twice.

If the person is a student, he may forget to write the assignment down, bring it and the necessary materials home, do the assignment, bring it back to school, and hand it in to the instructor.

The person may be showing signs of executive function impairment. People who have had head injuries, ADHD/ADD, Aspergers or autism, non-verbal learning disorders, learning disorders,  or Tourette's Syndrome may be more likely to have this, but it can happen to others as well.

Executive function impairment is caused by problems in the pre-frontal and frontal lobes of the brain; other brain regions may also be involved.

What can be done about it? First, it helps to get the problem properly assessed, so the recommendations and training can be more specific and effective. Neuro-psychologists and some general psychologists can test for this.  Some speech-language pathologists also can give tests for this.

Strategies to improve executive functioning can  be provided by some speech-language pathologists, neuro-psychologists and psychologists. Ask before making the appointment if they provide this specific type of assistance.

If the person is a student in public school, ask if the school psychologist can test for this. While waiting for the lengthy process before testing can be done, you may want to read some books on the subject.

Three excellent books for executive functioning in children are: Late, Lost and Unprepared, by Joyce Cooper-Kahn, PhD and Laurie Dietzel, PhD,  Organizing the Disorganized Child, by Martin L Kutscher and Marcella Moran, and  Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare.

There are many websites that talk about executive functioning disorder. Three to check out are http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/7051.html, http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/executive-function,     http://www.ldonline.org/article/24880/, and one YouTube video on it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR1IZJXc6d8 . One specifically on executive function in the workplace is http://www.tsa-usa.org/news/2012ConfPresentations/ExecutiveDysfunctionintheWorkplace.pdf

Tomorrow's blog post from Business Speech Improvement is on www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com/more/blog today! It will appear here tomorrow. Check it out now!

While you are here, also check out our many archived articles!