Business Communication: 3 Tips to Improve Communication with Your Boss

Do you wish communication with your boss was easier? It can be, with surprisingly little effort on your part.

In honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, here are three tips to help you improve your communication skills.

First, observe your boss carefully the next time you see him or her talking to someone else. Does he or she express the main point first, and then give the details or reasons, or are the reasons/details given first, leading up to the main point? The first method, called deductive reasoning, is more common than the second, called inductive reasoning.

When you talk to your boss, use the same method (deductive or inductive) as he uses - with a difference. Instead of giving a lot of details, give a one sentence "executive summary" with one sentence of the most relevant detail or recommendation.

Second, note how quickly and enthusiastically your supervisor speaks, generally. If he speaks in a slow, low-key way, try to imitate that when you speak to him, when possible.

Third, notice what else seems important to him. For example, it might be timeliness, from arriving on time to planning ahead for an event. Maybe he prefers that people who bring him problems also suggest solutions. Whatever it is, try to do it. If you don't know what he likes, see if you can determine why he praises certain people's work or actions.

Business Speech Improvement provides individual speech coaching. An e-book on communication strategies in 18 crucial areas for leadership is also available. Great speech makes business sense!

ADHD in the Workplace and Communication Challenges

Do you struggle with ADHD at work and notice you have some communication challenges, or do you have employees with ADHD?

Here are some common challenges relating to communication experienced by adults (including professionals) who have ADHD.

The first is impaired executive functioning: the ability to plan and implement actions. This ability, found in the frontal lobe, allows people to prioritize and

handle complex actions, such as scheduling and much more. More information can be found at http://www.help4adhd.org/living/workplace/wwk16.

Corporate speech pathologists and others now work with people who have difficulty with executive functioning. For example, if getting out of the house on time is the issue, clients can be taught how to develop a more effective schedule and consider the most common reasons they can side-tracked or delayed.

Distractibility, due to noises or visual stimuli, is another issue, and can affect planning and implementing. What distractions can you eliminate or cover up, with a white noise machine or headphones, for example?

Speech rates can be rapid in some people, to the point where others have difficulty understanding them. Some medications also increase speech rate as a side effect, so if your speech rate changes significantly during the day, check the side effects of any medication you are on. If you think the medication is causing the rapid rate of speech, talk to your physician.

Other speech and language issues may co-exist, but not be directly caused by ADHD. For example, central auditory processing impairments may  make understanding messages more difficult even though there is no hearing loss.

Pragmatics, or social language skills, such as knowing how to engage in small talk, start a conversation or end one, may also be difficult for some people.

Business Speech Improvement provides intensive, customized coaching  on communication improvement in the workplace. E-books are available as well. Great speech makes business sense!

The Superstorm and Your Financial Records

All over a large part of the USA today, there are many families whose homes were destroyed by a powerful tornado or other major storm. They are going through the remains of their homes, salvaging whatever they can. What will happen to their financial records, as papers are scattered?

Now is the time, before the storm hits your community, to start writing your financial facts. Write down your birth-date, current and past addresses.

Then write down your insurance information. List your car, homeowner's/renter's insurance company, policy number and claims department phone number. add your health insurance policy and liability insurance information, if you have it.

Password protect the information online. It is easy to do with controls that may already be on your computer.

Print  a copy of this out and put it in a clear plastic sealable bag, or put it in your purse or wallet for now. If you can, send a copy to a friend in another state to keep for you in case  your home gets destroyed. You can also put this information on a password protected flash-drive attached to your keyring.

For more information of what to collect and an easy format to use, check out the Financial Overview Template. Even if you can't collect all the information you need, imagine how relieved you will be in the event of an emergency to have some of the information easily accessible!

Rehab or Education Professional: Considering New Career Choices?

At this time of year, many stressed-out professionals in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and education (especially special education) are considering changing careers. With few or no salary raises and no career ladders, talented professionals often feel that they have been asked to do too much too fast for too many for too little pay for too long. The problem is that they don't know what options are out there for them, if they don't want to return to school first.

Alternative Career Options for Speech-Language Pathologists is a book that offers choices - and possibilities.
Each chapter details the story of 1 speech-language pathologist (or team of 2), who went from having a traditional career to combining speech skills with those of a different field. Extensive additional schooling was not needed, except for 1 option. Each person talks candidly about the positives and negatives of his/her new career choice, as well as how he or she made the transition. Eighteen individuals/teams are covered, with other options being mentioned briefly.

Examples of the new fields include developing and training others in related equipment, teaching speech-language pathologists specialized new skills, publishing, sales of related equipment,  visual communications consultant, and many more! These examples are intended to help spark ideas in the minds of the readers.

These options would be suitable for many types of rehabilitation and education professionals.

The book also includes a career self-assessment questionnaire, so readers can thoughtfully and systematically consider their own possible choices.

The softcover book  Alternative Career Options for Speech/Language Pathologists is available here . Get more information on it by seeing this video. There are options for you; start exploring them today!

3 Reasons to Start Becoming Financially Organized Today

How simple is it for you to get a complete picture of your personal finances? Can you easily access your account numbers of your various accounts: bank, retirement, stock brokerage or more? Can you find your various insurance policies' numbers, and the phone number to call for claims for each?

If not, today's the day to start getting organized! Here's why:

Reason #3: If something bad happened to you - unexpectedly - would your family or a trusted friend be able to easily  access the financial arrangements you have in place? Or would they have to paw through stacks of papers desperately hoping to find the right information  instead of using precious  funds and time needed for something else? If you care for a senior citizen whose memory is going, use this today to gather as much information as you can (including some tips on where to look for other relevant information).

Reason #2: If a weather disaster occurred, would you be easily able to contact your insurance company and calmly give them the details they request to settle your claim quickly? Would you know your policy numbers and how to reach the claims departments?

Reason #1: You deserve to experience the serenity that comes from having your financial affairs organized! You deserve to be able to have your assets - and debts - in one place, so that you can access them whenever necessary.

Getting organized does not have to be overwhelming. It involves finding one single fact at a time and writing it down. You can do this while opening your mail and e-mail, whenever you get some financial information. Add to it with information about your benefits from work.

To make it easier, The Financial Overview Template (www.myfinancialrecords.net), lists the details you will want to gather, as well as how to find missing documents you may need.

Imagine what it will feel like to be organized financially...to be able to find the information you need, easily and fast.... Get started today with the Financial Overview Template!

Persuasion: "What kind of a job would make you smile?"

    

    A recruiter called me up, and instead of going through her sales pitch, she asked a simple question. "What kind of a job would make you smile?" Then, she waited.

    Startled, I thought of my ideal job: the setting, the hours, the types of clients and co-workers I most enjoyed, and then I added the work values (independence vs team-work, travel vs being in one place, variety vs one type of work, a desire for status or power, etc, that I most enjoy). By the time I finished, the recruiter knew a lot about me, including whether she had an opening that I would enjoy. This recruiter was an extraordinary persuader - but now she knew what to focus on when persuading me.

    Take five minutes and write down the description of the ideal job for you.

What are the setting, the type of tasks done, the hours, the pay, the types of ideal customers, and the values that you most enjoy? What would be the impact on employee engagement if you asked each current employee this simple question? 

    If you are a recruiter or are on a recruiting team, ask each candidate this. Then go a step further, and figure out what you could do to be his or her employer of choice. For example, if he comes from out of town, could you provide him with some pamphlets on the community, including information how to find local property managers or realtors (or at least a map of the town)? Could your waiting area for candidates showcase what is special about your community as well as your organization?  Could you find out ahead of time in an anonymous survey why your current employees like working for your organization and share that with your candidate? People like to work with others with similar interests. Find out which of your benefits or other advantages of your workplace (such as a career ladder or tuition reimbursement) means the most to the person, and talk about that.

If you are not a recruiter, think about whoever is your customer. What could you do to make a customer (internal or external) smile tomorrow? 

 

Could you adapt the question above to fit your needs, such as "What kind of (product or service) would make you as the customer smile?"

Business Speech Improvement offers intensive training in verbal skills. Special topics in verbal skills relating to sales/recruiting can be designed to fit your needs; contact us!

Rate of speech: Going Too Fast Actually Takes Longer

Two salespeople left me messages today, ones that I actually wanted to hear. Both sounded like they are experienced salespeople, but clearly neither one had considered a problem with their verbal image.

When they left me voice mail messages, they said their telephone numbers at a very fast rate.

It takes longer to write down a telephone number than to say it. People can talk faster than they can write.

When leaving a telephone number for someone else, write it on paper or in the air as you speak; this will give you the correct rate of speech. If you go very fast, because clearly you know your own telephone number, your listener may have to replay the message repeatedly to make sure he has it written down correctly. This is not good for your verbal image; it also is not good for a possible sale!

Yes, many of us have caller ID, but sometimes we want to called at a different telephone number, such as a cell phone number, an 800 number if it's a business incoming call, or some other phone number.

Saying your telephone number clearly and slowly is crucial - even if you are in a hurry.

Do you normally speak quickly? Business Speech Improvement offers an e-book of practical tips:  How to Speak Slowly in Six Steps.      Speech rate coaching for speedy speakers who want to slow down and need help is also available.