Team Building and Workplace Communication For SUCCESS

Prentice Hall Literature, Penguin Edition, Teaching Resources, Unit 4, Types of Nonfiction, Grade Nine (Diagnostic, Benchmark Tests; Leveled Tests; Leveled reading and vocabulary warmups; worksheets for, literary analysis, reading skills, vocabulary builder, writing; worksheets for writing workshops, communications workshops, spelling workshops; skills concepts maps)

Price: $ 10.00

Find More Communication Skills Workshop Products

The Presentation Skills Workshop

Though plenty of people would rather hang from their fingernails than address a crowd, every business (and every business career) depends on giving effective presentations. Which is why presentation-skills workshops are continually in demand–and why corporate trainers are forever searching for solid, well-designed materials to guide them. Second in a new series for trainers, The Presentation Skills Workshop supplies all the hands-on instruction and practical tools needed to design and lea

List Price: $ 35.00

Price: $ 20.00

Find More Communication Skills Workshop Products

Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communications Problems

• ISBN13: 9781931282208
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

In this book, the author translates years of experience working with students with Asperger Syndrome and social-communication difficulties. The essence of this resource: 70 of the skills that most commonly cause difficulty for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and social-communication problems. Each skill is presented with a reproducible skill handout, as well as activity sheets listing ways teachers and parents can demonstrate, practice and reinforce the skill in the classroom and at

List Price: $ 44.95

Price: $ 26.15

The 5th Habit and Programme Communication

Many aspects of life rely on communication. School, parenting, relationships, sport, politics, social and business are just a few. The trouble is, when communication is performed poorly or not at all in any of these areas, people and results suffer.

Programme Management is no different and although we sometimes use advanced techniques to manage risk, apply the latest processes to operate more effectively, etc, communication is more about understanding people than anything else.

The guidelines set out by the OGC and other organisations are certainly very useful references, but those guidelines can only become truly effective when they are applied by a Programme Manager who understands the human element of communication. Or put simply, someone who understands people and the environment around them.

The Gower Book of Programme Management highlights the fact that a Programme is often in greater need for effective communication because it is often a one-off initiative which can face unique issues and challenges. It goes on to explain that a programme will not always enjoy the luxury of a regular set of commercial disciplines and management structures, which means effective communication is often more critical.

A Strategic Tool
Sometimes we focus on specific areas of managing a programme and as a result, items such as the Communications Plan drift into the background as other matters take precedence. The fact is, many people do not appreciate the real benefits of a Communications Plan.

The Programme Communications Plan should be seen as a strategic tool and a living breathing document, as opposed to a static document which has a few blanks to be filled in and is seen as a chore that needs to be done to get a tick in the box. When the plan is created with this frame of mind, often that Programme Manager will proceed to communicate on the fly, as opposed to according to plan. The result of communicating on the fly is often a hurried, mediocre or worse effort that will only serve to achieve mediocre or worse results. It’s almost like a Project Manager creating a detailed schedule then ignoring it. Neither is a recipe for success.

The Communications Plan should be seen as a powerful tool to help us build relationships. With the influence that both internal and external stakeholders can have on our programmes, I see that as a very high priority and one which is often overlooked. If the programme hits a problem, ideally we want informed stakeholders with whom we have already built relationships, to support us when things get tough. We are far more likely to gain support from people with whom we have built understanding relationships than from those who are strangers and know little or nothing about us, our programme or objectives. Furthermore, the better our relationships, the less likely we are to encounter problems.

At the most basic level, the failure to follow a good Communications Plan will often result in complaints such as; “I don’t understand”, “you didn’t tell me” and “where did this come from?” Treat the Communications Plan as a dynamic tool that can be used to foster relationships and promote your programme. To do this it needs to be a living breathing high priority document which is both implemented and kept up to date.

The 5th Habit of Highly Effective People
In his best seller, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ Stephen Covey’s 5th Habit is about the principles of empathic communication and he describes communication as the most important skill in life. He writes, “if I were to summarise in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood’. This principle is the key to effective interpersonal communication”.

Similarly, in his book ‘People Skills’, Robert Bolton writes, “communication skills alone are insufficient …the person who has mastered the skills of communication but lacks genuineness, love and empathy will find his expertise irrelevant or even harmful”.

The point I’m getting to is that whether we are managing internal or external programme communications, the Communications Plan in the hands of a Programme Manager who neglects the art of emphatic communication can be likened to the baton (stick) in the hands of a tone-deaf conductor. Of course the Communications Plan alone gets you a tick in the box, but that’s missing the point isn’t it.

Not everyone is blessed with great people skills and those that seem gifted in this area have often acquired their skills from the environment in which they grew up as children and then on through adult life. Our environment certainly plays a big part in developing these skills as children and adults. But regardless of how well developed our people skills are, the more aware we are of our people skills, the more we can improve them. Robert Bolton’s “People Skills” book and Neuro Linguistic Programming are just two examples of how we can enhance our people skills.

Whilst some might think that improving their people skills is a rather basic subject for professional managers or leaders, take a look at one of the most powerful leaders in the world. George Bush certainly has a long way to go to become a great communicator and although he reached the top of his business, he continues to be ridiculed by millions because of his inability to communicate well. Regardless of who or where we are in life, there are few who would relish such ridicule and fundamental failing as a leader.

Development Dimensions International, Inc. published a report last year titled the “Best Practices for Tomorrow’s Global Leaders”. The study includes responses from 4,559 leaders and 944 HR representatives from 42 countries. To cut a long story short, the most common reason for leaders to fail in their roles, according to HR professionals was due to poor people skills.

Figure 1 – Percent of HR leaders selecting the reason for failure
Reference: Development Dimensions International, Inc. “Best Practices for Tomorrow’s Global Leaders”

As with many of the 35% of leaders who actually fail in their role, not every Programme Manager will boast strong people skills. For anyone lacking in that department, one way to avoid the perils of people skill failure (at least where the Communications Plan is concerned) is to leverage the skills of an internal Communications Manager or those of a Project Manager who seems to excel in communications. For the obvious reasons, most would jump at the chance of contributing at programme level. At the same time, the Programme Manager in question should take steps to enhance their communication skills to avoid becoming one of the statistics shown above.

The Meaning of Communication is the Response that you get
It’s all very well developing what seems to be a thorough Communications Plan, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating and the effectiveness of the Plan should be monitored and modified accordingly throughout the course of the programme.

What we communicate in our programmes will influence our audiences and how they react will influence us, or at least it should. Because if we are to see true two-way communications exist, we need to know how our audience is reacting so that we can react accordingly.

Encouraging feedback is always a good way of doing this because it’s how the audience perceives the messages that really counts. Failure to monitor and assess feedback can easily result in ineffective effort which might even have a negative effect on the programme.

When encouraging feedback, we naturally set ourselves up for comment, some of which might be negative. The key here is to expect it, prepare for it and be both patient and receptive. This is our opportunity to address negative comments and ask “what can we do to be successful together?” It’s the perfect opportunity to apply our people skills and convert stubborn stakeholders into supportive stakeholders – just like the good salesman who will relish the opportunity to convert a cold prospect into a buying client.

No matter what angle in life we look from, communication is about the two way exchange of information, not one way. Ignoring that basic principle is a cheap ticket to trouble – ask any successful CEO or marriage guidance councillor!

Communicating Inside-Out
The OGC recommends that that the Communications Plan should describe what will be communicated and the authority required, how it will be communicated, by when, by whom and to which audiences.

When managing a programme, whilst some associate the Communications Plan with external stakeholders only, it is equally important for internal purposes and we should tailor our efforts to both.

Introducing the Communications Plan early is always a good idea from an internal and external perspective. Not only can it act as an excellent PR vehicle highlighting early successes and raising positive awareness, but it can serve as a knowledge transfer tool and involve stakeholders sooner rather than later, facilitating greater commitment, understanding, motivation and momentum.

Internal Stakeholders
Personally, I have always seen the benefits of taking internal communications seriously, through the way in which people have quickly begun to feel appreciated, recognised, involved and informed. All this leads to a more motivated workforce which is critical for any Programme Manager. Motivational theory is a vast subject unto itself and has been studied closely by the likes of:

Abraham Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs; Douglas McGregor – XY Theory ‘Authoritarian/Participative Management Style’; Frederick Herzberg – Hygiene Theory; William Ouchi – Theory Z – ‘Japanese Management style’); Victor Vroom – Expectancy Theory of Motivation

One of the more popular theories is discussed in Chapter 10 of The Gower Book of Programme Management; Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow explains using a pyramid diagram, how our basic needs as humans are physiological, requiring things like food and water; this is shown at the bottom level of the pyramid. We then move up the pyramid to safety needs such as job and home security. Once satisfied, the next level up is the need to feel belonging, followed by the need for self-esteem. At the very top of the pyramid, self-actualisation, such as self-fulfilment, is shown as being our final need.

There are few of us who have escaped the feeling, at some point in life, of ‘being kept in the dark’, ‘not appreciated’, ‘not recognised’, etc. Some professionals can also lack self-esteem, even though it might not seem obvious. With this in mind, there should be no reason for any Programme Manager possessing an ounce of empathy to inflict such feelings on their staff. The Communications Plan can certainly help provide our teams with some of their needs and subsequently aid motivation.

Maslow delves deep into the theory of motivation as does McGregor and the others, and it’s worth doing some high level reading to gain a better understanding of the subject. However, at the most basic level, it takes only a little empathy to appreciate peoples’ needs so that we can act accordingly when managing people internally and facilitate motivation.

Bruce Tuckman’s Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing model discusses team development and behaviour in detail. Again, this material is worth reading, at least at a high level.

There are many vehicles with which to address internal communication, but more importantly is what is carried on those vehicles and how it is delivered. A list of 20 possible vehicles is included in the next section of this article; ‘External Stakeholders’. Here are just a few examples of internal communication that can help motivate staff:

Individual successes praised; Team spirit improved; Job security emphasised; Programme and project importance highlighted; Tools and resources made available; Successes celebrated; Overcoming challenges celebrated; …there are many more.

External Stakeholders
External stakeholders can make or break a programme and it is critical that the Communications Plan is sufficient enough to play its part in the game of Stakeholder Management. Whilst Stakeholder Management is beyond the scope of this article, it’s worth noting that the collective benefit of this activity is the creation of relationships which consist of understanding, trust and cooperation. Once again we find ourselves very close to the words of a marriage guidance councillor because again we come back to the fundamental task of communication and people skills.

There is a whole fleet of vehicles that we can use to deliver our messages to stakeholders, and our choice depends on the message and where it’s going. These vehicles can also be used for internal communication. Here is a list of 20:

Announcements Blogs Bulletins Cascade briefings CDs Email Exhibitions Information Packs Intranets Meetings Newsletters One-to-One meetings Podcasts Press Releases Programme Portal Reports and Programme Documents Seminars The Media Videos Workshops Etc.

Conducting a Winning Performance
I have purposely avoided describing how to create a Communications Plan in this article. But you can get help with that at The Llewellyn Group Blog. What I hope I have done, is emphasise the fact that the Communications Plan has the potential to be a powerful tool, which in the hands of the Programme Manager with strong people skills, can help conduct a winning performance that the audience loves.

If you would like to be informed when more articles like this are published by the author, use the form at the top-right of The Llewellyn Group Blog

.

Related Communication Skills Workshop Articles

Meanings and Sample Sentences for Vocabulary Workshop Answers Level F Unit 2

Vocabulary workshop answers level f unit 2 involves words that we seldom use in our day to day conversation making it difficult to comprehend. It is best to know their meanings and use it in the simplest statement possible for easier learning.

The following words are just some of the answers found on vocabulary workshop answers level f unit 2. You can use the following meanings and examples so that you may be guided as well to create your own sentences using the same words.

The first answer is the word, ameliorate which means to make better or become better. As a national athlete, he has to ameliorate to grab the gold medal.

Second word is aplomb which means poise or self-possession. If you are a professional model, you should always display aplomb wherever you may be.

Third word is bombastic, an adjective which means pretentious or boastful language. Many government officials speak in bombastic manner to cover up their shortcomings.

Fourth answer is the word, callow which is an adjective referring to inexperienced or undeveloped. We should never vote for a callow candidate because he might just turn into a follower of overpowering and erring officials rather than lead the nation.

Fifth word is the noun drivel which means nonsense. The audience did not agree with the speaker because everything he said is drivel.

Sixth word is epitome which means a typical example or a paradigm. Mother Theresa is an epitome of a Good Samaritan.

Seventh answer is exhort is a verb which means to urge or advise strongly. Parents should exhort their children the values of good education.

Eighth word is ex officio which means by virtue of holding a certain office. The governor is the ex officio member of the committee.

Ninth answer is infringed which is a verb that means to break or violate. To avoid any legal action, do not infringe any patent.

Last word is ingratiated which means to bring oneself to another’s favor. The politician gave money to the charity and had it published in order to ingratiate himself with admiration.

Vocabulary workshop answers level f unit 2 is indeed words that we don’t come across everyday but it pays to know and understand them well. Building your vocabulary skills will improve your communication skills as well.

<!– p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } –>

Business Communication

Business Communication

According to William Scott in his ‘Organisation Theory’, business communication is defined as “a process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish organizations goals’.

Business Communication is used to promote a product, service, or organization; relay information within the business; or deal with legal and similar issues. It is also a means of relying between a supply chain, for example the consumer and manufacturer.

At its most basic level, the purpose of communication in the workplace is to provide employees with the information they need to do their jobs.

Business Communication can also refer to internal communication. A communications director will typically manage internal communication and craft messages sent to employees. It is vital that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managed message could foster distrust or hostility from employees.

There are several methods of business communication, including:

Web-based communication – for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere …
e-mails, which provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide;
Reports – important in documenting the activities of any department;
Presentations – very popular method of communication in all types of organizations, usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash;
Telephoned meetings, which allow for long distance speech;
Forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location; and
Face to face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written follow-up.

Why are communication skills in business essential?

In any form of business, communication is an internal as well as an external affair. The success of the business rests upon communication and it has become all the more essential due to the following reasons:

Increase in size: Business firms have grown tremendously in scale of operations. A large business firm today employs thousands of people and has factories or offices in different parts of the world. The head office of the company must always be in close touch with branch offices. An efficient system of communication is required for this purpose.

Growing specialization:  Narrow division of work results in different activities being handled by different departments. Due to narrow outlook every department tends to overstress its own work. Sound communication is essential for ensuring mutual co-operation and understanding between different departments. Otherwise the organisation cannot function smoothly. If, for example, there is no communication between production and sales departments, the sales department might book orders which the production department cannot supply.

Technological advancements:  Rapid changes in science and technology lead to obsolescence of technology and knowledge. In order to upgrade or modernise technology, management must persuade employees to accept new technology. Regular training of staff becomes necessary to update their knowledge and to provide them the skills needed to apply new technology.

Cut-throat competition:  Liberalisation and globalisation have resulted in severe competition between different sectors of business. Persuasive communication in the form of advertisements, personal contacts and publicity becomes essential to survive in the race of competition.

Trade union movement:  In all business sectors, employee unions are very strong and powerful. Management must consult union leaders on several matters. Regular exchange of information and ideas between managers and union officials helps to maintain healthy relations between them.

Human relations: Effective communication between management and employees is necessary to develop mutual trust and confidence. Participation of employees in the decision-making process and other means of communication help to develop among employees a sense of belonging and loyalty to the organisation.

Public relations: Society expects more and more from managers. Business has to keep Government, distributors, suppliers, investors and other sections of society well-informed about its contributions to society. Public relations help business to improve its image in society and big enterprises employ professional experts for this purpose.

Personal asset: Communication skill is essential for success in every job. Managers are required to deliver speeches, write documents and conduct interviews. The ability to communicate effectively is equally essential for promotion in career.

Essential Communication Skills for Managers

Good communication is the foundation of good managerial skills. In fact, communication skills for managers are a part of management studies also. All would-be managers are trained in this. It is essential not only for the growth and success of the company but also for the personal growth.

However, just theoretical knowledge is not enough. If a manager does not possess practical communication skills, he would fail. He may have all the requisite technical skills, know the business and policies but fail to communicate effectively. This inadequacy overshadows the other skills.

Generally, the main problem is that the effort to communicate is missing. Also, in some cases there is no effort on behalf of the organization to introduce some measure or plan to improve communication skills for the managers.

The real question here is how to develop these communication skills for the managers. The answer is innovation and a little bit of effort. Find below specified some of the ways in which mangers can improve their communication skills.

The first thing that an organization needs to do is to gauge the communication skills of the managers through an evaluation of the performance of their routine activities. The human resource department of a company should implement some target and performance specific activities. Then, conduct various surveys and audits throughout the year to measure the communication skills of the mangers and supervisors.

Another method is to conduct training for the managers to teach them interpersonal communication skills. In this kind of training, the managers should be taught topics such as measuring the quality of personal communication; how to recognize the obstacles to good communication; developing interpersonal behavior to create healthy working relationships; non-verbal communication skills; developing active listening skills; giving and receiving feedback.

Apart from these, a number of other communication activities should be organized to develop communication skills of the managers. These activities include organizing communication audit for each mangers area of responsibility. Team sessions or periodic workshops on staff communication skills can be conducted.

A regular newssheet or an email newsletter should be sent to all the staff members in a particular area of activity. This should explain to the manager the importance of the need of the employers and thus suggesting them how to deal with these needs.

They should conduct regular meetings to review the performance of all the employees in the company rather than the customary practice of six monthly or quarterly reviews. This will keep the managers alert too.

Finally, the most important tip to develop communication skills for managers is to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Only a managers inner potential can make him a good communicator.

Role of Communication in the Workplace

Most organizations understand the need and importance of effective communication in the workplace and therefore concentrate to improve its standard. These organizations strongly believe that communication is the central point of all activities and everything else revolves around it.

To achieve the desired standard of workplace communication, constant efforts are required. Any failure in workplace communication results in chaos and defeated purposes. To avoid these situations, organizations need to make specific yardsticks and follow them strictly. Proper flow of communication in the workplace ensures harmony of objectives among all individuals. Any gap in communication or miscommunication hampers the coordination between various departments.

The methods followed for effective workplace communication vary among organizations. And the size and objectives play an important role to choose the best method to be applied. In a big organization both verbal and written communication are vital whereas, in small organization only verbal communication would be enough.

Communication is an exchange of information and it helps people understand the possible outcome of business processes. Therefore, it is important that the media chosen for communication is familiar among all people so that people can easily attain and provide information. To increase the effectiveness of workplace communication, a balanced combination of formal and informal means is beneficial. Gossip and rumors are indeed effective ways to circulate information and receive feedback.

Communication helps decide upon and achieve professional and personal goals. It is important for top level executives and managers to communicate with their juniors and clear their doubts. Regular interactions among various executives, ensures the meaningfulness and authenticity of information. It helps executives build positive attitude and strengthen their beliefs.

Effective communication can be done using various internal journals, magazines, pamphlets and intranet. They can serve as official proof of the happening of an event and other information.

Effective listening and trusting the speaker are two essential elements which help people concentrate on the subject matter of communication. While communicating, all people should keep the objectives of communication in mind and avoid any bias towards each other.

Communication in the workplace establishes a bond among people of various departments and converts them into one specific identity. Effective communication helps people save their precious time and increase personal and professional productivity.

Attempts should be made to seek feedback from the receivers of information to ensure that communication has actually taken place. Without a proper feedback, the process of effective communication is incomplete.

Several kinds of information are circulated in an organization on a daily basis but people need to understand which information is relevant for them and which is not. Communication in the workplace helps people understand what is expected of them and how to convert their talent into performance.

The first big impact that communication skills can have on a company are on the employees. If the employees feel that they can easily communicate with the top level executives, the communication inspires them to become more loyal and hard working. The company can become a better place to work with a better production level.

Another benefit is that good communication skills there would be drastic reduction of mistakes and misunderstandings. When there is greater and more effective interaction between the employees, there will be lesser number of mistakes and misunderstandings. This is beneficial for a company as it would save a great deal of time, effort and money for the company.

Communication skills also take a great role in selling. People thus realize how and which client they should deal with, this in turn increases the business for the company. These are few examples of the benefits that good communication skills can render to a business entity while in actuality, there are many more benefits.

Achieving effective business communication

Effective communication is considered to be one of the most important prerequisites of corporate success. That is why a large number of organizations are engaged in building a network of internal as well as external effective business communication.

Effective business communication enables an organization to market itself in a better perspective. It helps create a favorable brand image and enhance its relationships with public and the media. It helps an organization motivate and guide its employees and share the values of corporate culture. With effective business communication, the employees can easily be told about the corporate culture, visions, plans and strategies.

It also allows an organization to achieve better business negotiations and strengthen the bond with its customers. Therefore, to achieve success an organization needs to have employees with excellent business communication skills.

People with good communication skills are very successful in motivating others and therefore tend to lead people in a desired direction efficiently. Good business communication leads to enhanced business leadership skills. To empower an organization with effective communication skills some steps are required to be taken.

To know the degree of communication gap, a survey needs to be done in form of questionnaire and one to one basis, if possible. This is very helpful to know the root of the problem. After getting the feedback, a review is done and all the areas which are found related with the problem are worked upon. It is important to consider those areas to avoid any problem in future.

Take all the steps required to tackle the situation. Duly inform about the changes and improvements to all who will be affected by them. It helps make a positive effect on those people. Sometimes, it is also possible that organizations overshadow these requirements to achieve their corporate objectives. They need to understand the importance of effective business communication and its effect on the business.

Communication affects an organization internally as well as externally. Any negative news floating within the organization should be cleared immediately through effective communication. Otherwise, it will become a belief and affect the productivity of individuals along with that of the organization.

All individuals who require communication training should be provided that and their performance should be reviewed on regular intervals. There are organizations which involve their employees in these kinds of programs. And, most of the organizations have actually been benefited by these training programs.

Always remember that effective business communication is a two way process and positive results can be achieved only with the combined efforts of the organization and the individuals. To achieve success both of them must understand and perform their role well.

Related Communication Skills Workshop Articles

Communication Skills (One Day Workshop Packages)

These two volumes contain a complete resource kit for the running of a one-day training session on business communication skills. The structure of the workshop revolves around the introduction of each topic by the tutor, followed by individual or group work and feedback or general discussion. The kit has been designed to provide a company with a cost effective alternative to sending delegates on out-of-house training programmes. The objectives of this communication skills workshop are for partic

Price: $ 425.98

The McGraw-Hill One-Day Workshop: Communication Skills

Focuses on how to communicate effectively, covering key topics such as one-way vs. two-way communications, barriers to communicating, body language, listening skills and style.

List Price: $ 110.00

Price: $ 54.69

Find More Communication Skills Workshop Products

Developing Effective Communication Skills – Don’t Interrupt

So many times I see frustration on faces of people being interrupted.
I hear potentially useful channels of communication being shut down. All for the sake of getting a point across.

Don’t interrupt – again so simple and so obvious.  We have all seen the couple who finish each others sentences because they are in tune.  This is not what I am talking about. 

Sometimes I hear people interrupt another’s sentence simply because the words sparked another thought which was so front of mind it just had to be spoken out loud.  When we are truly listening to another person, we are showing so much interest in them that we only hear what they have to say, not the clamouring of our own over heated egos. We don’t interrupt.

Next time you are in a conversation and listening to someone, practise putting the tip of your tongue to the top of your mouth just where your front teeth meet the upper gum.  Now hold your tongue there as if you are holding a crumb of bread in position until the other person has stopped talking.  You won’t be able to interrupt. And in making sure your tongue is still, you will also quieten down the inner voice that is competing with the other person to be heard. Try it and let me know the difference it makes to your conversations

One of the biggest interruptions I hear is “yes BUT…”

Use AND instead of BUT.  In our workshops we have a NO BUTS agreement. We even put the NO BUTS logo on the wall.  When we are Butting on another person we immediately tell them that their opinion, thoughts and comments are not worthy of consideration.  By default the underlying message is that if their input has no value, and then neither do they.  Powerful stuff from one little word.  Consider how you felt the last time you were Butted on, it wasn’t pretty was it?

So instead of Butting on someone, now practice Adding on them instead.

For example;
“I hear what you are saying, AND if I were to add my thoughts to yours, my perspective is……”
“You have an interesting point to make there, AND my experience/views on it are……”
 
By using AND you use more words; respectful words; thoughtful words; words that defuse instead of escalating; words that add and honour the other persons point of view; (which might just be more valid than yours, or mine).

Practice AND-ing on your colleagues, partners and family, see what a difference it makes to the response you get.

When you have practiced it out loud a little – try saying it to yourself for your own self talk as well.  Now see what a difference it makes to you!

Community Service Projects – 101 Ideas for Individuals, Families, or Groups (Part 1)

Below are listed 101 of the best community service project ideas. There are multiple project ideas ranging from individual service acts, to family service activities, to large group service projects. Regardless of whether you are looking for ideas of how to start and get involved to make a difference, or you are a regular volunteer – the reality is that we all can do a little more to help those with a lot less. Take the ideas below and implement those that fit your personality, interests, and situation. Be creative and allow these ideas to generate new and even better ideas and service projects that are perhaps applicable to your town and environment. Most importantly however, just do something – serve, volunteer, and make a difference. Have fun and help others in the process!

Children:

Help a local foster family or orphanage by babysitting, playing with the kids, reading books, or helping with homework, etc. Volunteer at local elementary school Become a ‘Big Brother / Sister’ – choose a child who is struggling or in need and be their friend, help with school work, tutor them, play games with them, etc. Organize a drive to collect clothing, toys, books, blankets, stuffed animals, food, etc. for needy children. Visit the sick children at the local hospital, nursery, orphanage, etc. Organize play groups, after-school activities, educational and learning field trips, etc. for local children.

Community Development:

Organize a service project to clean up the local playgrounds, community areas, parks, and Churches.  Pick up trash, beautify grounds, repaint where needed, etc. Beautify and pick up trash around a local stream, river, campground, historical site, highway, road, school, etc. Help repaint, do yard work, and do small maintenance repairs for senior citizens or low-income residents. Paint over any graffiti in town Contact the local Churches, Non-Profit’s, Salvation Army, United Way’s and ask what projects you can help with to benefit local community. Help organize workshops to help people with employment, job skills, interviewing abilities, resume tips, communication skills, etc. Organize self-help classes (for FREE): budgeting and finance, home repairs, car maintenance, cooking and sewing, first aid, nutrition and exercise, reading and education, etc. Help organize workshops for those addicted to: drugs, alcohol, pornography, those who have been abused, etc.

Crime Prevention:

Organize a workshop to teach both youth and adults about how to protect themselves, phone numbers to call, what resources are available, places and people to avoid, what not to do or say, etc. Organize a ‘Neighborhood Watch’ program Create a neighborhood ‘crime box’ that people can anonymously leave tips and clues in about information they know, without getting involved. Establish a volunteer group that will go out once every other month and paint over any graffiti. Organize a self-defense class for girls, women, and children. Contact your local police department for any informational resources to distribute, and to see if there are any service projects to be involved in. Promote community crime prevention organizations like D.A.R.E or McGruff. Hold bi-monthly neighborhood meetings about what is causing crime, how to combat and prevent it, and how to help. Put together a DVD, a play/skit, email distribution, brochure, or any other medium to educate people about crime prevention.  Put on the play, show the DVD, hand out the brochure at schools, Churches, athletic events, community meetings, etc. Create a flyer with phone numbers, hot lines, websites, and other resources – distribute to neighbors, teens, and community members.

Diversity & Special Needs:

Organize a ‘Cultural Awareness Night’ at the local community center.  Invite people of varying backgrounds, cultures, countries, and faiths to come and present or set up a display about who they are, where they are from, what they believe, etc. Organize a workshop that teaches children and teens how to deal with and treat others with handicaps and special needs.  In connection with this, teach them also about diversity – how to be tolerant, accepting, and educated about others who may be different than themselves. Volunteer at the developmental center, the next ‘Special Olympics,’ rehabilitation center, or a Mental Health clinic. Collect books, magazines, pictures, and movies about different cultures, religions, and races.  Advertise a ‘Diversity Day’ and take these around to schools and Churches for people to learn. Organize a campaign to encourage local stores, churches, and public centers to become wheelchair friendly.  Build a ramp at the house of an individual in need. Volunteer as a tutor and help someone who is trying to learn English. Set up a buddy system where local children/teens help those with special needs.  It could as simple as a once a month visit to read, play games, go on a walk, or just talk. Organize a fund raiser to collect money to buy books for the blind or visually impaired (large print Braille books). Set up a class to teach others about people with diseases.  Then, make gifts and take them to children at the hospital or cancer center, etc.

Government & Citizenship:

Volunteer for a political campaign/candidate, or help out during the next election. Organize a ‘voter pick up’ service to help people who otherwise couldn’t, go out and vote.  Also, volunteer to phone or knock doors to encourage local residents to go out and vote. Reach out to local government offices and enquire as to what projects you can get involved in on a voluntary basis. Set up a pre-election evening of displays, resources, speakers, and information to educate residents about the candidates and issues. Call your legislator and ask how to help/serve on issues that you believe in and are committed to.  Campaign for, publicize, and support important legislation. In preparation to the next election, go out and register voters door-to-door. Occasionally recognize public servants (politicians, police officers, government workers, mayor, teachers, etc.) for the positive and meaningful work they do.

Health & Fitness:

Contact the local hospital and ask how you can volunteer, do service projects that are health related, or help the patients in any way. Put together a community workshop to promote proper nutrition, food proportions, meal preparation, healthy eating, and proper exercise, etc. Set up a community health fair / health clinic at local schools, Churches, and community centers. Organize after-school workshops to teach kids/teens how to eat properly and exercise.  Play games with them, be active, and help them lose weight and increase confidence. Organize a blood drive with the local Red Cross. Have your local health department conduct neighborhood health checks, or to do immunizations.

(Above are listed the first 50 in the ‘Community Service’ article series. See Part 2 to view the remaining 50 ideas).

Find More Communication Skills Workshop Articles

The Benefits Of Interactive Workshops For Children With Self Confidence Concerns

As adults we believe every child has the right to aspire to be the very best they can. We like our children to be happy, confident, enthusiastic and highly motivated to strive to their best potential!!  We as parents, teachers, role models and councilors can often find it difficult to infuse theses elements into a child. For this reason we have motivational writers offering books to be read by children to implement these views. However some children do not enjoy reading or have the ability to read. In this case, they could benefit from an interactive workshop instead.  Having been enthused by the methods that are available to create self confidence in children, I came across Angela Buck and became interested in her ethos, the motive for her books and the benefits that her workshops bring to children everywhere. This article discusses the benefits of interactive workshops as a method used within a child’s development. I will relate this discussion to Angela Buck, her books and her beneficial workshops particularly. This is because my interest is in workshops for children with self-confidence issues. Through which I found Angela Buck, successfully transforms children with a lack in confidence with activities that inspire them to explore their hopes and dreams, to respect others and live in a world where anything is possible.

 Angela Buck is the author of “The Magic Sunglasses” and founder of “The Magic Sunglasses Project”, she has a keen interest in how the right self development can increase self worth and really improve quality and enjoyment of life, especially in children. With this in mind, she has expanded this ethos through her book and is now developing even more interactive concepts for children worldwide.

The Magic Sunglasses is a fun fantasy book for 7-12 yr olds.  It is a touching story about a girl named Samantha, who finds some magic sunglasses which enables her to explore her dreams and her own specialties. These personal treasures she finds, then continues and develops without the use of the magic sunglasses. Making the readers intrigued to discover and cherish their own self worth.        

 For this message to reach as many children as possible Angela has devised a flexible interactive program to be used in schools and centre’s everywhere. Her aim is to spread her ethos globally. Whether it is a mud hut in Africa, a club in New York, a public school at Eton or a youth club in Hackney, Angela will deliver an inspiring workshop to motivate the new generation. The Workshop allows the ethos of The Magic Sunglasses to effectively bring out the message of positivity and inspirations to more intimate groups. By visiting individual classrooms for 20 to 30 minutes at a time she can tailor each presentation to a specific age level and effectively interact with the children in a more intimate environment.

 Before she pioneered her workshops Angela Buck asked herself the question; how can I empower children with my vision of self discovery and appreciating own values, to those who don’t enjoy reading? How can I reach children who don’t see reading as a form of entertainment? She was aware that some children are reluctant to read. Maybe because they don’t enjoy it, or maybe they simply cannot read or just haven’t been given the opportunity. To create a solution to her quandary she devised an audio version of the book and broadened her audience with this workshop. She now finds that all children, of all ages, of all walks of life, of those who love reading and those who don’t, can now all enjoy and benefit from her concepts. Angela believes her innovative workshops offer varied attributes that develop the inspirations her book ignites from the first read.

Although the emphasis at the workshop will be on taking the ‘special value’ concept out of the book and into life – looking at values, role models etc. The lively, interactive presentations focus on childhood self-esteem but they also holds other implements that are beneficial for children’s development. Another fundamental aspect to Angela’s objective is to offer communication, interaction and the development of social skills. Through her workshop the children are inspired to interact with other children and through their communicational progression their personal development also evolves.   Angela has derived activities that promote not only self exploration but the exploration of others.  The fact it is an interactive method means children can participate, thus improving confidence as well as knowledge of others. The children will subconsciously develop social skills, communication skills, body language, manners, etiquettes and the diversity within values, religions and ideals. They will also learn to be respectfully aware of others while the go through the journey of self-discovery and self-esteem. Angela Buck’s book and her activities include insights, exercises and learning experiences that are geared to help children develop and deepen their understanding and appreciation of themselves as well as others.  Through conversation with peer group and adults on the workshop, the children will also deeper their understanding about the aspects within the book, more than they may do individually. Collectively analyzing it will offer new insights to the concepts and a consensus in views. This improves motivation and confidence to proceed with the factors discussed, within their own lives. This then implements a positive attitude and a pro-active manner after they leave the workshop.

Another aspect of her workshop is to promote reading within a child’s lifestyle. The workshop encourages and provides interest in reading a book as not only self- exploration but also as an educational tool. Engaging children’s attention to concentrate on the English Language and English Literature is of high importance to Angela Buck. Improving educational literature and intellect within children’s learning is a fundamental aspect of Angela’s ethos. The Magic Sunglasses can be used as an affiliation to the National Curriculum. She wishes to expand children’s educations past the hours of schooling, with her interactive workshops that inspire fun and entertainment within an innovative environment. Their learning being on the forefront of objection, none the less!! 

Although the importance is providing inspirational literature as an educational tool, the emphasis will be on having fun. Angela believes creative exploration and the freedom to use their imaginations will encourage aspirations and potentials. Through play and enjoyment a confidence will be built and dreams will be imagined. Think back to when you were a child. We can all remember playing with cardboard boxes and sheets, creating dens, cars, a house, a cave, or a castle. We can all recall having a best friend over and playing prince and princesses, cowboys and Indians. We created magical places, dressed-up as famous people, storybook or movie characters.  All of these unstructured, play-filled activities were and still are essential for cultivating imagination. They are remembered and stay with us for our whole lives.  Experts reveal that children who engage in imaginative play tend to: have a broader vocabulary, be more content and confident, have an increased ability to show empathy for others and cope better with difficult situations. All of which are aspects of keen interest to Angela, all of which are explored in The Magic Sunglasses. Through the workshop children learn their own self values, act out their own dreams and be infused to aspire their potentials and believe in themselves

If you yourself have a child, have a school, a community centre, a child care centre, a play school, an after school activities centre, a local gym or anywhere else you believe a child could benefit from learning self worth, learning own special values, improving self esteem, learning to respect others and improve literacy and social skills this workshop is for you!!! Please get in contact via the website: http://themagicsunglasses.com and mention this article.   

More Communication Skills Workshop Articles