3.Simple.Tips.Written.Communication.

In business writing, you get points for clarity, not style. Instead of trying to wax poetic about your division's plans for the next 60 days, just make your point. Here are three ways to do that:

1.One idea per paragraph.
Novels hold several complex ideas and emotions in a single paragraph. In business writing, limit your thoughts to one per paragraph. When you have another suggestion, thought or idea, start a
new paragraph.

2.Put your point in the first sentence.
Don't entice your readers with background information and build-up. No one has time for that. Make your primary point first. Then go into supporting detail.

3.Make it "scannable.".
Few people read every word in an email. Use headers and bullet points so that your audience can quickly scan your message and understand your point.

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Take Control of Your Life or Personal Leadership

Each day you have the ability to make the choice to take control of your life, or to let it control you. You can either be proactive, or you can let circumstances call the shots.

take control of your lifeTo take control of your life or exercise personal leadership is to take responsibility for yourself and for every area of your life. It means being connected with your values, your vision and to set meaningful goals for yourself. When you do, you become more productive, more optimistic, able to solve problems more easily and ultimately have less stress in your life.

No doubt, with all the chaos and uncertainty that is going in the world these days it may be difficult to feel like you are in charge of your life, and while there are some things you have no control over, there is much that you do. Understand that you are the principal architect and creator of your life and that you are where you are at, because of the choices and decisions you have made thus far.

An interesting concept that I came across in my readings recently, and as it relates to personal leadership, is to see yourself as the CEO of your own life. If you were to apply it to yourself, how would run your life? What kind of strategic planning would you do and how would you envision your future? I would guess that in seeing yourself as the CEO of your life, you would be inspired to think in a more effective, results oriented manner.

As your own CEO, here are some ways in which you can take control of your life and exercise personal leadership:

Determine your values and what's important to you.  As I wrote in Have A Personal Value System, knowing what your values are gives you structure and purpose, which in turn directs you on how to focus your time and efforts. It would be similar to the 'mission statement' a company would hold. As you probably know, a mission statement typically spells out the overall goals and drives the actions of an organization. It likewise provides a roadmap and guides the decision-making processes for management.

personal leadership In your life your mission statement could be something like: "My purpose is to live life to the fullest by taking the care of my health, relationships, finances and overall happiness to the best of my abilities."

When you state your objective so succinctly, you can't help but be focused and take the right actions for where you need to be. This also helps keep you from being aimless and scattered, not to mention avoiding hit and miss situations.

Plan, be organized and set goals. Think of the big picture of what you want in your life and then break it down to manageable parts. For everything that you want to accomplish, you need a strategy or action plan. One way is to set goals appropriate to your mission statement and then devise a plan on how to go about achieving them. Nothing happens by itself; so taking charge of your life entails taking the bull by the horns. Rather than daydreaming about what you want or engaging in wishful thinking, you set the wheels in motion for success. In fact, the planning stages can actually be fun and challenging! Not only will you achieve your objectives, you will sharpen your critical thinking and problem solving skills in the process. The most successful CEOs in the world are those who set realistic, achievable goals for their companies, plan the best strategies and then execute them accordingly. They also set their priorities, organize their tasks and duties and make sure all the different departments are running smoothly and efficiently. There is a famous quote that states, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

Maintain a positive attitude. Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is remain positive when your best efforts to take control of your life don't go according to plan. As any CEO will tell you, there are always obstacles and roadblocks that get in the way of any launch or rollout. In another similar example, ask any athlete, inventor or composer. Would you think that everything comes together for them smoothly and without any glitches? Definitely not!
The quality or character trait that separates those who succeed and those that do not, is a positive attitude and an unshakable belief in themselves. They do not let negative thoughts or obstacles get in the way of ultimate achievement. Of course, that does not mean that it is easy; it means that persistence and focus are necessary. Those who cannot maintain control of their lives quite often want to give up at first sign of trouble or difficulty. When that happens, all else seems to unravel as well, and they mistakenly feel they have no control of anything at all in their lives. This type of mindset is both counterproductive and detrimental to progress. Maintaining a positive attitude is absolutely essential for taking control of your life.

personalHave fun. While taking control of your life involves a lot of planning, strategy and executing, it could weigh you down if you forget to take time to have some fun. Living a full, productive life requires maintaining balance between work, relaxation and recreation. Too much structure makes Jack or Jill a dull person.

To take control of your life try an experiment by envisioning yourself as the CEO of your personal company - your own life. The concept alone will make you feel more in control. Then make the types of plans, choices and decisions that you would expect a successful CEO would make and you will be surprised at how much more in control of your life you will feel. It may take some practice and role playing, but the outcome will be - YOU in control of your life. 

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Good Communication Skills

Good communication skills are key to success in life, work and relationships. Without effective communication, a message can turn into error, misunderstanding, frustration, or even disaster by being misinterpreted or poorly delivered.

communication-communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It is a process where we try as clearly and accurately as we can, to convey our thoughts, intentions and objectives.

Communication is successful only when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information.

In today's highly informational and technological environment it has become increasingly important to have good communication skills. While many individuals still continue to struggle, an inability to communicate effectively will hold them back in their careers and in social and personal relationships.


Important steps for acquiring good communication skills: 

   1. Know what you want to say and why.
      Understand clearly the purpose and intent of your message. Know to whom you are communicating and why. Consider any barriers you may encounter such as cultural differences or situational circumstances (gender, age, or economic biases). Ask yourself what outcome you want to achieve and the impression you want to leave.

   2. How will you say it?
      We're all aware by now, that it's not always what you say, but how you say it, that counts. Begin by making eye contact. You inspire trust and confidence when you look a person in the eyes when you speak. Second, be aware of your body language, since it can say as much, or more, than your words. By standing with arms easily at your side you tell others that you are approachable and open to hearing what they have to say. If, instead, your arms are crossed and shoulders hunched, it suggests disinterest or unwillingness to communicate. Good posture and an approachable stance help make even difficult communication flow more smoothly. Make sure you speak in a cooperative, non-adversarial tone. Be nonjudgmental.

   3. Listen.
      Communication is a two way street. After you've said what you have to say, stop, listen, and look for feedback and clues of comprehension. While the person is responding avoid any impulses to cut them off or listen only for the end of the sentence so that you can blurt out more ideas or thoughts that come to your mind. Respectfully give them your full attention. When they are finished, to ensure that your message has been clearly and correctly understood, ask open questions and encourage discussion. Fine-tune your message if necessary.

   4. Reach understanding, agreement or consensus.
      Once you have had to opportunity to discuss your message and the feedback to it, re-visit the purpose of the interchange. Have you reached common ground, solved a problem or clarified your position? If the purpose was to teach or instruct, have you accomplished your goal? To communicate well is to understand and be understood. Make sure that your message has been received as intended and that any questions or concerns have been alleviated. You can even agree to disagree. There are no guarantees that your communication efforts will be meet with total compliance and agreement. As long as you understand each other, are cordial and respectful, you can still have a successful exchange.

      

More Tips for Developing Good Communication Skills

    * To obtain a better command of the English language (or any other language), expand your vocabulary by reading and writing more. Look up words you're not familiar with. The better you are able to express yourself, the better your ability to communicate.

      
    * Practice your listening skills. Be considerate of other speakers by waiting until they are done before stating your views. Process what has being said before responding.

      
    * Learn to understand and appreciate opposing points of view by being open-minded and making an effort to see things from others' perspective. It will in turn, gain you more cooperation and understanding.

      
    * Avoid trying to communicate when in an emotional state. You lose objectivity and may say something inappropriate or regrettable. Take time to think your position through before speaking.

      
    * Join an organization such as Toastmasters that encourages you to develop a variety of communication skills, as well as the opportunity to meet new and interesting people.

When you take the time to acquire and hone good communication skills you open yourself up to better relationships, more career opportunities and increased self-confidence. You also reach higher levels of mutual understanding and cooperation while achieving your goals with even greater success. All new skills take time to refine, however, with effort and practice you can develop good, even exceptional, communication skills.

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