tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510836742704922332024-03-05T22:13:09.029-08:00Jolinda OsborneJolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-91853227755946216542013-05-01T10:49:00.001-07:002013-05-01T10:49:29.135-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Texting Your Smile – From East to West </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Emoticons are becoming essential to communicating the
feelings and tone behind the words in text messages. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But did you know that emoticons with the same
meaning differ across cultures?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Texting in a multicultural world </b> </div>
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<br /></div>
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The emoticon<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> :)</b>
that we in the West use for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smile</i></b>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is often written as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">^.^</b> in the East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if
you’re texting that you’re <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sad</i></b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Westerners use <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">:( </b>while many
people in Asian cultures signal that feeling with <b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">-_-</span></b> .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you’re so sad
that you’re <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">crying</b> as you text, you
might write <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">:’(</b> , <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while your Asian friend may signal the same
emotion with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">; _ ;</b> </div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s interesting that American and other Westerners
replicate emotions with side-way symbols that suggest the mouth, while some Asians
use horizontal representations that suggest the eyes. How might this differing
symbol usage reflect on cultural communication? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Cultures differ in how they take in information </b> </div>
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<br /></div>
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Anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his groundbreaking book, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385124740/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385124740&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20%22%3EBeyond%20Culture%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385124740%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><span style="color: blue;">Beyond Culture</span></a>, distinguishes between high and
low-context cultures. Westerners (America/Northern Europe) prefer low-context
communication wherein the information exchanged is explicitly embedded in the
code (the spoken or written word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus,
“Read my lips” or “take a person at his/her word.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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Most other cultures around the world, however, use
high-context communication wherein the meaning of the message comes from the
context in which it is given. Thus, a person’s reputation, social position, gestures and
face convey more meaning than does the simple code of the spoken or written word.
“The eyes are the windows to the soul” is one Arab proverb. And ancient
languages such as Chinese have tonal and pictorial roots that signal meaning. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An understanding of high and low context cultures is basic
to effective cross-cultural communication. When we recognize that the other
person’s way of integrating and evaluating information may be differ from ours,
we’re likely to avoid a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">surprising</i></b> miscommunication<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">:0</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">o_0</b>
when texting in our multicultural world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jolinda Osborne</div>
Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-10820100356948976902013-04-05T21:06:00.001-07:002013-04-05T21:07:53.665-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">A Penny for your Thoughts</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday I spied a shiny penny in a grocery store parking
lot. I picked it up, a normal reaction for me, but apparently fewer and fewer
people stop and bend over to retrieve the lowly penny. It just isn’t worth the
effort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, a controversy is brewing: should the U.S. stop minting
the one cent coin, commonly called a penny?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It costs the government more than one cent in materials and energy to
produce a penny. Canada has decided to stop production, and many in the U.S.
are calling on us to follow Canada’s lead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">America is rich with penny-related
idioms and cultural references </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pennies may not make economic sense, but I have a soft spot
in my heart for the penny. The coin with Abraham Lincoln on one side is
intricately woven into the English language and American cultural fabric. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A penny saved is a penny earned</i></b>,” advised one of America’s
Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. He touts thrift as an important value, and
it certainly contributed to the popularity of piggy banks – porcelain or
plastic pigs with slots for children to deposit pennies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Franklin would have approved of the British
saying: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">penny wise, pound foolish</i></b>,” wherein a decision to save a small
amount upfront (such as refusing to change the oil in one’s car) leads to a very
expensive problem later on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A penny doesn’t get
you any respect</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If a business endeavor is “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">penny ante</i></b>,” you know it’s
hardly worth the effort. Moreover,, if it costs you only a penny join (ante) a
poker game, your winnings will likely be very small. Speaking of gambling, it’s
hard now to find “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">penny slots</i></b>,” machines in Las
Vegas requiring only pennies to play. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1930s a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">penny arcade</i></b> meant a
venue where coin-operated devices could be played. Today the webcomic, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PennyArcade</i>, has kept the word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">penny</i></b>
in the collective culture!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever overhear a guy called a “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bad penny</i></b>?” He is
probably out to borrow money or headed down the road to ruin. Perhaps we should
have empathy, though, since he may have been “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cut off without a penny</i></b>”
by his family. Without funds he can only eye from the store window expensive
items costing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a pretty penny</i></b>.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pennies from Heaven </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the penny disappears from pockets and the American
experience, I wonder if our grandchildren will relate to the song, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pennies from Heaven, </i>recorded by Bing
Crosby, Billie Holladay, and many other jazz greats<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">“Every time it rains, it
rains pennies from heaven<br />
Don't cha know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?<br />
You'll find your fortune fallin' all over town<br />
Be sure that your umbrella<br />
Is upside down<br />
<br />
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers<br />
If you want the things you love, you must have showers.<br />
So when you hear it thunder</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't run under a tree<br />
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the possible demise of the lowly penny has implications
beyond government cost-savings. When there are no more pennies, I believe our
language will be poorer for it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A penny for your thoughts. </i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jolinda </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a>
</div>
Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-45041229614032545572013-03-13T11:04:00.000-07:002013-03-13T11:04:07.329-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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After a break to complete my new speech and pronunciation
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International and ESL employees who work in American and global
organizations contribute valuable talents and diverse perspectives. When management
makes American English pronunciation training available, these
employees gain skills to succeed, contribute to their teams, and strengthen
the organization.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
American English is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lingua
franca</i> of business and a fundamental competency skill. Fortunately, clear
spoken English is a skill that can be learned, not unlike other interpersonal
skills such as teamwork, presentations, and time management. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Clear, confident American English is achievable </span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know many employees who have significantly improved their
performance once their speech is clear, correct and confident: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">managers</i></b> who run
effective meetings and handle team conflicts;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">engineers</i></b> who speak up on conference calls to offer good ideas
and challenge the status quo; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">physicians</i></b>
who engage their patients and probe for subtle understanding; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">research
scientists</i></b> who present their inventions at international conferences</div>
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These and many other professionals now possess a level of
spoken communication that is commensurate with their expertise and
achievements. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Employees are eager for communication training <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></h4>
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Occasionally managers tell me they hesitate to suggest speech/accent
improvement for fear of embarrassing an employee. Just the opposite is true. Employees
realize that poor speech and pronunciation put them at a disadvantage. They
notice the “glazed eyes” of confused listeners, and feel their confidence drain
away when others ask them to repeat themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These employees are eager to improve, but some come from
cultures where asking a manager for training seems impolite or disrespectful. Moreover,
finding professional-level training is challenging, while juggling a pressured
work schedule to attend an offsite class is nearly impossible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without confidence in their ability to communicate, employees
might defer to others when asked to present their ideas, avoid taking on a leadership
role, remain quiet in meetings, and lose out on opportunities to serve the
organization and advance their own careers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">A resource for ESL and international employees</span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OpenSesame now hosts <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sound American: American English for Success
in Business</i></b>, a comprehensive, business-oriented speech and
pronunciation video course designed for corporate learning systems and
optimized for tablet/mobile devices. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pro-active employees who are eager refine their American
English can opt to study anytime, anywhere. Employees who are given the
performance review directive, “improve your communication,” can now source a
rigorous, comprehensive, and effective solution. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please visit my website to read about the video features, <a href="http://www.jolindaosborne.com/">www.jolindaosborne.com</a> , or
go to <a href="https://www.opensesame.com/c/sound-american-training-course">https://www.opensesame.com/c/sound-american-training-course</a>to preview and purchase the course.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I welcome your feedback.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jolinda <a href="http://www.jolindaosborne.com/"></a> </div>
Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-79184036017405710862012-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:002012-01-19T09:50:35.986-08:00Your Name – Make Sure Others Know It!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">It can be frustrating when you introduce yourself, others don’t understand your name, and you must say it again. And again. Yet names that are foreign-sounding (to your audience) or are spelled in an unusual way do pose a real problem for listeners, especially on the phone. And just as you tire of repeating your name, listeners are embarrassed to keep asking. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve got a tip on how to ensure that others spell your name correctly. Also I’ve come across a new resource that allows you to actually record your name and post it for others to hear. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The International Phonetic Code</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pilots and soldiers in the military have long used a phonetic code system whereby letters identify names or words in spoken messages. Below is that alphabet. Instead of saying Obama, for example, a soldier or pilot would simply say: Oscar, Bravo, Alpha, Mike, Alpha. <span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; width: 43.0%;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Alpha</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">B</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bravo</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">C</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Charlie</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">D</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Delta</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">E</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Echo</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">F</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Foxtrot</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">G</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Golf</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">H</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hotel</span></div></td> </tr>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">J</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Juliet</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">K</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kilo</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">L</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lima</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">M</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Mike</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 13;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">N</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">November</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 14;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">O</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Oscar</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 15;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">P</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Papa</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 16;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Q</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Quebec</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 17;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">R</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Romeo</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 18;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">S</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sierra</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 19;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">T</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tango</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 20;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">U</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Uniform</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 21;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">V</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Victor</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 22;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">W</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Whisky</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 23;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">X</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">X-Ray</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 24;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Y</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yankee</span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 25; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 30.26%;" width="30%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Z</span></div></td> <td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 67.34%;" width="67%"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Zulu</span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Prepare your listener to understand your name</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To ensure that a listener understands my name, I can use the phonetic code words to be clear about the spelling and pronunciation. I would say the following on the telephone if I am not understood: “My name is Jolinda. I’ll spell it. J as in Juliet, O as in Oscar, L as in Lima, I as in India, N as in November, D as in Delta, A as in Alpha. Jolinda.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Make sure to preface the spelling by alerting the listener that you are going to spell your name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the list above is “official,” you can change words if you feel others won’t recognize them. Just make sure the word you substitute is understandable. For example, you might say, “T as in teacher,” (instead of T as in Tango), but don’t choose to use the word “that” which starts with a T but begins a sound “th.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">An online tool for pronouncing names</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I just read about <a href="http://www.audioname.com/#2"><span style="color: blue;">Audioname</span></a>, a start up company headed by Sheetal Dube. She’s an Indian entrepreneur in Oregon who recognized how awkward it was for others to pronounce her name during those critical first minutes of a business conversation. Her free software tool enables users to easily record their names, post those recordings on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, or even add them to blogs and websites.You might find this tool helpful if people have difficulty understanding your name. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Your name is important. In business it can be your brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the time to help others spell and pronounce your name. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-64121064079667961462012-01-12T16:40:00.000-08:002012-01-12T16:40:47.912-08:00Be Your Team's Devil's Advocate<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been catching up on reading, and a recent article in the New York Times Business section struck me as useful to share: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">Every Team Should Have a Devil’s Advocate.</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Becoming a devil’s advocate at work has some advantages, and good communication strategies can help you take on that role</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">There is a legitimate place for a Devil Advocate </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A devil’s advocate is someone who raises difficult questions and argues a position or viewpoint that he or she may not necessarily agree with in order to engage others in a discussion. The value of such a discussion is to test the validity of the argument or proposed action, identify weaknesses or invalid assumptions, and improve or abandon the original idea or proposed action. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The name “devil’s advocate” was originally given to a lawyer in 16<sup>th</sup> century <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Europe who was assigned to argue against the Catholic Church’s assertion that a certain person should be made a saint (canonized).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Devil’s Advocate was supposed to be skeptical and critical, and thus ensure the accuracy by the Church of all evidence of saintly acts by the person being considered. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">A devil’s advocate is more than a naysayer </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At work, we often dislike skeptics, but we certainly need more of them, according to Ori Hadomi, CEO of Mazor Robotics in Israel. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/business/ori-hadomi-of-mazor-robotics-on-choosing-devils-advocates.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt">Every Team Should Have a Devil's Advocate</a> Often teams of employees are too positive in their group thinking, or they simply nod at whatever idea senior management suggests, without giving the idea a hard look. Hadomi actually appoints one of his executives to play devil’s advocate. Such a person challenges the group’s thinking, asks the hard questions, and punches holes in assumptions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">How to be an effective devil’s advocate</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Following are three strategies for being an effective devil’s advocate:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 43.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 43.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In advance of the meeting, inform the meeting facilitator that you are going to raise some questions. That way the facilitator won’t be caught off-guard and misunderstand your misgivings, will expect you to speak up, and will allow you time to voice questions and concerns. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 43.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 43.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Start your remarks by saying, “I’m going to play devil’s advocate.” Others will know, then, that you are going to raise some hard questions or make comments on the proposal, but that you don’t necessarily agree with all the points. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 43.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 43.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Respond to others’ comments or arguments by saying, “Let’s look at this differently.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What if we make a different assumption?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, “I think we should consider a completely different approach.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;">An effective devil’s advocate enlarges the conversation and ensures that all the issues and concerns are addresses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you choose to play devil’s advocate and use the communication strategies I bulleted, you’ll be appreciated at work for your insightful thinking and for helping the group arrive at a solid decision. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;">Jolinda</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 7.5pt;"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-87225786235152968772012-01-07T10:54:00.000-08:002012-01-07T10:54:19.334-08:00Liquid Networks and Random Collisions<div class="MsoNormal">I recently read Steve Johnson’s fascinating book,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MHZARA/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004MHZARA">Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004MHZARA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> The book’s premise is that innovation depends upon the capacity of organisms (and individuals) to make as many new connections as possible, and to be in environments that encourage random collisions among all elements of a system. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The author covers a lot of ground – from the origins of carbon-based life on earth, to the complex structure of coral reefs, to the science of neurons and synapses in the brain, to the richness of cities, to the intricacies of technological platforms. A common factor that leads to diversity and innovation anywhere in the universe is plasticity and connectivity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">How does this premise relate to communication at work?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I work with many engineers and managers at high-tech companies. I regularly see people sitting alone for long hours in their cubicles. They may skip lunch, or else rush to the café, get takeaway food, and return to their drab gray walls to work alone. Of course some work requires concentration, but the lack of connections with others outside their immediate teams may preclude them from those new connections and random collisions that spark innovative ideas. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thus, a conscious effort to engage new people in different ways can be helpful to your work and career. Engagement is actually easy if it becomes a priority. Sit in your company café rather than return to your cubicle. Take advantage of the company fitness room. Attend the quarterly team building offsite event. Make it your goal to strike up a conversation with someone in the elevator, or who commutes with you, or whose car is parked next to yours in the lot. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">A flowing, energizing 2012</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My intention this year is to make put myself in new situations, communicate with new people and unfamiliar environments, and thus be open to the creative, liquid flow of possibilities. It does take effort and energy to attend a lecture, dance, sports event, or neighborhood gathering. I try to keep in mind that the others are also hesitant, unsure what to talk about, and convinced everyone else is already connected. Instead I am going to focus on the potential payback: greater insights and a richness of experiences that will prime my brain to link it all in some amazing way to spark a new idea. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wish you an innovative year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-17883743040805539422011-12-15T12:43:00.000-08:002011-12-15T12:43:47.358-08:00The Art of Fielding Questions<div class="MsoNormal">Some weeks back I discussed how you can up-level your presentations at work. While careful preparation, organization and practice are critical to presenting well, I find that employees I coach often dread the Q&A session following the presentation. They fear looking stupid or else stumbling over their words when responding to questions or interruptions to their well-prepared and timed presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">You want questions</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Really, you do. That’s the way to be sure you’ve gotten your message across and achieved your purpose. If you avoid answering questions, you miss the chance to understand your listeners’ objections. You won’t be able to figure out what you can do or say to convince them of your point of view. You’ll be frustrated when you don’t get what you want (resources, the okay for your recommendation, etc.), and you’ll lose an opportunity to show your expertise, confidence, and authority. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Set ground rules* </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Conferences normally set aside a Q&A time after each presentation, but audiences in typical business meetings/presentations play by their own rules. You may start your presentation by asking people to hold their questions until you’ve finished, but colleagues and especially senior level managers will jump in with questions or comments whenever they want. You may say that you will address their concerns in the next slide or in a few minutes. Or, you may need to move around in your presentation to satisfy a senior manager. (Know your presentation organization so well that you can do so without stumbling around in the material.) However, if people keep interrupting to ask for clarity or data, consider that you should have better organized your presentation to put that priority information up front. Thus, it’s critical to practice your presentation with colleagues in advance of “game day.”* </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Tips for responding to questions and interruptions </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You should anticipate 90% of the questions that will be asked. After all, you are the expert, and you’ve rehearsed your presentation with your manager or other colleagues. Thus, you should have worked out answers to those obvious questions. Practice aloud your answers so you hear yourself speaking, instead of just running words through your head and then struggling for vocabulary under the stress of an actual presentation. I’m amazed at how often presenters seem stunned by questions, when in truth they should have known exactly what the audience would ask. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Fielding questions on the fly*</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one</i> question you didn’t expect or can’t answer will arise. Here are some tips for handling the unforeseen. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Clarify with the questioner the specific nature of the question, so that you don’t begin speaking to a different point, only to waste time and look stupid when the questioner says, “That’s not what I asked.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Acknowledge (if true) that the question is important, interesting, insightful, critical, or even one you’ve asked yourself. Your honest statement is a compliment to the questioner, and it gives your brain a few seconds to organize a response. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Make eye contact with the questioner, or, if on a teleconference call, repeat the name of the questioner. That connection helps you focus on the underlying nature of the question, and the intent of the questioner. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Be truthful. Never pretend to know what you don’t. Someone will know you are faking. You might need to state that you can’t answer the question. Do so calmly, and add that you will get back to the person with an answer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>You might turn to a colleague and ask for help answering the question. It’s okay to call on others’ expertise, but you don’t want to lose control of the meeting. Thank your colleague and resume your presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>If the interruption is not a question but rather a long statement, you might need to interrupt and ask the person what it is he/she wants to know. Don’t allow your presentation to turn into a platform for others to take over. You’re at bat.* </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>* Note: In this blog I’ve included several idioms from the world of baseball. Please see my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1461157188/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1461157188">Touch All the Bases: The Culture and Idioms of America's Pastime - Baseball</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1461157188" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, to learn over 170 baseball idioms and expressions used daily in business. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Happy holidays,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-79965739391570753502011-11-24T12:45:00.000-08:002011-11-24T12:45:01.871-08:00All Voice Begins with Vibration<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I started blogging a few months ago by sharing communication tips and strategies gleaned from workshops and classes I’ve taught over the years. I’m shifting the focus of my blog to discoveries I’m making about the interface of communication and culture. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">My Singing Bowl</span><br />
A few weeks ago I purchased a beautiful gold-colored bowl, 12 inches in diameter, forged of seven metals, and made by artisans in a small village in the Himalayas. Such bowls are called singing bowls, or sometimes Tibetan bells, because of the amazing sounds they produce when struck. <cite class="kvm">www.<b>youtube</b>.com/watch?v=3hncJzoAiAw </cite><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3hncJzoAiAw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<cite class="kvm"></cite><cite class="kvm"></cite></div><div class="MsoNormal">My bowl has helped me “tune in” to the essence of sound – a vibration set in motion by a “mover,” and “received” by the “antenna” of our ears and entire body. Whether I strike my bowl with a wooden implement or roll the striker around the bowl’s circumference, the complexity of sound is beautiful and mesmerizing. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">All voice begins with vibration</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anthropologists and linguists have debated for centuries the interrelationship between the speech patterns developed by cultures, and the natural sounds they heard in their environments and eventually imitated with their voices and musical instruments. What, for example, led the peoples of Tibet and Himalayan India to forge metals from their mountainous homes into bowls that could produce such a range of captivating sound? And how did the bowls themselves alter the pitch, intensity, and range of the speech of those very people who created them? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Physicists explain that the human voice begins as vibratory energy produced by the complex forces of our body’s organs on molecules of air. Such vibrations become spoken voices because of factors unique to each body, as well as to learned factors of pitch, breathing, resonance, articulation, etc. Cultures impose their own “likes” upon speech, so that a particular pitch, cadence, and intonation become favored. Musical instruments and objects come to complement that range of voices dominant in a particular culture. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Each voice is unique </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I coach people on how to speak clearly or present more effectively in meetings, I am aware of some of the cultural or geographical influences that forge familiar patterns of speech (i.e. accent). I also am interested in discovering how a person’s voice projects his or her personality. Each voice contains within those molecules of vibrating air the potential to express itself in an individual way. When we speak of a person having “a voice,” we mean more than simply vibration and accent; we hear the person’s essence in the timbre and intensity of the words conveyed in speech. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The goal of coaching or training, therefore, is not try to change that vibrating, molecular-level essence of the person’s unique voice. Rather, it is to help the person fully utilize the instruments of sound available in his/her body to form words, express thoughts, and evoke responses that we then call communication. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">I give thanks for my bowl</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, Thanksgiving Day, I will “play” my beautiful bowl, an instrument uniquely different from all the other bowls in the little shop where I bought it. I give thanks for its harmonics originally forged and valued by the cultures of the Himalayas. I give thanks for the lessons it’s teaching me about the human voice. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Note: A helpful book for those interested in singing bowls is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/907830216X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=907830216X">Singing Bowl Handbook: Singing Bowls - Tingshaws - Bell - Dorje</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=907830216X&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-90192637127649838982011-11-03T16:31:00.000-07:002011-11-03T16:31:38.860-07:00Bears and Bulls<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The stock market’s gyrations these last months have led to speculation about whether the market will rally and become a “bullish” market, or else retreat into a “bearish” market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got thinking about how American culture, any culture, uses animal metaphors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such metaphoric communication is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zoomorphism</i>, the tendency to describe human activities and behaviors in terms of the behavior of animals. When animals are paired and then contrasted in descriptions, we gain insights into what is being described metaphorically. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Bears and bulls</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bears hibernate in the cold months of the year; i.e., they retreat into caves and lairs to sleep. And while a mama bear with her cub can charge a summer hiker who stumbles across one in the mountains, a bear usually runs away when disturbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bulls, as we know from viewing a rodeo or a bullfight, seem wired to attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A “bully” at school is a stronger child who makes fun of or physically attacks weaker children. None of us likes a bully. However, anyone with money invested in the stock market hopes for prices to charge ahead. To that end, Merrill Lynch uses a bull for its logo, and visitors to the Shanghai stock will see five golden bulls at the entrance. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Hawks and Doves</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hawks are predator birds, skilled hunters with keen eyesight. One often sees a hawk perched on a fence post or tree limb, ready to swoop down on an unsuspecting prey. Used metaphorically, hawks are those individuals who advocate an aggressive foreign policy based on strong military power, and who see war as a logical response. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Doves, on the other hand, value peace and try to resolve international conflicts without the threat of force. A dove is a bird with a heavy body, small head, short legs, and long pointed wings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dove has a soft “cooing” sound. Some birds in the dove family, like pigeons, are kept as pets. Doves appear in art as peaceful birds in idyllic scenes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The Tortoise and the Hare</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Aesop, an ancient Greek write (620-564 BCE) is said to have written many fables, stories with a moral teaching to them. Many of his stories use animals that speak and have human characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his most famous stories is that of The Tortoise and the Hare. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The story concerns a hare (a rabbit) who challenges a slow-moving tortoise to a race. The hare soon leaves the tortoise behind and, confident of winning, decides to take a nap midway through the course. When he awakes, however, he finds that the tortoise, crawling slowly but steadily, has arrived before him and won the race. Today people might describe a person (or themselves) as a tortoise, a seemingly mild criticism but with a subtle message of a persistent person who wins out in the end. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Cat and Mouse </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Cat and mouse” is an old English idiom that means an action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes. Sometimes the idiom “cat and mouse game” implies that the contest is never-ending, as in a battle. If you’ve ever observed a cat chase a mouse, you’ll know that often the cat can’t quite capture the mouse, who is weaker but smart. Sometimes a cat appears to "play" with the mouse by releasing it after capture, only to pounce on it later. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In all of the examples above, commonly recognized animal characteristics are used to describe human behavior. At times English language application of zoomorphism is confusing. A person can be described as a “lazy dog.” However he or she can also “work like a dog,” meaning to work hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some animals have such a variety of observed behaviors that their metaphorical usage in English is mixed, and therefore confusing for people of other cultures. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many of you reading this blog are from non-English cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are some of the animals that have appeared in idiomatic phrases and descriptions in your language? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I welcome comments, or questions about other zoomorphic pairs used in English communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>Best,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>Jolinda Osborne</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>jolinda@jolindaosborne.com </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></div><br />
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</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-56048392172410188242011-10-13T22:31:00.000-07:002011-10-13T22:31:15.907-07:00Give your audience what it wants – and they will give you their support!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">An audience is critical to your presentation. You need each other – they to gain information or ideas from you, and you to gain their support in order to achieve your purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, understanding and satisfying your audience’s expectations will determine your success as a presenter. In earlier blogs I introduced five employees whose upcoming presentations may have a similar purpose to yours. Let’s see how they, and you, can think about your audience in relation to your purpose. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Informers, present just the right amount of information </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As yourself, “How much information and data is sufficient to support my purpose?” If you are updating your team, as Jose must do, consider exactly what pieces of information are critical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eliminate anything extraneous, as you don’t want to insult or bore people. On the other hand, give them enough facts, insights, and details to form an opinion or answer their questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share your presentation ahead of time with trusted coworkers. If your coworkers find gaps, have questions, or are bored, your audience certainly will, too. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instructors, know your steps </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you, like Sue, need to instruct people on a process, make sure you have gone through the steps yourself. Several times!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then try out your instructions on colleagues. Note any steps or processes where they are confused, ask questions, or don’t demonstrate proficiency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those places are where you need to factor in more time or add more instruction to your presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, give colleagues your handouts/slides in advance, and have them critique your steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What have you left out? They will tell you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Recommenders, anticipate the objections </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you, like Abdul, expect your recommendation to be accepted, make sure you anticipate the questions and objections that will derail your presentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money, resources, and schedule are always issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will you answer the “naysayers,” those folks who say it won’t work, or it’s too expensive, or no one will like it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need solid responses that are rooted in information. Practice aloud answer to their objections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, you are the expert, and so you should not be surprised by questions that you should have anticipated. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Interest sparkers, show them the vision</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mei wants her audience to see the value of and support her new research idea. If your purpose is to spark interest, you need to show people a vision of what is possible. People need to believe in you/your idea if they are to follow you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help them see your vision, its value, and its benefits to them and to the organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, you’ve got to show excitement and passion in your delivery (more about delivery in later blogs). If your presentation is flat and dull, why would anyone believe you can achieve something new? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Evaluators, be balanced and complete</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Your audience, like Tom’s, expects a fair and balanced evaluation of a project’s successes and failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you certainly can choose aspects of the evaluation to highlight, a one-sided presentation will arouse suspicion and push back. Carefully plan how you will present the pros/cons or successes/failures. Make sure your deductions and recommendations arise out of the assessment you’ve given. We’ll talk more about organization styles in later blogs. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In summary, think hard about what your audience expects of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course they always expect honesty and clarity, and you’ll give them that – and more. Know what they want to hear and they will become allies in support of your purpose. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, I welcome your comments.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-77736470862496160342011-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:002011-09-29T19:59:49.634-07:00Know your Audience<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">“Who will be sitting in the audience when you present?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a question I always ask when coaching folks on their presentations skills. I’m often surprised when the answer is, “I’m not sure who will be there.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing your audience – the specific attendees or at least the nature of those you’ll be speaking to – is critical to making a successful presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Be a detective </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are some questions to ask yourself, and to ask your manager and others who might better know your audience or the meeting attendees:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>How much do the attendees know about my subject? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Are they technical?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Managers? A mix? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>And, if a mix, at what level do I pitch my presentation? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>How well do they know me? Do I need to establish my credentials or expertise, or can I skip that information? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>What attitude does the audience have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Friendly? Eager? Skeptical? Hostile? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Moreover, learn the names of the people who will be at your meeting, if possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At work, an agenda is often sent out by email. Look at the distribution list, note the names you recognize, and find out who the other people are, whether they will be at the meeting, and what their interest is in your topic. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Knowing the attendees is not possible at a large conference, though you should have a good idea of their level of expertise and interest. However, in a smaller meeting, you can and need to know who will be attending. Often an interruption or question arises from the audience (in person or via teleconferencing), and you want to be able to know who asked the question, as well as ascertain the reasoning of the questioner. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Everyone needs a friend</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I mentioned in a previous blog that it’s important to have an ally or supporter in the audience or at the meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find the most respected person you can, share in advance your material and get his/her buy-in, and make sure your ally is at the meeting. We all need such support. The notion of walking in alone and handling the situation, like John Wayne at high noon in a western town, is usually only effective in cowboy movies. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you get questions or push back on your idea, that’s the time to turn to your ally and ask for his/her comments. Use your ally to bolster your credibility. If he/she knows and agrees to what you are proposing, you’ll have a much easier chance of success with a skeptical audience. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Who is the decision-maker? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If the purpose of your presentation is to gain a “yes” for your recommendation or get approval for a project or resources, always make sure the decision-maker is present. Otherwise, you may have wasted time and energy, you may suffer an unnecessary defeat, and you may lose the chance to present again to the “right” person. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are not sure who the decision-maker is, ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your manager is an excellent resource because he/she likely knows the politics, the budgets, the constraints, and the decision-makers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find out the person or persons you need to influence, and start the influencing process well in advance of your presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No one likes to be surprised, especially anyone in the position of making a decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more information you provide to your stakeholders and decision-makers in advance of your actual presentation, the easier your presentation will go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might even be fun! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next time, we’ll look at our five presenters introduced in an earlier blog, and explore in more detail what they need to know about their audiences that will help them craft effective presentations. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-56659906547497656012011-09-22T13:33:00.000-07:002011-09-22T13:33:48.901-07:00Plan for Success – Before you Stand Up to Present!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">Last week I introduced you to five employees who will soon make important presentations. Over the coming weeks, I’m going to offer tips on how each of them can succeed. First, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s critical to consider upfront whether they have a chance of achieving their purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if so, what will success look like? </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like them, you need to evaluate well in advance of putting together the presentation your chances of achieving your purpose. Why? So that you can formulate a strategy, carefully structure your message, get compelling data, invite the “right” people, and set the stage for your success. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Five scenarios illustrate what success can look like<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jose needs to inform his team of the data and feedback from the latest customer surveys</b>. To succeed he needs to provide the appropriate data his team wants, and anticipate their questions. He also needs to distill information rather than do a “data dump.” Success is measured by whether he chooses and shares all relevant information, answers all questions and leaves his audience satisfied, and sets the stage for discussion/decisions based on his report. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sue needs to instruct her people on new factory safety features. </b>The clarity and specificity of her instruction and directions are critical, as is allowing enough time for questions. Measuring success might mean asking for employee demonstrations or a proficiency test, and zero safety issues in the future is another longer-term measurable. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Abdul wants to recommend a new inventory system and get approval so he can start implementation</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He should have laid the groundwork in earlier meetings for why a new system is important. Now he’ll need solid, persuasive data on costs, disruptions, scheduling, resources, etc. His audience is senior management; he must answer their rigorous questions. Success depends on the decision-makers being present. His measure of success: does he get the green light to move ahead with implementation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mei wants to spark interest in and gain support from her manager and team to explore new research ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Mei needs to paint a picture of what her research idea can offer and where it may lead. Industry data, trends, as-yet-to-be solved problems and gaps in her company’s product/patent portfolio, as well as her own preliminary work, are imperative to convince managers to support her ideas. She so needs senior-level advocates on board. Like Abdul, she must insure that decision-makers are present. Her measurable is a bit tricky: to move beyond discussion of her ideas and get approval to start the research.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tom’s purpose is to evaluate the successes and failures of the Grand Opening of the company’s newest store. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a meeting is sometimes called a de-brief or a post-mortem (a medical term to describe the cause of death). Tom must carefully sift, organize and deliver a wealth of data -- sales reports, number of shoppers, inventory management, etc., as well as provide anecdotal feedback from customers and employees. He will succeed if his audience makes sense of the data and experiences, and draws useful lessons for the next Opening. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">So, what is the purpose of your upcoming presentation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I suggest you answer that question by completing these statements:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>My purpose is to _______________________________________<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In order to achieve my purpose I must ______________________</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>I’ll know if I am successful if _____________________________</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you can’t complete these sentences, you’re not ready for “show time.” Re-think your purpose, or break up your presentation into action steps, each of which moves you to your purpose. Re-organize and hone your presentation to include precisely what your audience needs in order to give you want you want. Make sure you’ve invited advocates and decision-makers, and schedule your presentation only when you’re sure those folks will be present. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next time I’ll write about how you evaluate your audience. After all, a presentation is really communication with listeners. You want to know all you can about them. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-77209187465938569962011-09-15T12:37:00.000-07:002011-09-15T12:37:39.240-07:00You -- A Successful Presenter!<div class="MsoNormal">Picture yourself in a business conference room. You sit calmly, ready to speak, eager to share what you know, and confident of achieving your purpose. Then you stand. Your strong and confident voice projects to the back of the room. All eyes look up from laptops and phone screens to focus on you and your compelling presentation material. Your narrative is a seamless weave of facts, examples and illustrations that keep your audience listening, questioning, and nodding. You deliver just the right number of details and words, summarize in the time allotted to you on the agenda, and sit down. You breathe deeply and smile. Sweet. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Yes, you <u>can</u> be an effective, polished presenter </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During the coming weeks, I’ll be blogging with tips and strategies to help you become the kind of presenter pictured in that first paragraph. I define success as achieving the purpose of your presentation, with a delivery that demonstrates your confidence, expertise, and authority. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course there are many types of presentations: formal speeches in front of an auditorium audience or at an international conference; informal talks given to your coworkers or customers or management team in small meeting room or via phone/video conferencing. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No matter what your venue or audience, however, the fundamentals of presenting for success remain constant: a clear purpose, knowledge of your audience, compelling narration and organizational structure, appropriate information and visuals, attention-grabbing introduction, and effective conclusion. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Why am I giving this talk? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The very first question you should ask yourself when thinking about a presentation is, “Why am I presenting?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wrong answers to that question include: “My manager told me to do it.” “I’m pinch-hitting* for a sick coworker.” “No one else wanted to present, so I guess it’ll have to do it.” Those might be the reasons for why you’re standing nervously in front of a skeptical audience, but they are not your purpose. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Define your purpose by what <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you</b> want to achieve. For example, your purpose may be to:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Inform/update</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Instruct/train</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Recommend action and ask for agreement/approval</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Gain interest in and support for your strategy or methodology </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Evaluate/Debrief </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Certainly there are other reasons to give a speech, such as entertaining an audience with an after-dinner talk, or inspiring others through a church sermon. The bulleted purposes above are business-oriented, and they are the ones you’ll most likely encounter at work. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Five business people demonstrate what success looks like</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Drawing on presentations classes and coaching sessions I've conducted over many years, I’ve created composites of individuals who are charged with delivering a business presentation. I invite you to follow their stories in the coming weeks, as they build and deliver successful presentations to achieve their purposes. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jose </b>needs to<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> inform </b>his team of the data and feedback from the latest customer surveys. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sue </b>must<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> instruct </b>her reports on the new safety procedures in the factory.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Abdul </b>is eager to<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> recommend </b>to senior management a new inventory system and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">get approval </b>to implement it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mei </b>wants<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> gain support </b>from her manager and team to explore an exciting avenue for new research.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tom </b>has called a meeting to<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> evaluate </b>the successes and failures of the Grand Opening of the company’s newest store. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>Next week</u>, learn how the five employees get clarity for achieving their purposes, and practice getting clarity on <u>your</u> purpose for an upcoming presentation. Also, you’ll learn how to make sure your purpose is achievable and measurable. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">* The idiom “pinch hit” comes from baseball, where one batter is substituted for another in order to have a chance of getting a hit. See my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1461157188/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1461157188">Touch All the Bases: The Culture and Idioms of America's Pastime - Baseball: Stories for Learning Useful Business Idioms (Volume 3)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1461157188&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for many other baseball idioms used in business. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I welcome your comments and your questions on strategies for successful presentations in your business environment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">Jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-69635766718157301972011-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:002011-08-18T11:17:58.314-07:00Communication for Social Support at Work<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Workplace research by sociologists and psychologists indicates that social support – the help and interaction we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">receive</i> from colleagues – is a major factor in employee happiness and productivity. A recent Harvard Business Review blog by Shawn Achor <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/07/what_giving_gets_you_at_the_of.html">HBRblog</a> discusses research showing that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">giving </i>social support is equally beneficial. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It seems as if the advice our mothers gave us, “It’s better to give than to receive,” holds true in the business world. Ancor maintains that “work altruists,” his term for highly engaged worker who make an effort to develop relationships with their colleagues, are more productive and more likely to receive promotions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Social engagement at work can be challenging</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many of us are reluctant to engage colleagues in conversation when we don’t know them well. We hesitate for fear of intruding, we may be naturally shy, or we may feel it’s impolite to approach someone new in the café or hallway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While these reasons are understandable, I find in my coaching work that people are often reluctant because they lack appropriate language for beginning a conversation.<span style="color: #336699;"> </span>Following are some tips for opening a conversation with a colleague or person you don’t know well.<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Shoot the breeze</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Think of what you might have in common with the other person. Be honest, as people can tell when you are faking interest. Here are some ideas for finding a connection: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In the parking lot, remark on the other person’s car, and ask about the car’s performance. State that you have been thinking about buying another car. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In the café, express curiosity about the dish the other person has chosen (or brought from home). How was it fixed? How might you fix such a dish?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In the coffee line, remark about the weather, (cold, hot, changing), and what you/your family plans to do for the weekend. Then enquire about the other person’s weekend plans. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>At break time during a conference, approach a fellow audience member with a comment about the lecture you’ve just heard, and a question about what the other person found to be of interest. Don’t simply ask, “Did you like it?” to which the other person can say “yes” or “no.” End of conversation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Bounce an idea around</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Ask open-ended questions. Start your question by using an interrogative word such as who, what, where, when, why, or how. These inviting opening words prompt the other person to speak at length. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do <u>not</u> ask yes/no questions, or the conversation may come to a quick halt. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Be prepared to ask two or three questions to show interest in the other person, as well as to expand the topic. You want to allow for the conversation to move in directions you may not have imagined. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Then make a comment about yourself, your family, or your work project. Add information that will help the other person see the possibilities of continuing to talk with you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">To talk shop, or not?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The workplace offers many openings for a conversation: your company’s stock price, renovations to the lunchroom, how the new product is doing in the marketplace. Such topics are fine, though if you only “talk shop” you won’t usually have a chance to develop a more personal connection. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An alternative is to use the tips above to learn about the other person’s family, interests (music, sports, TV shows, hobbies, etc.), weekend plans, or cultural background. Such shared information in a relaxing setting, freely exchanged to the degree that you and the other person feel comfortable, can go a long way to building social connections that will nourish you at work, and also help your career. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You might give yourself a task: approach one new person each week. Start with a person you know a bit, and then widen your social network. Put the task on your calendar so you will be sure to remember to socially engage others. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">** I’m taking a short summer holiday break from my blog, but I’ll be back in early September with more communication insights and tips, including a series of blogs on how to give a compelling presentation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I welcome your suggestions for blog topics, as well as comments on this and previous blogs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-85088076721662980252011-08-11T10:29:00.000-07:002011-08-11T10:29:18.991-07:00When the Chips are Down<br />
During the recent Congressional debt ceiling debate, President Obama spoke often of the need for compromise, transparency, and a fair deal for all sides. I got to thinking that while we might agree that such attitudes are inherent in a civilized society, the idiomatic expressions Americans use in negotiations (whether in politics or in the business conference room) support very different values of confrontation and a “winner take all” approach. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Who blinked? Who folded? Who cut a deal? </span><br />
<br />
These and so many other idiomatic expressions arose out of card games, gambling, and risk-taking. Card games such as poker produce clear winners – players who rake chips off the table and count their money. In business and politics, however, victory is complicated by who is seen as having blinked (showed weakness), cut a deal (not necessarily positive of your side is uncompromising), or bluffed (deliberately misleading opponents) Perception of strength and winning is as important as the actual content of the victory. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">An ace up my sleeve</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wVHdCRUx9mpO08kT9BUlehICrmY9Pc8Q9lK4V0K645yKRyRJ15QbWsjJFVJAv6aZ7Cg47KKluRiQedInkhj16Bqohckuy8cWCn2-O04bJr0eODDSoGtLUIG6oxgqLHNjif5Z-h0j6dg/s1600/Ace+up+one%2527s+sleeve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wVHdCRUx9mpO08kT9BUlehICrmY9Pc8Q9lK4V0K645yKRyRJ15QbWsjJFVJAv6aZ7Cg47KKluRiQedInkhj16Bqohckuy8cWCn2-O04bJr0eODDSoGtLUIG6oxgqLHNjif5Z-h0j6dg/s200/Ace+up+one%2527s+sleeve.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>In negotiation, it’s strategic to have a hidden advantage or resource that you can pull out at a critical moment in the discussion. Aces are usually the best card in a poker player’s hand, and many a poker player in the Wild West found that a hole card, an ace in the hole, or an ace up his sleeve to be useful securing a win. Of course, to the opposition, producing such an advantage at the last moment leads to shouts of “unfair.” <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A poker face</span> <br />
<br />
Successful negotiators hold their cards close to their vests so as not to reveal plans or innovations prematurely. To tip your hand and reveal your cards (strengths) might allow a competitor to get to market first. So while transparency is applauded, in Congress and in business negotiations, we see a lot of poker faces. Good poker players never reveal in their faces or bodies how good (or poor) the cards are they are holding. They dare their opponents to throw in their chips (give up), rather than risk losing more. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Call my bluff</span><br />
<br />
A corollary idiom is a bluff. To bluff is to show confidence even if one doesn’t hold a winning hand of cards in hopes the other side will give up. We see politicians on TV all the time touting with great assurance that they have the better argument, the voters’ support, or the ability to stop the other side. Of course so much rhetoric is suspect, which is why speaking out or not speaking at all may be a strategy. After all, if they play their cards right, and prevent verbal mistakes that the opposition or the media will pounce on, they might win. All the while, we, the public, know only a small part of the behind-the-scenes story. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gain the upper hand </span><br />
<br />
At times in the just-ended debt ceiling debate, the President seemed to gain the upper hand – the advantage. But the tables can turn quickly in a gambling game or in negotiations where the stakes are high (a lot is at risk). Even if the cards are stacked against him, and thus loss seems imminent, many a risk-taker would draw to an inside straight (in poker, to draw a specific card to complete five cards in a row). With luck, some bluff, and a tolerance for risk-taking, he just might win. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lay my cards on the table </span><br />
<br />
I love learning about and using American idioms, so much so that I’ve written <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1461157072/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1461157072">Against All Odds: The Culture and Idioms of Risk-Taking in America: Stories for Learning Useful Business Idioms (Volume 2)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1461157072&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
. In the story I include over 170 idiomatic phrases and expressions. The American psyche seems wired for risk and winning. <br />
<br />
For this blog post I tried to come up with idioms that reflect compromise, sharing, and fair play. While we have a lot of sayings that reflect advice we all got from our mothers (share your toys, etc.), the vivid language we use everyday in business and in politics reflects singular achievement, often at the expense of another's loss. A challenge for society, it seems, is to come up with new imagery and language to communicate the need for compromise and win-win outcomes. <br />
<br />
What are some of your favorite expressions for risk-taking and winning? Or for compromise and sharing? <br />
<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
Jolinda Osborne<br />
jolinda@jolindaosborne.com Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-11320870965711621402011-08-04T18:26:00.000-07:002011-08-09T15:54:56.793-07:00Take Deep Breaths of Fresh Air when you Speak in PublicWe’ve all experienced nervousness when speaking to a group of familiar faces or to a room packed with strangers. And while symptoms of nervousness vary by individual, some combination of shaky hands, trembling voice, flushed face, beating heart, and even brain-deadness can ambush us like a sneaker wave, upend our confidence, and undermine our message. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear of Speaking in Public is Widespread</span> <br />
<br />
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s famous joke in reference to a well-known Gallop poll is one of my favorites. He said, “<i>According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.</i>” Yikes!<br />
<br />
I just finished reading <span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316042897/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0316042897">Nerve: Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool.</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwjolindaosb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316042897&camp=217145&creative=399373" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> This new book covers recent research on the biology and psychology of fear and stress. The book’s many enlightening stories show how ordinary folks, soldiers, businesspeople, and entertainers handle (or fail to handle) their fears and respond to stress or danger. The book also provides tips for facing one's fears and reacting successfully in stressful situations. The book got me thinking about people whom I help with their presentations, and what advice is immediately helpful to reducing their levels of nervousness. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Breathe properly</span><br />
<br />
Of course people breathe when they stand up to speak, but the breath is often shallow. Thus, too little oxygenated blood reaches the brain, and the heart beats faster to try to compensate. Then the body heats, the brain gets foggy, panic sets in, and… well, you can imagine where this story will end. <br />
<br />
To learn how to breathe properly, simply watch a sleeping baby. Notice that the baby’s belly goes in and out as she rhythmically takes in and expels air with the help of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the strong belly muscle. Adults are so intent on “sucking in” our stomachs to look fit that instead of allowing the belly to move out (and take in more air), we hold the belly in and raise our shoulders (allowing less air in).<br />
<br />
If I could I’d stand beside you I’d urge you to place your palms around the area of your belly button, keep your shoulders low, and breathe in. Feel your belly expand. Now exhale and feel your belly collapse as you expel more air. It’s a matter of physics – more space in the belly allows for more air. Since I can’t stand beside you, below is a drawing from my book, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1461136830/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjolindaosb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1461136830%22%3EImprove%20Your%20Spoken%20English%20and%20Pronunciation:%20An%20American%20Accent%20Course%20for%20Success%20in%20Business%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com">Improve Your Spoken English and Pronunciation </a><i>,</i> of how to breathe properly. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A diagram showing the airflow when you breathe</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-Ga0qoJ3ix6bP5iAvI6z9XU7DeTlLmTc68zp90LGQvywdGpKQCnOXN5v1lEXmFrmuV7UW9fmXl8QgN-vVlns6Kn2F8P1iZVcF4Sp8GzNoom1n6B_kBE2_YKs4SYr2Y5nKhhQlrdQnZg/s1600/image_breathing_1%255B1%255D+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-Ga0qoJ3ix6bP5iAvI6z9XU7DeTlLmTc68zp90LGQvywdGpKQCnOXN5v1lEXmFrmuV7UW9fmXl8QgN-vVlns6Kn2F8P1iZVcF4Sp8GzNoom1n6B_kBE2_YKs4SYr2Y5nKhhQlrdQnZg/s320/image_breathing_1%255B1%255D+copy.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
When you can breathe deeply, the symptoms I mentioned above ease. Your heart rate slows, your body remains cooler and steadier, your voice is stronger, you retain enough air to finish each sentence, and you think clearly! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Tips for conscious breathing</span><br />
• Start breathing through the diaphragm before you stand up to speak. You’ll get a rhythm going, your blood will be more oxygenated, and you will be steadier when you do stand.<br />
• Sit up straight while waiting to speak, and stand up straight when speaking. Allow as much air as possible to enter your lungs. Slouching works against you.<br />
• Pause a second or two before you begin to speak. Use that time to breathe deeply through your nose and center yourself.<br />
• And smile. A warm, wide smile not only connects you with your audience, but it helps you breathe deeply. Try smiling now. Notice that you breathe in. A smile happens on the in-breath. Thus, smiling is a great start to reducing nervousness. <br />
<br />
In upcoming blogs I’ll discuss others ways to handle nervousness when speaking. <br />
Best,<br />
Jolinda Osborne<br />
jolinda@jolindaosborne.comJolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-33376570219241181132011-07-28T16:41:00.000-07:002011-07-28T16:41:43.074-07:00Ask For What You Want<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was recently coaching a non-native English-speaking client who expressed disappointment that he did not receive the response he wanted from his manager. In his case, he wanted an invitation to present his data at a particular meeting. When I probed about the language he used in his request, he said, “I didn’t actually ask. I thought my manager would know I wanted to be there.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Never assume people will read your mind</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Managers and coworkers are busily focused on their projects and their issues. They don’t have time to speculate about what you want. Thus, the responsibility is on you to make a positive and clear request. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some people, especially shy individuals or those from cultures where such a request might be interpreted as questioning authority, think such straightforward, positive communication is impolite. In reality, is the most respectful and beneficial way of relating to your workplace colleagues. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A clear request respects your manager, and it benefits you</span></b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You give your manager an opportunity to see the benefit to him/her and to the organization of considering your request. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You don’t waste energy by regretting your silence, or by bemoaning a missed opportunity. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You display a confident attitude that will earn you respect, even if your manager doesn’t agree with you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span>How to make a request that is respectful and positive</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let’s use as an example my client’s situation: He is a chemical engineer who did considerable validation testing in order to provide critical and complex data about a new process that was being considered for adoption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He sent the data as a PowerPoint slide set in an email attachment to his manager (as requested). He simply wrote: “Here’s the data you requested for the meeting.” He knew he could give a thorough explanation of the data and answer detailed questions that were sure to arise at the meeting. He assumed his manager would want him there. However, the engineer did NOT specifically request in his email (or later when passing his manager in the hallway) that he attend the meeting. Thus, his manager went alone and presented the engineer’s data. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span>How my client could have more effectively communicated his request to his manager</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Send the test results, along with an email that says:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“I would like to attend the meeting with you to present the data. I anticipate numerous questions about the complex test results, and I’d like to be there to help you field the questions.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Offer in the email to go over the data with his manager in advance of the meeting:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“I’d like to meet with you to go over the slides to be sure I’ve included all of the data that will be discussed at the meeting.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Follow up in person with his manager – either by setting up a phone meeting if they are not in the same office, or by stopping by his manager’s desk. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Note that the engineer is professional and positive, <u>and</u> he shows why the request is valuable to his manager. Most likely his manager would welcome his attendance at the meeting, since his expertise and grasp of the issues would make the manager look good, and ensure a win a decision at the meeting. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A helpful template for communicating clearly what you want</b></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here are some tips for making a request that is clear and positive, and has a good chance of being accepted. Remember that even if you don’t get what you want, a clear request will likely elicit a clear response. That, too, is helpful in understanding your manager and your work environment.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Be laser-focused on what it is that you want. For example:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“I would like to call a follow-up meeting for next Monday.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“I am requesting a summer intern for 10 weeks.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“I would like to travel to Texas to meet face to face with our customer.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Immediately follow your request with a statement of WHY this request is important to you, your manager, and to the project/organization.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“The follow-up meeting will enable me to personally walk the team through the additional test data they requested.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“An intern can run the test scenarios so that we stay on schedule.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>“Our customer is nervous about the product spec changes, and I want to reassure them we’re meeting their needs and timeline.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Then listen to your manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be prepared to justify your request with details. (specific meeting agenda, costs, etc.) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>To summarize</b>, ask for what you want, be clear about why your request makes sense for the organization, and be prepared to justify your request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And always be positive! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I welcome your comments and questions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-77525440288734069952011-07-21T16:57:00.000-07:002011-07-21T16:57:11.108-07:00Turning Lemons into Lemonade: How to make the most of a low-visibility work project<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Last week I suggested four ways to determine if you’re working on a “lame duck” project, and I offered six communication strategies to ensure that your project gets the attention and resources it deserves. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But what if those communication strategies don’t get you and the project more visibility or resources? What if your project is important but not flashy? Solid but not “sexy?” Work that must be done – and you’re the one assigned to do it? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well, why not make lemonade from the lemons you were given?</i></b> While lemons are a delicious ingredient in many cuisines, the idiomatic phrase means to make the best (sweet lemonade) of an undesirable or frustrating (sour lemons) situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The Lemons</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You may find yourself on a low-visibility, light-impact project for several very practical and understandable reasons:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Your work supports customers or upgrades to a product already launched. The “buzz” has moved on. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>The project is an early stage where outcomes are inconclusive or not ready for public sharing, or else the work is so technical that few people really understand it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Your work is a critical but small piece of a more visible initiative or product/service, and the focus is always on that big deliverable. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Your manager is under pressure to get the project done, you've been assigned to do it, and so that is reason enough. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Lemonade</span></span><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay, so your work is necessary and important to someone. Here are some communication strategies to turn each of the four bullets above to your advantage. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Consciously track how your work has helped specific customers (internal or external), and <b>let your manager know, through brief emails or hallway chats, about your satisfied customers.</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Pass on</span> a customer’s positive comments. Unless there’s a complaint, we all tend to forget about what is working well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue to communicate (not bragging but simply noting) the customer feedback. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t “go public” with your work, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">take the initiative to set up a brown bag lunch or “chalkboard talk”</b> with your team and other influential people connected to the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Invite your manager and your manager’s manager. Keep your project in their minds, and appropriately showcase how your work is progressing. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Attend forums on the bigger business strategy, and contribute ideas in addition to your particular work. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be generous with your support,</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">be visibly engaged</b> in the big initiative. Senior managers will notice.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Help your manager solve a problem </b>and you’ll be remembered for your hard work and your loyalty. Then the next time a more visible or interesting piece of work comes along, ask your manager about joining that project. You’ll likely get a positive response. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In my work with corporate clients, I’ve seen how quickly the hyped, “hot” project everyone is talking about can fade just as quickly as it begins. So keep in mind that a low-key but critical piece of work often wins the day, and provides you with accomplishments you can point to with pride. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Make this a lemonade summer</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I was in the third grade, my Mom set up a table on the sidewalk in front of our home on hot afternoon, and I sold glasses of lemonade to the neighbors. It’s a summer tradition across America – one where children earn a bit of spending money and learn early some sales and marketing skills. So this summer, help your own kids set up a one-day lemonade stand, or else quench your thirst by supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of other kids in your neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Please feel welcome to comment below on how you’ve made lemonade from a less than perfect work situation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-3046460903428759602011-07-14T11:35:00.000-07:002011-07-14T12:06:43.947-07:00Are You Working on a Lame Duck Project?<div class="MsoNormal">On public radio this week, I heard again the idiomatic expression, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">lame duck.</b> This phrase describes a political leader who has been voted out of office or who has lost the support of the citizens, but who still remains for weeks or months in that office. Lame ducks are ineffective because everyone knows they won’t be around much longer, so there is no need to respect or fear them. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lame duck<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>can also<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>describe an organization or business project that is not noticed, may not “fly*,”, or is low-priority and not vital to the company. Might <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> be working hard on a lame duck project? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Why it’s important to identify a lame duck project</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I tell employees I coach that it’s critical to assess the value and visibility of projects they’re working on. If you silently struggle on a low-value and under-resourced project, you may get frustrated and lose motivation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ideally you want to be positioned on projects that are “hot,” ones that matter to the company’s strategic plan, projects that have legs.* Below, I’ll share some tips for how to better position yourself. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Realistically, though, you can’t always choose your projects, so next week I’ll discuss how you can use good communication to make the most of the project you’ve been assigned. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Four ways to assess the value and visibility of your project </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Note the level of management engagement in your project. Do the decision-makers show up for your project’s meetings and prioritize your meetings over other conflicting meetings?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Read senior management report-outs and “roll ups” of your larger group’s array of projects. If your project isn’t mentioned, or if it is always at the bottom of the list, it’s likely not getting the support it needs in order to thrive. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Attend corporate forums where senior managers speak about the organization’s direction. Managers have limited time, and they focus on what is important to the company’s bottom line. Is your project on their radar*?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Network. If you’ve got your head down in your cubicle, focused on the details of your project, you might miss the buzz* about how the project is viewed in the eyes of senior management and other teams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Six communication strategies to help ensure that your project “will fly”</span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Take an honest look at how well you have fought for your own project. Ask yourself: “Did I communicate my project’s value and bottom-line* impact to the organization, so that my manager has the information to knowledgeably champion my project?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Set up a meeting with your manager. Communicate that you’ve noticed attention, resources, etc. have been focused on other projects.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Immediately follow that statement by asking how your project can have more value, become higher on the priority list, or obtain further resources in order to have a bigger impact. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Listen closely. Your manager attends higher-level meetings and will likely know what issues, concerns, or roadblocks exist. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Respond with specifics about what you can provide to your manager: data, rationale, research, input from customers, etc. If your manager agrees, make sure to follow up on your commitments. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Be positive. No one likes a complainer. <u>Always</u> be positive with your observations and your suggestions. (More blogs on positive communication strategies and techniques will be forthcoming.) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> * I will sprinkle idiomatic expressions throughout the blog posts. I am so committed to the value of understanding and using idiomatic expressions at work, that I’ve written three books in the series: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stories for Learning Useful Business Idioms</i>. Check them out on my website. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lame duck</b> is an old idiom, whose origins are described at <a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/lame-duck.html">http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/lame-duck.html</a>. This site explains the origin of many English language phrases. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feel free to post a comment or suggest other topics you’d like to see covered in my blog. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>Next week</u>: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Communication Strategies to make the most of a low-priority project </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51083674270492233.post-68458646626942376052011-07-05T17:27:00.000-07:002011-07-06T11:10:20.243-07:00Welcome to my new blog<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The bilingual advantage</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I recently read in the New York Times about research touting the benefits of bilingualism. The research showed that speaking regularly in two languages makes brains stronger, facilitates multi-tasking, and inhibits such diseases as Alzheimer’s. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science/31conversation.html?ref=science">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most of you reading this initial blog post are bilingual (or trilingual), so congratulations on your advantage! To quote the researcher in the article, “You’re sitting on a potential gift.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, in the 25+ years I’ve been training and coaching non-native English speaking professionals, I often hear people focus on the disadvantages of not being fluent in English – a strong accent that is misunderstood, an inability to influence decisions or participate in meetings or present under pressure, and frustration at not fully grasping the idiomatic and cultural English that is integral to conversations and humor at work. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This blog aims to turn those perceived disadvantages on their head – with practical communication tools and tips for speaking clearly at work. Furthermore, the blog is a forum for sharing questions, suggestions, challenges and successes, all with the goal of developing more effective speaking skills in English. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">What you’ll find on my blog</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the course of the coming weeks and months, I’ll offer tips and information to help you speak clearly and confidently at work.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Stay current with American idioms and cultural expressions used at work and in the media</b> – to help you grasp the subtle messages of what your colleagues are saying, and to expand your <i>own</i> spoken vocabulary. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Polish your presentations and status reports </b>with engaging<b> </b>openings and concise closings, winning organization, confident delivery, and behind-the-scenes strategies for succeeding in your particular high-pressured business environment. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Learn simple tips and techniques for contributing to and leading meetings</b> – those important venues where decisions are made, lasting impressions formed, and where your influencing skills are put to the test.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b>Improve your American English pronunciation </b>through short audio and video clips of me as I demonstrate correct diction and intonation – so that you are always understood, the first time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Join a community of professionals </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I invite you to add my blog to your RSS feed, and to follow me on Facebook Business, where I’ll announce new posts and other information related to <i>Jolinda Osborne Intercultural Communications</i>. Or visit my website, <a href="http://www.jolindaosborne.com/">www.jolindaosborne.com</a>, and sign up for my newsletter. Feel free to pass on the blog to colleagues and friends in other organizations. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Please leave your comments, questions or suggestions for blog topics, or feel free to email me. What compelling communication topic do you want to hear about? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">This week’s closing communication tip</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Exercise your “bilingual advantage” by joining your English-speaking colleagues for lunch in your workplace cafeteria or at a nearby restaurant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, I know it’s much more relaxing to hang out with friends and speak your native language. Yes, I know you want to “unwind” after a morning of attending meetings in English. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, if you stretch yourself, even once this week, by sharing lunch and casual conversation in English, you’ll pick up American idiomatic expressions, and you’ll also feed your “bilingual brain!” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolinda Osborne</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jolinda@jolindaosborne.com">jolinda@jolindaosborne.com</a> </div>Jolinda Osbornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941997005592246783noreply@blogger.com0