Digg it UP - Business

Cultural Awareness - an HR Perspective
The use of cultural awareness training has increased rapidly in the majority of global companies over the last decade.My experience working in global companies in which effective cross-cultural functioning was critical, involved the devotion of considerable time and energies to ensuring that cultural training needs were identified and accommodated as necessary.This commitment to bridging cultural gaps represents a perceptible shift in attitudes amongst British company global thinking. This is a shift from the prevalent subconscious (and sometimes not so subconscious) driver, which existed in previous years.

t relaxed
• Singsong
• Threatening

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

Making lists of strengths and improvements will help you to define the things you don’t know you do well or areas you where you didn’t know you needed to improve. Identifying these is extremely valuable. Once you know your strengths, be grateful for them. Now that you have your improvements list, you are ready to advance.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

As you seek to improve, enlisting the support of someone who knows you well and who you feel is easy to work with can be a big help. It may be best to have two people you can count on for comments and suggestions. Any more than two may be unnecessary.

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings

Using a Translation Service
In a market full of translators, translation agencies and translation directories one is forgiven for feeling confused as to where to go and who to use. Finding a good translation service or translator is a key business decision that should not be taken lightly.The need for reputable translation agencies and translators to take out professional indemnity insurance is in itself an indication that things can and do go wrong, sometimes with heavy financial consequences.Financial losses may occur through using a poor translation service or translator in a number of ways. For example, a badly translated business

In this session you will:

1. Record your voice
2. Make a strengths list
3. Make an improvement list
4. Define who will help you.

There are many things that you can do to improve your speaking ability. I think that a necessary area to that almost always benefits the speaker is the ability to speck and influence the audience. This mini course will help in many way and we will take it a step at a time.

1. RECORD YOUR VOICE

It is invaluable to record yourself. It will give you a new perspective on how you speak and make a point. It will also be a reference for you. I use my computer and a microphone. A cassette recorder or a micro-cassette recorded will be fine. If you have a video recorder and a tripod this would also serve nicely.

I would like you to record yourself in two different ways. First, simply read from a book or magazine for one to two minutes. Then record yourself without a prepared script. Pick a topic and speak about it for 1 to 2 minutes.

These recordings will be enough for you to now evaluate yourself. An objective evaluation at this point is very important. I strongly suggest you to take it seriously and it can be insightful and fun at the same time.

The goal here is to gain insight on how others hear you. You should listen for specific things such as the way you take breaths, your pronunciation, your perceived pace of speaking. It is even good to note the number of words and then define your speaking pace in words per minute. These recordings are a great reference for you and the more things you observer about them the more value they will have for you.

The objective is to make you aware of your speaking pattern so that you will have specific things to work on and become less self-conscious.

2. MAKE A STRENGTHS LIST

Many people do not like the way they sound. They think it does not sound like them. The way we hear ourselves is not the way others hear us. No matter how you think you sound, it is important to realize that you do have some definite strengths.

After you have recorded yourself, listen to the recording a few times to evaluate certain aspects of your voice. It is important to note that the things we measure we tend to improve. I suggest that you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for the following qualities. Have your evaluators do the same but realize that each evaluator’s scale will be different.

• Warmth
• Command
• Professionalism
• Enthusiasm
• Showing Interest in your material
• Articulateness
• Pace
• Persuasiveness
• Pleasantness of tone
• Clarity
• Passion
• Authority
• Volume

Write down any other adjectives that come to mind.

3. MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT LIST

The next part of the process is to determine the improvements or needs. Consider the following criteria:

• Too fast or too slow
• Too loud or too soft
• Monotone
• Tentative or uncertain
• Mumbles
• Breath too loud
• Breath not paced well
• Unpleasant tone
• Strong accent
• Tired or lacking enthusiasm
• Uses non-words, such as “ah,” “uh,” “um,” or “you know”
• Too high-pitched
• Nasal
• Not relaxed
• Singsong
• Threatening

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings

Careers in Radiologic Technology (X-ray)
The field of radiologic (x-ray) technology offers an excellent career option to those interested in the allied health field. An x-ray technician, or radiologic technologist, is the individual responsible for performing diagnostic x-ray procedures in hospitals, physician offices, and outpatient imaging centers.The training period for an x-ray technologist is usually 2-4 years in an accredited college or hospital based radiologic technology program. Training will be split between classroom instruction and hands on clinical training in a healthcare setting. The x-ray student will obtain a thorough working knowledge

elf in two different ways. First, simply read from a book or magazine for one to two minutes. Then record yourself without a prepared script. Pick a topic and speak about it for 1 to 2 minutes.

The objective is to make you aware of your speaking pattern so that you will have specific things to work on and become less self-conscious.

2. MAKE A STRENGTHS LIST

Write down any other adjectives that come to mind.

3. MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT LIST

The next part of the process is to determine the improvements or needs. Consider the following criteria:

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings

A Professional Demeanor Screams Success
The importance of a professional business presentation can not be overstated in determining the fate of a new business opportunity. Nevertheless, it is amazing how many times the presenter does not apply these same essential professional requirements to their own person. You only get one chance to make a great first impression. Make the most of it!This goes far beyond the obvious elemental issues of personal care and hygiene. A person brimming with strength, confidence and a professional demeanor commands respect and their words are much more valued, even if they might not be as strongly grounded in details of the

will have for you.

The objective is to make you aware of your speaking pattern so that you will have specific things to work on and become less self-conscious.

2. MAKE A STRENGTHS LIST

Write down any other adjectives that come to mind.

3. MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT LIST

The next part of the process is to determine the improvements or needs. Consider the following criteria:

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings

Ride The Gray Train To Increased Profits
Something is roaring into the business community’s depot that has been building momentum for years. I call it the Gray Train. On December 31, 2004, the last Baby Boomer turned 40, pushing that train to full throttle. Marketers are missing the obvious and not-so obvious opportunities to grow their businesses with this appealing audience.Self-indulgent Baby Boomers want what they want, now. They have business expertise, have received all sorts of training from their corporate employer and now that education allows them to open up their own businesses. Or, they have done so well, they no longer have to work. They can

Write down any other adjectives that come to mind.

3. MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT LIST

The next part of the process is to determine the improvements or needs. Consider the following criteria:

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings

Awaken the Voice Within
The director of quality and training for a large organization was driving me back from lunch. She navigated through new construction and arteries of roads that hadn't existed six months before. The Virginia Technology corridor was booming as one office building after another became the nerve center for a new corporate headquarters or regional office. Once we glided into a parking space, my contact said, "the Vice President of Sales is here, I want you to meet him." I took a deep breath and headed for the bathroom. I wanted to make sure I didn't have any spinach stuck in between my teeth.I wasn't exactly prepared a

t relaxed
• Singsong
• Threatening

Again, list additional adjectives that come to mind.

4. DEFINE WHO WILL HELP YOU

Explain to your helpers that you would like them to listen to you or your recordings on occasion.

It is important to have a prepared script and then to speak from this script and have your supporters evaluate you. The feedback from others that are objective in evaluating your speech is an important part of the process of improvement. After evaluating your recording on your own, have two other people evaluate you as well using the same criteria. Then combine the feedback from these evaluations.

Once you have recorded yourself and with your rating and the feedback of others you will be ready to map out a plan for significant improvement.

That’s it for part 1. You are now prepared to make some progress towards improving your voice in very specific areas. You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can make progress with a little focus and effort.

In part 2 we will cover the key qualities of your voice, how to eliminate “non-words” and what to do about your specific pronunciation mistakes.

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Selling automotive detailing products or car wash supplies and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) carwash kits can be a tough row to hoe. There are the big corporations who have such kits like the Mr. Clean brand and twenty or so dealer networks which sell products in major markets and deliver in vans. Still there must be hundreds of Online Internet Sellers out there promoting their products in the same way.

You can certainly understand the frustration of many employers. In some cities across the country there is less than a 2-4% unemployment level while in other locals the rate is much higher without too much good news in sight.

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Digg it UP - Speak to Influence Mini-course; Part 1 of 5

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