Human Skills and Better Communication
Time to rethink communications. It’s summer – at least, in the Southern Hemisphere it is. And the New Year is a good time to prepare for the year ahead.
Are you still on a holiday break? Or perhaps you’re back at work, experiencing the post-festivities lull before everything speeds up again.
Either way, here are 6 cool tips to help you be the ‘hot ticket’ this summer (or any time).
Continue reading “Rethink Communications: 6 Cool Tips”
Metaphors add colour to language. Mixed metaphors are a mismatch of images that often create a bizarre effect.
Continue reading “Mixed Metaphors And Improbable Imagery”
The art of argument is a set of skills you need to be able to master. Whether you’re a writer or a speaker, in a business or personal context, you’ll find it to be invaluable.
Continue reading “The Art Of Argument: Convince Them!”
The ‘elevate’ buzzword addiction is yet another example of corporate copycatting. It might have been original, once, as an extension of ‘take it to the next level’ (and aren’t we all tired of that one?) Now, at best, it’s overused; at worst, its use is often meaningless and just plain silly.
Continue reading “The ‘Elevate’ Buzzword: Get Off The Elevator”
What’s happening with the use of why? There’s a lot written about ‘why’ we do (or fail to do) things. Specialists in motivation, therapy, training and coaching and many others often write well about it. But why on earth is ‘why’ a buzzword noun?
Continue reading “The Use Of Why: But Why On Earth?”
We love to use figurative language. It adds colour, interest and extra emphasis to points we want to make. When it’s wrongly applied, though, it ruins the image completely.
Unfortunately, speakers and writers like to copy phrases that have impressed them without thinking about what they really mean.
Continue reading “When Figurative Language Fails”
The words ‘if’ and ‘whether’ are often used interchangeably. In most cases, it isn’t a problem. Sometimes, though, it can lead to awkwardness or misunderstanding.
Continue reading “If and Whether Or Not”
Writers construct texts to shape the response of their readers; readers react and respond to what they read.
This writer-reader interaction is fundamental. Therefore, you should focus on making it a positive and effective one.
Here are 10 questions to ask (and to answer)
Continue reading “Texts For Effects”
Waive and waiver, wave and waver…. It can be confusing.
Give yourself a little test. In each of the sentences, below, fill in the correct word:
Continue reading “Wavering Over ‘Waiver’”
Time-wasting and time management are usually examined as cause and solution of problems with productivity.
In self-help books and coaching manuals a common exercise is:
Begin by asking yourself the question: ‘Why do I waste time?’
Now list all the reasons why you do.
It’s about finding the cause, but it’s the wrong question – at least to start with.
Continue reading “Analyse Your Time-Wasting”