PowerTalk: 10 Timeless Tips for Becoming a More Powerful Communicator

Part of our evolutionary process is learning how to communicate
more effectively and efficiently. Few of us have had much
training in the matter, and most of us have experienced the
consequences of communication breakdowns. We all know what
doesn’t work, and how badly it feels to be unheard and
misunderstood.

I learned how to speak from a man who didn’t know how to listen.
I once worked for a CEO who had no space or time for my emotions
or conversational process–so I wrote an article called “Who’s
Listening?” for a newsletter I created every month. Since I had
been so thrown off guard by his apparent disinterest in the
“whole” me, I was led to question what it was about my own
communication style that made it hard for us to talk.
These are the questions I asked myself and ultimately included
in the article. I hope they help.
1. Are you being negative? Nobody enjoys being in the presence
of negative energy. Try listening to yourself as you speak. Pay
attention to your tone of voice. If you are whining, stop it. If
you are being cynical or complaining, stop it. For one week, try
turning your complaints into requests and see if you notice a
difference in how your ideas are received.
2. Do you share opinions, but not your inner self? When’s the
last time you were in the presence of a powerful speaker? What
do you remember about what the speaker said? Chances are,
whoever was talking was sharing some personal story,
illustrating a point with an anecdote. Listeners get enrolled in
a conversation when the speaker actually shares something
meaningful about his or her life. Rich communication never
occurs by accident. It takes intention and attention. Think of
the most engaging conversationalist you know. Next time you hear
that person, listen for how much of themselves they really
share. Try sharing something personal next time you’re in a
conversation with someone who’s important to your life. Trust
them enough to admit a fear of yours, to tell a story from your
childhood, or to share a vision you have for the future. We are
all waiting to have these conversations, but no one wants to go
first. Try going first.

3. Are you planning what you want to say while others speak,
instead of listening? This one always backfires. It’s a dead
giveaway. People know when you’re doing it because your
responses to their speaking are usually inappropriate, and
communication breaks down rapidly. No one listens back to
someone who hasn’t listened to them. Instead of spouting off
your opinions immediately after a person has spoken, ask them
something about what they just said. Pay attention to their
speaking and they will pay more attention to yours.
4. Do you live up to your word? Did you ever know someone who was always going to do this and always promising to do that and never came through? Did you stop listening to that person after awhile? The world is full of dreamers and planners, but it’s people’s actions, not their dreams, that inspire us. Open up and share something you’ve accomplished that you’re proud of. If you have something you want to accomplish, ask for support. People will not take us seriously if they see we do not take our own words and commitments seriously.
5. Have you created an environment for listening? It is not
easy to listen to someone in a room where TV’s and radios are in
competition with humans. If real communication is important to
you, try turning off the tube and finding a commercial-free FM
station that plays music conducive to conversation. Classical
music stimulates the alpha waves in our brains, and keep our
creative juices flowing.
6. Do you speak as a victim of circumstances or as a creator of possibilities? People who speak as if the world were out to get
them have a difficult time finding listeners. No one wants to
get pulled into the emotional quicksand that a “victim” seems to
be buried in. Consider how you respond as a listener to other
people’s tales of woe? Do you tire quickly in that context? Do
you get depressed and feel burdened? Energy is contagious. If
you speak as the one who’s designing your life, rather than as a
victim of other peoples’ actions, you will empower yourself and
others.

7. Does your listener know the value of your relationship with her or him? Establishing a background of trust and relatedness
is critical to communication. The better sense a person has of
you and of your commitment to the relationship, the more open
will they be to your speaking. If what needs to be communicated
is difficult or risky, it often helps to begin by stating what’s
at stake for you and how important honesty is to the
relationship.
8. Do you inquire about what may be important to your listener
or do you mostly talk about yourself? One way to ensure that
your listener is with you is to include her or his interests in
your conversation. The next time you have coffee with your
neighbor or sit next to your co-worker in the cafeteria,
initiate a conversation about something you know that person is
interested in. If she’s a ski enthusiast, ask her about her
favorite places to ski. If he’s into computer games, strike up
a conversation about an article you read on the subject. People
listen up and open up when you show a genuine regard for
something they’re interested in.
9. If people listened to you like you listen to others, would
you be satisfied? Most of us have a person in our life who plays
the role of listener when we really need to talk about
something. If you have such a person, consider what particular
skills this person has at listening. Why did you pick her or him
as your sounding board? What is it that makes you trust them?
What body language do they exhibit when you speak that lets you
know they’re with you? Is it helpful to have people give you
advice when you share something difficult, or would you prefer
they just listen and let you sort things out in their presence?
Can you be present to someone’s pain without trying to solve all
their problems? Observe how you listen the next time someone
shares something difficult and see if you can refrain from
offering advice and platitudes.
10. Are you complaining to the wrong people? It doesn’t help
anyone to complain to people who have no power to change things.
If something is wrong, find out who’s in charge and take your
concern to the right person.

By Lauren Neal
Published by Business Financial range 
http://business-financialrange.com/?p=1068

Is Automation Responsible for Unemployment? Part 1

Sina Adelaja-Olowoake

Following the wave of unemployment that swept through many countries around the world recently, many researchers have hit the road trying to find out what was responsible. 
The first major cause often advanced is the credit crunch. While some believe that this cause alone is responsible for the current high unemployment, there are those that say this plus a host of other factors are the reasons why many people remain unemployed today. 
One of those other reasons advanced is  automation. Wikipedia describes automation as various control systems  for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories etc with very minimal human input. 
It is plain to see immediately that as human input decreases in the production of goods and services, it is bound to have a negative effect on the labour market. 
At first when automation was limited to the production lines, many people welcomed it as it had a drastic effect on the cost of finished goods making them cheaper and more readily available. 
Today automation has taken on a  more visible role and nowhere else is this more obvious than on the high streets.
Gone are the days of human traffic wardens. These have now been replaced by traffic cameras that record the offence and send this to a central station from which the penalty notices are then issued and sent out. 
The supermarkets continue to reduce checkouts with human operators. Today the self checkout has become the preferred check out mode for a lot of customers. Also supermarkets now provide delivery services to those who order online
Banks have now perfected a system that allows customers withdraw or deposit cash and cheques without talking to bank cashiers. 
The famous Routemaster buses in London which used to be the cynosure of all eyes because of it's unique shape and conductors has now been redesigned and relaunched without conductors. Passengers must now have little cards which they touch against a yellow point to allow them ride on the bus. 
But are all these enough evidence to blame automation solely for the massive across the world? 
What about a lot of countries especially in places in Africa where automation is still a very limited part of production? 

Picture courtesy of www.ibabuzz.com 

Picture courtesy of www.flickr.com

To be continued

JOB SEEKERS TO JOB CREATORS

The key to real success in life is finding a need and meeting it. - Anonymous

Job seekers to job creators ..making the necessary transition..

By Sina Adelaja-Olowoake.

The beginning of a new year is usually greeted with great optimism and hope especially by people who have experienced some form challenge or another in the previous year.

To this end I believe that a lot of job seekers will be looking forward to this year and hoping that it comes with loads of good fortune enough to get them out of their misery despite the gloomy economic outlook for most countries around the world.

Many would even go on to make resolutions around finding a job. That in itself is not a problem – the problem is usually centred on the how. How do you find a job?

In other words what should the unemployed do this year to bring about a change in their circumstances?

In my experience as an employment coach I have noticed with great displeasure the wrong mindset often displayed by most graduates when they talk about employment.  It is mostly in relation to being engaged in white collar job roles or being employed by someone else or an organization. Very little thought is given to self employment or entrepreneurship so when there is talk about employment what most are talking about wanting to work for some other entity apart from themselves.

I wonder if this is as a result of parental control and influence where most parents in Africa tend to guide their wards towards certain professions or is this the result of our outdated educational system designed by colonial masters to continually produce clerks and administrators.

Or is it just another selfish approach at ensuring that no matter what, the individual’s salaries are guaranteed with little or no risk on his/her part.

Whatever the reason, this has got to change because recent studies have shown that despite the tough economic climate, more jobs are being created via self employment than any other routes. And I strongly believe this will be the trend for the foreseeable future.

Therefore unemployed graduates need to make this much needed mental transition from job seeking to job creation.

Most universities in the United States of America. United Kingdom, and most parts of Asia are now recognizing this fact by creating specialized departments dedicated to entrepreneurial studies thereby producing job creating graduates instead of jobseekers.  

This is the right approach most job seekers need to take this year. There are hundreds of entrepreneurial ideas waiting to be tapped and majority of them do not even require huge sums of money to start. What is required is functionality and creativity. To take a look at situations with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Dr James V. Green of the University of Maryland who originated the Opportunity Analysis Canvas encourages individuals to “think entrepreneurially, see entrepreneurially and act entrepreneurially”. If followed through many small and seemingly inconsequential ideas suddenly take on a life of their own and most go on to cause the rise of many industries.

For example the beauty makeovers industry in Nigeria. A decade or so ago it was virtually unknown and perhaps even unthinkable. Today it is a huge money spinner and puts food on the table for most families. Apart from the training process, it costs very little to roll out.

The poor state of education across the country gave birth to a series of private supplementary school initiative run by graduates. Through this they not only became employed but were able to employ fellow graduates.

There are so many other examples where simple ideas have gone on to become huge money spinners and employment generators. One of such is the sachet water industry otherwise known as pure water. Someone somewhere made a decision to change the status quo. Today the whole of the African continent is littered with sachet water factories. This is the kind of thinking required to cause real change in the unemployment market.

Job seekers must not be afraid to make this transition. Being a graduate should not limit one to working only in a particular field but should inspire imagination and awaken the creative ability within to engage in almost any legitimate enterprise.

saocareercoach@gmail.com