Voicemail: to leave a message or not to

When we make a phone call, we sometimes wish that we will avoid talking to the person, but sometimes its more intimidating to leave a message, especially if one is not prepared. Therefore the big question comes into play: should we leave our boss a message?

Most messages are filled with mumbles and 'um''s and half the time we forget to include a certain fact, there fore they can seem kind of useless. And does the other person even bother listening to their messages? It seems a little outdated.

Therefore I have some advice:

Leave a message if the phone call connects to voicemail, and make sure that you have a message prepared with all the facts, even if you have to write it down. Also, always follow up on messages. Never expect that the reciever has listened to it, especially if there has been no reply.

The Four Powers of Communication

Good communication skills are essential in workplace. If people who are working need to see clients at their workplace,they should know that some clients are troublesome. Therefore, good communication skills will avoid conflicts with clients. I found an article which states four powers of communication as follow:
1.Expressing Yourself;
2.Listening and Responding;
3.Regulating Attention and Intention;
4.Understanding and Responding to People in Their "Style".

Here is the link: http://business-communication-skills.net/

body language

Sometimes it is easy to forget that our body language is a huge form of communicating to others who we feel and what we think. I like to be aware of things i do so that i only communicate (non verbally) I found this website an interesting read on the subject

http://www.typesofcommunication.org/communication/nonverbal-communication/communication-through-body-language/

What is Good Communication?

To ensure success in life, it is important to communicate well in areas of professional and personal relationships. According to the author, having a good communication means both the sender and receiver must be present when communicating. In this article, the author provides the comparison chart to help readers understand the effectiveness of good communication skill (Communication Blog, 2009).

The link below gives distinguishing characteristics between poor and good communication:
http://www.people-communicating.com/what-is-good-communication.html

Reporting Bad News

One of the hardest parts of reporting to someone, is telling them bad news, especially if it is your supervisor. According to the Harvard Business Review blog, lying and or withholding the truth is one of the 7 communication mistakes of managers. (http://blogs.hbr.org/2009/03/seven-communications-mistakes-m.html) It is probably the best to report the problem as soon as possible and if possible, propose a solution. The second thing you should do, is to tell the whole truth, with all the gruesome details. The person with whom you are communicating with may become agitated but they will appreciate the honesty, which could improve future interactions. People try to soften the blow, but when you soften the blow, you soften the implementation of a solution.

Report Formats

My biggest "pet-peeve" is when a document is not formatted professionally. Even without reading the text, one can get a message from how the page is organised. By making the proper spacing adjustments, font sizes, styles or other, one can get the first impression that they are about to read an intellectual document, and go into the text prepared to read something worth-while. Sometimes this state of mind can sway the audience to be a little softer when reading a persuasive argument.

A document can only be effective if it is formatted professionally.

Here are a few of my (not so obvious and random) tips:

1. Use italics strategically: If the document looks dense, italicise things that appear in a pattern, such as a list.

2. Sometimes, choose to either bold or underline the headings. If you choose both, there will probably be too much ink on the paper.

3. Only number headings or paragraphs to avoid confusion. Don't slip them in just to look like an outdated biology text book.

**the more white space there is, the happier the reader will be. Think about it

How to prepare for an interview

There are so many people wanting to give advice and tips before an interview, but I found this Canadian website that is really great. It talks about the four steps:

1. Planning
2. Interview Materials
3. Interview
4. After the interview

Its very important to plan for the interview before going in, you can plan and rehearse questions and do some research about the company that you may be working for. It also allows you to ask some questions about the job description, salary and working environment.

Check it out here

Tips for preparing an Oral Presentation

We've all had to do it at some point, and will probably still be doing it after we graduate. I know I can handle oral presentations pretty well (or at least look like I do) but for the most part, people get nervous. So I fount this great article on how to prepare for an oral presentation which will help stay within the time line, topic and thus minimize the nervousness.

Selecting your topic is key, then research is needed followed by writing the intro, body and conclusion. A lot like an essay, but it needs to capture the attention of your audience.

Check it out here

Technology and Safety!!!

This article scares the hell out of one knowing how unsafe it could be to do stuff online. Especially when a lot of banks & other financial institutions encourage us to go online for information update. How safe are we if we have hackers around who could easily get into our computer system and steal our identity. Only one advise could be given and that is technology is not as safe as one could expect it to be so whatever you do please keep a copy of evidence for proof. Please do read this article about hacking in south korea. Website access:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14323787

Public Speaking

Ahhhh Public speaking, most people have a strong feeling towards public speaking, whether good, bad, or ugly. I do for one do not like public speaking... There is just something about standing in front of a multitude and having to udder words that seams most unpleasant, but my life is steering me in that direction anyway. I found this website helpful, because it gave me a little recipes, to help me be more prepared.

http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp

Dress for success

It is kind of hypocritical, when we try not to be stereotypical, but end up judging people on how they dress, and become judged ourselves. But of course, it is only another way that employers can evaluate our demeanor

professorprosperity.com/dress-for-success/ has an opinion column that stated that the way we dress, shows our employers how we think. Just think about it, if we dress professional, we must be professional, or at least we want to be. and if we dress like a slob, well then..

....on another note, that leaves me wondering what uniforms are suposed to mean...

Technology Provides One Leg Up

Almost everyone nowadays uses the internet for something or other.  If you have an email address and surf the internet, you will likely encounter daily deal websites offering discounted rates for a multitude of services and dining experiences.  Two business minded entrepreneurs have built upon the success of the discounted group buying bandwagon and have created a new resource for bargain hunters.  Two young software engineers, Antonio Rodriguez and Al-amin Mithania have capitalized on their brilliant idea of offering all deals on one site and have created “Onespout”.  Onespout now has over 100,000 members who visit Onespout’s site to see the plethora of deals that have been specifically targeted for them already.  No longer do bargain hunters have to login in to numerous sites to see the daily deals.  In my opinion Rodriguez and Mithania have seized a great opportunity by offering a service that is already popular and by making that service more convenient people will gladly use their site.  Way to go guys!  Fellow classmates, I think these young men have illustrated what motivation and  dedication can result in.   

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/tech-biz/Onespout+aims+make+Groupon+accessible/5166744/story.html

hidden messages/codes in letters, see if anyone can get the message.

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A MESSAGE HIDDEN WITHIN A MESSAGE. THE TITLE OF BREAKING THIS WILL BE "BEST COMMUNICATOR IN CLASS". THE HINTS WILL HELP YOU GET THIS WORD.

People communicate online for motives beyond my comprehension. But, I understand that nobody can decode every intensive letter clarifies the message quite accurately. This code is easy to take on, I also hope that somebody can overcome this post and never freaking stops trying to break.

Be assertive instead of passive

If you find yourself going along with everyone’s ideas and not speaking out when you have an idea you are stopping yourself from getting ahead in your career. The website below has tips on how to be more assertive at work.

http://yourmoney.ca/career/how_to_be_more_assertive_at_work/7380b073

A Must Read That I Too Must Read

Business communications is vital to any business persons success along their selected career path. Communications between people will come in a multitude of different varieties. The most important you will find however, will be verbal. Verbal communication can make or break a deal, make or break a contact, and make or break a relationship. Business relationships are most important when first starting out and these relationships are very much like personal relationships. You must make a friend before you make business. "How to make friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie has been hailed from everyone from Donald Trump to Warren Buffet as a must read for everyone entering business. The main scope of its text is to educate you on how to be more outgoing and likable among peers and more specifically business colleagues. I personally have not gotten the chance to read it yet but am looking forward to in the near future and highly recommend that you do to!

Here is a Link to the Online PDF Version of the Book :

http://erudition.mohit.tripod.com/_Influence_People.pdf

barriers in communications

When people communicate they are usually thinking about what they are trying to convey, but sometimes there are barriers that the communicator is not aware off that will hinder what they are trying to accomplish. This website offers answers to barriers in communication:

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html

Communication Improvement

Have a good communication skill is necessary because people use it in everyday life. Good communication skills can help us express ourselves and allow us to build personable relationships. That is why it is important to constantly improve ones communication skill. In the article, Atle Pedersen suggests that “It is never good to be the only one talking in a conversation” (Pedersen, 2009) because too much talking can be distracting. Therefore, it is important for one to constantly evaluate their communication skill so improvements can be made.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Easy-Steps-to-Communication-Improvement&id=3492349

The Role of Media in Political Communication

I recently discovered the video I have linked below that brings to light the interesting way in which political candidates have adapted their campaigns in our technology age. Since the political rise of JFK and his election, media has played a highly influential role in how the American people have voted. A debate between JFK and Richard Nixon occurd during the presidential race that resulted in a pole that indicated the large majority of people who watched the debate on tv felt that JFK had one, yet those who listened to the debate on radio felt Mr.Nixon had won. The underlying conclusion that this documentary comes to, is that JFK's nice smile, charming attitude, and tv presence swung the debate in his favour. Opposite was Nixon's less attractible, more serious demeanour that lost him the television voters, but his low tone, harsh, confident voice persuaded his radio listeners that he in fact was better suited for the job. That was 50 some odd years ago, nowadays media is basically the number one concern of every political candidate.

Poliwood Documentary "http://www.moviesdatacenter.com/Movies/PoliWood-2009.html"

Business Communication Channels

Here is a site that explains the different types of communication. It covers the many channels that small business owners and also large business owners would use to create sales.

http://www.home-based-business-solutions.com/business-communications.html

Communication Skills

I recently found a clip which shows how to deal with people. When some people meet a person at the first time, they do not know how to communicate with him/her. This clip tells people how to deal with this situation and tells people need to understand yourselves more before dealing with people.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fribo_Q2kqs

Preparing for Interview

Going on interviews is the last step in the job search process. It is essential that you are prepared so you can make a good impression and not make any mistakes that may cost you the opportunity for future employment. Remember that if you are chosen for an interview the prospective employer sees you as a possible candidate for employment. Many people spend little time preparing for interviews which unsurprisingly leads to poor results. So next time you are going for an interview be sure that you prepare. Here are some simple steps to follow to make sure you are prepared for the interview:

http://www.mcgill.ca/caps/students/job-search/interviewing/

"Reasons for Communication Breakdown"

This is a good site explaining different reasons for communication breakdowns and how to overcome them.

http://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication_barriers.htm

What is a "QR" ?

A Quick Response code or (QR) is a two dimensional barcode (matrix type), that is scanned with a smartphone camera or a web cam. The QR contains information both on a horizontal and a vertical axis which allows more data to be stored than in a standard barcode. The coding can be a "Uniform Resource Locator" (URL), which sends the user to a web site.

Here are some other uses of QR codes

• Business cards, for contact information
• Posters and signs, for concert information
• Magazines and advertising, for discount coupons and contest entry forms

QR codes were created in 1994, by Denso-Wave a Toyota subsidiary. It was originally used in automobile manufacturing for tracking auto parts.
Here is the link for more info. http://www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/aboutqr-e.html

How to write a proposal

Hi Class,

I've read an article in how to write an effective research proposal. The author, Paul T.P Wong, who is a research director suggests that an effective and convincing proposal should have sufficient information to convince the readers that the research idea is important and therefore, require research, a.k.a purpose of the proposal.

In addition, the author also suggests that the quality of your research proposal not only depends on the quality of the proposed project, but also on the quality of the proposal writing. Therefore, the context of the proposal must be coherent, clear and compelling.

In the article, the author provided guidelines and touch up points in how to write an effective proposal. Please take a look, and you may find this helpful for your final assignment, proposal.

Cheers!

Have a good one! :)

http://www.meaning.ca/archives/archive/art_how_to_write_P_Wong.htm

How to Structure an Agenda

Creating an effective agenda can dramatically improve the productivity of a meeting. The meeting agenda is important because it provides an outline for the meeting to meet the desired outcome. A good agenda includes discussion topics, attendee roles and responsibilities, and time allotment. In this article, the author also provides instructions on how to create an effective agenda:

1.“Provide the foundation of the meeting’s success by defining its purpose along with a set of objectives or desired outcomes.

2.Describe all crucial pieces of meeting logistics information.

3.Ensure that all people attending a meeting know what is expected of them during the meeting.

4.Define a meeting time line that keeps the meeting moving forward and covers the topic necessary to achieve the meeting outcomes.

5.State what information will be covered during the meeting as well as what information attendees should review prior to attending the meeting” (Camarota, 2011).

http://www.ehow.com/how_8704934_structure-agenda.html

How to use PowerPoint effectively

This article is from Dave Paradi he provides 10 tips on how to use PowerPoint effectively for a presentation.

1. Create an outline
first think about the content and later about the visual pa
2. Use contrasting colors
use a more dominant background color and a less dominant text color
3. Big enough font
he suggest a font size between 28 and 32.
4. Stop the moving text
he thinks that movement of text distracts the audience.
5. Turn the pointer off
same as point 4 it distracts the audience
6. Use visuals instead of text slides
Audience appreciates visuals more than text slides
7. Have slides at the end of your presentation
8. Be able to jump to any slide
have a list of the slide numbers and titles on hand
9. blank the screen
the get the full attention of your audience
10.Draw on the screen during the presentation
it is sometimes useful to make a point clearer

http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/articles/ten_secrets_for_using_powerpoint.htm

Presentation Tips for Public Speaking

As all the students in our cmns1140 class are preparing for the oral presentation of their proposal assignment, I thought this article will give us some finer points on things to do for a successful presentation. This is a research guide for students on public speaking. Hope this reading helps all our students to prepare & present well. Link below gives the public speaking tips:
http://www.aresearchguide.com/3tips.html

Competitive Social Media

Recently it has been seen that google launched a google+ social network to compete with facebook & twitter in grabbing as many people as possible to use their network for communication. It is surprising that within three weeks of being setup, it already has more than 10 million users. Although the creators of this website think that it might not be successful, it is already getting the attention of the public as facebook & twitter are experiencing. It is encouraging to know that there are other means of socialising available for our busy lifestyles. Website access:
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Google+meets+with+early+success/5140221/story.html

Fake Apple ipods and iphones: what is next?

A new trend has been discovered by Apple company where fake apple products are being sold in stores in china. This not only reduces the credit of the apple products but also sends a negative message about the industry. It is very sad to hear that these stores are setup in the same way as the Apple stores that even the staff working for these stores have no knowledge of the fake items & store name. So many people are interested in the Apple products that they do not care to check for genuine items from fake ones. One has to wonder after reading this article, as to where our technology based world is getting towards. Website access:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/fake-apple-store-cuts-to-core-of-china-risk-to-brands/article2106280/

How to Remember a Person’s Name (And What to Do When You Can’t)

We meet lot of people every day, and it's hard to remember every person that we have met before. However, it's quite important to remember others name because that makes others think they are important you respect them.

It sounds easy to remember a couple names, but sometimes you just can't remember a person's name.

This article is very helpful to solve this name problem.

Here's the link:

http://artofmanliness.com/2011/06/15/how-to-remember-a-persons-name-and-what-to-do-when-you-cant/

Good Communication between Employer and Employees

Creating an effective communication between employer and employees is necessary because it ensures business success. In the article, the author suggests that managers should create clear concise messages to avoid miscommunication. The author provides few methods to ensure quality communication between employees and managers:

1. “Using language your employees understand, not jargon
2. Keeping discussions focused, relevant, local and timely
3. Using open-ended questions to draw out ideas from employees
4. Ensuring your communications reach every employee
5. Using social events to break down barriers and build up trust”(BIS, 2011).

Effective communication between employees and managers can provide high performance teamwork for business success.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1074425203&type=RESOURCES

Bell and Its internet usage plans

An eye opening read for all of us who use these companies services. I think it is about time our government introduced new companies offering internet, cable & telephone services as this will give us a few other options and some better rates for such service. Just because these companies are holding monopoly so they could dictate terms, I do not think it is fair. This article shows another creative idea Bell describes to make more nmoney. Website:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/07/19/technology-ubb-crtc-internet.html

Blackberry Playbook: An interesting option

When the whole world is using high-tech devices, this new blackberry playbook could be added to the all new & advanced gadget with some new & cool features added to it. It is compared with the apple ipad with its function capabilities. Informative read for us in this 21st century technology based generation. Website below gives the info:
http://www.newsbroadcast.co.uk/25009/the-blackberry-playbook-is-an-interesting-option

Things to avoid when giving an oral presentation

We have an oral presentation coming up and some of us will be nervous or unsure on how to prepare for it. Here are some things to avoid when preparing and presenting your project. I think making sure to avoid these problems will help us all in our presentations coming up!

• Make sure you are prepared 
• Dress appropriate
• Look at your audience when presenting
• Speak clearly and try to avoid sloppy language (ex. um, like, gonna) 
• Avoid using overhead/power point with small print
• Be on time
• Do not use note cards, use your slides/power point as a guide if you forget something

These are just a some of the things to avoid when presenting. Check out this link to see more:

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8456396410859079822

Google Plus, Facebook killer?

Im sure many of you have heard about Google's new approach to social media, Google plus. It has been described as a hybrid of Facebook and Twitter, and has many attractive new features. The question is, do you think it will take over the all mighty Facebook?

This link outlines the Facebook's biggest threat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqDr7CFmZQ

Generous lottery winner loses fight with cancer

Hi everyone,

I was reading the news today, and i found out that the a generous man who donated all his lottery prize to the public after he and his wife had won the lottery of $11.2 million dollars last summer.

he donated 98% of his lottery prize to the local charities and kept only 2% for emergency purposes. unfortunitely, this generous man died because of cancer. lets hope god bless him in heaven. R.I.P

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/generous-lottery-winner-loses-fight-cancer-120418642.html

Persuasive Messages

Persuasive messages are often the most difficult messages to effectively communicate to your peers. Whether it be an idea, recommendation, or variation thereof - more often than not - early in your career you will be met with resistance from higher ranking associates. Resistance is often detrimental to confidence in any young business persons career. But fear not, presenting your persuasive message and having it shot down is normal. Higher ranked employees will be quick to jump to the conclusion that you are young and inexperienced - not ready to make recommendations. Furthermore, they may fear that you will take their jobs. The important thing to remember is to be persistant- persuasive messages are almost never understood in first communications. Case in point being: the man who shows up to an employer seeking employment for a month straight will almost always persuade that employer to hire them for the job, over the individual who shows up with a university degree wearing flip flops and a doo rag.

How to prepare for an oral presentation

I found this great website that outlines the basic steps to an oral presentation. I really like it because it goes thru all the important criteria for a successful and informative presentation from the planning state to the presentation.

Check it out.

http://mymbaclasses.blogspot.com/2010/05/oral-presentation-basic-steps-for-oral.html

Internal and External Proposal

The link that I found today is about how to write internal and external proposals. I like this link because it not only talks about how to write a proposal but also provides other areas of communication writing skills. Every month has different topics of communication writing; I found some are interesting,for example,7 Automatic Persuasion Techniques in Communication. I hope you can enjoy reading these articles.

http://bizcommunication.net/2009/11/internal-and-external-proposal/

Facebook’s Culture Clash

Facebook’s goal is to connect the whole world, but how can it achieve its goal if 1 billion people are excluded.  Government officials in China still won’t allow Facebook to operate in China.  Chinese officials have seen the riots assisted by Facebook in Egypt and Tunisia and want to prevent the flow and freedom of information.  How can Facebook operate on its platform of freely exchanging information, if the information shared on the site would be censored?  Also, Facebook users are supposed to register with their real names and identities.  However, if you were a user in China, wouldn’t you be terrified to register with your real name and be held accountable for something that you posted?  Facebook is trying to partner with Baidu, China’s most popular search engine with good governmental relations, to help shield itself against censorship. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future?  Will China ever be ready to be facebooked? 

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/tech-biz/Clashing+values+could+trip+Facebook+tiptoes+toward+China/5095325/story.html

A Piece of the Pie

As we all know, Blockbuster, the movie rental chain store has recently closed its doors forever.  No longer are people walking to their neighbourhood shops to rent a movie.  Why would they even bother to leave the comfort of their homes when people can press a button on their remotes to see movies through their cable boxes or visit a website such as Netflix? |To compete with Netflix, which offers viewers unlimited access to movies and tv shows for a flat rate of $7.99 per month Shaw recently announced that it will introduce a “Movie Club,” for a monthly rate. It is definitely a smart move on Shaw’s behalf as they want to access a piece of this movie market by providing a convenient and current service.  In my opinion, they have the opportunity to surpass Netflix, if they price their monthly fee appropriately and provide new releases, as movies on Netflix are dated.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/technology/Shaw+show+flicks+through+Movie+Club/5108396/story.html

To Believe or not to!!

Interesting topic regarding how our cable providers go to any length in grabbing customers although right details and costs are hidden when they provide us all the information. This article gives a good picture of costs that our cable providers incur to send us cable and how much it costs us to watch cable. A good eye opening read for all of us on the following website.
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/techsense/archive/2011/07/15/shaw-movie-club-versus-netflix-a-comparison.aspx

text messages gone wrong.

I always see people text messaging, and I find it amazing that phones even have an auto correction feature that fixes any spelling mistakes, or grammar mistakes. Technology has really made our lives easier. However, this would be one of the examples about how the phone does not always know what's best for the message. Warning, these messages might be offensive to some people, so do not blame me if you are offended.

Common errors when writing reports

We all know how stressful school can be especially with exams and projects coming up! When writing reports there are many common errors people over look. To try and avoid some of these common errors check out this website and use it as a reference when writing your reports!

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reporterror.html

Budget Proposals

In real life, every proposal that requires the use of money requires a budget section. The budget section will be, if not the most important, one of the most important sections of your proposal. Interesting real life proposals, including a budget section, to evaluate due to their large amount of media coverage, are government budget proposals. Because these publications impact everyone within a city, province, or county; they are extremely important. Government spends countless hours deciding where money will be spent in the future for the better of the community and the proposals are quite a complex, interesting read.

Spelling mistakes 'cost millions' in lost online sales

The following link shows how a few simple spelling mistakes can cost businesses millions of dollars in sales. It proves that we still need to focus on the key basics of communication, and that mistakes can be much more costly than one would think.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14130854

Writing Information Reports

This article discusses the details on writing information reports. It tells us how not to include any assumptions and what could the contents of information report. Basically informing us to include facts when writing information reports, also giving us some special features to be included in our report. website attached for reading.
http://www.qualityresearch.org.uk/research-paper-topics/information-report-writing-help.php

Good and Bad Communication Practises

Social media is discussed here as a means of joining a large circle of groups for children for socialising. A few good and bad points are being answered by Dr. andie. More is being said about how parents could encourage children to practise safe communication while using facebook, email, tweeting & texting. A good read for all of us as responsible scholars of this country. Website below gives us few details of effective communication for our future generation.
http://drandie.com/social_networks.html

Your Hst Vote

If you are like me you have not completed your HST vote. I am surprised at the lack of information on both of the taxes in the voting package. The web address is at the bottom of the voting instructions. To summarize, our government needs more tax dollars. The HST provides more tax dollars than the GST & PST combined. Basic unbiased information should be included in the referendum voting package. Not all voters have access or knowledge of the Internet. Here is the link http://www.hstinbc.ca/

Technology's impact on business communication unabated

The following link discusses the impact of email on the business world, as well as our personal lives. It explains the positive/negative effects and how businesses monitor the content sent by their employees.
http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/4096311-1.html

Social Media A Necessity

Social media is taking over. It's almost scary at times how much we share on the new wave of the web. From your name, address, phone number, employer, and birth date -to- likes, dislikes, friends, and opinions; you could nearly clone half our population. Nevertheless, its almost a necessity to be online on one of the social sites to be found in the business world. Whether you are a individual in seek of a job, a sole proprietor, a small company, or a corporation; you need to embrace social media and use it to your advantage. Using LinkenIn to connect with local business people, Facebook as a way to stay in contact with customers, or Twitter to follow updates in your industry, are just a few examples of how business professionals are utilizing social media to their advantage already.

Researching information on the Internet

Assuming that all of us are busy doing research on writing our Informational report writing, I thought this website would help us in how and what to look for when researching our Business communication topics. There is a lot of valuable ideas on the ways of searching the internet for our report. Hope it is helpful to all of us.
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/wa_resources/wa_teachers/tipsheets/search_internet_effectively.cfm

Starting at an early age, what future holds!!

This article just startled me. It is a good reading on our kids unknowingly plagiarise their research writing. I thought it would be good to blog this article for us students so that we could give good advise to help our future generations on the pros & cons of Plagiarism. Also helping the kids to write independently while doing research writing.
http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/plagiarism.html

Follow-up after sending a resume

After reading this career advice article I learned that it is important to follow up after sending a resume. If you send a resume and you really want the job, go a step further and send a follow up letter. Sending a follow up letter will keep your file fresh and you will have a higher chance of getting called for an interview.
 http://www.bcjobs.ca/content/index.cfm?objectid=D70B0190-2219-80B4-536666085DB62AAD

effective communications

Being a good communicater is extreamy important, to be understood and to understand. I don't think very many people are born with good communication skills, they must be learnt. This website offers lots of information and will hopefully help you to communicate better with the world around you.
http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/effective_communication_barriers_and_strategies.html

Hello class.
I took an attitudes and persuasion class a few semesters ago and i found it to be so interesting and one of my favorite classes to date! During the course of the semester we were introduced (not in person) to Dr. Robert Caildini who is an expert in the field of compliance, persuasion and communications. I attached this web link as it really describes ideas of how to be an effective communicator and get what you want. The steps outlined here are used in many different fields from psychology to business and I that is why I think it is so relevant to this course and helpful to all of us. Thanks!
http://careerbright.com/tag/dr-robert-b-cialdini

Hello class!
I came across this website while doing a project for my negotiations class and found it to be really interesting. I was origanally just going to post a link directly to one of tips but there are so many interesting topics on this website i decided to link the whole thing. These topics range from negotiating a salary to understanding how people act under time pressures. I just think this is a usefull website that is relevent to many aspects of a persons life and I hope you find it as interesting as I did. http://www.karrass.com/kar_eng/tipofthemonth.htm

Business-Customer Communication

Interesting article about communicating with customers. very basic and very true, listen to your customers and the follow through with your commitments.

http://bx.businessweek.com/business-communications/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpivotpointsolutions.net%2F2011%2F07%2F05%2Faligning-your-business-to-customers-pillar-3-%25e2%2580%2593-communication%2F

The Power Of Nonverbal Communication

Most of the time, when we talk about communication, we are talking about how to express words to mean what we mean. However, how we express words with our body language also send strong messages, such as the way we sit, or how close we stand.

This article firstly explains the importance of nonverbal communication, then describes different types of nonverbal communication, and finally recommends how to improve this skills.

Here is the link:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

Be a Man; Do the Right Thing

Hi class:

This website "artofmanliness.com" is very interesting and quite useful. basically, the website's main theme is about how to be a good man. Articles about how should a man deals his relationship and family, dress and grooming, health and sports, and so much more can be found in the website.

This article "Dressing and Influence: The Right Look for Different Meeting Types" is one of the articles that I found in the website I think is useful. We need to dress properly for different occasions, and by doing so, it'll give other people a good impression about you. So don't underestimate the power of one's clothes and appearance, it's an important part of business communication!

Here's the link to the article:

http://artofmanliness.com/2011/05/10/dressing-and-influence/

How Business Communication Icebreakers Work

Hi class:

Often, we need to do business with clients that are strangers. In order to get the deal done and develop a good relationship with the clients for more business opportunities, we need to know how to communicate with them even though we know very little about them.

I found this article on "howstuffworks" website talks about "How Business Communication Icebreakers Work." The article gives detailed information about how the icebreakers work and different scenarios in business.

Here is the link:

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/business-communication-icebreaker.htm

7 Tips for Preparing Effective Instructions

When preparing instructions for an activity or process it is important that your audience will be able to obtain the information and correctly accomplish the steps to complete the task. Follow these 7 steps to ensure that you can try and  avoid as much confusion as possible with your instructions:

1. Get out of your head

2. Know the objective

3. Outline it first

4. Make it easy to understand

5. Be brief

6. Use visual aids

7. Give it a test drive

For more detail on these 7 steps check out this website:

http://www.sitepoint.com/7-tips-for-writing-an-effective-instruction-manual/

How to listen effectively

How many times have you tuned out and stopped listening to someone while they are speaking to you? I know it happens to me occasionally and the truth is this happens because I really had no intent of listening to them in the first place. Listening skills are not only important for relationships but are very important in the work force. Listening effectively to what is happening in your work place or what is required of you at a job plays a major role in the outcome of your success. This article is short and sweet and gives a few tips on how to be more aware of what is being said to you. Check it out http://www.booher.com/newsroom_article14.html

I love the internet. So many ways to play around and look for interesting things. I have been planning a trip for this December, and I have been thinking a lot about travelling to Japan, or Thailand. I decided to see on Google Maps what the distance is, just for a reason to look forward to this trip. Because of the assignment we had on instructions, I typed Kwantlen's address (Richmond adress), and the city of Tokyo, and google maps gave me these directions. I don't know if I should trust the internet with directions now, or if I could even follow these instructions, especially steps 14 and 30. It is very important to have instructions that are easy to follow, and that they are realistic.

Driving directions to Tokyo, Japan

This route has tolls.- more info »

This route crosses through United States.- more info »

8771 Lansdowne Rd Richmond, BC V6X 3T4

	1. Head west on Lansdowne Rd toward Kwantlen St
		90 m
	2. Make a U-turn at Kwantlen St
		300 m
	3. Take the 2nd right onto Garden City Rd S
		400 m
	4. Take the 1st left onto Westminster Hwy
		2.7 km
	5. Take the ramp onto BC-99 S Entering United States (Washington)
		35.5 km
	6. Continue onto I-5 S
		172 km
	7. Take exit 169 toward NE 45th St
		1.0 km
	8. Merge onto 5th Ave NE
		71 m
	9. Turn right onto NE 45th St
		1.0 km
	10. Turn left onto Wallingford Ave N
		1.5 km
	11. Turn right onto N 34th St
		89 m
	12. Take the 1st left onto Densmore Ave N
		130 m
	13. Turn right onto N Northlake Way
		86 m
	14. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Hawaii
		4,436 km
	15. Continue straight
		170 m
	16. Turn left onto Kuilima Dr
		800 m
	17. Take the 3rd right onto HI-83 W
		19.9 km
	18. Continue straight onto HI-99 S/Kamehameha Hwy
		10.5 km
	19. Slight left onto HI-80 S/Kamehameha Hwy Continue to follow Kamehameha Hwy
		3.3 km
	20. Take the Interstate H-2 S ramp to Honolulu
		240 m
	21. Merge onto I-H-2 S
		12.8 km
	22. Merge onto I-H-1 E
		7.5 km
	23. Take exit 13B toward Halawa Hts. Stadium
		450 m
	24. Merge onto I-H-201 E
		6.6 km
	25. Merge onto I-H-1 E
		6.6 km
	26. Take exit 23 for Punahou St toward Waikiki/Manoa
		260 m
	27. Turn right onto Punahou St
		240 m
	28. Take the 1st right onto S Beretania St
		160 m
	29. Take the 1st left onto Kalakaua Ave
		3.0 km
	30. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Japan
		6,243 km
	31. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		650 m
	32. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		110 m
	33. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		260 m
	34. Turn right onto 県道275号線
		160 m
	35. Turn left onto 国道125号線
		150 m
	36. Turn right onto 県道24号線
		1.0 km
	37. Turn left at 千束町（交差点） onto 国道354号線
		3.3 km
	38. Turn right at 中村陸橋下（交差点） to stay on 国道354号線
		1.6 km
	39. Take the ramp to 常磐自動車道 Toll road
		450 m
	40. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 東京 and merge onto 常磐自動車道 Toll road
		38.3 km
	41. Take exit 三郷ＪＣＴ on the right toward 首都高・銀座・湾岸線 Toll road
		1.2 km
	42. Merge onto 首都高速6号三郷線 Toll road
		9.4 km
	43. Take exit 小菅ＪＣＴ toward 湾岸線・銀座 Toll road
		500 m
	44. Merge onto 首都高速中央環状線 Toll road
		650 m
	45. Take exit 堀切ＪＣＴ on the right toward 銀座 Toll road
		500 m
	46. Merge onto 首都高速6号向島線 Toll road
		8.7 km
	47. Take exit 江戸橋ＪＣＴ on the right toward 神田橋・北池袋 Toll road
		600 m
	48. Merge onto 首都高速都心環状線 Toll road
		3.8 km
	49. Take exit 三宅坂ＪＣＴ on the right toward 中央道・新宿 Toll road
		800 m
	50. Merge onto 首都高速4号新宿線 Toll road
		4.6 km
	51. Take exit 首都高新宿 on the right toward 新宿出口 Partial toll road
		850 m
	52. Turn left at 新宿中央公園南（交差点）
		81 m
	53. Turn left
		190 m
	54. Turn left
		200 m
	55. Turn left at 都庁南（交差点）
		270 m

Tokyo Japan