Posts Tagged → communicate
Battling Romance Myths
The institution of marriage is surrounded by a number of myths, stories and advice freely offered by people on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many people listen to and believe these pieces of so-called wisdom to the point where it doesn’t help their marriage and it only hinders its growth. Many of the myths regarding relationships are incredibly damaging and it is unfortunate that they are such common beliefs. Once you understand why certain bits of advice or information can be regarded as myths, you can break through what could be blocking the growth of your marriage. In fact, you may actually learn to appreciate your spouse and your role in your marriage even more.
Sensationalist television, magazines and talk radio have been key players when it comes to fueling any belief that there is a battle between the sexes happening. While there are definitively some physical and psychological differences, they are not enough to earn the term ‘battle’ as a description. When you allow yourself to consider any kind of battle between the sexes, you risk grouping all men or all women into a certain category and that leads to stereotyping. Once you recognize that your partner is a unique individual with a number of positive attributes, you can shed the thought that there should be any type of conflict between the two of you. Any thought of battle or conflict only leads to lack of communication, misunderstandings and discourages growth in any relationship.
Nice guys finish last is one of the worst possible sayings floating around today. Whoever thought of that and actually uttered those words must have been feeling truly low and full of self-pity because there simply cannot be any other explanation. Nice guys never finish last. They may have a longer and harder road sometimes, but it isn’t often that you see the bullies and jerks finishing first. If they aren’t, who is? It’s the nice guys, but they are so nice and gracious you don’t hear them bragging about it. It is also important to note that the word ‘nice’ doesn’t mean ‘weak’ or ‘ effeminate’ in any way. Nice means socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous and not at all negative in any way. Nice is not another word for push over or spineless. Nice is as close to a ‘perfect’ man as you can come and they always end up first in line.
Romance is all you need in order to save your relationship is a wonderfully optimistic thought, but not quite accurate. If simple romance were enough to save a marriage, it would be running wonderfully rampant throughout the world today. Unfortunately, it takes more than simple romance. If you truly feel love for your spouse and you are expressing it through romance, then it will save your marriage. If you are trying to use romance to buy some time or to placate your spouse, then you are only buying time or placating your spouse. Your time as a married couple is most likely limited and should be attended to immediately by a professional.
Football Gear
Football is a rough and tumble sport that requires a lot of protective equipment. Even the staff wears football gear, although it isn’t necessarily protective equipment.
Football staff is the coaching team. This group of individuals wears specialized football gear to help them communicated with the other coaches. That is why so many coaches wear headsets. The main coach also carries a playbook or something to write down the plays. The playbook is an essential piece of football gear, as coaches need to adapt to every scene and situation. During practice, coaches use whistles to begin and end drills and plays. Football staff usually wears shirts or uniforms to make them easily distinguished.
The players’ football gear is much more involved. Their personal equipment consists of many different things, beginning with uniform pants and shirt. Players are provided with helmets to provide essential head protection. Under the uniform, each player is layered in protective padding. Shoulder and kneepads are just two areas that need to be protected by football gear during a game. Unless it is a small high school or community team, the players will usually be supplied with cleats. If the team does not supply cleats, the individual players will have to purchase them.
Training equipment is another area of football gear that must be worn. Both offense and defense players wear practicing equipment as they perform their drills. The entire team uses dummies to practice tackles, and pads to practice pushes.
Football coaches make up their own patterns of drills; the necessary football gear is determined by which drills will be performed. Most coaches, whether high school, college, or pro, will require their players to build strength by lifting weights. In addition to building muscle mass, weight training helps the players become more disciplined.
A fully equipped gym is usually supplied to schools to help students and players stay fit and get in shape for the next season. All students in the school typically share these gyms, but some have special gym rooms used exclusively by football players. These gym rooms are located near the football locker room or in the field house.
Football gear is essential equipment for all athletes of every skill level. It protects the players from injury, and helps them to develop their skills and become better, more disciplined athletes.
A Career From Anywhere
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The east coast of New Zealand. What do these locations have in common? A recent call for assistance from freelance writers elicited replies from every one of these locations. In each of these and in many other remote places, I know of writers who are freelancing with a fair degree of success.
Indeed it is possible for freelance writers to work from anywhere.
Consider my own recent experience. As the editor of the Worldwide Freelance Writer web site, I publish a newsletter that goes out to thousands of freelance writers around the world. I can recall one particular issue in the middle of 2002. I started planning the newsletter in the heat and humidity of Hong Kong. When the first draft came together I was in Indianapolis, in the United States. And by the time I completed the final copy and pushed the send button I was at a lakeside cottage in Ontario, Canada, with snow lightly falling outside.
Maybe you are interested in a freelance writing career but you worry about whether you live in a suitable location. Well, think again. Freelance writing is a job you can do from anywhere. It is true that if your home is near New York’s editorial offices you may be able to use your proximity to some advantage. But many, many freelance writers are working successfully from more distant locations, and in many cases enjoying a better lifestyle in the places where they live.
Take Ron Irwin, for example. An American, Ron freelances from a small house on the beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The majority of his work is still for North American markets. Consider Vella Corinne, a native of Malta in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. From this island steeped in history – the Order of St John was based here and the temples are thought to be older than the pyramids – she writes travel and lifestyle features.
Writers in locations such as these, far from being at a serious disadvantage, can actually enjoy a number of benefits. For a start, these writers are in an excellent position to write about their own locations, the people and the culture. Also, the living costs are often less expensive than for writers in major cities. And if that is not enough, how about fresh, clean air?
Writers working from remote locations usually live in a cleaner, more peaceful environment, and may live closer to outdoor and recreational activities. Vella reveals how she enjoys the warmer days: “Once I pack up my computer, I just head to the beach. Distances are short and, the island being small, I’m always close to the center of whatever’s happening here. I can control my own time in a way that I could not if I lived in a busy city.”
Twenty years ago writers in remote locations were often frustrated by the slowness of communicating with editors on the other side of the world. It would always take months to receive a reply from an editor. Waiting for a response to a query was about as exciting as watching grass grow!
In recent years the availability of the Internet has made it easier than ever before for freelancers to communicate almost instantly with anyone, anywhere in the world. In my own example above I traveled through a few countries over a three-week period and managed to conduct my freelance work at the same time. Many of my clients didn’t even know I was ‘on the move’. Little did they know that between receiving and replying to their messages, I was fishing in the lake and hiking through the woods. I could easily keep in touch with important contacts, as well as write and send out my newsletter.
But do you know what was even more exciting? While I was traveling my web site was hard at work, the entire time, ‘day and night’. Even while I was flying at thirty thousand feet, taking a nap, I was effectively selling a bunch of writing-related books and products. Now if that isn’t a freelancer’s dream becoming reality, I don’t know what is! Such accomplishments were definitely not so attainable before the advent of email and the World Wide Web.
Kathy Crockett freelances from Gisborne, New Zealand, on the east coast of the North Island. She commented to me on the difference technology makes when working from such a location. “It’s a city of 35,000″, she explains, “the closest to the international dateline, and the first city in the world to see the sun each day. Its closest city-size neighbors are three hours drive on windy roads…the internet, mobile phones…technology lets me be wherever I want to be… and fool others into thinking I’m where they’d like me to be!”
Of course working remotely is not always easy and there are a number of challenges that writers typically face. Isolation is a common issue. Vella explained to me she has a way of dealing with it. “At times it feels like I have a totally atomized existence. I balance that by scheduling some ‘face time’ each day”, she explains. I agree with her. Sometimes you must make a conscious effort to spend time with family, friends, or other writers.
Another challenge may be difficulties with technology. Finding a PC repair shop may be next to impossible. Internet access may be unavailable or unreliable. There are many, many places in the world that don’t even have telephone lines yet, not to mention email access. You can still work as a freelance writer from these locations, but it will not be as convenient. If you have any choice where you live, always try to choose a town that has telephone lines with reliable Internet access.
And that goes for working while you are on holiday too. Check the available technology in advance. In the example of my trip above, I received a surprise. There was no telephone line or email access in the cottage. My initial panic subsided when I discovered a telephone not too far away. In freezing temperatures, I trudged up the road. When I pushed the button to send out my newsletter my notebook computer was plugged into a payphone.
Are writers in remote locations at a serious disadvantage? No way! I am sold on the concept that you can work as a freelance writer from anywhere. And while you will face some challenges, none of them will be insurmountable.
So if you’re looking for a career you can do from anywhere, look no further. The writers I referred to and many others are working successfully right where they are. And so can you. Open up your notebook. Start writing. You can begin to build a rewarding career as a freelance writer today.
Get Started With Your First Blog
There is no question that blogging is one of the best ways to get keyword rich content on your site, get your message on the search engines and get traffic to your website. But how do you get started blogging?
When you consider starting a blog there are many options. A great way to get started blogging quickly (and for free) is to use an online ‘standalone’ service like WordPress or Google’s Blogger. These are free, highly customizable tools that support both new and more advanced bloggers. The negative is that you can’t use your website’s domain name. For instance, if using Blogger, you blog address would be something like ‘yourblog.blogspot.com.’ While you can link to this from your current website, search engines won’t know give you ‘credit’ for the extra content since it is a different domain. With creative cross linking however, you can still benefit from the increased exposure you can get from a blog.
These free services provide powerful software tool that balance value, quality, and ease of use. While some people prefer to use more basic blog services, they too can truly benefit from the ‘built-in’ benefits of WordPress or Blogger along with its existing large community of users.
One of the most notable benefits of these services is the ease of use, and advanced functionality of the service compared to some blog software applications. Neither Blogger nor WordPress require you to know any ‘coding’ and allow you to built and post to your blog with easy to use icons similar to what one would see in a word processing program. Having the ability to utilize a program like this allows people to create blogs that are as high tech, and complete as full blown websites.
If you are occasionally ‘offline’ you can benefit from WordPress’s ability to import posts. This means you can put your blog together while you are not connected to the internet and then import it later. If you already use another blogging service such you can also import your posts directly into Blogger or WordPress.
Another benefit of these services is their large widget or element and theme libraries that allow you to instantly add useful features, and professional looking styles to your blog. A very simple drag and drop interface allows you to add features such as an RSS feed with a few clicks.
Another option to consider would be blogging software that you can directly integrate into your website. Some hosting provides such as GoDaddy allow you to use your existing domain name for you blog. The benefit is that the content of your blog becomes part of what search engines see for your domain. In these cases you are more likely to pay a monthly add-on fee to your hosting provider. As an alternative, Google’s Blogger allows you to publish to a FTP site, which means you can blog from your own domain. You lose some of the flexibility of the ‘out of the box’ service, but with a little effort you can have a customized template and pretty easy posting capability that resides within your domain.
As your needs become more advanced or if you are a more technical blogger you may also consider blogging software that can be directly integrated into your website. One to consider is bBlog. bBlog is an open source, PHP/MySQL application. If you don’t know what the last sentence means, then this isn’t for you. If you do know, then you may benefit from the expanded flexibility an integrated application could provide.
In the end, you have a wide, wide range of very inexpensive (or free) options to get started.
Using a Teleconference to Connect Your Business
Business owners and other professionals are always looking for ways to bolster the interest in their business or organization. Even though there are an unlimited number of ways to get people involved with your business or organization, there is no better way to go about doing so than to host a teleconference for your members. There are actually a couple ways that you have to choose from, too, if you are going to hold a teleconference and we will detail them in this article here. But there are some real benefits to holding scheduled teleconferences to connect the individuals in your business together, and to get new people interested in joining you.
The first option that you have to conduct a teleconference meeting is the traditional style of the telephone. Many people refer to this type of meeting as a “conference call,” and this is the type of meeting where everyone dials a specific number and is required to enter a secret code just to enter the call.
These types of teleconference meetings are great for businesses and organizations that usually don’t have any new members joining that often. For example, stock holders of a corporation routinely listen in on telephone conference calls in order to find out about the losses and gains from the business as far as the stock market goes. Another great example of telephone conference calls include clubs that usually stick with the same members from conference call to conference call.
On the other hand, the technology of the conference call has changed dramatically in recent years and more businesses, corporations, and organizations are getting in on the action. This new technology includes the internet and teleconferences can be conducted anywhere where there is a computer and an internet connection. So how does it work to have a conference call for your business conducted online? In fact, holding a teleconference call completely online only takes a few matter of minutes in order to be set up and requires little to no maintenance throughout the time of the conference call. Members can enter and exit as they please; however, there is usually still the same beep as there would be in a normal telephone teleconference call.
Chances are that you or your business has routinely been using the phone teleconference way of meeting with your members. However, if you have not had a chance to try out the internet side of the teleconference meetings then this is a sure-fire way to see some of the changes and new technology of the teleconference world. For example, members have the option of actually speaking or typing in order to communicate. In addition, presentations are easily available for people to walk through as the host of the teleconference call will be easily able to flip through and present the information that they’ve gathered.
All in all, a teleconference is a smart way to conduct business and, as mentioned, the internet is literally changing the face of the teleconference meeting. As technology becomes even more greater individuals and businesses can be assured that all business meetings will eventually be conducted completely online!
Computer Training
In today’s modern world, computer training is considered to be of vital importance to almost everyone. Whether you are entering the workforce, are on a senior management team, or you are a recent retiree, computer skills are a must. Around the world over, it’s not just about basic word processing and balancing your check book anymore, either. The computer has invaded almost every facet of our modern lives, and thus it has become a necessity to be able to use and understand the computer.
Computer training can take place in a variety of methods, and can cover a variety of subjects. Let’s take a brief look at some of the options out there that are available to the novice, the average user, and even the self-proclaimed ‘expert’ computer user. Many long term computer users find that occasionally taking a computer training class of some sort helps them to stay on top of the ever-changing technology and software of the computer industry, not to mention the terminology used in day-to-day conversations about computers.
Traditionally, computer training has taken place in a classroom. In high schools across the country, many young people are being trained in computer use. In fact, it starts much earlier today in developed countries like the United Stated, Australia and the United Kingdom. Colleges also offer courses on computer use, and some of these are geared towards the adult who has never been on a computer before.
Another method of computer training could involve a correspondence course. These type of courses have also had their heyday, in which they were very popular as well. Distance learning of this type allowed the student to learn at their own pace, and at their own location. While the attraction of distance learning is still a top request for those seeking to learn about computers, there are a couple of additional methods that lend themselves to a more hands-on approach.
Online computer training is emerging today as a force to be reckoned within educational circles. Not only is computer training taking place online, training for just about anything else can be done online as well! Online classes are available for many colleges, and some offer complete course loads online, so you can get a college degree completely from home, through training conducted on the Internet.
One final method of computer training that is worth noting is that of software tutorials using video and/or software. This arena was unknown in the beginning of the quest for computer knowledge (as was the online training), largely because the computers of the past did not possess enough power to run such programs. However, today you can purchase specialized software or videos that will provide you training at your own pace, hands-on, without having to be online.
In conclusion, it goes without saying that computer training is an invaluable service that needs to be on the ‘to do list’ of anyone who is serious about communicating or being productive in our modern society. There are an endless variety of ways to get this training, and some people even prefer to teach themselves based on specific subjects of interest and their ability to conduct research.
What is a business analyst?
A business analyst is a person whose job is to analyze business needs and critical problems for the stakeholders and propose practical solutions. Many times this is done with a project proposal. The business analyst is to study the proposal, determining which would be the best course of action to reach the proposed solution. At times this can not be done.
The plan and solution may look good on paper. When it comes time to implement the program, people and teams can be divided. 50% of all project proposals fail due to a lack of communication. The business analyst must also be a good people person to make the teams work together for the betterment of the business.
The entire project is based on saving money. When a qualified business analyst can not perform his or her duties because of the lack of co-operation, the result is a waste of time and money. The project is doomed for failure. A business analyst must be able to use negotiation skills and motivational techniques for the entire project to succeed short term and long term.
A business analyst will listen. Instead of jumping ahead and looking at the goal, he or she will take the time to understand the needs of the company. Asking questions is a key element to success in the world of business analysis. If the business analyst fails to comprehend the true needs of a company, the project can be sidetracked with issues unrelated. Again, the result would be failure.
A certified business analyst has been trained to read and recognize omissions in the project proposal. He or she will understand the need for outsourcing certain tasks. Choosing to use in-house personnel or outside resources will be something the professional business analyst can determine by assessing the needs of the company. This may be where a lack of communication or even team failure comes into the equation. A good analyst will explain as the project progresses so each team knows what is happening.
The business analyst may be hired to complete a proposed project but he or she must pull the company together as a whole. A good analyst knows company failure can result because of division in the offices or departments. He or she will see to it the company as a whole can see the vision of the business. He or she will explain how each department is integrated with the other. The project proposal may include more than is listed. The proposal may take another route to get the job done. A business analyst familiar with the industry involved will be able to recognize the overlooked or not so obvious issues involved.
There are times when services from outside sources may be utilized by the business. The business analyst is trained to understand the importance or lack of need for these sources. He or she can determine the most cost effective way to use the sources. The business analyst may find directing the designated tasks to in-house departments more beneficial to the company. This is part of researching the project proposal. The business analyst is to determine the most cost effective way to reach the goal and still succeed with a bottom line net profit.
How to Communicate Confidently
One thing common to all great communicators is that when they speak, everybody listens. However, communicating to people is one of the greatest fears for most of the human beings, and especially when it comes to public speaking. Most people dread public speaking more than death! Do you ever wonder why you don’t seem to get listened to by others even though you too have many ideas to share? Then read on, this article is just for you.
Confident communication however, is more than what you speak. It takes into account your body language as well.
What’s inside the mind of a Successful Communicator?
Confident communicators aren’t a know all
Of course, you need to have good knowledge about the subject you are talking about, but what actually matters is not what you say, but how you say it. Successful people don’t do different things, they do things differently. The first step is to believe in what you say. You must be fully convinced in the idea and only then will there be conviction in the tone of your voice. Your voice now is equipped with the power to hold people’s attention. Once you have conviction in your voice, and what you speak is useful for the other people and it actually helps them or gives some credible information, you get appreciation. This certainly peps up your self-confidence!
Confident communicators don’t let people make them nervous
Most people suffer from fearing catastrophes that never happen. Most people tend to make a very high imaginary impression of other people in their minds.
So much so that their mind starts believing that other people are perfect. This creates an unfair comparison between their own personality and the imaginary personality of other people that they create. This thinking breeds a fear of meeting and talking to other people. It lowers their confidence and they fear what it will be to meet and talk to these “perfect” people. However, in real life nobody is perfect and you must realize this. Everybody has their own set of faults and weaknesses. It’s important for you to realize that every human being is essentially imperfect. This will give you greater confidence to go out and face people.
Take it or leave it. You snooze, you lose
Ideally you must be the best of your moods and carry a pleasant demeanor when you go out and meet people. However, it might not always be possible and it may so happen that you are not fully prepared to communicate, or you are a little tense over some other matter. A confident communicator, though, develops an ability to keep control of his emotions. This quality helps the communicator to keep control of the situation. You may still not be in a good moodb but you must make sure that you keep indecisiveness at bay. Your indecision will fritter away your focus and energy and you fail to make any impact. If you decide to communicate. Be yourself, have faith in yourself and go ahead.
Mind your body language
Your gesture, postures and eye contact probably talk louder than your words. Body language cuts across all barriers of communication such as language, time, place, knowledge and so on. Your body language starts getting interpreted unconsciously by everyone around. People start forming impressions about you the moment you make an eye contact and body language certainly contributes a considerably large part of the impression you make.
A few facts you must know
- You may have a sad expression on your face because of some other matter, but the person you are talking to may feel that you don’t approve what he says, leading to misunderstanding.
- A steady gaze may convey intensity, anger, aggression or strong interest. Little eye contact may imply lack of confidence or shyness.
- Open hands may convey honesty and openness; however, making a lot of hand gestures might mean that you are being nervous.
Confident communication, including words and gestures, is something that you do not perfect in a day. You must grab every opportunity to communicate. Try to check your communication skills, your strong points and the mistakes you make along with the overall affect on the other person. Try to learn from your experiences and there is no reason why you can’t make it. Get going. Good luck!
A Look into Boeing’s Corporate Sponsorship
Boeing is the leading aerospace company in the world, and by far the largest manufacturer of jetliners for commercial use, and also military aircrafts. They are the forefront runners in aerospace innovation and leadership, continuously creating new and more efficient products.
As it is a large corporation, Boeing gives out corporate sponsorships to those in need of support in funding. Organizations are welcomed by the company to give unsolicited sponsorship proposals since they seek to proactively create partnerships with strategic and appropriate partners.
Evaluation Process
Building long-term partnerships is the goal that Boeing aims to attain in sponsorship. They support a select number of events and activities which have similar interests and values. In order for this to possible, an evaluation process is conducted by Boeing to see whether an outside organization is an ideal sponsorship partner.
All sponsorship proposals given to Boeing go through the following processes:
• Unsolicited and solicited proposals are received by Boeing Corporate Communications.
• Boeing Corporate Communications then performs a preliminary overview that is based on their evaluation criteria.
• If the sponsorship proposal has potential, it is shared with a team of managers responsible for sponsorship program development projects.
• The sharing is evaluations of the sponsorship proposal – taking into account the proposal’s location, subject and scope – seeing if it fits with Boeing’s brand and strategy on sponsorship.
Evaluation Criteria
There are six general criteria developed by Boeing in evaluating sponsorship proposals. These measures ensure that the benefit garnered is for both parties – sponsor and sponsee.
Sponsorship proposals are subject to evaluation based on the following:
• The tangible benefits involved if a partnership is pursued.
• The longevity the proposal offers if a partnership between the organization and Boeing is established.
• The capability of the proposal to target necessary audiences and build the right kind of relationships.
• How Boeing will be exposed through such a sponsorship – will it be a positive venture, will it bring in more customers and good feedback, etc.
• What kind of additional resource is the proposal going to generate.
• Will a long term relationship prove to be sustainable and overall beneficial to both parties?
There are specific ineligible activities that Boeing has no interest of pursuit. Some of these activities are mentioned below:
• Little leagues and other local sports organizations
• Charities that hold fundraising events
• Individual or family sponsorship requests
• Daredevil stunts and sports
• Events that do not have any Boeing facility, product or technology
• Religious activities
• Sponsoring travel expenses
Current Sponsorships
There are currently a number of organizations that are sponsored by Boeing. These companies are also large business that have passed the evaluation process and fit the evaluation criteria that Boeing stands by,
Some of the current sponsorships include the following below:
• Chicago Bears – This team is contracted by Boeing under a five-year sponsorship agreement.
• Museum of Flight – This organization, relevant to the nature of Boeing, provides a detailed and extensive look into Boeing’s history and bright future.
• The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts – The events held by this institution are sponsored by Boeing. These events are Kennedy Center’s Annual Gala Weekend in April, 2004 – 2008; and Kennedy Center’s Annual Honors Week in December, 2004 – 2008.
