tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110066022011-11-28T02:22:10.444+02:00<center><B>Azriel Winnett's Insights and Commentary for Users of<br> <a href="http://hodu.com">HODU.COM - YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS PORTAL</A></B></center>Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-42123149440409050892008-05-12T14:36:00.003+03:002008-05-12T21:40:01.054+03:00

What's the difference between a good leader and an excellent leader ? According to Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and various other books on the same topic, the answer to that is a no-brainer. You guessed it, of course: it's emotional intelligence. At any rate, that's what accounts for at least 85% of the difference!And if you think

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-68929460663141775212008-05-11T13:59:00.003+03:002008-05-11T16:14:06.694+03:00

An estimated 100,000 people have already perished, and millions made homeless, owing to the devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar, the largest country by geographical area in Southeast Asia. The sheer magnitude of the destruction is more than mind-boggling, and equally so is the enormity of the need for relief. Several million people are in dire need of support. Things each of us often take for

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-77464208941089671972008-03-30T16:57:00.002+03:002008-03-30T18:02:35.762+03:00

It was his first post as school principal. When the soft spoken, mild mannered young man walked in the door to take up his new position, he had no prior experience in running even a "normal" school. And this was no normal school.Junior High School 22, a hotbed of drugs and violence, was one of the most dangerous spots in New York City. No surprise that it had gone through six principals in two

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-32028631601171292892008-02-27T13:31:00.005+02:002008-02-27T16:21:16.224+02:00

As we've asserted repeatedly over the years, the way many people perceive relationships is great for romantic novels, but has little to do with real life.People enter into serious relationships such as marriage with little preparation or even basic knowledge what to expect. Then, when the inevitable disillusionment sets in, they may be so overcome with doubt that they act and react in

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-52770286608115898792008-01-15T13:22:00.000+02:002008-01-15T18:57:25.854+02:00

It's not the kind of sandwich that will hopefully quieten your rumbling stomach during your midday break, but it does have something in common with the contents of your lunch box: it's meant to be appetizing, figuratively speaking, and easy to digest.Like it or not (and usually not!) there's something almost everybody in the workplace has to brace themselves to receive now and again: those

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-49186032455479784362008-01-10T22:09:00.000+02:002008-01-10T22:10:52.627+02:00

What, marriage is bad for your health? Hardly. Few things can be more health-promoting than a good marriage. But read that headline again. What's going on in your marriage?To be more specific, marital conflict can be bad for your health. A growing body of research now bears this out, points out Dr Joshua Coleman, prolific contributor to our site (as well as dozens of media outlets around

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-21893231350006641252008-01-08T14:29:00.000+02:002008-01-08T21:35:43.826+02:00

Susanne Gaddis, a.k.a The Communications Doctor has for many years been a veritable goldmine of "Prescriptions for Effective Communication", as she calls them, and her new weekly email tip-sheet, Communication Booster Shots, continues the tradition.A friend, family member or colleague shares some exciting (from her point of view) news with you. So how do you respond? This is the pertinent

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-3184478657485817692007-11-14T14:57:00.000+02:002007-11-14T22:04:41.628+02:00

The growth of e-mail, Instant Messaging, SMS, web conferencing and the like - together with the decline in face-to-face meetings and phone calls - has broken all the accepted rules of business etiquette.This is the view of Microsoft's unified communications manager Mark Deakin, as reported in The Times recently.Yes, he says, for sure we're becoming savvier every day in terms of applying IT,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-65171770716311319782007-11-04T10:52:00.001+02:002007-11-04T13:11:19.695+02:00

Have I noticed a strange new language pattern creeping into people's speech? Yes.Does it make the message any clearer? NoDoes it annoy me? Yes, it annoys me a lot!With these three short paragraphs, business communication coach Helen Wilkie introduces a short rant in her excellent e-newsletter Communi-keys.Of course, she could have written: "Recently I've noticed strange new pattern creeping

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-46682195310358434592007-10-24T16:17:00.000+02:002007-10-24T21:33:55.641+02:00

Dr. Mark Goulston, clinical psychiatrist turned business coach, describes in a column of his in Fast Company his meeting with a certain high-powered personality.Ed is a highly competent and successful CEO, respected and admired by many in the business world. He has good manners and for the most part, is respectful of others. On the other hand, his modus operandi is characterized by that

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-78189340752637468392007-10-23T20:59:00.000+02:002007-11-04T15:35:53.118+02:00

Thank you to training consultant Dan Bobinski, whose ongoing stream of penetrating, down-to-the bone observations and insights on corporate and work life have long earned my respect (See Dan's top-class blog), for the following intriguing parable:An adult, the story goes, was walking with two small children in a nature park. Before they knew it, their path was next to a steep cliff. “Stay

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-8609311388057999562007-07-29T16:15:00.000+03:002007-11-04T15:37:03.855+02:00

As you know, Hodu.com is dedicated to bringing you the best resources to help you communicate effectively on all levels, build harmonious relationships and enhance your social skills.In line with this mission, we have now launched an exciting new section, presenting carefully selected educational videos dealing with the various topics we cover.Although many of these videos may be available

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-37859266645969523152007-04-18T11:45:00.000+03:002007-04-18T16:09:00.768+03:00

The tension in your marriage relationship is becoming unbearable...and deep down you know you're at fault. Your dilemma is: how do I proceed now?Implementing a solution can be far from easy, points out Dr. Peter Pearson, but nevertheless there is a solution, and in a popular article on our site, he outlines a formula for getting the results you want.Yes, it's a matter of apologizing, but what

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-72257474356491949552007-04-16T21:32:00.000+03:002007-04-17T15:43:59.017+03:00

Hey, what have shirts got to do with writing?Well, this is how consultant Dianna Booher describes two styles of writing - at the opposite ends of the spectrum - in her very worthwhile email offering: Communication Tip of the Month.As we know, different people have different ways of expressing themselves with words. "Stuffed shirt writing" refers to the ultra-formal, stilted, impersonal and

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-26317329571281262442007-02-28T20:04:00.000+02:002007-02-28T23:07:15.442+02:00

We know that our two eyes are intended to be used for far more than the routine and passive viewing of objects, people and events. They play a critical and indispensable role in effective communication, building productive relationships and proving one's ability as a leader. It would be folly to underestimate the power of the eyes.In her column on careers in the Wall Street Journal earlier this

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-89955661231485927432007-02-14T13:13:00.000+02:002007-02-14T19:36:30.870+02:00

Yes, you've read correctly. I don't like it.The word "partner" is used very widely by people writing about relationships, including many of our own site contributors. And it's perfectly understandable. After all, what better term do we have at our disposal to describe your opposite number in an intimate relationship? While dictionary definitions may differ, its simple meaning is one

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161948964079565052006-10-27T11:04:00.000+02:002006-10-27T13:36:04.676+02:00

Thought is the father of action. How we think affects how we feel, which in turn influences how we act.Of course, our thoughts, whether positive and negative, also influence the way we respond to the people around us. Often, just by shifting our mental focus, we can bring about a profound change for the better in our relationship with another party. We can create a new reality.And it may be hard

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161266119560245052006-10-19T12:21:00.000+02:002006-10-19T20:26:10.593+02:00

I don't know whether her motive was to pass on some useful advice for mature living or merely to help us remember the spelling of a common word, but a schoolteacher of mine often used to admonish us: "Don't assume! It makes an ass out of you and an ass out of me."At any rate, it's certainly true that failing to verify what appears to be obvious could mean a lot of hard work and

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161007532002108592006-10-16T15:51:00.000+02:002006-10-27T13:54:41.933+02:00

Regular contributor Joan Lloyd explains in her latest article on our site explains why a "nice" workplace - one where the overall atmosphere is relaxed and congenial, where workers don't appear to be complaining about each other or their superiors, where the bosses appear to be tolerant and easily satisfied - could be, in reality, not nice at all but rather downright nasty.When a manager,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1156430150093228482006-08-24T17:32:00.000+03:002007-02-16T13:12:21.843+02:00

This time of year is "back to school" for millions of college and university students all over the world. For beginning students especially - freshmen as they're called in the US - one of the most daunting challenges, regardless of what course they are taking, will be the expectation that they be able to write at a high level.The University of Maryland's Professor Linda Coleman, former

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1155123403258920442006-08-09T13:19:00.000+03:002006-08-10T00:15:22.770+03:00

If there's one aspect of interpersonal relations that's absolutely essential in the workplace, it's trust. Without it, the wheels of business would turn very slowly, if they turn at all.This is true whether it's a customer trusting that a company will fill and order and deliver it on time, an employee trusting that her boss will reward her for working long hours to meet a deadline, or one

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1149685383908666812006-06-07T14:00:00.000+03:002006-06-07T16:17:11.453+03:00

Writing about people who work in the customer service industry, site contributor Andy Hanselman points out that its often easier to stick to a prepared script than to think and use your initiative.In other words, whenever you're confronted with a query or a complaint that has the slightest smell of some similar case that you have handled sometime in the past, the automatic pilot in your

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1148289343802582312006-05-22T11:56:00.000+03:002007-02-20T23:00:16.073+02:00

Hodu.com is a one-man show, and Your Communication Skills Portal is growing by leaps and bounds. I've been kept pretty busy searching for good content, making contact with our highly talented band of contributing authors, editing and posting new articles and attending to a multitude of routine tasks necessary for the maintenance of a big site.Nothing to complain about, of course, but the downside

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1143493233372197992006-03-27T21:08:00.000+02:002006-03-28T10:23:47.576+02:00

When it comes to forming opinions and making judgments on hot political issues, supporters of both the major political parties in the United States don't let facts get in the way of their decision making. At least, that seems to be the conclusion of an interesting experiment by researchers at Emory University, according to a report released last January.There's a lot we can learn from this

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1140620648358839822006-02-22T15:07:00.000+02:002006-02-22T19:21:58.836+02:00

Marketing expert Paul Myers, well known, among other things, for the dry wit with which he peppers his writing, made the following comment in a recent issue of his ezine:CertifiedEmail is pretty much a fait accompli. (From the Greek, for "Done deal. Get over it.")Actually, he knew very well that the term fait accompli is French, not Greek. His intention was a humorous one, although some of his

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1133987474618402942005-12-07T22:30:00.000+02:002005-12-08T23:23:33.320+02:00

A word, phrase, sentence or other communication is called ambiguous if it can be interpreted in more than one way. With regard to single words, the most problematic are those whose various senses express closely related concepts."Good", for example, can mean "useful" or "functional" (That's a good hammer), "exemplary" (She's a good student), "pleasing" (This is good soup), "moral" (He is a good

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1133272317556916122005-11-29T13:47:00.000+02:002005-11-29T21:36:13.946+02:00

We all know it, or we should know it. An apology can be the first step to better understanding in a damaged relationship.When you apologize, you are saying that you share values with the offended party regarding appropriate behavior towards each other. You are saying that you regret that you didn't conduct yourself according to those values - whether intentionally or unintentionally - and from

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1132084071798831942005-11-15T19:46:00.000+02:002005-11-15T23:54:58.283+02:00

This little story is by way of continuation of my previous post. It's also very relevant to another recent post: Are We Listening to Our Children?At school, little Johnnie loves to do one thing more than anything else. He loves writing on the blackboard. Everybody knows it: his teacher, his fellow pupils, and the whole school. Between classes, after classes, whenever he has the opportunity, he

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1131632222462831272005-11-10T14:05:00.000+02:002005-11-10T19:16:23.650+02:00

Are you in the habit of jumping to conclusions about things other people do? If so, you'd be well advised to look before you leap!Regrettably, mental laziness leads us to take everything we see and hear at face value. Moreover, it's human nature to be suspicious. We're very quick to add two and two. It's unfortunate that we often come up with five.And when we make a wrong calculation, someone

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1131368615640798872005-11-07T13:51:00.000+02:002005-11-07T22:37:30.183+02:00

Almost anyone who's serious about acquiring good interpersonal communication habits will appreciate the value of effective listening skills. Some refer to listening as the most important communication skill of them all.Of course, this doesn't only apply to adults. Parenting columnist Jodie Lynn points out that teaching kids how to listen is a major challenge in the home as well as in the

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1130498326180697202005-10-28T13:17:00.000+02:002005-10-31T21:17:24.696+02:00

"One of the great causes of corporate dysfunction," says veteran executive coach Marshall Goldsmith," is the huge gap between "I say" and "they do."Goldsmith explains what he means by way of citing a conversation he had with a client, a 54 year old "extremely action oriented and impatient" CEO of a major high-tech firm.According to surveys that the CEO had ordered, his employees complained that

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1130423250279314282005-10-27T16:13:00.000+02:002005-10-28T13:12:53.986+02:00

Monday morning blues, and Friday afternoon "highs"...Almost everyone who is cursed with the need to work for a living - yet blessed enough to do so only five days a week - is familiar with these two phenomena at the opposite ends of the spectrum.This being so, one could almost take for granted that the two most common days for workers to take - or fake - leave of absence from their jobs on

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1130352184560495622005-10-26T19:16:00.000+02:002005-10-26T20:49:26.100+02:00

Consider this little conversation. It's imaginary, of course, but we know that caustic exchanges like this are a dime a dozen in family life.One fine morning, just as Jack begins to tuck into a hearty breakfast, his good wife, Jill, offers the following comment as she sighs deeply:"I woke up at six o'clock and I feel as though I've already put in a day's work?""What?" exclaims hubby, rather

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1129722560316396632005-10-19T11:49:00.000+02:002005-10-19T21:44:24.083+02:00

What? Achieve greatness in one hour? Are you serious, Azriel - is it possible?Yes, absolutely. It is possible. Sometimes, in fact, it can be done in ten or fifteen minutes. And sometimes, even children can do it.Granted, it depends what you mean by "greatness". For many, becoming great is more or less synonymous with becoming famous, or acquiring great wealth. But some more sensitive souls do

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1128065240400006012005-09-30T10:04:00.000+03:002005-10-02T00:11:15.253+03:00

Imagine your best friend calling you up one summer evening and launching into a long speech that begins something like this:"The temperature outside right now is 70° C., or 21°F. The weather people estimate that the maximum variation during the next 12 hours will be around 7%. The UV Index is 4 Moderate. The wind is blowing from the west at 1.5 m.p.h. Dew Point is 55°F, or 13°C. Visibility is 4.3

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1127648378550967952005-09-25T13:02:00.000+03:002005-09-25T17:50:09.003+03:00

Are you married to someone who may be warm, loving and caring some of the time, or may even have all the virtues of an ideal husband or wife most of the time - but oh gosh, when an occasional problematic stimulus triggers a red flag in his or her brain, all hell suddenly breaks loose?If you are, how do you handle the explosion, when it comes? How effective is your damage control?Take the case of

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1126856378827123692005-09-16T10:04:00.000+03:002005-09-18T13:53:24.443+03:00

In these heady days of instant messaging, cellphones, teleconferencing, PDF downloads and much more, what has become of good old face-time spoken conversation?Communication specialist Loren Ekroth poses this question before reminding us that the human being is, after all, a social animal hard-wired for personal contact, after which he makes some fascinating predictions regarding the immediate

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1126546201510499792005-09-12T16:51:00.000+03:002005-09-12T22:57:02.976+03:00

Are you - in your own opinion, of course - the star of the office? Do you believe with perfect faith that you're the brightest and best you can get in the workplace - for efficiency, competence and devotion to duty?If so, I have bad news for you. For your fellow workers and associates, on the other hand, "news" is hardly be the right word. It's nothing they didn't know all along, really. All

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1124725694908472642005-08-22T16:58:00.000+03:002005-08-23T13:17:29.053+03:00

Obesity among children and adolescents in New York has tripled over the last 30 years, according to the New York State Department of Health. Apparently, a quarter of New York City schoolchildren between kindergarten and fifth grade are overweight, as are an even greater proportion of the City's high-schoolers.A columnist writing in The New York Sun saw evidence of this herself while touring a

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1124366661338749062005-08-18T13:34:00.000+03:002005-08-30T21:36:43.600+03:00

"Who says cheaters never win"? asks Professor Kirk Hanson, writing in the journal of the Stanford Business School.Hanson, the executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, says it's time our society faced up to a dirty little secret: "Players who use steriods in professional baseball, college coaches who have others take exams for their star athletes,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1123689416793281782005-08-10T17:12:00.000+03:002005-08-11T16:22:31.100+03:00

They're calling it the sandwich generation, since the protagonists of the drama, usually middle-aged or getting close to it, are "sandwiched" between aging parents and growing children. Others like to refer to the phenomenon as the Cluttered Nest Syndrome.Whatever the terminology, it's a situation increasingly common in a society where, on the one hand, couples tend to marry at a later age than

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1123430518123702572005-08-07T13:18:00.000+03:002005-08-07T22:44:24.026+03:00

The drawbacks, even dangers, of low self-esteem are well documented. Apart from, or as a result of, the emotional pain borne by individuals with a poor self-image, their ability to lead a productive and fulfilling life is seriously impaired.On the other hand, I would hardly say that people you find at the opposite end of the spectrum - the folk with an inflated sense of self-importance -

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1122909600904615022005-08-01T16:12:00.000+03:002005-08-01T18:23:38.766+03:00

It's no secret. Many people are just too wrapped up in their favorite subject - or their favorite human being (guess who that is?) - to conduct a meaningful conversation with another party."I really would rather talk about myself than listen to you. And when I do listen to you, I relate everything you say to myself anyway. You can tell because when you've finally finished talking, the next

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1122475290963891112005-07-27T14:14:00.000+03:002005-07-27T22:02:55.043+03:00

In a previous post, we presented an imaginary scenario about a guy who arrives home after an exceptionally tough day at work, and in consequence of sheer fatigue, misunderstands an innocent remark of his wife's. His stress level is such that he immediately flies into a rage. Another story of a husband's homecoming that results in marital friction of a different type, is told in my article: Subtle

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1121872877107991072005-07-20T13:08:00.000+03:002005-07-28T12:58:05.250+03:00

If you leave a wet towel on the bathroom floor, it could be somewhat irritating to the next person who uses the bathroom after you, but would anyone start a major fight over it?Most definitely, according to new research funded by the US government's health research arm and conducted in the department of communications at Louisville University, Kentucky.Trivial though it may seem, such a practice,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1121766285139733582005-07-19T12:21:00.000+03:002005-07-20T13:00:13.350+03:00

When you're getting terrible customer service, opines veteran entrepreneur and columnist Norm Brodsky, don't be so quick to blame the company official you happen to be dealing with at the time.In many cases, he says, the poor guy's employer is the one at fault, and he tells an interesting story - against himself - to prove his point.And like many stories of this nature, it just could be that

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1121183800270019332005-07-12T13:23:00.000+03:002005-07-12T19:07:56.146+03:00

I've written at length on several occasions about the dangers of gossip, and it's interesting to note that in at least one part of the world gossip is now actually illegal!After malicious gossip led to murder and several wrongful arrests in a small town in Colombia, local officials decided they had enough. The town's mayor declared gossip to be a crime punishable by up to four years in prison.

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1119974618508850312005-06-28T16:16:00.000+03:002005-06-29T13:20:22.340+03:00

In the world of business, you find three kinds of people: the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. When all's said and done, what does the last category have that the others don't?It's not talent. It's not business acumen, or knowledge of the market. Nor is it intuition or a special knack for dealing with people. It's not even dogged

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1119881876597096962005-06-27T12:57:00.000+03:002005-06-27T22:40:07.026+03:00

The title of this piece may sound like a contradiction in terms, but no, it makes perfectly good sense.Disappointment, disapproval, resentment, bitterness, frustration, anger. All these are emotions that are clearly "negative", in the sense that, generally speaking, we don't perceive of them as "ideal" states of mind and people don't feel that way by choice. It's just that external

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1119273584055678862005-06-20T15:40:00.000+03:002005-06-27T22:44:13.300+03:00

Imagine that the Internal Revenue Service in your country claimed that you owe $1000 plus in tax arrears.You dispute this, and you challenge the tax people in court, but the court rules that they're right. Especially if you're a person of substantial means, you'd pay up with a shrug of the shoulders. "Too bad," you'll comfort yourself, "you can't win all the time!" and you'll put the matter out

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1118742025973531952005-06-14T11:47:00.000+03:002005-06-22T11:10:22.026+03:00

I want to tell you a little story. Not about anything dramatic. Not at all. On the contrary, it's very ordinary.So ordinary, in fact, that the many onlookers who must have been standing around didn't bat an eyelid when they overheard this brief conversation in a busy butcher shop. Hardly surprising that it made no impression on them because, seemingly, there was nothing to be impressed by.Except

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1118071636780805172005-06-06T11:43:00.000+03:002005-06-06T18:30:50.386+03:00

Your head is spinning as you finally pull into the driveway of your home. You've had tough days in the office before, but today beats all records. And in spite of a long string of interruptions entirely beyond your control, you have to complete the project on time, even ahead of time. Or else. The alternative is not appealing to contemplate.But now you've arrived home. Time to unwind. Haven for

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1117110549078991542005-05-26T11:41:00.000+03:002005-06-22T11:17:05.253+03:00

Business consultant George Torok talks about a phone call - one of many similar ones - during his first days as a new entrepreneur. It's a story that must be very familiar to many business people and consumers alike, and if you're lucky enough never to have been bothered by this kind of thing in real life, chances are you come across the technique every time you logon to the Internet.Somebody

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1116766312912951392005-05-22T11:59:00.000+03:002005-05-22T15:56:13.556+03:00

An intriguing new trend seems to be taking root in the world of education, at least in the United States. Just could be that the winds of change will turn out, after all, to be in the best interests of the constituency they are designed to benefit - the mass of students in the wider educational system today, who are our main hope for a better tomorrow.On the other hand, is this simply a case of

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1115909946741922822005-05-12T14:08:00.000+03:002005-05-12T17:59:06.760+03:00

Jill and Sharon (not their real names) worked on the same projects in close proximity to each other in a relatively small office. Their work was very pressured with one tight deadline to meet after another. Small wonder that the two of them were continually treading on each others toes and from time to time, the very palpable tension between them would boil over into heated arguments.One

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1115751980035398822005-05-11T14:05:00.000+03:002005-05-11T14:42:56.860+03:00

Some years, ago, I retold an interesting workplace story as related in a book by Barbara Garson. A clerk in a large insurance company happened to spot a glaring discrepancy in a form she was typing. In a certain store owner's policy, two figures had been transposed through a simple error. The result was the store was insured for $165 000 against vandalism but only for $5 000 against fire. The

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1113817353808005112005-04-18T09:43:00.000+03:002005-04-18T12:42:33.810+03:00

For some, it's a familiar scenario. You've been sitting for hours already in the stuffy boardroom. You and other key personnel in your organization have been trying to solve a sticky corporate problem that just defies solution. Nobody seems to be seeing eye to eye. Nerves are already on edge. You've got a life of your own. So have your colleagues. When will you get out of this place?Then,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1113139247046635592005-04-10T12:53:00.000+03:002005-04-18T13:00:19.410+03:00

In my previous post, we discussed how some social and interpersonal problems are often blamed on "poor communication skills" or the like. Unfortunately, however, people are inclined to confuse cause and result. They fail to distinguish between the symptoms and the disease itself, the outward manifestations and the underlying causes.Not surprising really, because we all know that uncovering root

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1112733534282033992005-04-05T20:15:00.000+03:002005-04-10T16:36:11.893+03:00

Communication breakdown is blamed for a multitude of sins in commerce, industry, government and even sporting circles. Using various news items culled from news media to illustrate her case, my colleague Helen Wilkie warns us that the symptoms should never be confused with the disease. Another site contributor, Tom Terez, makes the same point and drives it home with some very funny imaginary

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1112276382698281892005-03-31T13:55:00.000+02:002005-07-28T10:37:31.133+03:00

I was about to settle down to write something on the communication problems of teenagers in distress, when I came across a revealing news report of recent research somewhat relevant to my topic. It concerned teens and attempts by their parents to get them to quit smoking. So this post will serve as an introduction to the next one.In a joint project of journalism faculty members at the

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1111505206069289442005-03-22T16:06:00.000+02:002005-03-22T17:31:43.473+02:00

In my e-book, How to Build Relationships That Stick, I told over a story I once heard in the name of a famous relationships counselor who talks on radio shows. It was claimed to be an authentic account of something that happened in real life, but even if it's apocryphal, I'm very much inclined to believe it could happen.A man decided to divorce his wife because, he said, he no longer loved

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1110980774624895992005-03-16T12:58:00.000+02:002005-03-16T18:18:44.430+02:00

In my previous post, I cited a story that showed quite dramatically how a group of youngsters had lost their sensitivity to the horrors of violence, thanks to the negative impact of TV, the movies, and perhaps even the books and newspapers they were in the habit of reading. But then, what's new? Nor is this phenomenon confined to people in their formative years.That's why I referred to the media

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1110728063274080072005-03-13T15:52:00.000+02:002005-03-13T20:50:43.566+02:00

Yes, I know that's a rather cryptic headline, but just one minute, and I'll explain...In one of my articles on the site, I referred to an eye-opening classroom experience that former teacher John Andrew Murray wrote about in Teachers in Focus magazine. It's worth repeating here.Murray was teaching English at a private American school and he was using the old television series Alfred

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1110295782764851232005-03-08T17:28:00.000+02:002005-03-16T12:48:21.983+02:00

In my article Your Self-image in the Workplace , I mentioned the interesting confession of an educator friend who has years of experience in teaching, and only at the best schools."Usually," my friend had lamented with a big sigh, "a small child arrives for his first day of school with an excellent self-image.""Great - so what's the problem, then?" I had asked."Well, very often, that's the end

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1110118823857954632005-03-06T15:59:00.000+02:002005-03-15T15:34:43.410+02:00

If you're familiar with my writings, you'll know that I'm a strong believer in the traditional family as the cornerstone and very foundation of any healthy, stable and progressive society.See, for example, my article If Marriage Is Dead, We're All Dead, which is basically a rant against the conclusions of a so-called "research" study a few years ago, published in a very respectable scholarly

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1109612300202872772005-02-28T18:42:00.000+02:002005-03-07T09:51:11.313+02:00

We may like to think of ourselves as tolerant souls who hate bigotry, but are we doing enough to make employees or colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures feel comfortable in our work environments?I've just posted on the site a new article by business consultant T.T. ("Mitch") Mitchell, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging diversity, particularly in the workplace, and

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1109235622428682622005-02-24T10:56:00.000+02:002005-02-24T13:36:13.216+02:00

Hi and welcome! This is the first of my informal postings on issues relating to effective communication, interpersonal relationships and similar topics we deal with on Your Communication Skills Portal. Some of these observations may the be nucleus of future full-length articles.Most important: please add your own comments below each post. Only your participation will make this blog work!In my

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0