Hello,
Here is the latest issue of Take Charge Success Strategies.

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Volume 4, Number 6 September 27, 2004
Publisher: GoalMinds, Inc.
E-mail: condrill@goalminds.com
http://www.goalminds.com
Copyright 2004 Jo Condrill All rights reserved
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"To imagine the unimaginable is the highest use of the
imagination."
--Cynthia Ozick, Novelist, Short-Story Writer
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Our hearts go out to our many friends in Florida. Our
thoughts and prayers are with you. May you all have
electricity, air conditioning, and dry weather!

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Breaking the Barrier

2. Ten Tips for Cross Cultural Communications
--by Neil Payne, UK

3. What's the Score?

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1. Breaking the Barrier
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President Bush and Senator Kerry are preparing for their
debate. Are you preparing to listen?

In our August EZINE we wrote about Communication Snafus from a speaker's point of view. We talked about getting to the point quickly and supporting points with details. But communication is far more than speaking. Effective communication is a two-way street. It requires a sender and a receiver. Often the receiver, the listener, is blocked--and there's an incomplete pass. In the case of politics, some of us put up barriers of willful ignorance. "My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with the facts." Some of us are
simply comfortable with traditions and the status quo. We feign listening; we may nod or affirm, but there is no understanding taking place.

Some of the tips in "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly" suggest that we prepare to listen by

1) Creating a receptive frame of mind

2) Eliminating distractions when possible

3) Allowing time to listen

It further advises that we concentrate on the message and avoid premature conclusions.

A common barrier to communication is the listener's spare time. We can listen much faster than we normally speak. We can process information at 400-600 words per minute while the average speaking range is from 125-150 words per minute in English. Often while we should be processing what we have heard to better understand the message, we take side trips, like thinking about what we are going to have for dinner.

Extreme emotion is one of the most difficult barriers to
effective communication. These intense emotions tend to
cloud reason, decrease credibility, and block new
information. Hatred is an extreme emotion and it has
no place in American politics. How can that hatred subside and allow the individual to contribute to a strong America if the hated individual is elected? We may strongly disagree with, and even hate, policies. There are avenues to express that dissent in a
rational manner. We need to step back a bit if we've
approached the line of hatred and see the damage our own
communications may cause.

Effective communication skills are the mark of an achiever. So, why not lower the barriers, reach out to someone with an opposing view, and see if there isn't something on which to agree.

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"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the
ability to get the other person's point of view and see
things from his angle as well as your own."
--Henry Ford
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2. Ten Tips for Cross Cultural Communication
-- by Neil Payne
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Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cross
cultural communication skills:

Slow Down

Even when English is the common language in a cross cultural situation, this does not mean you should speak at normal speed. Slow down, speak clearly and ensure your pronunciation is intelligible.

Separate Questions

Try not to ask double questions such as, "Do you want to
carry on or shall we stop here?" In a cross cultural
situation only the first or second question may have been comprehended. Let your listener answer one question at a time.

Avoid Negative Questions

Many cross cultural communication misunderstandings have
been caused by the use of negative questions and answers. In English we answer ‘yes’ if the answer is affirmative and ‘no’ if it is negative. In other cultures a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ may only be indicating whether the questioner is right or wrong. For example, the response to "Are you not coming?" may be ‘yes,’ meaning ‘Yes, I am not coming.’

Take Turns

Cross cultural communication is enhanced through taking
turns to talk, making a point and then listening to the
response.

Write it Down

If you are unsure whether something has been understood
write it down and check. This can be useful when using large figures. For example, a billion in the USA is
1,000,000,000,000 while in the UK it is 1,000,000,000.

Be Supportive

Effective cross cultural communication is in essence about being comfortable. Giving encouragement to those with weak English gives them confidence, support and a trust in you.

Check Meanings

When communicating across cultures never assume the other party has understood. Be an active listener. Summarise what has been said in order to verify it. This is a very effective way of ensuring accurate cross cultural communication has taken place.

Avoid Slang

Even the most well educated foreigner will not have a
complete knowledge of slang, idioms and sayings. The danger is that the words will be understood but the meaning missed.

Watch the Humour

In many cultures business is taken very seriously.
Professionalism and protocol are constantly observed. Many cultures will not appreciate the use of humour and jokes in the business context. When using humour think whether it will be understood in the other culture. For example, British sarcasm usually has a negative effect abroad.

Maintain Etiquette

Many cultures have certain etiquette when communicating. It is always a good idea to undertake some cross cultural awareness training or at least do some research on the target culture.

Cross cultural communication is about dealing with people from other cultures in a way that minimises
misunderstandings and maximises your potential to create
strong cross cultural relationships. The above tips should be seen as a starting point to greater cross cultural awareness.

For more information on cross cultural communication
training please visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

Neil Payne is Director of London based consultancy
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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3. What's the Score?
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When we play football we keep score; when we play golf we count the strokes. This is the game of life. We need to keep score so we can celebrate the "wins" and learn from the "losses."

Many of us set goals and celebrate when we reach them. In between those times, many of us have no idea how we're doing. If your goal is to have a new home by the end of 2005, do you know how far you are from that goal?
It would be helpful to have a progress chart for things like cash in the bank, credit rating, and even income to debt ratio. Keeping a record helps you quickly compare actual and planned progress. It leads to choices in what to do about the gaps, the distance from where you are now to where you planned to be at this time.

If you are not keeping score, this is a good time to find a baseline. What's the current situation, your line of scrimmage?

You have a goal

You have developed a plan of action

You know what resources your have

You know the critical success factors, things that must occur or that you must have to succeed.

The object is to move forward from that baseline position. If something interrupts your progress, you will need to evaluate what went wrong and perhaps make some adjustments.

To do this you need to know where the goal line is. What is victory? Does close count? The goal line is your desired outcome, that new house in 2005. It is specific and it is time bounded. The goal line may change over time, however.
You may decide that you can afford a more expensive house than you first thought. Your choices may revolve around what to do with the extra money, buy more lavish furnishings or more square feet.

By keeping score, you can decide what adjustments you want to make. If you're ahead of where you had planned to be, you may want to coast and take a vacation. If you are not as far ahead as you had planned, you have other choices. Do you work harder or extend the time line; say, move it out to the end of 2006? There may be other options like taking on a second job or reducing the size of the house you had planned.

The benefit is that you are in charge because you
know the score!
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Strategic thinking for a better way of life: If you are
planning a project, a career move, or a life of leisure,
here’s a process based on proven principles that will help you move ahead confidently, "Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams." Practical, realistic guidelines to focus on what is important to you. Take Charge of Your Life will help improve your decision-making ability and sharpen communication skills which are so important to getting buy-in from others. This book is an easy-reading, success-building practical guide to move the reader into action. Also available in audio.
"Get it. Read it. Apply it. Don’t wait for something to
happen! Make it happen! This book will help you. I promise."
--Jim Blasingame, The Small Business Advocate
http://www.goalminds.com/Primer.html

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