Communication Ideas offers several tools and training programs to help you acquire powerful communication skills. From speaking to evoke action and commitment, to listening for understanding and collaboration, our training workshops have helped change some of the toughest work cultures in the US and overseas. Take a look at the programs below and give us a call to discuss your needs.

Boost your communication skills with our FREE 'Thank God It's Monday' Newsletter Twice a month, our popular "Thank God It's Monday" newsletter delivers powerful ideas for transforming the way you work, communicate, and relate to others on and off the job. Register below to join the enthusiastic group of professionals at America's leading organizations who read Thank God It's Monday every month. Join the Thank God It's Monday mailing list Email: Send Page To a Friend

The Powerful Listening and Communication Skills Workshop that Changed the Toughest Work Culture On Earth! A Training Workshop In A Box, with Everything You Need to Deliver It Today! If you are looking for a powerful ready-to-use training program to teach communication skills, including speaking, listening, giving feedback, and communicating to resolve conflict, this is it.And with this workshop you will not just change the way people communicate. You will change the entire work culture at your organization Listening for Understanding, Communicating for Commitment is a complete, reproducible and customizable out-off-the-box program you can deliver in half a day or full day of dynamic, participant-centered training session. It comes in a Word document with PowerPoint slides, Leader's Guide and reproducible Participant Workbook to give you everything you need to deliver one of the most powerful, most complete communication skills training available today. Whether you're a training professional or consultant, you can use this package to give participants an exhilarating learning experience that makes a marked difference in their attitude about communication, as well as their actual speaking and listening skills in a variety of crucial conversation situations. This workshop has changed the culture of work at one of the toughest work cultures in the worlds. Read more below..

Listening and Communicating to Change the Culture of Work At Rikers Island Correction Facility in New York a few years ago, this workshop was presented to managers working in perhaps the toughest work culture in the world: delivering health services to the inmates of the jail facility. The dramatic change in attitude and communication practices after the workshop was noticeable to participants and to top leadership that wrote to us in recognition of our work. Now you can purchase this powerful workshop in a Ready-To-Deliver package with Leader's Guide, Dramatic Slides, and Customizable, Reproducible Participant's Workbook for $295.00 (Save $100)   Through dramatic role-plays and habit-altering insights and exercises, participants experiment with different styles of communication and experience the results first hand. They learn to abandon negative communication habits that create conflict, and instead develop powerful communication and persuasion techniques that evoke positive action. Now they communicate not to complain or fight, but to collaborate, create and accomplish. A key element in this workshop is a focus on both speaking skills and listening skills, each as a powerful process for true understanding and effective interaction. Both managers and staff learn to listen and speak to each other in ways they did not think possible, creating higher levels of understanding and collaboration. "I wish I took this training before my secretary quit" That is what a department director wrote in his evaluation sheet of our Listening for Understanding. Communicating for Commitment workshop. You can help your managers, supervisors and key staff avoid a lot of problems and conflict at work by learning the powerful communication skills delivered in this workshop. Research indicates that communication is the single most important skills for people to achieve results at work. This uniquely effective workshop has helped thousands of managers and staff communicate better for dramatic breakthroughs in performance. An HR director of a large health system wrote about his assistant in evaluating the effect of training after nine months of attending, "She became more positive in working with others right the next day after the training, and she is still so today." Participants will learn the following: I- Adopt a Positive Communication Style Discover the underlying roots of all communication breakdowns, and the three main human tendencies that create communication problems. Understand the 8 Principles of Interpersonal Communication Examine the impact of thinking on communication and learn to adopt the habits of mind that produce consistently effective communication Explore the 4 different communication styles people use, and learn how to communicate effectively with each of them Learn ways to use positive communication even in negative situations Develop a credible communication style that builds trust and cooperation II- Speak to Evoke Action Describe the behavior, not the person. Use I statement to defuse tension Envision the future and turn it into a conversation Use Power Language to convey authority and evoke action Ask, don't tell;Turning statements questions to involve and inspire III- Listen for Understanding How to listen, not just hear Bridging the barriers of perception and prejudgment Creating involvement to enhance understanding Completing the communication cycle: Effective feedback Listening to angry people What an angry customer or co-worker is looking for and how to deliver it. If you want us to deliver this powerful workshop at your organization for $3000 ($500 off the regular price of $3,500) Plus per participant fee. Call us at: 973-427-3004 Or you may deliver this workshop yourself by getting everything you need to do so in our Complete Program Package (Leader's Guide, PowerPoint slides, and reproducible Participant Workbook in Word document)- and now save $100 off the regular price of $395.00 Complete Program in Electronic Format Now Only $295.00 Consultant's Mutiple Organization License $395.00 To receive a Free Preview Package by email send your business contact information to service@communicationideas.com

All Communication Skills in 15 Courses Plus 15 Other Managment, Team Building, Problem Solving, and Project Management On One CD for One Low Price Get 15 interactive courses covering key communication skills PLUS 15 bonus courses on project management, team building and problem soliving all on One CD for one low price   Communications and Presentations Course Titles Basic Telephone Techniques Business Reports and Proposals Business Writing I: Preparation Communication Skills at Work Delivering Negative Messages Effective Business Writing: II Improve Your Speaking Skills Interpersonal Communications Non-verbal Communication Organizing & Presenting Reports Persuasive & Sales Messages Proactive Communication Models Reactive Communication Models Team Communication Writing Letters, Memos, and E-Mails   Management and Team Building Course Titles Basic Conflict Management Cross-Cultural Communications Effective Delegation Effective Meetings 1 Goal Strategies Improving Personal Productivity Personal Leadership Power Refresher on Quality Management   Project Management Course Titles Organizing Project Management The Nature of Project Management The Project Mission & Stakeholders   Problem Solving and Decision Making Course Titles Quality in the Workplace Solving Workplace Problems The Five Steps of Problem Solving Understanding the Work Process Try a demo here under Everything Management: http://www.eschool-online.com/generic_catalog/pages/catalog_default.htm Get All 30 Interactive Courses of Everything Management Library  for $89.95?

Listening Effectiveness Profile Facilitator's Guide plus 6 Assessments $139.70 A relatively small number of people can actually listen with true understanding and empathy. The Listening Effectiveness Profile provides a highly structured process through which to assess an individual's current capacity to listen attentively. Listening Effectiveness Facilitator's Guide with one Assessment Profile/ $99.95 Additional Profiles are sold in packs of 5 each for $39.75

20 Training Workshops for Listening Skills - $139.95 Train your staff to listen with skill and sensitivity. This volume contains 20 ready-to-use workshops including detailed notes for the trainer, handouts, and reproducible participant materials. Each workshop takes 1-3 hours to complete. Training Objectives: Demonstrate how effective listening can enhance organizational performance - Improve interpersonal relationships among staff - Eliminate common blockages to listening Selected Workshops include : How Well do You Listen? - Blocks to Listening - Listening Between the Lines - Active Listening - Communication Styles two-way Communication - Listening and Stress - When the Phone Rings - Remembering What You Hear - Notetaking - Concentration. 518 pages 3-ring binder / Code...20WLS / $139.95 Join the Thank God It's Monday mailing list Email: Send Page To a Friend

Effective Communication Skills: 10 Skill-Building Booklets with Application Scenarios $50.00 Not enough time. No budget. Too many people to train. No more excuses! Use these Skill-Building Booklets to improve your employee's performance on 30 important competencies. Simple but complete. Each Booklet provides an individual with a thorough overview, techniques, and methods to improve in each competency. The skills learned by the individual can be actualized through use of a unique application scenario that is included with each Booklet. Train your employees for $5 or less per person.. Skill-Building Booklets come in packs of 10 to use for 10 people - $50.00

How To Ask Positive Questions Training Video with John O' Hurley- Free Preview The Hidden Communication Skill That Will Make Your Next Team Meeting More Productive - With John O'Hurley We understand that speaking clearly, using proper listening skills, and knowing the importance of non-verbal cues all play vital roles in clear communication between people in organizations. Surprisingly, the impact of questions, and how to ask them properly, remain an unacknowledged part of the training curriculum. This sprightly and to-the-point video addresses that shortfall. Driving home the lessons is John O'Hurley, best known as J. Peterman on the Seinfeld series. His unique persona helps deliver these important learning points: Appreciate how learning to ask positive question can improve team effectiveness. Recognize that asking questions is a communications skill, just like speaking clearly or listening effectively. Develop the ability to use inflection, phrasing, and timing to ask positive questions. This intriguing, involving, and entertaining video will improve: Team Effectiveness Communication Skills Productivity In Meetings How To Ask Positive Questions is designed to be used during team training sessions devoted to productivity and communication skills, or before a meeting starts. By increasing the questioning ability of employees, the video's benefits extend beyond team impact. Employees who can properly ask questions will deal better with all colleagues throughout the entire organization. Additionally, communication with both external and internal customers will improve. Entertaining, motivational, and informative, How To Ask Positive Questions is a skill-building, consciousness-raising video that will energize your teams to perform at higher levels. Target Audience All employees. DVD or VHS (Running time: 12 minutes) / 32-page Leader's Guide with Two Lesson Plans Rental $295.00 Purchase $495.00 Free Preview: Call 973-427-3004

Listening Skills Reproducible, Customizable Training Template - $99.95 This workshop is designed for all employees, from managers to non-supervisors. Listening is designed to be easily facilitated in one-day, or if you prefer, in a series of short-term meetings. In this one day training workshop template, participants will learn to: Improve rapport and interpersonal relationships. / Minimize or eliminate barriers to communication./ Enhance organizational and personal productivity through more effective listening./ Be a respectful listener and communicator./ Use questions to gather information to help make better decisions./ Keep conversations alive by using their effective listening skills. Workshop Skills Covered: Identifying Personal Communication and Listening Styles / Recognizing the Emotional Level in Others / Using Emotional Indicators to Determine Questions and Statements / Identifying and Using Positive and Negative Listening Responses / Using Common Listening Acknowledgments to Gain Rapport / Developing Open-Ended and Clarifying Questions / Identifying Blocks to Successful Performance. Word 2000 Custom Version CD-ROM - This is our newest and most exciting version of our Reproducible programs. Using the power of Microsoft Word 2000, you can modify, change, edit, delete, import, export, copy, paste, add color, logos, clip art, fonts, etc., to all of our programs, just as you would any Word document! On each CD is an original template of the Participant's Workbook and Facilitator's Guide. These CDs can be used in any IBM compatible computer with Windows 95/98/NT and Microsoft Word already loaded. Listening 1-Day Training Program $99.95

What Do You Say? Self-assessment for Identifying Your Response Style By selecting the responses that indicate how you are most likely to reply in 12 different situations, you will gain insight into your style of influencing others. Your raw scores on the response styles are then tied to parent, adult, and child patterns of communication and the “paradigm shift' that is occurring in organizations committed to empowerment and Total Quality Management. A Set of 5 "What Do You Say?" Instruments for $24.75

50 Activities for Interpersonal Skills Training - Fully Reproducible $139.95 These active learning sessions cover vital people skills such as assertiveness, communication, listening, decision making, motivation, presentation skills, leadership, and teamwork. Each activity is fully reproducible, and all participant handouts and transparency masters are included. Activities take 1-3 hours to complete. Training Objectives include... Develop a whole range of interpersonal skills / Improve management performance / Facilitate the flow of information within the organization / Enable managers to understand and motivate their staff. Training Methods include... Discussion sessions / Group exercises / Icebreakers / Instruments and questionnaires / Role-plays / Written exercises. Purchase for $139.95

Dialogue: How You Communicate When You're Having Trouble Communicating By Robert Rosell, President, Quality Media Resources Dialogue has been around for centuries. The ancient Greeks practiced it. Successful families use it all the time. So do governments, businesses, armies, and other groups of people that need to better understand each other. Dialogue is how you communicate when you're having trouble communicating. Who among us hasn't found ourselves in that situation more than once? We don't normally think much about how we'll communicate. In most cases we simply open our mouths and hope the right words come out. Sometimes they do. However, the workplace has been changing dramatically over the past few decades. Women have entered careers where they had traditionally not been welcome. People from different races, religions or ethnic groups that rarely interacted in the past now work side by side. Gay employees are more visible at work. Laws against discrimination have opened doors for many. Huge populations have migrated around the globe. Corporations have become multinational. The result is that we now have to communicate with a broader, more diverse range of people. These folks don't always do things, see things, or express themselves in the same ways that we do. It's very easy for misunderstandings, suspicions, stereotypes, or hidden assumptions to color our relationships. The results are often negative and at times disastrous for teams trying to work productively together. What worked for us before may no longer be sufficient. We will have to expand our communication skills to be understood and make sure we understand. That's where dialogue comes in. The 6 Basic Rules for Dialogue: Be open and suspend judgment - don't disparage other points of view. Keep dialogue and decision-making separate - dialogue precedes decision-making, negotiation or action. Speak for yourself, not as a representative, and treat all participants as peers. Listen with empathy - acknowledging you have heard others and that you care. Look for common ground – identifying areas where you agree. Search for and disclose hidden assumptions - especially in yourself. See the new training video series "Dialogue. Now You're Talking" produced by Robert Rosell, below. Free preview.

Dialogue: Now You're Talking Training Video Series. Free Preview Dialogue: Now You're Talking Series consists of four video-based training programs: 1. Communicating in a Diverse World. Overview. What is dialogue - contrasting debate and dialogue. Initiating Dialogue - how to do it, where to do it. The skills of Dialogue - Suspension (of judgment, decision making and status); Listening (with empathy, for understanding, showing you care); Discovery (uncovering and sharing hidden assumptions in yourself and others). Includes a dramatization of how Dialogue helps us communicate across job functions, helping improve relations between people at different levels within the organization as well as between different departments or areas of expertise. 2. Dialogue for Cultural Understanding. We apply the skills of dialogue outlined in Program 1 to challenges faced in culturally diverse work environments. We see a dramatization that demonstrates how dialogue can be used to open communication, uncover hidden assumptions, break down stereotypes and facilitate more productive relationships 3. Dialogue between Genders. A dramatized dialogue shows us how the skills we learned in Program 1 can be used to overcome misunderstandings, break down gender stereotypes and improve communications between men and women at work. 4. Dialogue among Generations. We demonstrate how the skills of dialogue can be used to bridge the personal and professional style differences that exist between employees of different ages. We uncover how divergent personal and world views common to people of different generations can lead to misunderstandings and distrust and how dialogue can help overcome age barriers and build more productive workplace relationships. Support materials include a comprehensive facilitation guide, reproducible handouts, pre- and post-assessments, and PowerPoint slides for classroom presentation. Purchase any one program of the above four $625.00 Purchase any two programs For $1062.50 Purchase any three programs For $1462.50 Rent any one program of the above four $295.00 Purchase all four programs for $1875.00 For a FREE online preview of this video send your complete business information with the name of the video you want to preview to service@communicationideas.com

Presentation Skills: 10 Skill- Building Booklets with Application Sheets $50.00 Not enough time . . . No budget . . . Too many people to train... No more excuses! Use these Skill-Building Booklets to improve your employee's performance on 30 important competencies. Simple but complete. Each Booklet provides an individual with a thorough overview, techniques, and methods to improve in each competency. The skills learned by the individual can be actualized through use of a unique application scenario that is included with each Booklet. Train employees for $5 or less per person... 10 Presentation Skills Booklets Code...12PPRS/ $50.00

"Critical Conversations" Workshop Package: Everything Trainers and Consultants Need to Deliver High Stakes Communication Training With Leader's Guide, Reproducible Participant Workbook, and PowerPoint Slides The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished. - George Bernard Shaw Now Trainers and Consultants can solve the tough communication challenges people face at work by delivering this powerful one day or two day communication workshop with dramatic results. This flexible, customizable workshop gives you everything you need to deliver the skills people need most at work: Communicating effectively to reach positive outcomes in difficult situations when the stakes are high and the challenges are great. Participants then will learn to apply specific Talking Tools to a host of challenging communication encounters of particularly high stakes and sensitivity. The Talking, Persuading, and Influencing Tools participants learn and practice in this workshop will enable them to achieve decidedly positive results in working with others as they encounter the following TEN difficult communication situations: Giving Effective Praise that portrays sincerity and generates motivation and enthusiasm. Delivering Criticism � without creating confrontation and conflict Conducting or participating in effective Performance Review sessions Conducting or�  participating in an effective Interview for a new job or promotion Making an Apology that touches the heart and convinces the mind. Asking Effective Questions to probe for facts and provoke for ideas. Arguing without Offending Communicating to Build Rapport and Create Trust Communicating to Create Collaboration and Engagement Communicating to Resolve Conflict and Reach Agreement No other training program we know of covers all these ten critical communication situations. This is the most relevant On-Demand, On-the-Job communication training you can offer today, addressing people's needs for practical Talking Tools to apply in the most challenging encounters they face at work. �  From The hated Performance Review sessions and the sensitive coaching and feedback drills, to the potentially explosive encounters with angry colleagues or customers, this workshop provides participants with the practical techniques they can immediately put to work, starting right in the workshop's role plays. Communication is a difficult process even when the stakes are not high. But when they are, then communication becomes the most crucial tool you have to build trust, resolve conflict, inspire and lead others, and achieve great results. This unique workshop focuses on the specific application of powerful communication and influencing tools to the most critical, sensitive, and challenging fact-to-face encounters managers and staff are confronted with everyday at work. The workshop equips participants with invaluable skills and provides them with the following benefits: It  provides participants with proven techniques they can use in high-impact situations at work. It helps participants feel confident to communicate about any tough or sensitive issue. It enables managers and staff to engage in constructive conversations even when criticism, complaint, or other tough encounters are necessary. It delivers practical examples of what not to do, and what to do, when caught in those worst-of-all-possible-situations that require a higher level of communication competence. It empowers participants to turn critical communication situations into opportunity to build trust and achieve results. No boring Lectures! The workshop deploys a large array of role-plays, activities, exercises, quizzes, and inspiring stories and materials to fully engage participants throughout the process, making learning both fun and more lasting. The Complete Workshop Package Comes in an Electronic Format with three Components: 1- Leader's Guide: Provides Step-By-Step Facilitation Guidance with full explanation of concepts, research, and delivery considerations. 2- PLUS: Dramatic PowerPoint Slides that.. cover every skill offered to provide visual impact and help you keep your command of content and pace. 3- PLUS: Customizable and Reproducible Participant Workbook.. so you can add your organization's logo or department�  name, and make as many copies as you need at no additional fees, saving you hundreds of dollars. We can deliver this training workshop at your site for $3000 per day plus $45 / participant (plus travel) (Currently offered at $1,000 off for $2,000 - for a limited time.) Or: You can deliver it yourself  by purchasing the complete training package in MS Word & PowerPoint slides: Order Now: One User-One organization License  For  $395.00    Consultant-Munti Organization License for $495.00

Order Critical Conversations Now and Change the Way People Communicate at Your Organization Order the Complete Critical Conversations Training Workshop Package: A step-by-step Leader's Guide, PowerPoint Slides, Reproducible Participant's Workbook -  One User/ One Organization License $395.00 Consultant/Multiple organizations License $495.00

Presentation Skills Workshop Template: Word 2000 Custom Version CD-ROM - Best Seller $179.95 This fully reproducible and customizable workshop is designed for employees in the organization who are responsible for giving presentations to internal or external customers. All the information and exercises can be easily applied to work-related situations. Presentation Skills is designed to be facilitated in up to two-days, or if you prefer, in a series of short-term meetings. Participants will learn to: Improve the quality of presentations through better use of the voice, eyes, gestures, posture and movement Engage audiences mentally and physically Use a presentation framework that ensures audience members know the goals and objectives for their presentation Generate immediate interest in their presentation Use their skills and creativity to maintain the interest of audience members Use visual aids such as the flip chart and overhead projector in a more effective manner Use a podium in more formal presentations Give "group" or "team" presentations Skills covered include: Understanding the Two Key Roles of Effective Presenters Developing Your Voice; Using Eye Contact, Gestures, Posture and Movement for Maximum Impact Preparing Concise, Hard-Hitting and Memorable Presentations Defining Meaningful Objectives for Presenter and Audiences Alike Creating Opening Statements that Grab the Audience Designing the Body to Support your Objectives and Opening Statements Successfully Closing the Presentation Giving Podium Presentations Handling Questions from the Audience Effectively Using Overhead Projectors and Transparencies Identifying Blocks to Successful Performance. Word 2000 Custom Version CD-ROM: Using the power of Microsoft Word 2000, you can modify, change, edit, delete, import, export, copy, paste, add color, logos, clip art, fonts, etc., to this program, just as you would any Word document! On the CD is an original template of the Participant's Workbook and Facilitator's Guide. This CD can be used in any IBM compatible computer with Windows 95/98/NT and Microsoft Word already loaded. Presentation Skills Workshop Template CD-ROM/ Code BD-PS/ $179.95

How To Say It (Training Video) What do the best managers have in common? The ability to select the right words Everyone can learn to communicate better. The supervisor who knows how to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, or in writing has a powerful advantage-a built-in way to motivate others and get results. This video gives powerful tips that will help managers say it right every time. Narrated by television star Mason Adams ("Lou Grant" show, "Family Matters"), this program teaches that thoughtfulness, even self-restraint, is crucial in business communication. Viewers are reminded that saying the first thing that comes into their heads is bound to cause problems. There is a better approach-first to ask themselves what they want to accomplish, then decide the best way to accomplish it. Dramatic vignettes are shown throughout the video. Supervisors respond "off-the-cuff" with bad results, and then the skits are reenacted, with each supervisor successfully slowing down to think before speaking, choosing words that gain cooperation and positive results. You'll learn to tailor each message for its intended audience. For example, senior management may need details; your staff may need simple, directive words; and communicating with clients may require even more preparation and diplomacy. You'll also learn the power of speaking in the active tense, and how to apply these communication rules to your writing as well. In these times of instant communications and limitless information, the ability to communicate well is becoming more and more important in the business world. With practice, choosing the right words for every situation can become second nature, once you know "how to say it." Guarantee: Viewers will learn skills that earn them respect, and make them more effective communicators. Video type: VHS / Length: 18 mins. Purchase for $129.00

Look! You've got people in your organization from Mars and Venus who don't speak the same language. Now author Dr. John Gray, in a dramatic new training video, can help you improve their communication and productivity. Dr. John Gray's Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus continues to be a worldwide best-seller because it provides simple concepts that can be put to use immediately. Now you can join Dr. Gray, the best-selling relationship author of all time, in this 39 minute video that helps to create a positive context in which we can talk about differences. In this new video, MARS AND VENUS IN THE WORKPLACE, Dr. Gray helps to explain why men and women misunderstand and misinterpret each other in many ways. Content includes: .. Speaking Different Languages / .. Sharing Is From Venus, Grumbling Is From Mars / .. Mr. Fix-It and the Office Improvement Committee / .. Men Go to Their Caves and Women Talk / ..Feelings In the Workplace / ..Why Men Don't Listen... Or Do They? "Take the time to understand where somebody is coming from instead of putting it down. Honor it. Respect it. And work with it. Because it's the differences which coming together in harmony can produce something greater than ever happened in the past, says Dr. Gray. FOR FREE PREVIEW CALL 1-973-427-3004 Mars and Venus in the Workplace video purchase/ Code..CoVMAV/ $625.00 1 week rental $225.00

How to Ask Questions to Get The Results You Want: The Monk's Method In delivering communication skills training workshops to various groups over the past fifteen years, I came to depend on the following funny story to illustrate how the way people ask a question can determine the answers they get. I labeled this questioning technique, "The Monk's Method." Two monks were praying, walking and talking as they do all day long. The junior monk said to the senior monk. "I'm surprised you're allowed to smoke while walking around and praying here in the monastery my dear brother. When I joined the monastery I asked our Head Monk about smoking and his answer was a resounding no. How come you are able to smoke with no problem? The senior monk smiled and said, "Am I right to assume, my dear brother, that you asked the Head Monk whether it was alright for you to smoke while praying? "Yes," said the junior monk. "I asked him whether it was alright for me to smoke while praying, and he looked at me disapprovingly and said, "Of course not. I'm surprised you would even ask." "Ah!," exclaimed the senior monk. "You didn't know how to ask my dear brother. It all depends on how you put it. When I joined the monastery, I too asked the Head Monk about smoking, but in a slightly different manner. I asked him: "Dear Master, Is it alright for me to pray while smoking?" And he said, "But of course my son. You can pray anytime." In asking questions, as well as in all other aspects of communication, it's not what you say that counts, but how you say it. The Monk's Method is  part of our "Critical Coversations" workshop. Read more about it on this page.

The Seven Sins of Interpersonal Communication Communication is a complex process. Different perceptions may cause difficulties in the transmission of ideas and information. Here are the seven sins of interpersonal communication and ways to avoid them: It's Greek To Me!: Your communication can be effective only when presented in a language the receivers can understand. You need to speak not in your own language or style of thinking but in the language and style of thinking of the receivers. Understand their educational level and their demographics and communicate to them accordingly. Overload: Even when communicating in the language of the receivers, you can still lose them if you overload them with too much information or too complex ideas. Use the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple) Biases and Assumptions: Examine your possible biases and personal assumptions about the issues you're communicating. Disclose your own interests and agendas. The receivers will quickly tune out if they suspect that you have a hidden agenda. By being authentic, you will gain credibility, which is essential for effective communication. One-Way: Communication is not just speaking. It's both speaking and listening. One way communication is no communication at all. Make sure to listen and understand the others' needs and points of view. Ambiguity: If your message is not clear, or if it can be interpreted in more than one way, it will leave the receivers wondering about what you mean. Make sure that your message delivers a clear, unambiguous meaning. Wrong Timing: In certain communications, timing is everything. For example, a message of praise and recognition should not come too late after the fact, or it will lose its effectiveness. The "Better Late Than Never" advice may be true, but a timely message is the best. Negative Attitude: Most people don't like negative communication and bad news. Passive, weak, or negative communication will turn people off. Even the most negative, critical, or difficult communication will be better received when presented in a positive, affirmative style. Instead of saying, "This is a terrible idea," why not say, "Tell me how you can make this idea work." © 2004 Communication Ideas. This article is part of our CommUnicate program. You can get many positive, educational articles like this one about communication at work to create a culture of open and effective communication at your organization by ordering our CommUnicate program. Click here for more information and samples of CommUnicate.

Communication Effectiveness Guide and Assessment Profiles Getting your message across in a way that is clear and coherent is a critical skill in both organizational and personal life. The Communication Effectiveness Profile looks at the large and often complex subject of communicating with others. A Facilitator's Guide gives you a step-by-step approach to using this powerful communication assessment. Communication Effectiveness Facilitator's Guide with one Assessment Profile/ Code..COMEPF+/ $99.95 Additional Profiles are sold in packs of 5 for $39.75

50 Reproducible Activities for Emotional Intelligence $139.95 The 50 reproducible activities in this resource book focus on developing the following set of Emotional Intelligence competencies: self-awareness and control empathy social competence personal influence mastery of vision. Selected Contents: Emotional Intelligence - What Is It? A Coach's / Trainer's Guide to Helping Leaders Improve EQ Guide to the 50 EQ Activities Suggested Training Formats Action / Reaction Visions Apply to People Too Advice from the Pros Steps for Growth More Reflections 300 pages/ 3-ring binder/ Code...50DEI / $139.95

Criticism: Giving and Taking (Training Video) How to Give Criticism Professionally and How to Take it Constructively Learn how criticism can be a positive rather than a negative influence in the workplace You Will Learn: When to criticize and when not to. The Guiding Rule of criticism. The 3-step formula for successful criticism. How to keep your criticism on-track and yourself under control. The 4-A formula for controlling your emotions when being criticized. How to assume a position of strength when being criticized. Criticism is an essential component of growth and improvement. Watch Beverly and Everett, a top sales rep and a talented engineer, rebuild a hostile relationship into a productive, professional one. Video Length: 22 mins. Video comes with an Instructor's Manual and one free Study Guide-  Price $146.95   Extra Study Guides come in packs of 5 for $54.75

Take Time to Listen: Training Video - FREE PREVIEW If some employees are poor listeners, this video will give them the skills they need to listen and improve communication all around. Help them refine their listening skills to understand the real message being sent. Studies have shown that most people listen at 25% efficiency. Take Time to Listen shows how to use three basic steps to listen at nearly 100% efficiency. How To Training Points: How to utilize three basic rules--Stop, Think, Listen--to improve communications / How to ask questions and get the right message / How to recognize and solve common listening problems. 19 Minutes Video/ Free Preview / 30 Day Rental: $345.00 5 DAY Rental $165.00 Purchase for $695.00 Training Departments May Call or E-mail for FREE PREVIEW: 973-427-3004 - Email: info@communicationideas.com

We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This Training Video - Free Preview Meetings are a way of life in today's corporations, where teams demand a high level of involvement and communication. But meetings don't have to be a waste of time. This video shows your staff how to turn even misdirected meetings into organized, productive sessions where participants are valued, focused and involved. Key Training Points: How to involve each participant in the meeting How to resolve disagreements by listening, asking questions, paraphrasing and getting feedback How to use the agenda to stay focused and on track How to end each meeting with mutually agreed upon and well-understood action steps Length: 20 min. Includes Training Leader's Guide - Product Code: LC-AM0144 Rental: $195.00 Purchase: $795.00 Call for a Free Preview: 1-973-427-3004

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