Communicating via the telephone

Nowadays, even with e-mail and the internet, the telephone is still probably the most common means of communication in business and used efficiently it has two major advantages. It is fast and it allows people to converse even when they are unable to meet. The telephone, for all its convenience and speed, also has the power to convey rapidly a poor impression of the efficiency of individuals and organisations and create considerable confusion and irritation. Basic telephone rules include: being brief, courteous, resourceful and  speaking clearly.

Emotional Intelligence

The best oral communicators don't just use well-chosen words, in well-structured sentences within a well thought-through structure: these are essential pre-requisites, but are not enough in themselves. For instance, the clearest speech, dully presented, has little effect - may not even be listenable to. One of the key Emotional Intelligence competencies for communication is emotional self-control. Others include empathy, self-confidence, transparency, organisational awareness, service orientation and influence. In simple terms, if we are striving to be a good oral communicator, we need to be able to listen and control our personal expectations and preferences. We need to be self-assured, speak in accordance with values and understand and allow for the climate and culture within which we are speaking. It is important that we engage and match the needs of our audience and anticipate the effect of our actions and words.

Newspaper Article

Newspaper - Express
Date - November 07 2008
Title - Father kills daughter, 2, then self
Author - Richard Charran

"On a hilltop overlooking the Gulf of Paria, Vishal Nigel Ramdeen gave his two-year-old daughter a poisoned soft drink as they sat in his car parked on a roadside. He waited for her to drink, reclined her seat, and waited for her to die. Then he killed himself". 

It is so heartrending to see the lives of our young ones being snatched from them helplessly. What makes this situation worst is the fact that the assailant is the father of this innocent child. I strongly agree with the advise of the Pundit (Hindu Priest) that we must make decisions and not pass judgments. Even though the relationship between the parents may have been a bit unsteady, the welfare of the child should have been given first preference. Taking their lives is definitely not an option as there are numerous alternatives available to ensure that these children benefit fully from life. As parents, we should adapt a more approachable personality to life giving way for valuable criticisms and work mutually in keeping families together.

Crime

Crime in our country is in an appalling state. Persons fear for their lives every single day. The implementation of crime stoppers and 800-TIPS are no longer an option as the safety of citizens remain questionable. Appearing in court and having to testify no longer justifies that the criminal will be dealt with but citizens risk their own lives. So we see who are really looking out for who! Hundreds of citizens come face to face daily with horrendous criminal activities but out of fear of loosing their lives and families by extension, turn a blind eye. Something has to be done, but until then, all we are to wonder is "who's next".

Newspaper Article

Newspaper - Express
Date - November 23 2011
Title - Our Lives...
Author - A. P. Toussaint

Too many a time we spend too much time checking and double checking every little detail and many times we do this with things we have little or no control over. The author makes the important point that worrying about how things in life may or may not turn out will not make much of a difference to the quality of life except to probably give us more to worry about. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. I strongly agree with the fact that if we threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's we'd grab ours back. She reminds us that our lives have worth and our experiences even more so; the way we see things affects the way we deal with them. She encourages us to start appreciating all the wonderful things that we already have going on. It is okay to be happy even though some things in our lives are not perfect.

Public Speaking

Knowledge may be useless unless it is communicated to others. For most of us, when ever we are called upon to do public speaking, we experience immense feelings of nervousness. Our stomach may churn, our voices may dwindle or we may become shrill and breathless. However, there are techniques which we can also learn from experienced speakers - and the most essential of these, as with every other form of communication transmission, is preparation. Our in class speech presentations were very beneficial to me as I not only gained in confidence but I was also able to discover my own strengths and weaknesses and I have learnt to exploit my strengths and avoid my weaknesses. Few people are born speakers. It is an acquired skill, and everyone is able to acquire it to some degree.

Barriers to communication in my workplace

Barriers to communication are things people say or do that are obstacles to good conversation or good interpersonal interaction. They are hurdles that do not bring discussion satisfaction.

Communication barriers can pop-up at every stage of the communication process and have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion. To be an effective communicator with sharp skills and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of these barriers at each stage of this process with clear, concise, accurate, well-planned communications.

One of the barriers to Communication experienced in my workplace is communicating with the manager. He is an individual possessing a great deal of emotions, - more negative than positive, most stemming from family issues, and this is very difficult to surmount. Whenever we need to seek his assistance in carrying out day-to-day activities, such as returning a call, setting up meetings, dealing with queries’, he responds with a lot of jargon and is highly ambiguous. His first way of solving mistakes is by firing, and because of his unapproachable character, we experience an immense feeling of fear whenever we are called to confront him.

In dealing with this problem, we communicate with him via emails. This process takes an unusually longer period with a lot of delayed feedback to prospective businesspersons as well as clients.

Another barrier affecting the communication process in my job place is a clash in personality. The company’s Accountant is intolerable of flaws and hindrances in job performance owing to his experiences acquired from previous employment in numerous foreign countries. He expects his subordinates to always understand, and take initiative. However, this is seemingly difficult for us, since most of our duties are inadequately explained and therefore difficult to understand.

Because of his callous and appalling nature, we are often fearful of his response when completing duties for his perusal.

Listening

I am sure we can all recall many instance when people we talk to, and we too, seem to go through the motions of listening but, in reality, are either thinking of other things or, more particularly, thinking of what they are going to say next. Listening, therefore, seems to be sadly neglected, and is sometimes written off as a merely passive skill, bout which we can do very little. But it is crucial to good communication, for it is really the receiver - the listener - who communicates rather that the speaker. Unless somebody listens to the message and understands it, there is no communication, only noise. Effective listening produces many salutary results. Example, encouragement to others, possession of all the information, improved relationships, resolution of problems and better understanding of people. The good listener gains four things: information, understanding, listening in return and cooperation.

Speaking Effectively

Human communication is fraught with problems and difficulties. Whatever we try to communicate, something often seems to get in the way and we are not understood in the way we intended. But even when we are understood we often fail to get people to think or behave in the way we would wish. Perhaps because we learn to speak before we write, or perhaps because speaking is so much a part of our everyday life, we are liable to take speaking for granted and "open our mouths before engaging our brain". But its not just the 'big occasion' which require care and attention. We communicate to be received, to be understood, to be accepted and to get action. When we fail to achieve any of these, we have failed to communicate. The meanings that we give to words result from the way we each interpret the world around us, and for each of us that world is seen and understood differently.
Effective speaking is the result of several things over which we do have control. Personal qualities - clarity, accuracy, empathy, sincerity, relaxation, eye contact, appearance and posture which have a lot to do with what we say and do. Then there are vocal qualities - the mechanics of speech, pitch, volume, diction and accent, vocal tension, speed, the use of the pause and tone, all of which affect the way we use our voice.

The use of Visual Aids

The most important thing to remember is that visual aids should be just that: visual and aids. Visual, in that they make use of the most effective channel of communication of all, the sense of sight, not just be providing the audience with something to look at, but wherever possible providing them with pictures rather than words to look at. Aids, in that they should help, not hinder, the audience in receiving and understanding the speaker's message. Some examples of visual aids include, whiteboards, flip charts,physical objects, overhead projectors, data projectors, slide projectors, videos, etc. Used badly, visual aids are time-wasting, distracting, expensive, inflexible, at best confusing, at worst catastrophic and humiliating. Used well however, visual aids are time-saving, essential, interesting, entertaining, memorable and invaluable.

Entry 10

The use of slang is frequently ridiculed by culturally-ignorant people who feel it is the product of insufficient education and believe it to be counter-evolutionary. Human language has been a state of constant reinvention for centuries, and slang has been used and created by poets and writers of all sort. I use slang in my everyday conversations as most of the people I communicate with at work relate with me on a friendly level. It is more comfortable communicating this way. It is a different level when communicating with my supervisors, and the use of slang is not adopted. Once we know how and when to use slang in our conversations, communication could be effective and clearly understood.

Entry 9

The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language. More often than not, I believe I communicate effectively. One of my favorite sayings is "its not what you say but how you say it". The tone and inflection in our voice is as indicative as what we are saying and the words we use. The tone always reveals something about what we think about the person we are communicating with or the current experience. I will agree that there is clarity in my speech. I grasp a good command of the English language which aids in my effective communication overall.

Newspaper Article

Newspaper - Express
Date - October 14 2011
Title - Persist! Persist! Persist!
Author - A. P. Toussaint

Whatever we may be facing or experiencing right now, the author is encouraging us to go through and not give up. The way God helps us make spiritual progress is by being with us to strengthen and encourage us to 'keep on keeping on' in rough times. It is easy to quit; it takes faith to go through. You and I will have many choices to make throughout our lives. When we begin to feel that the battle of the mind is just too difficult and that we aren't going to make it, then we must be able to cast down that kind of thinking and choose to think that we are going to make it! Not only must we choose to think that we are going to make it, but we must also decide not to quit. It is vitally important that we get our minds renewed and learn to choose our thoughts carefully. We need to make up our minds that we will not quit and give up until victory is complete and we have taken possession of our rightful inheritance.

Entry 7

The culture presented by my group was the East Indians Of Trinidad and Tobago. This culture is not new to me as I am a Hindu by faith. I was born and raised learning to accept and make good use of the many teachings and practices under this rich heritage.

Entry 6

The in-class presentations on culture were very informative. It broadened my intellect in realizing that each individual is unique. The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation etc. By exploring these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment, I was able to understand the different cultures, beliefs and practices. I've learnt to move beyond simple tolerance to embrace and celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Entry 5

Being a Hindu by faith and growing up in a home with strong moral and spiritual values, I was taught several principles which I was constantly reminded, will govern the rest of my life. some of these included:

• Mind and self control
• Tolerance
• Hospitality - demonstrating magnanimity and the value of service
• Compassion - the ability to feel for others as we feel for ourselves
• Protection - an essential duty is to give shelter to others, especially those less fortunate
• Respect - for all living beings and for the sanctity of all life
• Wisdom - knowledge is contrasted with ignorance
• Austerity - essential to gain wisdom in addition to mere theoretical knowledge
• Celibacy - important for spiritual life
• Honesty - essential to build legitimate trust within relationships and to avoid self-deception
• Cleanliness - includes external hygiene and inner purity

Changing with each culture is the translated definition of body language. When at first exposed to a new environment where attitudes, language and behavior are all unfamiliar, people may often suffer from culture shock.With these varying meanings from country to country it is easy to see how misunderstanding may occur. Culture gives meaning to manners, different hand gestures, our patience, and even handshakes and greetings; and thus culture influences every aspect of nonverbal communication.
Within the Hindu culture staring at the impoverished population is considered a way to humiliate. Before
entering any sacred area, footwear are removed. Elders must be addressed with the proper title. When greeting someone, palms are pressed together with fingers pointing upwards and we say Namaste.

Newspaper Article

Newspaper - Express
Date - August 01 2011
Title - Thank You
Author - A. P. Toussaint

If there is anything we need to be reminded of from time to time, it is the importance of thanksgiving. It is a way of life that closes the door on the enemy's attacks and opens the door to the blessings of God. It is God's will that we thank Him at all times and in every circumstance. It is also His will that we do all things without grumbling and fault finding and complaining. This does not mean that we need to thank God for all the negative things in our life. It just means that we are to thank Him in them. Being thankful is not a one-time event or something we do when all our circumstances are wonderful. It is also not something we are supposed to start and stop. Being thankful is a way of life-it is an attitude of our hearts that we maintain by God's grace.

You and I need to make it our daily aim to have a grateful heart and avoid complaining. There is a saying which goes like this - "When we complain, we remain, but when we praise, we're raised".We must guard our minds and our mouths from complaining. If we start making a list of our blessings, we will quickly become aware of just how good we have it. Even if we have problems and we spend time with the Lord, He'll make us strong enough to overcome them and give us the wisdom to know how to handle them. God created us with a purpose. But we all share one common purpose - to walk uprightly and glorify God. God desires for us to pursue Him with all our hearts, seeking to know him better. When we do, it brings His blessings upon our lives.

Perception of self.

Knowing the type of person we are, our strengths, weaknesses and capabilities, encourages us to strive greater to better improve ourselves as individuals. Having been nurtured in a home with strong moral and spiritual values, I have learnt to appreciate who I am, where I came from and give thanks to God for His many Blessings which is allowing me to be the successful individual I am today. My high self esteem and validation comes from a good upbringing and from the God who created me.

I believe that what you think of yourself plays a great role in what you actually become. One part of my personality I like is that I am self confident. Being this way helps me to face negative situations optimistically. It also enables me to overcome any hurdles I may face going forward in life. I am skilled at cooking, singing and I love to dance. I am the type of person who will go the distance to assist anyone, be it a friend or family member.

My personality extends to me being a caring, loving, powerful and willing individual. My friends believe I am strong, confident, outspoken and independent. My co-workers see me as determined and ambitious. 

9/11

It is in my view that the events surrounding the September 11 attacks were one of the most critical effects in world history. The day marked one of the biggest news events and served as a wake up call for all. It proves that no matter how small or large, how strong or how successful your country is, tragedy can strike at any time. Innocent people had fallen prey because of misunderstanding and conflict among different hierarchies. 9/11 was a show of selfish imposition of beliefs and views which resulted in total devastation with no regard or concern for others. All the tragedy and horror that took place in the days,weeks and months after, have left feelings of fear, disbelief and astonishment in the minds of all and its impact will be felt for years to come.

My name is Devika Singh. I live in the humble yet vibrant village of Coryal, located on the outskirts of Sangre Grande. I am the second of two girls. I am currently employed as a cashier II at the District Revenue Office in Sangre Grande. I am pursuing my BA in English where my innermost desire is to one day become a teacher.

I am a very willing and determined individual and I believe anything can be accomplished once our minds are set towards it. I enjoy visiting new places and meeting new people. I take pleasure in listening and rendering assistance whenever needed and hence the reason for rating myself a full ten. Communication is vital in our everyday lives and it is our responsibility as individuals to ensure that when we communicate, verbally or non-verbally, it is done effectively and so that others can understand us clearly. Without proper communication, there is no way to express our thoughts, our ideas and feelings.