Communication is like oxygen to life without it…it dies. Tony Gaskins
October Tips For Communication & Image Success
Tip for Organizations:
Question:
We work in an open desk environment where staff occupy the desks at scheduled times. We would like to develop etiquette guidelines that cover the schedule and ways to communicate when times change.
Answer:
Etiquette on ways to handle desk sharing would include guidelines if schedules change, when to give notice, and keeping the policy user friendly for the folks who share the desks. You might want to ask for suggestions on what the policy should specifically cover. Any guidelines should be laid out in one page.
Communication Question:
Question:
I am going to be traveling to different town hall meetings for my organization. What is good way to prep for audience questions?
Answer:
A recent Toastmaster’s magazine article suggested these PREP guidelines: State you Position, provide a Reason, give Examples and restate your Position. Using this guideline has helped me in answering audience questions. Keeping to PREP builds confidence even when the question may be tough to answer.
Presence Question:
Question:
The trend in today’s fashion for men and women seems to be mixing patterns. What is a good rule of thumb to follow when choosing items to wear?
Answer:
One pattern needs to be larger than the other. For example, a men’s suit can be a pinstripe with a patterned shirt and tie. The shirt could be a small check pattern worn with a patterned shaped tie that contains similar colors.
Women can wear a pinstripe pair of pants with a bold pattern blouse. Look at fashion magazines for clues. In Style for women and GQ for men contain great examples of current fashion trends.
The Art of Business and Social Interaction®
Question:
How do I handle difficult political conversations?
Answer:
There is not an easy answer. It will depend if it is in a business or personal situation. My personal recommendations is to gracefully say: I prefer not to comment because we are in a very controversial area and I am uncertain about the best way to proceed without possibly causing hard feelings.