These are individuals who prefer not to be with other people. They go out of their way to be alone. Of course, most people are social beings and want to congregate. However, if you are in a situation when being a social isolator appears to be a good idea, here are five things to do when you want to disengage:

1. Look away
2. Look down
3. Step away
4. Don’t shake hands
5. Frown

If you project one or more of these five expressions, you will always be a social isolator.

According to a recent piece in the Chicago Tribune the most over used resume buzzwords are: creative, organizational, effective, extensive experience, track record, motivated, innovative, problem-solving, communication skills and dynamic. One of my favorite cliches that didn’t make the list is team-player.

Having written and read hundreds of resumes, I would agree with this assessment. Try and minimize these words on your resume. Especially:

Motivated (everyone is motivated otherwise they wouldn’t be applying for jobs)
Problem-solving (all work involves solutions to issues)
Communications skills (everything we do is related to communication skills)

You might want to use them if they are part of the job description. For example, if the job description reads, “Innovative Sales Manager needed for the Southwest Region,” you can describe yourself that way. 

The key to a writing a good resume is to use examples that show the meaning of those clichés by citing real experiences (like these examples from real resumes):

Secured financing for $1.4 million facility using comprehensive forecasting models; assisted in VEDA and SBA approval process. (innovation and problem solving skills)

Directed the technical application integration project using 6 Sigma methodologies which reduced transit times for China, US and Singapore from 36 to 21 days, saving $100K. (organizational, communication and dynamic)

Plus, these lines show what hiring managers really want to see- specific accomplishments.

Contact No Cliche Copy (www.noclichecopy.com) for a reasonably priced pro resume and cover letter.

Steve Wyrostek
Owner- No Cliche Copy

In the US it is considered the norm to offer a handshake when first meeting someone. In some cases a hug may also be appropriate. However, in other countries greetings are different. Since business is international, it would be good to know the greeting customs used in different countries.

Here are some examples:

India

This is land of Namaste. Place your hands in a prayer position at the chest, point your fingers upward and bow slightly while saying “Namaste” (nuhm-uh-stey).

South Africa

The traditional South African greeting is a standard handshake grasp followed by a shift of hands to an upward position, then back to the standard grasp – all in one fluid motion.

Japan

One bows from the waist with palms on the thighs and heels together. A bow ranges from a nod to a 90 degree bend at the waist. Levels of respect are indicated by the depth and duration of a bow. A small head nod is casual and informal.

When you visit these countries, using their greeting customs will be noted as a sign of respect.

In today’s business environment, especially in a small office setting, when is casual conversation just gossip? There is a fine line between both. First, it really depends on the office culture and the intent of the individuals involved. What might be an innocent comment can become very inappropriate.
 
I like casual conversations to be non-personal and non-controversial. So, wishing someone a nice day is easy versus saying you hope the individual feels better about a personal situation.

A good example about interpretation of intent occurred recently when I asked a new person in the office where she came from. I meant it like did she live in the area. However, this person thought I was asking about her heritage.

Talking about the weather is not a bad topic to get the conversation rolling on a non-controversial note!

Brad Pit was recently interviewed. One phrase from that interview sticks out in my mind: “When you are interesting to yourself you will be interesting to others.”

Being involved in different projects and remaining constantly refreshed helps you stay connected and relevant. One tactic is to move out of your comfort zone and try something new. Folks I find the most interesting are the ones always attempting new experiences.

The primary purpose of business holiday parties is to celebrate and strengthen relationships. But, they can also be a gregarious time where too much information is shared and too many alcoholic beverages consumed.

Conversations at these events are best when the discussions are about current events or safe subjects like best restaurants, movies or books. Also, maintain a strict two cocktail limit.

Keeping these things in mind will help ensure the holiday parties work as positive relationship strengtheners.

More problems are caused by e-mail than intended. That’s because words, if not written correctly, can be misconstrued. Plus, sentences are sometimes not even fully read if they are too long.

Fast Company magazine just had an article about how to be effective with email communications. Here are some golden rules to remember:

1. Never write an e-mail that is about a controversial subject.
2. Always begin with the end in mind.
3. Never write in all caps. It is considered shouting.
4. Always read the e-mail out loud to see how it may sound to the recipient.
5. Because we live and work in a global world, be aware of the impact words can have in cultures outside of the US.

One more guideline, always assume that everyone in the world will receive and read your email!

Remembering these simple rules will help ensure your e-mails will be read and effective at the same time.

Listening skills are critical to effective and inclusive communication. So often, people interrupt before another person finishes. Today, I happened to hear an example of this. It was on a television program where one person kept interrupting the other speaker because he did not agree with him.

Instead of obtaining my support for his view, I immediately thought how rude and abusive the speaker was. In fact, I could not even listen to his comments. When someone is trying to explain a point that you do not agree with, you must listen and allow the other person to finish. If you do this, I can promise that when you do speak, the other person will believe you have listened.

And then they will listen to you.

Due to the efficiency of conference calls, more folks are using this method instead of meeting face to face. It is also more challenging for co-presenters hosting the calls. Following are some tips to ensure a conference will be an effective and successful one:

• Prior to the call, the facilitators need to have a meeting of the minds either by phone or e-mail. This is so they can agree on the purpose of the call and decide who will be facilitating the call.
• Two facilitators must agree which one will be introducing the different discussion topics.
• Never interrupt or talk over someone who is speaking.
• Before beginning to speak be sure to confirm the person who just spoke has actually finished.
• If you are using a speaker phone – please begin by stating the rules on using the mute button.
• Never get emotional or raise your voice. If there is a disagreement – be gracious about it.

Following these rules you will always have a productive conference call.

Speaker phones are wonderful because you can have more than one person on a call. 

However, we all know that most folks use the speaker phone when speaking on a cell phone because the reception is sometimes dicey. 

It is acceptable to use the speaker phone when you are in secluded spot and no one else is around. It is not acceptable to use the speaker phone when you are having a private conversation with others around you and certainly not in a meeting with others unless they are a part of the conversation.

So, remember the purpose of speaker phone is being able to have more than two people involved in the conversation. Remember this rule and you will always be socially correct.