WORDSMITH'S
TOOLBOX
Being able to use the right words
for the right occasion, writing or saying them correctly in the proper context...it's
a skill that anyone
aspiring to be a "better communicator" must learn to acquire and constantly,
improve on. As the line in that popular song, "Words", by the
Bee Gees says: "It's only words, and words are all I have to take your
heart away....", the right words are the key to bridging that
communication gap and bringing people closer and working well with each other.
So, from our wordsmith's toolbox, here are some tips on
how we can make "words work for us".....
Trumpet Success With ‘We,’ Not
‘I’
When you land that big account
and call your boss with the good news, resist the urge to brag:
- Wrong: “I pulled
off the big one. I won big on this one.”
- Reason: Too many “I’s” will
turn people off, especially your boss.
- Right: “We got the account,
but we should expect more question about the economic outlook in other countries.
That’s what they asked about most.”
- Reason: The “we” approach
acknowledges others’ help. And including an important client concern
shows you’re not thinking of yourself but of what this
means to your organisation.
Source: Gil Gardon Associates,
NJ, cited in Investor’s Business Daily
Learning Form Mistake
Hold a “What went wrong?” session
when a group fails or fall short. Ban the word “blame,” and make it clear that
you just want to learn something to improve the next effort. Then have the group
answer these questions:
- What did we intend to
do?
- What did we assume?
- What did we achive?
- What was the gap between
what we intended and what we achieved, and what caused that gap?
- What lessons did we learn,
and how can we use them on our next project?
Source:
The Faster Learning Organization, by Bob Guns, SAN Francisco, CA 94104
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