A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN (People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service) ISSN 1394-5726

Online Publisher:          Contents provided by:	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 works are the key to bridging well with each other. So, from our wordsmith's toolbox, here are some tips on how we can made "works work for us".... Receiving Criticism Successfully         To receive criticism effectely, try these techniques: Put your shields up. Immediately picture a protective shield surrounding you before you react. This buys you a few seconds to examine your critic's intentions. Should you explore the criticism further as a possible way to grow professionally? Or should you dismiss it as only a hurtful message? Act like a coffee filter. If you explore the criticism further, you need to strain out the emotional grounds - the critic's fear or anger - from the facts. This allows you to respond only to the useful information and not the critic's emotions. Say "You're right." "I'm wrong." And these few words pour water on the potential blaze of a heated discussion.         Source: Mel Ann Coley, Coley Training and Development, Garland, TX 75042     Do you contribute to phone rage? Some phone systems irk customers more than they help them, according to a survey by Prudential. So perhaps you should check your system to make sure it's not causing problems such as these: 71% of callers said that most of the time, they must listen to too many recordings before they can talk to someone. 41% said they're often transferred to too many others after they do reach someone. 40% reported becoming angrier by the minute when trapped in voice mail or left on hold. Source: The Christian Science Monitor
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