Public Speaking

During a job interview, a potential employer asks, “Can you take on more than one project at a time?” If you respond, “Yes,” you may want to rethink that answer. According to Dynamic Listening: Interview Skills, a computer based training module from Mindleaders in Columbus, Ohio, you should avoid one-word or one-sentence answers.

Be specific. And speak money-language. Here’s a preferred answer to the question above, “In general, depending upon the type and length of projects, I believe in efficiently handling more than one project at a time. This could save a company as much as 30%.”
Let’s check out the definition of “active listening skills” and learn more to help with your next interview…

Active Listening Skills

Just as everyday “speaking” is not the same as public speaking; “listening” is not the same as active listening. Active listening means two things: analysis and response to the message being communicated.

An active listener maintains eye contact and good posture with a slight lean towards the speaker. During the interview, the listener nods, smiles and takes notes. Be ware, however, that a daydreamer or pseudolistener, can adopt these behaviors. So a listener’s physical response does not necessarily mean good listening skills are at work. Visit professional speaker

Nonverbal communication, more than just the nod or smile, is important. Gestures, appearance, timing, voice responses, facial expressions, spatial distance – all affect how the speaker (or interview) interprets the listener. So a person preparing for a job or work project interview should consider the cultural climate and norms of society of the interviewer. In short, perceived active listening based on nonverbal signals can vary from culture to culture.

Especially in this age of such great cultural diversity, be courteous of others regardless of cultural, sexual or societal backgrounds. If you are a woman and get to a door before a man, open it. If your interviewer doesn’t speak English very well and looks puzzled at your words, go back and explain yourself again in different words and re-establish a good communication exchange. Visit Author

Note: a major part of active listening is paraphrasing. It’s not the same as summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of the original message, focusing on the main point. To paraphrase means to re-state the message in your own words.

Active listeners take notes by paraphrasing or restating what the speaker said in their own words, and summarizing main points. A good listener is not the same thing as a silent listener. Good listeners ask questions, even something like, “Is this an accurate paraphrase of you have said?” to let the speaker know that you understand the message being communicated. Visit Life Coach

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I was asked recently by someone posting on my self improvement blog what were the best self motivational books I have read. Although there are several thousand self motivational books published each year I have come to the conclusion that there is very little that can be added to the many words of self motivational wisdom that have been written over the last century and a half. From the early pioneers like Napoleon Hill to today’s monumental giants like Tony Robbins. It was said, I think by the latter of these two gurus, that we arrive on this planet without an instruction manual. I think for that reason alone there is not just a thirst for knowledge but a greater need for a guide to how to survive life which drives the market for self improvement books. You don’t need to have suffered a deep psychological trauma to want to invest in one of these guides. But for those who say you can’t deal with serious issues like depression then I disagree. Where my own doctor and a clinical psychologist were unable to help me a number of the books on my all time classic list gave me the support to get my life back on track. However its not reading self motivational books that gets results its taking action on the advice that is given therein. So my advice is read a small amount of self motivational books but take a lot of action if you want to significantly improve your life.
Can self motivational books bring happiness? Now there is a million dollar question! Depends on your definition of happiness of course. Many people would define it as achieving a certain amount of wealth. However as many wealthy people often say the wealth in and of itself doesn’t bring happiness. In addition have you ever noticed that wealthy people never seem satisfied with what they have got and continually seek to make more and more money. The truth is that happiness is not a destination it is more likely to be a state of continually striving to achieve goals, achieving them and setting more goals to strive to achieve. If thats your definition then I think self motivational books will help you and my list of all time classics have certainly helped me in that respect. There are many out there who will disagree with my choice of self improvement books and have their own favourites all I can say to them is that these are the ones that gave me the focus and the necessary poke in the ribs to take action and I still revisit them for ideas.

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You can motivate your team members externally or internally. External motivation relates to the working environment. However, internal motivation relates the interests, aptitudes and dreams of your team members. Here you shall find seven critical motivational techniques to get the best out of your subordinates.

1- Reward and Punishment

It is the most popular technique being used by the managers. It mobilizes motivational energies in the team players. The reward can be in the form of special promotions, raises or words. However, excessive use of this tool may create jealousy amongst your subordinates to disturb the working environment.

Fear of punishment also plays an important role. You need to be careful here too. A wrong punishment at a wrong time may backfire. Just create a balance. Visit a Motivational Speaker

2- Setting of Goals

Setting of well-defined goals helps your team members to do their best. Set meaningful and justified deadlines to get the project finished within time. You need to work at two levels. First, set your objective. Second, divide that objective into goals and sub-goals.

3- Advisory Techniques

No one is perfect. Being a team leader you must always be ready to offer advice when your team members face some stumbling block in their performance. Encourage them to remove their weaknesses and continue what works for them.

4- Praise and Criticism

This motivational technique is similar to ‘reward and punishment’ technique. A word of praise or criticism shall have definite results upon your subordinates. However, like rewards and punishments, this technique should also be used carefully. Sometimes your team members will do better with criticism and other times they will stop working. Visit a Motivational Speaker

5- Success and Failure

To motivate your team members, you should analyze their successes in open and failures in your office. Most of the people like to continue doing what is working for them. Don’t try to change their style unless you find them failing to achieve what you desire of them.

6- Competition

It is the strongest motivational technique to get the best out of your subordinates. You can use this technique very effectively when combine with setting of efficient goals. Competitive circumstances shall help your team members to perform the best.

7- Interests of Team Members

Do you know what interests your subordinates? Just find out those interests and entrust them with tasks that they love to do. It will increase their efficiency on one hand and speed of the project on the other. Random allocation of tasks may not be too helpful to all of them. Visit a Motivational Speaker

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