Target	Description	Progress
Spelling	Make sure that the right grammar and spelling is used when appropriate	31 Dec I have done a sweep of my blog and corrected all spelling mistakes 31 Jan I have further rectified more recent mistakes. 20 Feb Have made a final run through and have found no further errors
Professional	Make sure that all posts and my blog is laid out professionally and all grammar and vocabulary used is professional	31 Dec I have changed the theme of my blog to maintain a more professional style 31 Jan I have removed the tacky looking gold clock 20 Feb Blog has maintained professionalism since last check
Maintain a blog	I will create and keep my blog up to date	31 Dec I have created a blog and added the first of my posts 31 Jan I have uploaded the next batch of posts and made sure the last ones are up to standard 21 Feb Blog is fully up-to-date

Principles of Effective Communication

Principles of Effective Communication

Communication is influenced by a variety of factors which subtly add reference and context to what you are saying. It is not simply what you are saying, but it is how you are saying it and with what facial expression, posture etc.

One of the least subtle signs is the way in which somebody says something. This can easily determine if you are speaking with authority, or are confused. If you are talking to someone, then you must at least sound as if you are interested and know what you are talking about. Do not slur words and do not abbreviate as this seems unprofessional and could make you harder to understand. Also communicate mood, so if you are angry, or worried, or nervous, people will know.

Also, you must have the correct body language, so don’t shuffle about and cross your arms, remain in a steady posture and make sure you have an open posture. This portrays a more confident person and will encourage people to listen more to what you are saying. It also can portray how important what you are saying is, so if you are in a perplexed posture, the information will be important, but if you have a relaxed posture, the information won’t be that shocking.

Also there is eye contact. This is very important as it should be used in every situation when talking to somebody. It is simply polite and makes sure they know you’re talking to them. It could also make you seem untrustworthy if you are looking everywhere but them, as it seems as if you have something to hide.

When communicating through written means (emails taxes etc.), then you must always use good grammar as if you use different things then it looks very unprofessional and can be hard to read. Also, make sure that you don’t use an inappropriate font. The font should look formal and be of a reason able size, such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial. Inappropriate fonts would include Comic Sans, Jokerman, and Curlz MT. Also a reasonable size font should be chosen, smaller than 14, as any bigger looks unprofessional.

Over the phone, a clear voice is key. As phone lines can get muffled and/or distorted, you must provide as clear a speech as possible so as the end result can be easily heard and understood.

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Learning Styles

Learning Styles have been disproved as of 2009. The basis of a visual learner will learn better with a specifically visual style is untrue and would be a waste of time for you and would ultimately be of no extra effect. The Association of Psychological Science carried out an experiment in which they tested a group of children by specifically matching half of them to the wrong learning style, this proved to have no negative effect when it came to the test, which proves that no person is specifically visual, auditory or kinesthetic.

The basis of the outdated theory was that a visual learner would learn better if they tailored their learning to a visual format, audiatory with sound, and kinesthetic with touch. But this is now disproved and there is no benefit for a person taking notice of it.

It is all down to preference, you may perfer one style to the other, but on a psychological level it makes no difference to your revision/work. By all means if you find rhyming things easier to reme,ber then go ahead. You can also discuss them and such. This is the same as if you perfer to read notes, or take on a more physical or active approch. But your preference is all that matters, dont bother with taking any online tests.

Communication

There are some limitations of effective communication though. For example, if you have grown up all your life in Glasgow, and then take a job in London, then you are going to have a problem because there is a high probability that you will have a strong accent that may make it more difficult for other people in the business to understand you. This is an example of a barrier that cannot be actively fought, but will fade over time as the accent will become less prominent as time passes.

Another barrier could be a different language. If you move country in order to obtain a job, but this country has a different language, then you will be at a major disadvantage in terms of communication, but this can be fought by taking lessons in the language or otherwise learning it. Also use of translators can be used in this instance, which makes communication by email an effective way of communication whilst you are learning the language.

However there are more significant disabilities than these that can really devastate communication. These include inability to talk, see, or hear. These are all devastating as the inability to talk can only be overcome by use of sign language, which will cause similar troubles to that of a language barrier, or a small device which when held to the throat allows vocal communication. However the latter is very rare and would be unlikely to be the case.

Loss of sight would also significantly restrict communication in most ways but talking. This could be overcome by special software on PC’s that convert text into sound, or brail for physical communication. However, the use of brail would mean someone would have to read through the messages, and literally translate them, which would be a time-consuming process.

Being unable to hear would make all vocal communication ineffective, so communication would have to be entirely written. A way to overcome this disability would be a device that converts what people are saying into words. Similar devices are used by some authors, but these devices are not instantaneous, so would only be of use for recording a meeting or interview for later review.

Attributes of a Valued Employee

Employers are looking for abilities and attributes which distinguish you from the crowd. These could involve achievements or special skills and qualities. Examples of these include:

·         Speech – being able to effectively communicate with other members of the workforce and are able to voice your opinions during meetings and the initial interview

·         Punctual – To be on time is extremely important. If you are on time, it shows that you are motivated and are trying your best to help the business succeed.

·         Enterprising – An individual needs to show a good amount of knowledge about the business world and needs to be able to have the motivation to use all resources at their disposal to achieve as much as possible.

·         Creativity – You have to be creative and submit new ideas to people in order to show that you care for the business and want to see it succeed. Also it shows that you have an open mind and are thinking of better ways to overcome problems.

·         Intelligence – You must show that you are not incompetent and that you have an acceptable level of intelligence. Employers don’t want to employ someone they think is thick, so you must demonstrate that you are not.

·         Analytical – You must show that you are able to analyse and overcome problems in the workplace or have the analytical skills to be able to be able to see a solution and to act on it or bring it to a superior with the answer to show that you can cope with problems.

·         Likeable – be a people person! It is far easier to secure a job if you attempt to get on with the interviewer rather than being rude or talking down to them

So when in an interview for a new job, remember, to stand out from the crowd, you need to be SPECIAL.