communication

 5 Ways to Improve Communication Skills

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5 Ways to Improve Communication Skills

It is known that having effective communication skills is the basic foundation of a successful relationship between people. On personal or professional levels, communication involves more than exchanging information. Having communication skills refers to someone’s ability to convey ideas, thoughts and messages in a clear way to other people receiving them. It also involves viewing and understanding perspectives, and engaging others. Nowadays, having communication skills is very important as it is needed for building trust between people to foster strong relationships, to achieve professional as well as personal success, and to understand individual perspectives. Not everyone is born naturally with effective communication skills. For some it takes time, practice, dedication and patience to be able to achieve this skill. However, to be able to achieve this, there are important strategies that you need to learn to be a more effective communicator. In this article, we will explore 5 major things to do that will help you improve your communication skill. Pay rapt attention to the speaker Paying full attention to the speaker while communicating is very important. This also means you have to listen actively and this involves engaging fully with the speaker, listening and understanding their perspective, asking questions to clarify and understand their message and even maintaining eye contact to stay focused. Communicate in an easy-to-understand manner Communication between two parties flows well when the message delivered is very clear and concise. Avoid the use of ambiguous and unimportant words when communicating. Make use of simple terms that will make the information or message well understood by the listening party. This is important to prevent miscommunication. Be aware of nonverbal communication There is a need to understand that there are some unspoken messages that are conveyed in various ways such as facial expressions, body languages, silence, and even voice tones. They differ from each person and this needs to be recognized and understood. Also, ensure that these nonverbal communication styles convey the intended message you want to share to avoid miscommunication or misinterpretation. Encourage open ended questions Engaging in meaningful discussions that will prompt responses, encourage thinking and provide reasonable insights will help improve communication. This will help communication go both ways (both parties- the speaker and listener) and not make it one sided. It helps to keep the flow of communication going between people. Also, questions that requires just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer should mostly be avoided if an effective communication is to be achieved. Ensure and confirm understanding of the information/message It is important to ensure that the information or message shared is well understood by the listening party. Most importantly, a confirmation that it’s been well understood is needed to avoid miscommunication and to ensure effective communication. In conclusion, effective communication is very necessary for two or more people to be able to relate and understand each other. It is therefore important for individuals to have this skill. By developing great communication skills, it helps people to build strong relationships, trust, achieve success personally and professionally to help live in a more harmonious and connected world.   ALSO READ: Mastering the Art of Effective Communication    

How Your Organization Should Prepare For Civil Disturbance

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Civil disturbance is any organized mass mobilization of civil groups for expression of disagreement or dissatisfaction over a course through open and public demonstration. Such course oftentimes includes government actions or policies, civil right concerns, animal right, business concerns, and socio-economic or religious issues. Civil disturbance may occur in form of industrial strike where an interest group may decide to down tool and refuse to work for their organization unless a particular concern is addressed. It may be a protest where some civil groups march on the streets or other locations with placards to show dissatisfaction about a concern. Civil disturbance can come as a demonstration – where the concern groups march in different form within the community to show non-acceptance or disagreement over a course. Other coercive ways civil disturbance may take place include picketing, lockout, riot and stay-at-home. This forms are usually marked by intent for commotion and violence. In the fast-evolving contemporary world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity otherwise known as VUCA it makes sense for organizations to be prepared to respond to civil disturbance with its potential for business disruption in different ways. Many countries of the world are currently faced with challenge of dealing with and addressing civil disturbance. Regardless of the form a civil disturbance takes, it has potential to cause worry. See below, some common concerns during civil disturbance and the strategic ways your organization can approach and mitigate its impacts. Safety and security concerns: civil disturbance is perceived to be a threat to safety and security of people and assets within the community. In reality, especially in cases where it turns to violence it can actually cause injuries, damages, destruction and even fatality. Apprehension: civil disturbance takes away peace and spread fears, anxiety and uneasiness in the community. This is enough to affect productivity in the workplace. Potential business disruption: civil disturbance can alter routine business activity. E.g., it disrupts movement of people and supply chain. Potential revenue loss: civil disturbance can lead to loss of revenues for businesses impacted by it. Example is when customers, clients and service providers are unable to move around to exchange goods and services. Man-hour loss is also a revenue loss. Elevated risk: civil disturbance has potential to increase business risk especially when it persists beyond anticipated period. It creates uncertainties and increases high cost of doing business. How your organization should prepare for civil disturbance:  Set up BCP committee: business continuity planning committee must be in place. This committee should be comprised of functional leads and other critical stakeholders in the organization. The group will be charged with strategic response before, during and after event of civil disturbance and other emergencies.  Have comprehensive BCP: your organization should have a business continuity plan. This document will provide step by step guide for responding to emergencies which have potential to cause business disruption. The plan should be a fit-for-purpose one; that considers peculiarity of your operating environment. It is recommended that SWOT analysis precedes this plan. Maintain strategic communication: the business continuity plan must make explicit declaration about communication during emergencies. This should include, the focal person, what should be communicated? How it will be communicated? And who should carry out such communication? The essence of strategic communication is to manage panic and to comply with regulatory requirements. Reach out to stakeholder: contemporary business world thrives better on shared resources. Reaching out to community and industry stakeholders during civil disturbance is highly recommended. Such group may include regulatory authorities, law enforcement, and industry players. When you reach out, you will know more and take better informed decision. Maintain frequent updates: it pays better to ensure that frequent updates are provide to your employees and relevant others during civil disturbance. Your workforce will have reasonable trust and confidence for updates shared from trusted authority within the organization than being bamboozled by social media updates. Updates from the organization must be credible, apt and direct enough to reflect the real-time situation report and the approved actions. Civil disturbance is a reality of modern VUCA world. It will always occur in different dimensions. To be prepared for it, is the way your organization should go, so as to mitigate its impact on your business. ALSO READ: Electricity Energy Theft Is A Crime

Do You Need Virtual Assistance?

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Do You Need Virtual Assistance

My closest friend, Toge, could not hold back her regrets when she missed out on 3 huge collaboration opportunities from reputable companies the previous week. She wished she had done what I advised her a few weeks ago. I told her that she needed virtual assistance. A diligent Master’s student who is also fully engaged in content creation on all social media platforms should have a clean line-up of daily activities to avoid misplaced priorities and ensure a seamless flow of thoughts no matter how many they are. Hearing of the losses, I did not hesitate to remind her again that TRW is a new-generation marketing communications agency committed to giving core expertise on assisting individuals and corporate organizations to be much more productive and effective and save them the stress of overworking and that just by contacting us, we would become more than her virtual assistant with the best approach and results. She did not hesitate. Now, she can be rest assured that her daily routine is in safe hands and her everyday effectiveness is guaranteed. She thanks me all the time now. Are you also like Toge? Let’s help you schedule appointments, make the phone calls, travel arrangements, manage your email accounts and more. We can be your virtual assistant. Our team is not just sidelined in this alone; we are your number-one go-to in reputation management, event marketing, content marketing, brand management, digital marketing, social media campaigns and many more. READ ALSO: Get Your Domain Active Again  Let’s help you do the work and make effectiveness your daily achievement. No worries! Click here for more enquiries. TRW is a great help in times of need…

Wear A Brand New Look

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Wear A Brand New Look

A wise man once said: A melodious voice singing in the dark would only be heard but never seen! Are you a business owner? Is your business or brand struggling to get visibility? Would you like your business to become the mantra on every lips? Let your next port of call be with TRW Consult. We are a marketing and communication agency. We give your brand visibility beyond the name. With our out-of-the-box and unusual publicity magic, we give your brand a buzz that will extend beyond your immediate environment. Our diligent and efficient creatives are on hand to give you the Midas touch. READ ALSO: Get Your Domain Active Again What are you waiting for? Click here to send us a message! We promise to stay with you all along the way! TRW Consult…redefining you.    

The Art of Introversion

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The Art of Introversion

Introversion has always been my behavioural type since I heard of it and started taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. I have taken the test about 4 times, and it’s still the same “I” result I get. As a startup writer, I was made to understand that if I want to improve my writing skills, I have to write at least an article every day. It does not matter if I am going to be publishing it or not. I guess this one has to be published on WordPress. I was quite perplexed about what to write up on because, honestly, no matter the topic you want to write up on, if you are a perfectionist like me, you will have to do a little research. Even though I write like a total beginner, I want my write-up to sound somewhat good. So, I decided to use myself as a case study. So, here goes nothing. Let’s talk about Introversion. When someone asks you if you understand the term “introversion” or if you could explain the term with just a word, phrase or sentence, I wonder what your answer would be? Introversion simply is the art and act of being an introvert. At first, I thought being an introvert was being shy, not being able to assert yourself, and being afraid to actively express one’s thoughts, especially in a gathering of people. However, according to The Myers-Briggs Indicator (MBTI), an introvert is someone who gets his/her energy from their inner world of reflections and thoughts. The Myers-Briggs Indicator (MBTI) test is a self-administered assessment test that groups every human on the face of planet Earth into 16 personalities. Introverts apparently focus their energy and attention inward on the reflection of their thoughts. According to Healthline, being an introvert does not necessarily mean that one is shy, it means one gets energized by solo time and feels drained after prolonged social interactions. They do better in quiet environments, enjoy their alone time, and tend to be more reserved than enthusiastic in social settings. I would also say there are different types of introverts because I think I am safe to say this, those definitions given above are definitely not “a one shoe sizes all” type of definition. Having a definition that will fit more than 90% of the introvert population, when you see one or come across one, sure do let me know about it. There are various categories into which introverts can be grouped. The introvert types take into account the varied personalities and acknowledge that introversion is a spectrum. There are 4 types of introverts, and they are; Social introverts: They are the most outgoing and the most private of the types of introverts. While they enjoy socializing, they easily feel emotionally drained when they stay out for too long. They have a small circle of friends and might even be the most social in their circle of friends. Thinking introverts: They also socialize, but they most often will not because they are always caught up in their minds thinking and daydreaming. They are so caught up in their own thoughts that they may seem snubbish to those who are meeting them for the first time. They are also more in tune with their feelings so that other people might have a hard time connecting with them. Anxious introverts: They crave solitude even when they are with their closest friend, playing scenarios over and over in their heads about how to let out their thought process. They feel extremely uncomfortable in new, unfamiliar, and large environments. They analyse their day over and over and over in their head to see if they might have made any mistakes. Restrained introverts: They feel uncomfortable when they are rushed into socializing. They are reserved and thoughtful and do not like forced or rushed changes. They find comfort in their routine, appreciate forewarning, and would only go for social activities if and only if it had been planned and never something spontaneous. READ ALSO: How To Overcome Low Self-Esteem Furthermore, one’s lifestyle and way of life are deeply dependent on the spectrum of introversion a person falls on because it affects the way a person interacts with their surrounding environment and whom we call members of the community. Finally, which one of the introvert types do you think you are? I think I might be 80% more restrained than 20% anxious introvert type. Moreover, being introverted should not be seen as a character flaw or as a disadvantage. Every character type has its advantages, disadvantages strengths, and weaknesses. It is simply a personality trait that should not be changed for anybody at any time.

10 Healthy Steps to Defeat Negativity

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Healthy Steps to Defeats Negativity

Healthy Steps to Defeat Negativity

Would you like to be able to deal with the ups and downs of life with strength and grace?

Becoming mentally and emotionally strong isn’t something that happens overnight. If you can start seeing every curveball life throws as a chance to practice being stronger, you’ll begin accruing wisdom and clarity that you can put to the test when things get hard.

Negativity can come at you in different ways: it can be from within, in the form of negative thoughts and harmful self-talk, or from the outside, as negative feedback, business reports, economic downturn, or abuse from other people. While it is beyond a person’s control to ever fully remove negativity from her life, there are ways to manage it.

Healthy Cues to Build Your Inner Strength

  1. Self-awareness: Calm down and take time to notice or capture the streams of thoughts that run in your mind and the myriads of emotions they give birth. As soon as you understand your thoughts and emotions, it will help you recognize negative patterns and what triggers them.
  2. Positive mindset: Intentionally cultivate optimism which brings hopefulness and confidence about the future and have an attitude of gratitude, which would influence good thoughts. Focus on what you can control and find the silver lining in challenging situations.
  3. Healthy boundaries: Negativity can be contagious, so keeping as much distance as possible from negative coworkers and acquaintances can influence your own mood.
  4. Set clear boundaries to protect yourself from negativity coming from outside like negative feedback, and abuse from people. Learn to say no when necessary. Surround yourself with positivity: Build a supportive network of friends and family. Spend time with people who uplift and inspire you.
  5. Mindfulness and meditation: Practice being present in the moment is a gainful self-resource but it involves self-discipline. It distracts your wandering mind and liberates you from the prison of the mind. Mindfulness can help you manage stress and detach from negative thought patterns. Do yourself a favor by prospering your mind with spiritual and healthy thoughts like things that are true, pure, lovely, or of good report and praiseworthy. Don’t allow negativity to steal your positive vibes.
  6. Self-care: Self-care is certainly not selfish. Be kind to yourself and prioritize your well-being. Take time for activities you enjoy, get enough sleep, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This will help you to rebound and regain lost ground.
  7. Learn from challenges: View setbacks as opportunities for growth. Focus on solutions rather than dwelling on problems. Each difficulty encountered do come with valuable lessons that make you a better person.
  8. Gratitude practice: Regularly acknowledge and appreciate the positive aspects of your life. This can shift your focus away from negativity. Thank God for things that work in your life and place your praise on things you trust God to do for you. Gratitude is the best attitude.
  9. Positive affirmations: Replace negative self-talk with affirming statements. Repeat affirmations that promote confidence and resilience. Use your mouth to say good and great things concerning your destinies. Never let go of hope.
  10. Seek professional help if needed: If negativity becomes overwhelming, consider consulting with a mental health professional for guidance and support. Call for assistance. It is never a sign of weakness to ask for help. Share with a significant individual and you’ll be glad you did.

Remember, building mental strength is a gradual process, and consistency in these practices is key.

 

 

 

 

Parent-Child Communication: Vital Reasons to Build Bonds that Last

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Parent-Child Communication: Vital Reasons to Build Bonds that Last

Effective communication is the key element for healthy and nurturing relationships, and there’s no relationship more vital than the one between parents and their children. Theodor Reik once said, “Romance fails us and so do friendships, but the relationship of parent and child, less noisy than all the others, remains indelible and indestructible, the strongest relationship on earth.” Parent-child communication is about creating a bond built on support, trust, and understanding. This essay focuses on vital reasons for parents and children to build bonds that last, its effect on a child’s development, and offers effective tips on how to enable an open and meaningful conversation between the duos. Reasons to Build Bonds that Last The communication between a child and his/her parents must be a two-way thing to make it effective. One of them should not be the listener while the other is the speaker throughout the conversation. If such happens, it causes a gap between the two of them and at the end there is failure in communication. Below are reasons why parents should build bonds between themselves and their children: To build their Emotions: Building great bonds help children to effectively express their emotions. This will make the parents understand them and learn to regulate them when necessary. It also allows the parents to provide emotional support to their kids during difficult times. To foster their Social Skills: The conversations between children and parents help children to develop social skills, empathy and the ability to navigate relationships. To expand their Cognitive Skills: These conversations stimulate cognitive growth by expanding a child’s critical thinking skills, vocabulary and problem-solving abilities. To quicken their Love for Learning: Within open conversations, children are encouraged to ask questions. This curiosity fosters a love for learning which will subsequently lead to better academic performance. Effective Tips to Build Bonds that Last Create a Safe and Judgment-Free Environment: Ensure that your child feels safe to share their thoughts and emotions without fear of criticism. Be a supportive and non-judgmental listener. Practice Active Listening: Pay full attention to your child when he/she speaks. Avoid using your gadgets while you have a conversation with them. Show that you value what they have to say by maintaining eye contact and nodding. Also, limit screen time to ensure that technology does not interfere with face-to-face communication. Share Your Day: Talk about your day and experiences to model effective communication. Encourage them to talk about theirs and the lessons that they learnt from each day. Spend Quality Time Together: Parents need to spend quality time with their children so that they don’t feel neglected. You could engage in activities that you both enjoy. For example, singing, dancing, playing football or some other sports. You could also take the children out to recreational places for relaxation and enjoyment. Avoid Interrupting: When a child is speaking, parents should avoid interrupting or shutting them down suddenly. Allow them to finish speaking before responding. This will show that you value their input. Be Patient with them: Give your child the time and space to formulate their thoughts and express themselves. Whenever you rush them to speak, they are likely to stifle their communication. This will hinder them from wanting to have conversations with such parents. Celebrate Achievements: Whenever your children succeed in school or do something exceptional that makes you proud, celebrate them. No matter how small such an accomplishment may be, ensure you reward them in cash or kind. This will boost their self-confidence and motivate them to communicate. Ask Open-Ended Questions: While communicating with your children, encourage discussions with open-ended questions like “What do you think about this?” instead of seeking one-word answers. This will increase the child’s ability to think properly and also improve effective communication. Finally, effective parent-child communication is the bedrock of a child’s development. It encourages emotional, social and cognitive growth, setting the stage for success in various aspects of life. By creating a nurturing environment, practicing active listening, and spending quality time with them, you can build bonds that last a lifetime.

Which is Easier; Writing or Speaking?

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WHICH IS EASIER, WRITING OR SPEAKING? Just like I mentioned in my last article, different people have different opinions as regards speaking and writing and different people have different preferences as to which is easier. Today, we would look at it together, and then you would be allowed to comment on which you think is easier from your own end. Before I start, I need to tell you that despite the differences between writing and speaking, they still have some similarities and the same rules guiding them. They run by the rules of semantics and syntax, and they both use languages to express their feelings. Skipping introductions, I will go straight to tell you that writing simply involves putting words down. And these words can be for different purposes, but the end result is so they can be read. Writing involves putting nice words together to give a good read, but that is not all. It is not enough to put words together or write down your thoughts. You have to make those thoughts make sense because they are your thoughts and you have the back story behind them. Anyone picking your writing should be able to read it with the same or almost the same intentions you had when you were writing. Meaning, appropriate pauses, right emotions, right tone of voice and the other things that are communicated while writing. This is where writing becomes a bit difficult. You may not be the one doing all the talking, but your writing must make it possible for the person talking to deliver it properly. When it comes to speaking, it is a different ball game entirely, and you are allowed to be as dramatic as you want, to vary your words and the tone of your voice, to use your whole body to communicate. But you still have the responsibility of doing a good job because people are watching you. You don’t have the luxury of hiding behind the letters in a paper like a writer. For some people, working up the right emotions to speak is not easy. All they want to do is speak and go. But speaking blandly causes the real intent of a book or a speech to be lost as the people cannot follow through. I will give the example of reading a story to children. One thing that keeps the children excited to the end is the way the story is being read. Some of the people that read to children are usually very dramatic, and they make different hand and facial gestures so the children can follow and be properly involved. But in order for the reader to be that dramatic, the writer must have done a very good job of putting the appropriate punctuation and all other necessary things in place. Another advantage that a speaker enjoys is being able to make eye contact with his audience which is impossible for a writer. The only way it can be possible for the speaker to have eye contact is if the writer has done a fantastic job of writing that the audience could not help but follow till the end. A speaker also has the advantage of talking in a multidimensional manner rather than a writer who just writes in one direction. And a speaker enjoys the privilege of getting responses and reaction from his listeners. In as much as speaking has its own advantages, it also has some disadvantages like stage fright, bad pronunciation on the part of the reader, speaking colloquially in a formal setting, too much mannerism and excessive repetition. These differences can go on and on, but some people are still better suited for one of the two while some are comfortable doing the two. Some people would rather work hard at writing to make it make sense rather than being at the forefront of speaking or working up emotions as they speak. Same goes in the other direction, some would rather be out there speaking, gesticulating, making people keep their eyes on them rather than being the brains behind the written text and struggling with putting words together for it to make sense. I must also add that mistakes can be permitted when speaking. You can always apologize and rephrase your statement. But when writing, it is almost impossible to correct your mistake once your work has gone out. Hence the extra work of rereading and proofreading to produce the best. These are not all the different things to note about writing and speaking. There are more things to consider but I believe that you have the basic idea from this write up. Therefore, I would love to know your opinion and what you think about these two subjects. Feel free to comment in the comment section on which you prefer. Speaking or writing. And state your reason for your choice. Thank you!   “Olamide Omolawal is an avid research enthusiast with interest in creative and content writings”