Using Visual Aids Effectively For Internal Business Communication

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Effective internal communications relies heavily on the channel in which it is being delivered. No matter how well-written a piece of internal information is, if no one reads or understands it, it is considered useless. This is why many internal notes are written in short prose or bullet points.

Nevertheless, many communication consultants have found that short messages are not enough to generate sufficient impact. Today’s sensibilities have changed the way people perceive information. More people like colors and visually impacting materials. This has prompted the need for visual aids in internal business communications.

The rules remain the same, however: visual aids should not be jarring or filled with too much information. People appreciate short points. Infographics are an ideal way to communicate with staff, especially for reminders on office politics. For example, many companies are now using such infographics placed strategically around the office on cleanliness reminders or the business’ goals and visions. The short but visually attractive artwork – as it were – draws people in and the message is effectively delivered at a substantially reduced cost.

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It must be noted though the infographics are not necessarily the best medium for sensitive data or truly serious business messages. Again, the efficacy of the message is dependent on how it is communicated. Executives are reminded that strongly-worded papers should still be delivered in the traditional way.

Determining the difference becomes easier when entrepreneurs seek the advice of a trusted communications consultant.

Achieve excellent communication among your employees when you speak with communications specialist Marc Slavin. Learn more when you follow this Twitter account.

Communicating Credibility Through The Total Appearance

The corporate get-up is one of the most powerful communication tools made available to the protagonists in a capitalist environment. Dressing up for work might become a little challenging, and this is naturally so because you tend to communicate credibility with what you wear. It pays to take one’s time and be extra careful.

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The first thing to understand about dressing up is that its primary effect is on the one who dresses up. Power dressing is like a signal to the dresser to literally wear a role and a corresponding attitude to approach business with.

The next level of effect is felt by the person who sees the dresser. This is where impressions are formed. It’s not so much the brand you’re wearing. Anything whose colors match well can be worn. But if there are awkward crumples and creases in the fabric, this may give people a wrong impression of your attitude. Needless to say, corporate dressing does not necessarily condone the loud and exuberant colors.

How you carry what you dress matters as well. If you’re wearing clothes that are too tight, this will show when you have difficulty in breathing. If it is too loose, it can make you look sloppy. If you are wearing the most beautiful get-up, but you are doing so without the proper body posture, you won’t do any justice to the attire at all.

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All of these are contributory to one’s credibility. The first impression is that crucial first step in a series of moves that are aimed to win over the trust of the person in front of you, whether it’s a client or a colleague. If you learn the art of improving your appearance, your credibility rating is sure to go up.

Marc Slavin is a veteran communications practitioner whose expertise in organizational development has helped many companies in America. For more on organizational communication, follow this Twitter account.

How To Take Constructive Criticism

Communication is a two-way process. Successful discussions occur when both parties are invested in a positive outcome. This means knowing how to deliver a message and listening carefully to what is being said. Among companies, an important area of communications is understanding constructive criticism. Listed below are a few tips for handling constructive criticism:

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Listen for the intention: Effective managers are capable of giving constructive criticism, which don’t hurt in the slightest. In fact, delivered correctly, these criticisms lead to improved performance. It is untrue that criticism does not hurt. It does. This is natural. Yet applied at the right time, and said the right way, these criticisms can direct an employee to growth. There will be cases where the message overshoots. Regardless of the reason, recipients of the criticism should listen to the intention behind the discussion. Managers usually scold out of good intention. Understanding this prevents an overreaction.

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Breathe and pause: It is human to react badly to situations. If this happens, it is recommended to take a step back, pause, and find time for introspection. An employee can wait a few days to calm down before going back to the manager and resuming discussion. No one should blame anyone. Instead, begin with an apology for the bad behavior but with an explanation for the reaction. This need not be lengthy. It can simply be a summation of feelings. Mature adults will understand this and will begin the dialogue in a healthy way.

One must always remember that constructive criticism can be used as tool for improved professional growth.

Marc Slavin is a communications specialist focused on internal communications. To learn more about internal communications, like this Facebook page.

The ‘I’ in Team: Encouraging Individuality for Effective Collaboration

Not one person is similar to another. Everyone thinks and operates differently. However, people have been trained to believe that to work in a team, individuality must be taken away to conform to a given and “proven” system. While others think that being one with the team and letting go of one’s individuality makes a group productive, it shows otherwise. 

Diversity and individuality encourage people to bring themselves—their ideas, skills, and talents—to work for a greater good. Many studies show that diversity in work promotes innovation and creativity. 

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Here are ways individuals can work together to make things better.

See the purpose in the task: The principle of a project is knowing the why. Managers and leaders have to let their people know what the team is doing so they can all contribute to the success of the organization. 

Be focused on getting the work done by being a “person” in a team: When creative and driven individuals collaborate, they can finish a task easier and better. 

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Encourage a person’s individuality: Individual contributions are vital to target certain team goals. It balances alternate viewpoints, and in a way, the team can come up with a much better solution to a problem or issue.

Marc Slavin is a corporate communications expert who works with organizations and companies to strengthen collaboration amongst their members. Read similar stories and articles by visiting this blog.

A Few Interesting Facts About Public Relations

Public relations or PR is all about being convincing. PR professionals persuade other people to do something for their company (or their client’s company) through effective communication. Here are some interesting facts about public relations: 

The term “public relations” used to be very hard to define. In fact, it took over a thousand submissions of definitions to the Public Relations Society of America before the term truly came into being. Public relations is defined by the organization as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

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Great PR people are masters of time management. They are expert jugglers of PR work for multiple clients and projects. This might seem easy on the surface, but the amount of time needed for research, which is a huge chunk of PR work, is a huge chunk of the challenge. Now multiply the normal rate by which a single employee can do research by a factor of four or five, because that’s usually how many clients and projects a PR person simultaneously handles. 

Technology has made PR work both easier and harder. Since public relations work can now be done effectively online, PR people now have several platforms at their disposal. They can convince an exponentially wider audience. The other side of the coin however, is that their clients face more negative publicity because of these same platforms, which makes the job of a PR person more difficult. 

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Marc Slavin is an expert at business communication. He has helped companies through various levels of PR work. For more discussion on public relations and business communication, visit this blog.

Facebook Messenger Bots: Will This New Technology Change the Way Businesses Communicate?

Recently, Facebook launched its new messenger bots, which many business experts say will change the way companies communicate with each other.

The concept is relatively simple: Facebook believes that companies should be able to communicate with each other with the same ease as friends do. Currently, Facebook messenger has more than 900 million monthly users worldwide. These business bots, with features such as an automated customer service, contact and interactive experience, and e-commerce guidance, are an ultimate messenger upgrade. These chat bots can be likened to an all-in-one secretary that can reach millions of customers after being activated with a single click. Business forecasts suggest that Facebook could generate billions of additional revenue and keep up with other bot platform competitors through this new development. 

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On the other hand, there have been a few snags to the application. The chat bots are still in the infancy stage and there are still bugs to fix. Additionally, with the recent controversy over Microsoft’s "racist" bots, many companies are hesitant to transition their communications to an artificial intelligence. One study showed that many business people still consider business communications as a personal endeavor – one that would still require direct communication with a human. 

With this, most predictions for the supposed radical shift in business communications are tempered by the idea of a gradual transition. The change will come but many analysts give complete technological absorption a couple more years. 

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Marc Slavin has helped launch several effective business communications projects and is a respected communications consultant. Follow this Twitter account to learn more news about business communications.

What Makes a Successful Political Campaign?

It’s election season once again. We’ve seen a lot of bloopers and laudable campaigns from political bets, but what makes these campaigns successful? With a lot of dollars on the line, PR companies have been consulting psychologists, researchers, and other professionals to find out to what the public wants from their leaders. 

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Appeal to voters’ emotions

What do the voters want? Health care? Wage hike? Less crime? More opportunities for women? To run a good campaign, the candidate must “know” what the voters want and appeal to it. 

Credibility and values

Why would people vote for someone who is not credible to them? Voters look at politicians in a different perspective. If these politicians hold values that are not aligned with what they want, voters consider other candidates. However, if politicians keep their values and credibility intact, they might just get the votes they need. 

Targeting possible advocates

When politicians have already “locked” on their possible advocates, the rest of the voting class will follow. They need a strong background, so they target people whose opinions are taken seriously, as their secondary “promoters”. 

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Positive message

People look for campaigns that spread happiness, warmth, and other positive messages. These make politicians more attractive to voters.

Playing with what’s already there

Have a blooper, a meme, or a tagline that’s yours? Play and do tricks with it, and turn these negative tags to your advantage. 

Marc Slavin is a California-based communications consultant who has worked with various clients including large organizations, public offices, and private companies. Learn more about PR strategies when you follow this Twitter account.

The Edge: How Effective Communication Equates to Good Customer Service

Effective communication is a must in any company. If an organization’s communication methods are ineffective, it’s about time they change it—if they want to save their name. For a company to thrive, they must always keep their customers in mind. If they fail to do so, they might eventually lose their customers

Maintaining a good company-customer relationship begins with clarity of communication. Having a clear idea of what the client wants and needs will give the company an understanding of which actions to take to provide a remedy to a situation.

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Communication also serves as a reinforcement to solidify or to improve a purchase. A salesperson who keeps in touch with a customer immediately after the sale can reinforce the benefits of the service or product. Communication can also address problems the customers may have. Salespeople can also build a solid foundation for a possibly long-term relationship with a client that may lead to repeat sales.

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A customer’s taste will change over time, and being able to communicate with them will give the company an idea of how to adapt to their needs. Maintaining regular communication with customers will prepare the company to provide quick and efficient delivery of services, and will provide helpful suggestions as well. 

Marc Slavin is a corporate communications strategist. Read more articles on how businesses can benefit from good communication by following this Twitter account.

Crafting Effective Real-time Responses During Crisis

When faced with a crisis, whether due to a sudden event or bad publicity, companies are behooved to respond. In the age of social media, staying mum could further damage credibility.

The key is preparedness. An organization, no matter the size, is vulnerable to crises. The following are tips for crafting effective responses during crisis:  

Be open and honest. Honesty and openness are indispensable, and are still the most important virtues in crisis management. People’s reaction to say, a disaster or an accident, is all human nature. Allison Canty, a social media and community manager, in a blog post, explains, “Give your customers the information you have. If you don't have any updates, tell them that too. Your customers will appreciate the honesty –even if they don't seem like they do.”  

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Act fast. Today, with social media, it takes a matter of seconds for customers to share and respond to a bad review or news about a company. Hence, it is critical to respond in a timely manner. Address issues as soon as possible.

As stated, it’s all about preparedness. Anticipate potential crises and establish methods on how to deal with them any time they could occur in an organization.

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Marc Slavin is a California-based communications consultant, specializing in organizational development, internal communications, and public outreach. Follow this Twitter page for more about communications and crisis management.

The Dangers of Oversharing on Social Media

People’s lives are very much exposed today online. From places visited to meals eaten to clothes worn, almost everything is broadcast on various social networking sites.

Social media has its pros and cons. While it is a function of social networking sites to connect users to their family and friends, “netizens” are also exposed to risks such as defamation, identity theft, hacking, among others

As an online safety campaign goes, “Think before you click.” Below are typical social media behaviors that can spell danger:

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Posting birthdate, address, current location, and contact details:

As much as you want to receive greetings from loved ones on your birthday, posting your birthdate is information scammers and hackers can use to access your personal accounts. The same goes with making public your address, current residence, and contact details such as mobile number. Also, make sure that you turn off your smartphone’s geotagging function. The last thing you want is strangers lurking around your neighborhood because you have made your home address available to the entire online community.

Taking pictures of classified information

Some things are meant for your eyes only. Do not share top-secret information linked to your job or profession. Also, stay away from sharing your ID and bank account numbers, as hackers are always on the lookout for identities they can use for their schemes. If you must post, make sure to blur sensitive information that can expose you to risks.  

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Sharing embarrassing moments, work complaints, and marital woes

Remember that wild night you had last Thursday night? Well, it turned out it’s all over social media, and your bosses now know why you were not at work the following day. What will your friends think when they see you saying nasty stuff about your spouse?

Save yourself from trouble and do not share too much of your thoughts on social media.

Be a responsible social media advocate. Think before you click, and keep yourself (and your social media accounts) safe.

Marc Slavin is a communications strategist with over two decades of experience in communications management. Find more about responsible communication when you visit this Twitter feed.

Can The Myers-Briggs Test Show Personality Disorders?

The Myers-Briggs personality test (MBPT) is considered one of the most popular personality assessments. Many psychologists use the MBPT as an initial gauge of their client’s character. People can fall under one of 16 potential categories, and it is thought that these personality accurately provide a picture of how a person communicates, thinks, and interacts with others.

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That being said, the MBPT should not be used as an end-all be-all kind of test. There is a danger, given its simplicity and the fact that people need only five to seven minutes to complete it, that the MBPT will be used incorrectly. All tests have limitations.

Many mental health practitioners worry that the MBPT is being referenced to determine certain personality disorders. This becomes especially dangerous when a “diagnosis” puts a person’s professional or social life at stake. Companies are now using the Myers-Briggs as an employment requirement. It is not uncommon for candidates to be turned down for their MBPT score.

But is this fair?

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Companies that rely heavily on work culture and cohesion will affirm the merits of the test. However, candidates must not be turned down for a potential personality disorder, particularly if the only reference is the MBPT. The Myers-Briggs test is not meant to diagnose any disorder. If stretched, perhaps it could show a predisposition, but it does not, and cannot fully state if a person will or has a troublesome personality disorder.

Marc Slavin professionally administers the Myers-Briggs test, for which he has received qualification. Like this Facebook page for more articles related to the MBPT.

Communications Strategies: Leveraging the power of traditional media

With the strength of social media and other digital channels, people often forget the power of traditional media within an effective communications strategy.

For those who value it, traditional media is a critical component in creating a multi-platform mix of both offline and online channels.  And while newspaper circulation and TV viewership are dropping, traditional media is still often used to drive large audiences to digital platforms such as websites or to create ‘buzz’ in social media sites.

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In her blog, Elena Verlee, a public relations practitioner, cites the following reasons we still need traditional media:

• It is instantly recognizable.  Traditional media has long been used as a platform for people who want to gather reliable news and information.  Until today, most people are still aware of the name of the most credible newspapers than the most popular blogs.
• It has more status and authority.  Traditional media coverage of a company’s event, for instance, can help the organization gain more credibility than by just merely posting the event on their company website or social media account.
• Most social media feeds are gathered on traditional media.  Bloggers, for example, often cite news channels on their blog entries as reference for their stories.

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Although there is no doubt that digital media is becoming more prominent, integrating your communication strategy into both new and old media can help you achieve your desired level of exposure.

Marc Slavin is a communications strategist who employs philosophical and psychological approaches  to  creating  communication  plans.  Visit this blog for more articles on effective communication.

LEEDing by Example: Laguna Honda Hospital's Efforts in Staying Green

Everyone agrees that the role of hospitals and other healthcare institutions in society is to help maintain the health of its citizens. However, the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco believes in going beyond its normal duties by doing its part in keeping the planet healthy by creating an environmentally-conscious space for healing and recovery – an act that led to its U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program's silver certification in 2010. 

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Recognized as California's first LEED-certified hospital, the 167-year-old Laguna Honda Hospital underwent many changes to curb the negative environmental impact through a redesign that was completed in 2010. According to Marc Slavin, the hospital's government and community relations director at the time, the renovation and new construction focused on energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, water conservation, improvement of indoor air quality, and the creation of open spaces, among others. To achieve those objectives, the intensive design plan involved: 

-Installing roofing materials, windows, and insulation all of which eventually helped control air conditioning and heating requirements -Creating an efficient water system that reduced evaporation rates to save gallons of water, -Using building materials with no irritating and harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as recycled materials like concrete and asphalt 

-Encouraging responsible travel by installing bike racks and using alternative fuel or electric-powered vehicles for its fleets 

-Adopting "green" cleaning chemicals and participating in San Francisco's waste management program. 

Additionally, the hospital also built 10 landscaped therapeutic gardens to provide patients, long-term residents, and staff members secure, beautiful, peaceful, and accessible restorative green spaces.

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These innovative improvements to Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center’s 62-acre campus led to its becoming the first ever green-certified hospital in the state. This, in addition to its many unique and high-quality services such as being the only skilled nursing facility for HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area, having recognized programs for restorative care and memory care, and offering monolingual services for Spanish and Chinese-speakers, have made it an excellent example to other healthcare institutions in California. 

Marc Slavin played a part in organizing Laguna Honda Hospital's transition and re-branding. For updates on Mr. Slavin's professional activities, visit this LinkedIn page.