Visit our website to learn more about how our courses and services could improve your operations — www.languageatwork.com.

Thank you.

Judith Pollock, President
Language at Work
4931 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone 646-491-1089
www.languageatwork.com

The post Do They Need More? appeared first on Language at Work.

Overview
 
Turbocharge your understanding of key grammar essentials with this dynamic focused session.  Uncover the most common grammatical pitfalls and learn strategies to overcome them.  Speaking and writing correctly elevates your communication and gives an immediate professional stamp on your interactions; this accelerated session will help you get there.   
 
Employers want clients to know that their organization is competent and diligent, but employees with poor grammar give a different picture.  Employees want to feel confident that they have the skills and credibility to advance their careers. 
 
Knowledge and use of clear, standard grammar is a mark of professionalism and pride.  Join those who are comfortable that they are making the right choices in word choice, structure, punctuation, and grammar. 
 
Many of us have simply forgotten the rules we learned, or have fallen into habits of usage that are hard to break.  With this lively session you can quickly reclaim your grammar creds, and bring your communication to a new level. 
 
What you Will Learn 
 
After this session you will know correct usage of common grammar, punctuation, and structure elements, and will learn helpful resources for expanding and maintaining your understanding.  
 
Who Should Attend 

• Individuals who want to learn grammar rules they might have missed
• Professionals who want a quick grammar refresher
• Employers who want to help staff avoid grammatical errors in writing and speaking

Instructor 
 
Christy Woods is a national speaker, trainer, coach, and consultant, and she is a recognized expert in grammar and language use.  She conducts training and coaching sessions in all areas of communication to public and private organizations and individuals. 
 
 
Cost
 
$159.00 / per person       
REGISTER NOW
 
Additional Notes

• Registration fees are non-refundable.
• Upon successful payment, a confirmation email with webinar access details will be sent to the provided email address.
• For group registrations, please provide the names and email addresses of all participants.

For any inquiries or assistance, please contact: contactus@languageatwork.com

Visit our website to learn more about how our courses and services could improve your operations — www.languageatwork.com.

The post Exciting News! Grammar Bootcamp! 90 Minute Intensive Webinar appeared first on Language at Work.

What is it, what does it mean for you or your organization, what does one do with it- essentially what is the So What of Personal Branding?

And – how do we do it?

Personal Branding is meant to be the picture of you that others see – a picture created by you.  You get to decide what you want to promote about yourself and about what you do, and you get to do so in words and actions that you choose.

Others will see you and make decisions and judgments about you, anyway,  so why not be the author of whatever story they’re seeing?

That’s the ‘What’.

Designing and planning your brand is fun and rewarding but it can be overwhelming.  There is a lot to say about you, but your brand needs to be short and strong, so getting your terrific self into a marketable package can take some work.

That’s the ‘How’, and we can help with that.

Whether you are offering Personal Branding to your team of individuals, or to your department, or even considering personal branding for  your organization – our class will help you do it.

Visit our website to learn more about how our courses and services could improve your operations — www.languageatwork.com.

Thanks!
Judy 
  
Judith Pollock, President
Language at Work
4931 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone 646-491-1089
www.languageatwork.com

The post The What and How of Personal Branding appeared first on Language at Work.

The post The Courses You Want #3: Reframing: Turning Problems into Opportunities appeared first on Language at Work.

Much can be avoided by observing boundaries.  

What?!

The term ‘Boundaries’ can be off-putting, as it suggests rules and barbed wire fences, but we have them and attend to them all the time.  Do you open someone else’s desk to look for a stapler?  Do you look at someone else’s email to check a meeting time?   Do you jump into an argument between others?

Or do you want someone telling you how to manage your teen-ager – or your brother reviewing your recent spending choices?  Or a team member correcting your report?

Boundaries.

The reasons boundaries cause trouble include:

• We don’t recognize what is ‘ours’
• We don’t know how to set them
• We aren’t sure if we should or can say what is okay with us or not
• We fear sounding bossy or uncooperative or unfriendly.

With a few (sort of simple) changes, we can learn to recognize, establish, define and ask for boundaries, and prevent a lot of annoyance.  And disaster.

Let us help you and your group get on those- you can Build Better Boundaries.

The post Courses You Want #2:  Build Better Boundaries appeared first on Language at Work.

But:  are they talking TO one another or WITH one another?

For many people the main task of their communication is how to say whatever it is they want to say in order to get their points out there.  The most significant part of the communication – what the other person is doing with that information – isn’t even considered.  Not a surprise, then, when communication (an interaction between at least 2 people)  goes awry.

If the ‘other person’ in the communication isn’t listening, interested, satisfied,  included, considered, or if the speaker persists in delivering an welcome message in spite of hints that there is resistance – communication fails.

Speakers not only need to figure out how to deliver a message, they also need to know how to adjust that delivery in the face of audience response.

Here’s how:  People Literacy .

This course helps speakers read their audiences – even as they are speaking- and shows how to make adjustments to ensure a successful exchange.   Learn how language, tone, physicality, timing and other elements can be used  to recognize your audience’s reactions.  You’ll know how your message is being received, and can adjust accordingly.  Control of the encounter can be yours!

The post The Course You Want appeared first on Language at Work.

The girls are not ready adaptors of the costume custom for Halloween, but they know that the culture of their workplace includes civility, so they are happy to participate.

Alas, their collegiality sometimes calls into question the role of civility in their environment.  There are others who disagree with the custom in general and those who take issue with the specific choices.  And many of them express their disagreement.

One burly fellow snarls at the notion of accepting an idea without having his objections solicited; growling is heard from a few who seem to fear the change and want not to be drawn in; sharp, snippy twists of attitude are displayed by some who are suspicious of whatever motive might underlie this weirdness; and there is always the grumbling from those who dislike anything they haven’t thought of themselves.

The girls do find these responses objectionable, but they’re encouraged to remember that cordial interactions turn out better than disagreements.

And besides, the next time it rains, who will be in a plastic yellow coat?

Want to avoid the Plastic Yellow Coat situation in your workplace?  Send us a message to discuss civility.

The post Civility at Work appeared first on Language at Work.

Alice and Jane are experienced remote workers, as they pursue their tasks no matter where they are, and they’re happy to share a few of the tips they’ve found useful in working successfully from wherever you find yourself.

– Have the right tools. Carrying several squeakies around is hard, so they like to keep a supply in all of their work places.

– Establish clear guidelines. Having several offices makes it hard to remember the rules in each. “Stay off the sofa’ doesn’t apply in the kitchen, for example, so it’s important to have reminders.

– Communicate with team members. The girls never expect others to know what they need, so they include meal and outings reminders in their daily to-do lists.

– Take frequent paw…pauses. Being on one’s own schedule can tempt one to stay at the job too long. Taking a break can renew your energy for your next nap.

– Don’t abandon your training! Alice and Jane know that their workplace offers continued encouragement, with frequent training in ‘No Bark’ and ‘Wait’- two of the most popular courses.

How is your Work From Home routine? Need a treat? Let us help

The post Working From Home appeared first on Language at Work.

Is workplace communication following this trend? Some people are hearing workplace conversations that seem to have adapted the power casual or business comfort style, in which messages are spared words or phrases that used to be the norm. Demands are easier to issue than requests. It’s much quicker to get to a salient point if one can avoid any softening commentary. No need to bother with the old style standards of discourse – just say what you mean. If one can speak casually or dismissively at home or at play, why put on formality just for the workplace?

Some of us were taught that the way we dress informs the way we behave, suggesting that in our sweats we couldn’t conduct a professional interaction, but that idea is being tested as we no longer insist that certain clothing items dictate our work behavior. Does the same hold for the way we speak to one another? Is work leisure a free pass on cordiality? Or can we still respect one another in our t-shirts?

Visit our website to learn more about how our courses and services could improve your operations — www.languageatwork.com. If it’s easier, call me directly at 202-298-7700. 

Thanks!
Judy

The post Business Casual Communication? appeared first on Language at Work.

And maybe if you’re a communication skills trainer, every solution looks like better communication.

Considering much of the madness in our lives now, it seems like that bias is credible. Many of the madness moments out there are not ours to solve, but often the tensions of external disruption trickle into our own world and cause disruptions that are ours to solve. And here’s where the communication bias comes in.

Disagreement is everywhere and normal. He wants vanilla, she wants mango-raspberry; this team wants a virtual meeting; that one wants the conference room. From disagreement can grow mischaracterization, personalizing, blaming, stretching of facts, imagining of horrors to come, predictions of doom, and paralysis.  The solution clearly is not to hope for no disagreement, but rather to learn how to do disagreement in a way that is productive. In fact, it is from disagreement that innovation and growth can flourish.

Communication. Let’s learn how to disagree and argue; how to collect information and examine it; how to value different shades of opinion; how to speak and offer ideas without bashing others; how to ask for what you want and how to collaborate. How to act with grace and patience.

It can be done. Let us help. We don’t always have to use our hammers.

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