While most multicultural employees are fully competent in their jobs, there are times when pronunciation, language and listening gaps impair effective communication. The inability to fully understand communication nuances and speech differences hinders productivity and most certainly, the career mobility of these individuals. Recently I piloted a public speaking and storytelling event with a culturally-diverse […]
As a sole proprietor for more than 30 years, I’m intimately familiar with running a business; but taking on a civic leadership role was a new endeavor and a big stretch for me. I’ve been a member of the Plainsboro Business Partnership (PBP) since its inception in 2009. This mini-Chamber, linked to the Princeton Regional […]
Globalization creates tremendous opportunities for international business, along with the need to communicate with multicultural professionals. While diversity of thought and culture significantly contribute to innovation and productivity, there are often communication gaps that negatively impact business, and business relationships, even when diversity is apparent, acknowledged, and respected. Being fluent, or near-fluent, in spoken English […]
A few years ago, I piloted a public speaking and storytelling event with a culturally diverse audience. I screened and coached my strongest speakers to share a personal anecdote about navigating adversity, including their “lessons learned.” Each speaker spoke for 5-10 minutes, was energetic and engaging and spoke with clear diction and at a comfortable, […]
Sounds, other than the human voice, can facilitate or hinder communication. They’re often used to create a mood that evokes a specific emotion. Have you ever watched a movie or television show, and noticed how the background music changes, depending on the emotion of the scene? Sometimes there’s even music designated for specific characters. Remember Bruce, the shark, […]
As you are probably aware, the English language is constantly evolving… so much so that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) adds lists of new entries several times a year. FOMO, hackerspace, twerk, MOOC, phablet, selfie, squee and srsly are some of the newest entries. To see more, click here to visit an entry in The New […]
In a previous entry, we looked at how our culture typically shames and criticizes people. It is for this reason that some of us resort to putting on acts to get people to like us. Aside from feeling like we have to be the perfect human specimen, we are also often ashamed to admit our […]
Susan Cain, author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, recently wrote a very interesting piece for The Huffington Post on “powerless communication”. We at Speaking that Connects frequently stress the immense power of communication, so how exactly can it be powerless? It is really a matter of whether […]
You have likely witnessed a few blunders in your professional life caused by poor communication. While these situations certainly range in severity, some seem like complete disasters. Have you ever wondered what would be the worst case scenario? Last summer, a murder suspect was mistakenly released from Ohio custody twice due to a lack of […]
