The key to success: making that job interview count. As we all know, there is no such thing these days as a ‘job for life’ and people tend to move their skills to the highest bidder – which means that at an interview your performance needs to be near perfect to ensure that you make an impact.
Do you ever feel awkward in conversation with others – either at work or at home? Are there times when you are at a complete loss as what to say next? Have you ever been accused of interrupting or finishing other people’s sentences for them? If so, you are not alone.
Being a good conversationalist is an art. For some, it comes naturally and the words flow without effort but for many others, it is often a challenge.
If I sit back and listen to a discussion that is flowing well, I can actually hear the specific techniques that are being used quite naturally.
These inter-personal skills can be learnt and here are some tips to help you become a better communicator.
Many people find it difficult to say ‘no’ to any request. Being assertive is an art and, as with other arts, we need to learn the skill of how to refuse a request without affecting the relationship. The ‘yes/no’ response may appear to be an uncontroversial subject but in fact, our decision to agree, or to refuse, a specific request may impact not only the outcome of a particular issue, but also our profile and reputation – and possibly upon our own self-image.
Therefore, Motivational Speaker Carole Spiers says, it is important to learn how to be confident and direct in dealing with others and being able to say ‘no’ without giving offence.
Stressed? The pressure of managing a work-life balance is a reality for most women in the workplace – whether she is a director or a secretary. Even with support, there is often a role conflict in being a working mother. And in today’s high-tech, high pressure workplace, women have to find a way to assuage the inevitable feelings of guilt that sometimes rise to the surface.
Motivational Speaker, Carole Spiers says, ‘Encouragement can make a huge difference to someone else’s life. It is a very humbling experience to help someone help themselves’.
Carole Spiers, Motivational Speaker’s trip to Dubai, this month, has been an interesting time of meeting new business people, catching up with some ‘oldies’ and delivering Boardroom briefings to companies who want to know how to better manage, or minimise, stress in the workplace.
If people are in fear of going to work and watching the clock to get back to the safety of their home, then those people will be poor performers, poor sales people, poor producers and a bad advertisement for your firm, says Carole Spiers. That competitive disadvantage will also be reflected in your company’s image and your brand.
Are you being asked to work longer for no more money?
Would you like your team to put in more hours without feeling resentful?
How can you ensure people still put in the hours without feeling resentful or become stressed? Three simple solutions come to mind from, Stress Management expert, Carole Spiers.
A healthy person can respond to pressure and enjoy the stimulus. However a person who has been under intense pressure over a long period is unlikely to have sufficient coping reserves to manage cumulative stress. The first signs that they are not coping will inevitably show up in their work performance, in their behaviour and, ultimately, also in their appearance and persona. It is rather like a car trying to run on an empty tank.
If more Emirati women are to emerge as business leaders in the future, they must develop their self-confidence and, perhaps, renegotiate their responsibilities with their families. The challenge for the UAE is to create an environment where Emirati women can pursue any career they choose in the future, and know that they will be judged on the basis of their work performance and not on their gender.
