Weasel Words
There are certain professions in which being economical with the truth is not merely seen as a positive attribute but is perhaps part and parcel of the job.
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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
When it comes to all the never-ending household chores, it's easily understandable. We put them back by days on end. Why shouldn't we? There are so many first-place priorities: our relationships, our psyche, bodily fitness, our spiritual life...
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Vague Language
When we are talking to someone, there are times when we may wish to be vague. We may want to save time or simply avoid giving precise details.
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Making Predictions
As we say goodbye to one year and usher in a new one it is natural that we wish to make predictions or give opinions on what we think will happen in 2012.
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Tact
British people often have a tendency to use indirect language especially with people they don’t know so well and this is to avoid causing offence. It is an important and useful skill to learn how to be tactful and diplomatic even though some cultures are more used to calling a spade a spade.
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Christmas
A mish-mash of feelings about family reunions, suitable gifts and Christmas Eve menu.
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The Christmas Party
Once again the festive season is upon us and as we spend time writing lists, shopping for presents and making last minute preparations and travel plans, the annual event which for some is a time of merriment and joy and for others is a time of painful obligation draws ever closer. This annual event is of course, the office Christmas party.
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Are you being taken for a ride?
Whenever separate parties deal with one another, either as individual consumers or as large organizations, a certain amount of trust is involved.
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A dead-end job
In uncertain economic times major decisions often become far more difficult than they would be otherwise.
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Oblivion
Townies know it only too well: the pace of urban life tends to be unbearable. The ever faster streamline cars, the Internet speeding as fast as light, taking us almost anywhere in the world in no time at all, ever speedier airport service, convenient and easy access to our bank accounts...
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Trust your senses!
Your body is equipped with senses that give you complex information about the needs you have. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste when not ignored give us a magnitude of ideas of how to care of our bodies and souls. You can easily use these abilities when responding to stress.
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Stress is tricky!
Last week we looked at how to recognize the symptoms of stress. It’s probably very easy to differentiate stress from other reactions of the body if stress comes rapidly and unexpectedly. But watch out! Stress can be cunning.
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What is stress?
Twenty years ago the phenomenon of “stress” wasn’t so commonplace as now. It even seems that some earlier generations did not understand the word. People led simpler lives with nine-to-five jobs, regular salaries and plenty of free time for family gatherings.
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How not to make a fuss in autumn
Autumn has set in for good.
The cheerfulness of sun-filled days seems to be over.
The moods are down, braving the elements does not motivate us to leave for work in the cloudy, gloomy mornings.
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Holiday leave
To strike a balance between work and our personal life it is indispensable to take holiday leave.
Some psychologists claim it takes at least a fortnight to fully let your hair down during the time
off from work, providing you keep away from your daily routine both physically and mentally.
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Belbin team roles
One of the most established models of team behaviour was developed by Meredith Belbin. In the 1970’s, through research and observations of managers in business simulation games, he identified and labelled the different roles that team members play. He also proposed that for a team to function well it needs a range and balance of the different team roles. Although there are some criticisms of the methodology, the model has stood the test of time. As Belbin says, ‘nobody’s perfect but a team can be!’
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These are my personal attributes - honestly!
In the course of my work I am often asked to review people’s CVs in English. Often, the English is fine but the CV is boring as people have just rehashed their job description.
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Managing time
Time management is an essential personal skill. If you are not in control of your time, you are not in control of anything. Poor time managers make excuses and blame others for their time problems. They are always delayed or distracted by 'circumstances beyond their control.' Conversely, all successful people are great time managers and many rate it as their most important skill.
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Engaging with customers by accessing emotions
As animals, humans are very skilled at picking up signals about mood and intention from others. If you are nervous and unsure, aggressive or indifferent, this will soon be noticed. The most important thing to remember is that behaviour breeds behaviour.
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Meetings, meetings and more meetings!
Attending, participating in or running meetings is something that everybody in working life does. Companies large and small all hold meetings but in general, larger and more bureaucratic organisations hold more meetings which last longer.
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Giving performance feedback
Giving performance feedback is an important work skill. It is one of the key factors in employee engagement.
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Performance review guide
Many organisations use performance review schemes but often, they are unsuccessful because they are conducted badly. Here are a few guidelines to keep you on track.
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Conflict at work
In an ideal world, things would run smoothly all the time but in reality, we sometimes end up at crossed purposes or get the wrong end of the stick. This can happen for various reasons.
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Caught napping
The head of the US Air Traffic control recently resigned after a series of incidents involving controllers sleeping on the job.
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Love is in the air
With the Royal Wedding and spring finally here, it seems that love is in the air. But what if love is in the office?
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