Thursday, 1 December 2011

Glossary of Terms

Work ethic –
Work ethic is a set of values which expects the employee to arrive on time, also known as punctuality to work diligently throughout the working day, to show initiative and to be able to work within a team. All of these factors add up to be being a good employee.

Web Definition-
“Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. A work ethic may include being reliable, having initiative, or pursuing new skills”.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_ethic) last accessed on 10-11-2011

Soft Skills –
Soft skills are skills that influence how people interact with each other, e.g. analytical thinking, creativity, diplomacy, more or less good effective communication, flexibility, leadership, listening skills, problem solving, team building and a readiness for change these skill would go towards help you work as part of a team more efficiently.

Web Definition-
“Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Soft skills are often described by using terms often associated with personality traits, such as: Optimism, common sense, responsibility, a sense of humor and integrity”.


Goals -
 Goals are the end result towards which your effort will be directed as you strive to complete or achieve your goals; provides general purpose and direction keeps you on track and focused and can also be used to set quality standards.

Web Definition-
“A goal or objective is a desired result an animal or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development”.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal) last accessed on 10-11-2011

Strategies -
A strategy is a systematic plan of action. The way you think plan out and attack you desired objectives.

Web Definition-
"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations".
Objectives -
Objectives are very similar to are similar to goals. However, goals are broad and general, whereas objectives are narrower and more precise. Goals are intangible (such as, ‘improve your general fitness’) but objectives are tangible (for instance, ‘practise until you can do twenty press-ups in one go).

Web Definition-
“Something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target: the objective of a military attack; the objective of a fund-raising drive”.



Prioritising -
Prioritising is identifying which tasks are most important and putting these at the top of your ‘to do’ list also know as ordering or being a neat and tidy worker.

Web Definition-
“To make something a priority which means to make it the most important thing you need to do”.
2011

Diary -
A Diary is a book in which space is set out – days months weeks, hours, time slots – to record events (past present or future). Also called an appointment diary, this provides a written record of how you have spent your time and what will be on your agenda in the future. Mainly for younger girls or teachers or students called homework diaries

Web Definition –
“A diary is a record (originally in handwritten format) with discrete entries arranged by date reporting     on what has happened over the course of a day or other period”.


Targets -
A target is an objective or goal; something to aim for. Or try to aim for a target or record like breaking a Guinness world record.


Web Definition -
“A target market is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise.  A well-defined target market is the first element to a marketing strategy”.



In-Trays -
An in tray is a physical tray for paperwork, or electronics like an Inbox such as that provided by email software like Microsoft Outlook.

Web Definition -
“The system tray (or "systray") is sections of the taskbars in the Microsoft Windows desktop user interface that is used to display the clock and the icons of certain programs so that a user is continually reminded that they are there and can easily click one of them”.


Independence -
An independent person is someone that is able to act without depending on others, e.g. for financial support, approval or assistance in completing a task they want to do everything on there own or without the help of others.

Web Definition -
“Not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking or acting for oneself: an independent thinker.”
Facts -
A fact is a statement that can be proven true: they are either true or false. Data can be collected and used as evidence of proving a statement or any manor of speech correct.

Web Definition -
“Something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact. Fact is also something known to exist or to have happened: Space travel is now a fact”.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fact) last accessed on 24/11/2011

Opinion -
An opinion is one person’s taught on something it is not a known fact or is not true. For Example the way a friend dresses or their taught on a movie it doesn’t mean it is true. An opinion is more complex: they vary from one person to the next and can change within the same person from one day to the next. Opinions can be strong or weak and may be influenced by knowledge or the lack of it of relevant facts. 

Web Definition -
“A belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty”.

Summarise -
To summarise is to sum up the most important points of a conversation or a meeting and add them all together in one final paragraph also known as an overall ending to a discussion.

Web Definition -
“Summarising is using your own words to shorten a piece of text so that it includes only the essential information. Summaries have far fewer words than the original, but they still provide a clear indication of the main points made by the author”.

Paraphrase -
To paraphrase something is similar to rewording or to explain a sentence in a different way more or less to say again but using different words

Web Definition -
“A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning”.
(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/paraphrase) last accessed on 24/11/2011

Opened Question -
An open question is a question that could be answered in a variety of different ways for example: What is your favourite football team?

Web Definition -
“A question that cannot be answered with a yes or no but requires a developed answer”

Closed Question -
 A closed question is one that expects a limited range of answers such as Yes/No. An example of this would be: Have you read the latest Harry Potter book??

Web Definition -
“A closed question is answered with 'yes' or 'no”.




Probing Question -
A probing question is one that seeks out further information and narrows the responses down to the required answer.

Web Definition -
“To search into or examine thoroughly; question closely: to probe one's conscience”.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/probe) ) last accessed on 24/11/2011


Frequently asked questions

Q1 What are the main attributes that employers seem to be seeking in a prospective employee?

A1 The main attributes that the employers are seeking are - Good work ethic, as well as the soft skill

Q2 What are “soft” skills and why do employers value them so much from prospective employees?

A2 The soft skills are planning and organisational skills, time management, team working, verbal and written communication skills, numeracy skills and other skills such as creativity. Employers value these so much as there is so many applicants the more soft skills the better change each applicant has of getting a job.  

Q3 what are the main barriers to communication?
 A3There are many different types of communication barriers the main ones are Lack of concentration, Distractions Background noise.

Q4 what do the principles of communication depend upon?

A4 The principles of effective communication depend on the type of communication that you are using. General communication skills apply regardless of the form of communication and Interpersonal communication skills come into play. When you are talking to someone face to face or when your message is being communicated so that the audience can see and / or hear you.

Q5 why must you be sensitive to cultural differences or age differences in your audience?

A5 Any cultural differences between you and your audience, or within your audience, will need to bead dressed. Some words or signs that are acceptable in one language or culture may be misunderstood or considered offensive in another, so you might choose to use different words or gestures from the ones you would usually use.

Q6Why is negative body language a barrier to communication?  

A6 Negative body language can be a serious barrier in communication because the speaker can feel that the other person isn’t listening or might not want to listen to what they have to say and this will make them feel bad, unwanted, or even unappreciated

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Potential barriers to Effective communication

Potential barriers to Effective communication

I will now be discussing 3 potential barriers to effective communication and ways to over come them I will explain methods of how to communicate with people with Physical or intellectual difficulties also I will be looking at people who are deaf  or have very poor hearing and finally I will be looking at cultural interpretations.


Physical or intellectual difficulties
There are some people who in the world have learning difficulties these difficulties may include memory less after a certain time or they will not fully comprehend but you will have to communicate with them there is also some people who have down syndrome and you will also have to communicate with them in a special way as well also they would most likely have helpers so they would also help you to communicate with them. To over come the potential barrier to the communication you could speak slowly and clearly use very easy and slow terminology say what you have to say in a way they would understand and give them plenty of time to talk and say what they have to say and if they have a helper they would be able to help with the communication.


    
Visual disabilities
There are some people in the world who have been born without the ability to see or they could just be born with bad eye sight if a person has poor eye sight they should go see an optician about getting glasses.  If a person is blind this may not be a problem as communication may not be affected or you can communicate verbally. But there can be some difficulty/ barriers as if you said hello or wanted to start a conversation they would not know that you are speaking to them as they cannot see who you are talking to. Ways to over come the barriers would be to say the name of the person of who you are going to be talking to first to reduce confusion. If the person who has poor sight advise them to see an optician and get their eyes checked or even get them some prescribed spectacles.

    
Hearing Disabilities
There are some people in the world who have been born with out the ability to hear or even over the years they have lost their hearing due to loud music or noises. If a person is deaf there can be many difficulties when trying to communicate especially if you meet them out at a night club and not being able to communicate with them it can be very difficult as with no hearing can also affect the speech as they will not speak as they have never heard what  the sound before so they just don’t know how to talk. Ways of over coming this potential barrier is with written notes or text message then they would be able to communicate back or they would have a special tutor with them that they would be able to use sign language with as they would be able to change your words into sights they would be able to understand then you could communicate to them with written notes or via sign language.

Thursday, 20 October 2011

What is effective Communication?

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is being able to communicate or get a message to somebody and also receiving a message or information back. There is a number of ways that this can be done also known as communication skill for example verbal and non verbal. Verbal is speaking communication. Non verbal would be the uses of hands e.g. sign language. A few more examples are written, E-Mail and phone (house or mobile)

In this paragraph I will be explaining the difference between open and closed questions and how they are involved with effective communication. Open and closed questions are questions that would open a more interactive conversation an example of an open question would be what your favorite football team is. This is an open question as it provides a large range of answers that can be discussed. A closed question would be are you male or female this is closed because you have to pick one answer and one answer only. These are involved with effective communication as they would be used to keep a communication going and some times they would be used to even end a conversation if it gets boring.

Mark twain said “If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have been given two Mouths and one ear.” Listening is a vital part of effective communicating as people like to listen to what they have to say also it is important to listen to someone who is having problems and needs someone to talk to as it can help them feel better about them selves know that there is people that are willing to listen. They say that if you talk to much you will not succeed and that is because you are not listening enough. Listening is important as people like you to listen to them and then they will listen to you.

There are two main types of communication that can be used when trying to have a conversation with someone types of communication are Verbal and Non verbal. Verbal communication would be speech voice messages and video chat and non verbal communication would be written, text message, sign language, and e-mail. The difference between the two methods would be that verbal would be mainly voice chat or talking to the person over a computer via video chat and non verbal is mainly written or typed messaging websites or text messages or e-mails.       

There can be cultural differences that would make it difficult to have a conversation when abroad also it could affect communication the best way to avoid cultural misunderstandings would be to have a translator on your phone or even a friend who can speak the language of the country you are in and this would be one of the best ways to have a conversation as then the translator could tell you what they are saying.

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

5 Skills

Planning and organizational skills:
Planning and organizational skills are key skills that are essential if you want to achieve your own personal goals. These skill help keep you focused and determined to do the correct tasks and organization skills are also essential for surviving this thing called life – and particularly in today’s hectic world with so many time pressures. I have used planning and organizational skill when I was revising for my GCSE results.

Time management
Time managements skills are essential for producing and keeping up to date information and tasks ion time its is a key factor that employers are looking for in candidates. This skill will help you manager your time so that you get all of your tasks/ assignments done correctly and on time. I have used time management in preparing for course work deadlines and studying sections when I was doing my GCSEs.

Team working
Team working is an essential skill that may be required by most businesses now a day as you may be often required to work in groups of other people that you may not know or like. Having this skill would most likely get you a job where team work is required or interpersonal skills. I had to use team working skills in a subject after GCSEs it involved me and a group of 8 people running a business our selves it was a real business and at the end of it we made a prophet and a certificate. 

Verbal and written communication skills                                                                                                        
Verbal and written communication skills are also very important especially if you are trying to get a job anywhere. Having this skill would improve the chances of getting any job in any area for example if you were trying to ask some one for help or some write to you and asked you for help these skill would come in hand you would be able to respond and provide the information the person was looking for verbally or hand written or typed through e-mail. I have used verbal and written communication when I had to type an e-mail to a company asking for detail of how many bottles of water cost and if there was a delivery service this was for a course after GCSEs.

Creativity skills                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Creativity skills are also very important if you were going for jobs such as advertising and movie editing I have shown these skill a number of times as I edit videos for my friends and I have 4GCSEs in digital application such as multimedia. I used these when was doing my course in such formats as image animation and image creation.

Thursday, 15 September 2011

5 attributes

Determination

Determination is when you really want something or you really want to do something and you push yourself to the limits to try and get what your after you will do as much and try as hard as you can this is frequently called sheer determination

 Independence

Independence is the ability of ones self to work on their own or to do a specific task on their own or to do anything on their own and have the will power to do it correct.

Integrity

Integrity means that ones self is honest reliable and trustworthy. It means that will tell the truth and you would never do or say anything that isn’t true, it also means that you are reliable that people can trust you and they will be able to trust you with anything e.g. secrets and items. And then also it means trust worthy that your friends or family can trust you with anything like holding a wallet or purse and they trust that you will not take from it.      

Tolerance

Tolerance means that you have the ability to tolerate somebody mainly in a workforce if some one always makes bad comments or doesn’t to their work properly you just have to put up with them also known as tolerating them.

 Dependability

Dependability is a skill that can be attained to entrusted in someone else it means that a person can depend on you to meet them at a specific place and a specific time and not be late or you can depend on them to ring you and tell you if you cant make it or vise versa.