Fight Fair By Chelsie Kistner

Conflict in the workplace? It’s inevitable to happen, especially in work groups. When there are more than a couple of people coming together with different values, personalities, and even perspective of the goal of the group, it is almost impossible to not have butting of heads. Thankfully, there is a solution or at least ways of easing the pain and coming to resolution where everyone wins. Some of these tips are simple as the rules we learned back in Kindergarten. Maybe now it’s time to refresh our memory and apply them to group works.
1. Be respectful. Do to others, as you would have them do unto you. Seems simple but it will go a long way. No need to bad mouth and name call.
2. Take a breather. Instead of allowing your emotions to rule the situation, try to stay calm and talk things out in an adult manner. The more emotionally intense the situation gets, the further you are from resolution.
3. Speak up. So often, people retreat in time of conflict. You may have something good to add to the conversation that will bring another viewpoint and possibly bring compromise to the group. Do not be afraid to be heard, as long as it’s in an indirect, respectful tone.
4. Stop with the blame game. No matter how or by whom you got to the problem at hand, work together to find a solution. The more you’re pointing fingers, the more defensive and standoffish other team members will be.
5. Be open to other ideas. As much as you may think your way is the only way, be willing to hear others out and possibly change your mind. You may be surprised to discover others have something great to bring to the table.

References:

Image: Cartoonstock.com, aton182

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm

http://www.adventureassoc.com/workshops/conflict-resolution.html

Analyzing Your Audience by Ervin Garibovic

Before you start writing any kind of document or speech, the first thing you must think about is who is my audience and what am I trying get across. This is going to help you get started on your paper and it will keep you focused throughout the writing process. The first step in analyzing your audience is to classify each reader or listener based on his or her knowledge of the subject. In every case, you should approach the audience as if they have no knowledge on content, even if they are educated on it. Below are some tips to use when analyzing your audience.

1. What is the age? Age is very important in analyzing your audience because it is different when you are speaking to teenagers than adults. You must take the age into account before you begin your assignment.
2. Gender , are you speaking to men or women or both. Depending on the topic each gender can have their own opinions toward certain views. Analyzing the gender is very important.
3. How will the information your present help your audience.
4. How knowledgeable is your audience on the topic.
5. What are some facts that they need to know or want to know in order to understand you proposal.

http://www.deil.uiuc.edu/eslservice/units/givingadvice/analyzingyouraudience.htm
http://www.hawaii.edu/mauispeech/html/analyzing_your_audience.html
http://www.ismckenzie.com/how-to-analyze-your-audience-when-preparing-for-public-speaking/

Who's Write??

This is just an example of how not proofreading and being clear in your message, could leave others confused. It is crucial to make sure you are using the right words in the right places. Don't always rely on spell check.

The other thought comes from a play on words. Most people think it's silly that we, as professionals, need help in wiring. You may assume that you have all your writing skills down to a science and have no room for improvement. You may be doing yourself a disservice by thinking you are always right, like this man in the cartoon. Be open to new education. Learn from those around you. Let your writing skills be taken to the next level.

Proofreading and Editing Tips by Sally Vale

Proofreading and Editing Tips by Sally Vale

With all the advantages of Microsoft Word, it is easy to forget that the spelling and grammar check doesn’t always fix every error you make. So as much of a pain as it might seem, it’s important to physically proof read and edit your own work. Even then, though, it can be easy to miss an error you may have made. Here are some interesting tips to help you find and fix those mistakes!

• Print out the document. I know, I know, it’s wasteful, but I find that it’s a lot easier to see mistakes I’ve made if I’m holding something tangible in my hands.


• Proofread specifically: do one check for spelling errors, one check for punctuation, one for grammar, etc.


• Know your flaws. I, for example, tend to use a passive voice all the time when I’m writing. So I make sure to look specifically for when I do this.


• Read words backwards. It sounds time consuming, but it really helps with noticing spelling errors.


• Keep a lookout especially for jargon and slang.


• Be CONCISE! Ask yourself if everything in the paper needs to be there. You don’t want to lose your reader because you’re too wordy.

To speed up your editing process, I've included a chart of proofreading marks in my post this week.

I found some of these tips, and a lot of others at

"Proofreading and Editing Tips". LR Communication Systems, Inc.. April 13 2009 .

Tips for Writing Concisely

Here are a few easy to follow tips that will help you write concisely and avoid redundancy.

#1 Keep It Simple Stupid!(K.I.S.S). Basically stay on target. Don't explain things that don't need to be in the article. Keeping it simple keep's the audience focused in on what your saying.

#2 Don't TELL your audience, SHOW your audience. Being descriptive sets a picture in your readers mind.

#3Remove unneeded Phrases. The useless phrases that people add to make there papers a tad bit longer should be removed. They just clutter the paper and overall lower the quality of the paper.

These few tips will help you write concisely, and have an over all better paper

http://www.fidelityofreport.com/images/FORR.h1.jpg

Writing a Resignation Letter

There is always comes a time when it is time to move on, whether it be that first car, first relationship, or the job the absolutely hated. Here is how you can end it easily and painfully. Writing a letter of resignation is always a difficult thing to do, as you don’t know what your suppose to say or not say. These are a few steps and tips you can use the next time you want to walk away from a job.

The first thing you must do is say “Thank You” for the time that they have aloud you to work with them. Resist the temptation of saying hateful things and giving them a piece of your mind. It is important be respectful and courteous. Write about the positive things that you have accomplished while working with this company. Tell your employer how this job has helped your career and moved you in the write direction.

A very important thing you must mention is giving the employer a proper notice of when you will be leaving the company. It is simple courtesy to give your employer enough time to fill the position and find a replacement. Give notice no less than two weeks.

You want to place your resignation in the middle of the letter. This is known as the “sandwich technique”. You want to soften the blow anyway possible, so you put the negative parts in the middle of the letter, begin and end with positive paragraphs to make sure there are no hard feelings. You want to leave any controversial language out of the letter. Your suppose to be a professional, so you must act professionally.

Just remember to avoid putting emotion inside of the letter. This is the greatest most important thing when writing a resignation letter. Avoid telling off your boss or any of your co-workers, as any putdowns will reflect poorly on you and your professionalism. This is a professional document so it could be used against you if it ever comes to that situation. You may regret it later on in your career, so don’t burn any bridges.

WikiHow ."How to Write a Resignation Letter" April 12, 2009,
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Resignation-Letter
http://www.hot-screensaver.com/wp-myimages/letter-of-resignation.jpg

Collaborative writing using wikis by Ervin Garibovic

Collaborative writing can be used in many different forms and styles. One of the styles is called a Wiki. Wikis are web pages that can be collaboratively edited by a group of people. They can be used to put up ideas and thoughts on a particular subject. One of the most popular Wikis today is Wikipedia.

Wiki usage:

Wikis can be used to do research papers and multimedia projects which are conducted by a group of people. Wiki tools allow a person to attach images, files or links to websites. In many classrooms today teachers use Wikis to create a shared knowledgebase in classroom that helps students learn on a particular topic. Wikis are able to keep track of usage, statistics, and log on time. That way a teacher knows precisely how much effort a student has put into his/her work. Wikis are also used to debate on a certain topic and are provided with free writing.

Student issues with using Wikis:

· Students who are technology illiterate, their work does not represent their true colors on assignments.
· Students are unwilling to contribute to wikis because they lack confidence in their writing.
· Students don’t enjoy using wikis because they feel like it’s too much work and prefer the traditional assignments.

http://writingwiki.org/default.aspx/WritingWiki/For%20Teachers%20New%20to%20Wikis.html
http://lts.brandeis.edu/teachlearn/support/guides/collaborative-writing/index.html
http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/uploads/wiki_collaboration.JPG