April 2011 Editor: Melissa Easley, CPS/CAP
Mind, Body, Spirit By: Melissa Easley, CPS/CAP The month of April’s holidays and events include: National Poetry Month, Tax Day (ugh!), Earth Day (April 22nd), etc. The traditional Latin meaning for April is “to open” in allusion to spring and the budding of trees and flowers. With that theme in mind, let’s open our administrative skills toolbox and brush up on our communication skills. Whether we are speaking to a family member, coworker, or our supervisor, communication skills are essential to giving and receiving messages and information. Barriers to communication exist within ourselves and within the environment. These barriers can lead to a break down in communication which in turn can lead to emotional stress. To overcome those barriers, it takes practice and skills.
Everyday, we can hone our skills with interpersonal communication. Body language or nonverbal communication accounts for more than half of the message being conveyed and received. Eye contact, posture, tone, volume, and speed are all important aspects of our communication. The most important aspect of good communication skills is active listening.
Active listening is making the conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. *Give the speaker your undivided attention,
and acknowledge the message. *Use your body language and gestures to convey your attention. *Provide feedback by reflecting on what is being said and asking for clarification. *Defer judgement and resist interrupts. *Respond appropriately as a model for respect and understanding. Be deliberate with your listening. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviors and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to guarantee you understand the meaning in the message. Becoming a better communicator will improve your workplace productivity and develop better relationships personally and professionally.
Notable Quotable “The single biggest problem in communications is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard Shaw
Resources for Celebrating Earth Day-April 22 Mind, Body, Spirit……………..…1 Communication Skills...……....2-3
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/ http://www.nea.org/tools/13513.htm
Events Around Town………..…..4 Chapter Events…………..……...5 President’s Message…………...5 IAAP Events..……..…….……....5
Can you find all 10 recycle icons in this months Passion & Purpose?
Communication Skills Summary from http://www.mindtools.com We can spend almost our entire day communicating. So, how can we provide a boost to our communication productivity? What can we do to make our message the clearest, most effective way possible? How can we remove the barriers to processing the message? Whether you need to communicate general day-to-day information or "big news" about major changes in your organization, the best communications start with some good planning.
Planning Step 1: Be clear about your objectives. Step 2: Identify your audience. Step 3: Link the audience needs with your objectives. Step 4: Choose the proper communication channel. For example: email, team meeting, bulletin board, etc.
your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed. With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person's impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making those first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for all the relationships that follows. The key to a good impression is to present you appropriately. Your dress and grooming habits help to create the “picture” you first present and a picture is worth a thousand words. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other person at ease. Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism. Be on your best behavior! The receiver of your communication deserves 100% of your attention.
Assertive Negotiating
Step 5: Monitor effectiveness through feedback.
First Impression You are now prepared for that important First Impression which is the most valued part of the communication cycle. It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, Page 2
Negotiation is simply the act of reaching agreement as to how you'll move forwards. It's the process of communicating back and forth, and finally having all parties agree to a solution. Negotiations that aim for mutually satisfying outcomes are often best. The result is a win-win solution. The four parameters for negotiation: ♦
Separate the people from the problem ♦ Focus on interests, not posi-
tions Generate a variety of possibilities before making a decision ♦ Define objective standards as the criteria for making the decision ♦
To use the principles, you must be assertive. The ability to express a “no” to a task and “yes” to the person means using negotiation. If your boss asks you to join another committee, and you do not have the time, approach the situation as an opportunity to negotiate. Is there another task that can be done by someone else, allowing you the time to attend the committee meetings? Is this an opportunity to redefine your roles and job description? We all negotiate, and we do so regularly. And even though the extents of our negotiations vary, one principle remains the same: when both parties win, the outcome is often better. Whether someone asks you for a favor, or you need to agree on terms for a contract or project, you must collaborate to achieve a win-win solution. When you collaborate, you consider everyone's needs. Therefore, even if you have to say "no" to something, you're still concerned about finding a way to get the other person's needs met, and this allows you to say "yes" to the person. Integration and collaboration are keys to this process. So, the next time you have to negotiate, look for a way to meet every-
one's needs, rather than leave one side with little or nothing.
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Using KISS at Work (Keep It Simple, Silly) Choose your words carefully in written communications, especially with you try to write effective emails.
niques to put the problem in the right perspective. •Use continuous improvement to simplify your systems and processes. •Create support systems that encourage people to look for opportunities to improve efficiency.
•Be clear about what you want to say. •Use headings and bullets to stress key information. •Proofread your work, and take out words and information that don't add value. Format your communication pieces effectively: •Use lots of white space. •Highlight or underline key words and concepts, or use bold formatting. •Know your audience and your objective, and develop your communication accordingly. Create simple and effective presentations: •Keep information short and direct. •Create visual aids that are clean and easy to read. •Use handouts to present detail. •Minimize distractions to keep your audience focused. Focus your problem solving: •Use root cause analysis tech-
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Keeping it simple is not necessarily easy. You have to think and plan what you want to say or do, and you have to understand why you're saying or doing it. When you're highly focused on the output or results of your efforts, you can adapt your actions to your specific objective and the elements that are most important. Details have a time and place. However, if you get stuck in details too early, it can make you less efficient and make your message difficult to understand. By keeping it simple, you can have the greatest impact and create the most value. Don't try to say or do everything – concentrate more on what really needs to be said or done. When you can change something complex into something simple, you've really added value!
Be Empathetic Empathy is a component that is measured in the Emotional Intelligence. The ability to project an empathetic attitude will reduce most of the communication barriers before they can break down the communication. To start using empathy more effectively, consider the following:
1.Put aside your viewpoint, and try to see things from the other person's point of view. 2.Validate the other person's perspective. 3.Examine your attitude. 4.Listen. 5.Ask what the other person would do. Here are some more tips for an empathic conversation: •Pay attention, physically and mentally, to what's happening. •Listen carefully, and note the key words and phrases that people use. •Respond encouragingly to the central message. •Be flexible – prepare to change direction as the other person's thoughts and feelings also change. •Look for cues that you're on target. Developing an empathic approach is perhaps the most significant effort you can make toward improving your people skills. When you understand others, they'll probably want to understand you – and this is how you can start to build cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork through our communication.
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IAAP Core Values
Follow Us: http://twitter.com/AggielandIAAP http://www.iaap-aggieland.org http://www.facebook.com/
Integrity: We demonstrate this cornerstone of our profession through honesty, accountability and high ethical standards. Respect: We create respect within our profession and association through listening, understanding and acknowledging member feedback. Adaptability: We ensure the success of our association by embracing positive change and by nurturing diversity, creativity and visionary thinking. Communication: We cultivate and maintain excellence by remaining approachable at all levels, communicating openly and building strong relationships. Commitment: We are steadfast in our goals to develop learning opportunities for career-minded administrative professionals and to strengthen efficiency and effectiveness.
Events Around Town
Earth Day! Date: April 16 Time: 11:00am - 4:00am Cost: Free! Phone: 979-764-6229 Location: Wolf Pen Creek , College Station
Date: April 8 Time: 10:30am - 7:30pm Cost: $30 in advance/$35 at the door Website URL: http://www.facebook.com/ ChilifestOfficialSite Location: Starlight Ballroom , Snook
Easter Celebration Date: April 29 Time: 4:30pm - 11:59pm Cost: $10/day Website URL: http://www.duckjam.org Phone: 979-778-9101 Location: Wolf Pen Creek, College Station
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Date: April 16 Time: 9:30am - 12:00pm Cost: FREE Location: The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum , College Station
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Upcoming Chapter Events & President’s Message April 27, 2011 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Courtyard Marriott 3939 Highway 6 South College Station, TX
Developing Your Leadership Skills Presented by Dortha Gray, CPS/CAP IAAP SouthWest District Direction ----1 Recertification Point RSVP and PayPal at Chapter Web Site
Experience some of the best networking and educational opportunities for administrative professionals at the Education Forum & Annual Meeting (EFAM), July 24-27, 2011, in Montreal, Quebec. IAAP's premiere event offers more than 50 education workshops.
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From m the e Desk of the Prreside ent It's almo ost April, tha at means bluebonnets s in Texas a and Spring Sports for Mom's like me. I know I''ll look back k on these days d fondly y, but right n now running up & dow wn highwayy 6 from one e practice on o OSR to the t next on Rock Prairrie Road (n no I'm not kidding) is crazy. It is wortth it howeve er to get to watch the teams com me together with such o optimism and a perfect season s reco ords - no lo osses! Their white basseball pantss are fairly g grass-stain free and the hats don't have h Texas s sized swe eat rings on n them yet. It is easy to o let their exciteme ent wear offf on you, and I'm certa ainly guilty of that lately. I have been a mem mber of IAAP since 200 02 and havve been privvileged to p put togetherr AAP chapter meetings,, but our Ma arch meetin ng is one off the most e exciting so far! many IA Karen McCullough M has truly brought b me a spark of e excitementt and I am g giddy at the e thought of sharing her with Ag ggieland. We W have a re ecord-breaking sixty-ssix signed u up to a I have had nothing g but positiv ve vibes go oing on thro ough-out the planning of attend, and this mee eting. I challen nge everyon ne to get ac ctive in som mething you u are passio onate about! Find a wa ay to participa ate in your chapter, c an nd I promise e you will allso get a se ense of acccomplishme ent and rew ward. Mrs. Dortha Gray, IAAP South hwest District Director will be visiting Aggiela and IAAP A April 27th to celebrate c Administrativ A ve Professionals Day event at the e Courtyard d Marriott a at Rock Prrairie and Hwy H 6. Dorth ha and I go o back to myy earliest days with IA AAP and myy invitation n to her to visit v Aggiela and was a long-shot th hat paid offf. I encoura age you to ccome and get to meet a lady that tru uly represen nts IAAP w ith her heart and I kno ow will serve as IAAP Intternational President one o day soo on. May you u share you ur Passion and a Purpos se as a prou ud Adminisstrative Proffessional w with all you come c in con ntact with. Please P let me m know if tthere is anyything I can n do for you u! D CPS S/CAP Sheila Dotson Aggielan nd IAAP President
To a all who have served as office ers for the past year in the A Aggiela and Chapter of IAA AP! From the e Editor