09 april awakening 2018

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‘‘Raise your words not voice. It is a rain that grows flowers not thunder’’ – Rumi

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Illustration: Clym Evenden

Words can make you rich address his people, informing them of the outbreak of war. A grave speech to make, King George overcame his difficulties to rouse his country into action, keeping spirits high and reminding all of their duty to the country and to each other and above all, to challenge the rise of evil. At only 404 words, the speech is impressively economical with language, yet it’s short length means that each word is significant, and commands its audiences’ attention utterly. While George VI will never go down in history as one of the world’s gifted orators, years of speech therapy enabled him to successfully address the nation and this one in particular will certainly be remembered. The world remembers a king whose live broadcasts of hope and inspiration kept the spirits of the British people alive during the dark days of war. The lessons we can take from this are to remember that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, rather it shapes you to achieve your highest potential. Quite the opposite of weakness, it is a sign of courage and strength. Only strong, self-aware leaders can truly see what they can or cannot face alone. The King’s success was assured as soon as he made the decision to work hard and to ask for help. Effective communication is not about perfection, but the strength and sincerity with which we convey our message, something only true leaders possess.

Bill Gates once said that if he was down to his last dollar he would spend it on PR; such is the power of communication. Look to any successful leader and you will find excellent powers of persuasion. While we know that vision, talent and knowledge is always important, if not communicated well, these are destined to remain as merely raw potential. Leaders must inform, excite, motivate and build trust. Their messages should have significance and consistency, and most of all, they must get through to people – speaking as the audience speaks. As William Butler Yeats once said: “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people”. These days, the world may be dominated by social media, but we should never underestimate the power of a great speech. Throughout history, there have been memorable speeches by different leaders, who have touched and inspired the entire world with their power of words. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, John F Kennedy, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Barack Obama’s speeches have all gone down in history for their impact. They attracted people with simple, authentic and passionate words. I recently watched a film that recalled another great speech – against all odds – the King George VI Radio Address 1939. Despite a stutter and never expecting to be in line for the throne, destiny pushed King George to

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CONTENTS 1 WORK

2 SELF

3 HEALTH

4 INSPIRE

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The power of positive communication Practice makes perfect and the best place to start positive communication is with ourselves

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Speaking for success There is no point in a great idea if it is left unsaid. Here, we bring you the best ways to communicate and succeed at work

Team players A guide to working together as a winning team in sports

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Listen first, speak second It’s not always easy to get through to our children here we offer five communcation pointers for parents and children

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Too much information As we are bombarded with nutritional information from all sides, we look at how to separate the healthy truth from the rumours

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Origami for the mind We know that mindfullness is key to mental health, and yet many struggle to enjoy it. Could origami be the key?

Great communicators from world history From Richard Branson to Michelle Obama, Warren Buffett to Martin Luther King, the best communicators throughout history

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Words of widsom An inspiring story of moving through life

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Asma El Husna as-Sami The ever-listening

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Alternative communication devices By Dr. Asma

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Work

‘‘Without credible communication, and a lot of it, the hearts and minds of others are never captured.” - John P. Kotter

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WORK

The Power of Positive Communication Being more positive in our communications with ourselves and others is an area where we could all use more practice and attention, says La Monica Everett-Haynes

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“We can manipulate our environment in very small ways to enhance an experience or our communication. This goes back to the quality-of-life issue,�

Margaret Pitts, a University of Arizona assistant professor of communication.

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WORK

nstead of being attentive to what is right, some people tend to overemphasize what is wrong why relationships do not work out, why diets fail, why personal finances are out of order, why bad luck always seems to arrive. Embedded in that negative tone, whether it be in outward communication or self-talk, is a pervasive insidiousness that, if unbridled, has the potential to cause emotional, mental and physical harm. Psychologists have been saying it for years, positive self-talk has important and tangible benefits, for our health, wellness and our relationships. However, in the realm of communication – communicating with family, friends and colleagues, interpersonal dialogue,

messaging, mass media and other forms of interaction – discussions around positive interpersonal communication have been largely absent. But a shift is occurring. University of Arizona researcher Margaret Pitts and Thomas J. Socha of Old Dominion University have organised and coedited the first collection of scholarly works devoted to positive interpersonal communication. “We want to ensure that the field of communication participates equally in the health, wellness and quality-of-life conversations,” said Pitts. “Communication has a lot to offer to the positive movement because the field allows us to go beyond what is in our head to study the messages and

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behaviours we engage in with other people. Through too heavily on negative happenings, arguing that communication, we enact psychology,” Pitts said, positive psychology would enable more attention to adding that more readily connecting psychology and be paid on positive emotions and character traits. communication can result in improvements in health, “In the way that medicine works, it’s the same wellness and relationships. with cars. Notice that mechanics “Merging communication with immediately talk about how “Positive self-talk don’t psychology is the next step. We they can strengthen your car. We can create the bridge because we has important and don’t think that way,” Socha said. have to communicate,” says Pitts. “In communication, we don’t tangible benefits, always “That’s the point – let’s see things in focus on good outcomes of action.” Through various projects and messages. In a similar kind of way, for our health, papers these scholars have addressed we fall into the trap of looking at wellness and our problems, deficits and dark points,” such things as the use of humour in healthcare settings, positivity in he added, noting the discipline’s relationships” end-of-life conversations, the role of emphasis on deception, unwanted balancing positive and challenging communication communication, anger, stalking and other in mother-daughter relationships for cancer patients, negative tendencies. the need for fun and play in romantic partnerships Focusing on happiness and flourishing and not and the importance of intimacy in communication merely a person’s challenging psychological state among older adults. yielded better benefits, Socha and Pitts emphasised. “It should be understood that positive Both also affirmed that people need to focus on more communication is also not about naively attending positive aspects in their lives, finding better balance to only good things (i.e., being overly optimistic or between the good and bad, ultimately resulting in avoiding negativity), but rather it is about applying and more responsive, authentic and healthy individuals. studying communication that allows us to thrive in the “It’s a very attractive idea,” Socha said. “Why not full spectrum of life experiences,” say Pitts and Socha. study love, happiness, joy, bravery and courage?” The concept of positive psychology was first “What can I say to inspire someone to be better?” coined by Martin Seligman, while president of the added Pitts. “If we can get a fuller, better picture of what American Psychological Association in 1998. He makes us feel good, positive and confident, we can contended that the field of psychology had focused provide feedback to encourage productive behaviours.”

TIPS FROM POSITIVE COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS, CO-EDITED BY UA RESEARCHER MARGARET PITTS AND COLLEAGUE THOMAS J. SOCHA

ADOPT A “WHAT IS RIGHT” ATTITUDE TO REGULAR HEALTH CHECK-UPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER IT IS A CHILD, PARTNER, COLLEAGUE, EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE SPEAK TO OTHERS, INCLUDING YOUR PHYSICIAN, ABOUT FEELINGS OF HOPE, LOVE, JOY AND VITALITY FOCUS ON AND NURTURE WHAT IS GOOD IN YOUR LIFE IDENTIFY AND COMMIT TO PERSONAL LIFE GOALS

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WORK

Speaking for Success Developing effective communication skills in yourself and others leads to success, says Curtis Sprouse

here are effective and ineffective ways to communicate. Factors exist that affect how someone communicates, and whether they communicate poorly or effectively. Most important is how good someone is at listening and being openminded, as well as actively engaging in conversation. Secondary factors include skills in conflict resolution and proactively and effectively providing and receiving feedback. Effective communicators essentially engage in an ‘appropriate exchange of information’. They both feel a need to receive information, but also have the ability to provide information too. Because they have good

listening skills, they know how to actively engage in listening, which means instead of just hearing what others say, they are actually taking in what someone is saying—comprehending, retaining and relating to what is being said. People that manage these behaviours are good at rephrasing what they have heard, and they have well-managed dominance and energy. Listening in itself, however, requires that we seek the appropriate amount of information, regardless of the presenter’s skills. This includes the ability to be open-minded, and not overly critical of the source’s own grasp of information. Listening in this way helps

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with conflict resolution, because we have actively can negatively impact their ability to make and listened to what the other person has said and implement decisions. are emotionally-prepared for conflict. Rather than However, the advantages of these people are shutting down during conflict, or tuning out what the that they are thorough and data-driven; they tend other person is saying, effective communicators listen to do their homework before making decisions. and engage in the situation properly. People with these tendencies help to build group But perhaps the key influencer in being an effective participation and teamwork, because they are communicator, lies in our skills regarding feedback constantly looking for information, keeping others – most specifically in not providing or seeking too in the loop and encouraging others to voice their little, or too much. Ineffective communicators do not opinion and ideas. These people can also help to share information or feedback well, if at all. They establish two-way communication and are able to are also not looking for information. These people develop better company loyalty, because they feel usually are the cause of shutting down the flow of they are part of the process. information; they are also less effective in their For these people to really become effective decisions and tend to ignore details because they try communicators, they need to not talk over people. to get to the bottom line as quickly as They should also try to focus on seeking possible. People who communicate in an appropriate level of information “Effective this way will shutdown during times and insights from others. When of tension and conflict, creating their communicators have people struggle with decision-making, own internal stress. a need to receive but are also over-communicators, they In order for these people to improve are caught in analysis paralysis. To information, but avoid this situation, they should focus their communication skills, they need to share information at a higher level, also the ability to on making timely decisions based on and with greater frequency. They the feedback they received. provide it� should focus on not being secretive Ultimately, everyone has the ability and focusing on communicating to communicate more effectively, and both their ideas and their intentions. They should also people looking to improve their communication be conscious of not making decisions without all the skills can benefit from knowing why they struggle relevant data and work on being more engaging and with listening and what causes them to check out of more active listeners. a conversation. If people can work to improve their On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are listening skills, and aim to be open-minded, active those who communicate too much, who typically listeners, while also providing and receiving relevant engage in too much information sharing and tend to amounts of information and responding successfully be longwinded. You will notice that they spend too to conflict situations, they will be much more much time looking for and providing information; effective in communicating. This will help people be and in turn are known for rambling and can lose more successful, more impactful, heighten respect, focus because they share too much information. and increase personal gratification. These people also have a tendency to talk rather This article was originally published by theglasshammer. than listen and they may say inappropriate things com. Curtis Sprouse is the CEO of EurekaConnect because they talk for extended periods of time. They Behavioral Dynamics, a behaviour and leaderships also have an excessive need for information, which analysis tool, find out more eurekaconnect.com


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Self

‘‘Prayers are when you talk to God, Meditation is when you listen to God” – H.H Al Reem Al Tenaiji

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SELF

Listen First, Speak Second Five Great Communication Pointers for Parents and Children by Emma Johnson

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eing able to communicate with your children – and this means both them listening to you, but also you listening to them - is vital in an increasingly digital culture. Parenting and childrearing expert Ron Taffel talks about what he calls ‘the second family’ - peer group, pop culture, and the internet, and says that now, more than ever, we must be able to support our children in this challenging world. “Knowing specifics about preschool through to high school dramas, fears, or worries makes a profound difference in being an authoritative parent who can guide kids through an increasingly tough academic and social world,” he told Time magazine recently. There are lots of ways you can ensure your children feel connected enough to share the details of their lives with you, from picking your moments to empathising and leading by example. Crucially, it’s all about being open and interested, being generous with your time and allowing children the space to speak. These are five great ways you can ensure the lines of communication flow freely.

PICK YOUR MOMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGE DIFFERENCES

Often the best chats happen when we least expect them to. Sitting down to have a heart to heart might start with good intentions, but the expectation on both parent and child is huge. Instead, keep in mind things you might want to discuss and look for natural, simple moments to bring them up. In the car, walking home from the shops, on the school run, on the way to swimming classes, during the bedtime routine and so on. It often helps if you are both focused on something to take the pressure off the topic being discussed – pick an activity to do together, baking, gardening, walking the dog, hanging up the washing – something simple and ordinary that creates a comfortable, shared experience. And be ever ready – your child might need to talk when you were not expecting it, try to find the space to have the conversation then if you can, or acknowledge that it is important and set a clear time to carry on the conversation if you cannot do so then.

Everyone has different ways they like to communicate, and this includes your children. They might like to talk a whole subject out, asking questions, talking around the topic, troubleshooting ideas. Or they might like time to digest a new thought, and then come back to you later - these conversations may have to take place over several days. They might be more receptive to conversations at certain times of the day – after school is often a time when many children need to process the events of the day and it can be a good time to learn what is troubling or occupying them, while other children might find the weekends are when they are in a sharing mood. Try to get a gauge of the way your child best responds in a conversational situation – think back to moments when you’ve easily been able to communicate and other instances that have been problematic, what was different about these occasions, how did the language used differ, what time of day was it, who else was around, and so on.

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SELF

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT It’s also a great idea to get into the habit of ‘practising’ conversations with your children. Ask them what they’d like to do at the weekend, what they thought about a recent project they worked on at school or a recent film they watched – ask them questions, what did they think worked well, what could have been improved, what didn’t they like – and respond fully to their answers. By discussing a safe, unemotive subject, you’re getting them used to the habit of sharing their opinions, thoughts, worries with you, in a way that seems unthreatening and positive. In turn, they’re seeing that you’re fully engaged in talking to them and that communicating with you is a natural easy part of their day.

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BE INTERESTED, BE DETAILED

TALK ABOUT YOU

Children do need undivided attention, but they don’t need it all the time. If you can commit ten or 15 minutes of time to really be present in a conversation, actively listening, the communication between you both will be much better. Make a real commitment that this won’t be a time for telling off or recriminations, but a time for letting your child speak and really connecting with what they say. Get involved in their stories, even if they don’t seem interesting to you – be shocked or surprised if they are, laugh at what is meant to be funny, empathise with what is touching or kind. And ask questions that let the story unfold. “What did they say? Did it work? What happened then?” These help your child feel heard and show you are genuinely interested in what they are telling you. Ron Teffel uses a great example: “Pay attention to the superficial. “You lost quarters under the vending machine. What year were they?” often leads to the real scoop. “I was at the vending machine because I didn’t think anyone would talk to me at lunch.” Children will reveal the truth of their lives in the most trivial of moments, it might take time to get there, but it will be time well-spent.

If you want your kids to talk about themselves, you have to lead by example, and talk about yourself too. Starting off the conversation talking about your day is a great way to create a safe platform for children to communicate. Don’t ask them how school was, tell them about a problem you overcame at work, or how you were frustrated with a colleague. Find a way they can learn from what you’re saying, and then find parallels in their own lives. Equally, it’s important to remind both your children (and yourself ) that all the mistakes they’ve made, you’ve probably made first. Empathise with the challenges they face, show that you understand because you’ve been there too, and that you have come through the other side of it. Share these experiences with them by sharing what learning you took from these incidents or mistakes.

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SELF

Origami for the Mind Could origami be key to helping people develop mindfulness, asks Marlynn Wei

o you remember the first time you folded a paper airplane? Origami is an ancient, peaceful craft that is not just for children and can also be used as a way to enhance mindfulness for people of all ages. The word origami comes from the Japanese words oru, to fold, and kami, paper. The exact origins of this ancient practice are unknown, but have been traced back to as early as Buddhist monks, who used origami for ceremonial purposes. The first known written documentation of origami was not until 1797 in the book The Secret of Folding Thousand Crane Folding

by Hiden Senbazuru Orikata. Modern origami became popular throughout Japan, and then the rest of the world, through exhibitions of the work of Akira Yoshizawa, the grandmaster of origami, who developed a standard way to teach folding origami models with illustrated diagrams. In Japan, origami is a popular art form that is commonly integrated into the curriculum for children in elementary school to help them develop patience and spatial skills, as well as enhancing memory and concentration. Here are five ways origami can promote mindfulness:

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EASY AND ON THE GO Origami is accessible anywhere, anytime, with just a sheet of paper Samuel Tsang, London-based origami teacher and author of The Book of Mindful Origami, has been teaching origami since 2003 to children and adults and believes that origami is for everyone. Tsang blends origami with mindfulness and suggests self-reflective questions with each model. He says: “The great thing about origami is that it can be done anywhere as long as you have a piece of paper. I often fold origami on the train to work in the morning.�

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FOCUSES THE MIND Origami enhances the ability to be aware of what is happening in the moment and focus Origami has been studied as a tool for helping children to develop spatial and perception skills, learn mathematics, refine dexterity and hand-eye coordination, as well as improve concentration. It has also been shown to improve spatial visualization and mathematics skills in middle school students. It may also be useful for teaching children with special needs mathematics and could help improve attention in children with attention deficit disorder, although more scientific studies are needed in this area.

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LETTING GO Use origami to practice letting go of self-judgment or perfectionism Tsang notes how origami, “is a peaceful hobby, a beautiful art, a craft, a science and a meditation all in one”. If you’re a beginner in origami, the complex models might feel a little intimidating, but it’s important to let go of judgment and give yourself and time and space to practice. Tsang recommends learning folding simplest models first, such as a paper plane, fortune teller, or boat. As in other mindfulness practices, like yoga or meditation, the key is letting go of perfectionism, self-criticism, or self-judgment. Tsang explains to his students: “I tell my students that despite having folded hundreds of thousands of cranes my models are still not perfect and the reason why is because we are human not machines; we cannot fold to that level of accuracy and precision.”

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SELF

4 FOCUSED MEDITATION

With practice, origami can become a form of a focused attention meditation

Focused attention meditation is a category of meditation which trains the mind on an object, and has been shown to stabilise the mind and promote calmness. Before being able to reach meditation through origami, you must first get to know the folds by heart. After this initial learning stage, you are then able to fold with a meditative and focused approach. Tsang emphasises that origami is not about folding the most complicated model, but about using origami to meditate and achieve “perspective, persistence, patience, and practice�.

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5 A SKILL TO SHARE

Share the gift of origami to connect with others, including your children.

Origami is not just a solo practice— at the end, you have made something personal that you can give to someone that you care about. Tsang has found that origami can light up children’s imaginations and sense of joy. “Children are fascinated by origami, as there is a magical quality to turning a flat piece of paper into a 3D model,” he explains. “We live in the age of the internet, the iPad child who has infinite entertainment videos and games at the swipe of a finger. But if you give them an origami flapping bird you can really see their face light up and see this genuine smile and fascination.” You can not only share the physical gift of origami but use the folding process to think of loved ones. Tsang has designed a special squirrel model for his daughter and explains that when he works on building that model during that time, “all I am thinking about is my daughter in a positive light”.

Find out more about Samuel Tsang’s The Book of Mindful Origami (MindfulOrigami.com). This article previously appeared on psychologytoday.com.

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Health

‘‘Of all of our inventions for mass communication; pictures still speak the most universally understood language.”

- Walt Disney

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HEALTH

Team players Working together to play well and win means communication is essential…

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” -Babe Ruth

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eamwork is more than just coming together for one goal. It’s about connecting with your teammates in a way that ensures you get the best out of everyone. It’s about being able to celebrate differences and encourage potential without compromising on success. The best teams can deal with the highs and lows of a competitive career because they are constantly communicating with each other, and, because their challenges are shared challenges, their wins are shared too. Communication is a bridge – in every walk of life it connects you to the people around you, whether

they are colleagues, friends, family members or teammates. When it comes to sports, communication can bring a number of individuals together in such a way that they become a powerful force to be reckon with. When teams are communicating effectively, they can play the very best of their sport, they can predict what other team members will do in any given situation, they can head off potential problems with innovative solutions, they can troubleshoot moments of crisis and turn them into moments of opportunity and they can celebrate their successes together, where everyone can feel that they played their part.

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HEALTH

Motivation Moves Us The nature of a team is that it is filled with different people with varying skills and abilities. What unites them is their passion for the game and their competitive spirit. However, what motivates them can often be quite different. Where one player responds well to praise and encouragement, another player may find practical analysis of the game more helpful. Other players may need clear and decisive boundaries for tactics on and off the pitch, while others may fare better when encouraged to use their initiative and think on their feet. It is really important that every individual on the team is understood on a motivational level, as well as a skill level.

Problem Shared Don’t play the blame game. Mistakes made on the pitch are everyone’s, not just those of an individual. Post-match analysis should not focus entirely on who went wrong, but what went wrong. If you approach problems as a team, you can solve them as a team, but singling people out will always divide a group, not unite it. Encourage people to take responsibility for problems by creating a culture where it is safe to make mistakes, and where mistakes become a learning opportunity. Ask how the team could have helped in a given situation, get everyone to suggest ways they could have done things differently.

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Talking Together Talking to each other, rather than ‘at’ each other is essential. Discussions can be lead by one person, but they need to involve the whole team. Pick situations to talk when your players are most engaged – during an easy training exercise, after a decisive win, during a break in practice. When delivering information about a tactic or approach, for instance, present the reasons for these changes and then ask how people feel about some suggested new ways of working. Let those with passionate suggestions and ideas jump in when they want to, but also take time to make sure you hear from the quieter players too – direct

specific questions at them, and then praise them for their contribution. At the end of conversations with your team, make sure that you all recap what was discussed – it is so often true that what was said, was not what was heard. Clarification, and getting players to recap what they’re taking away from a conversation, is essential.

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HEALTH

Speaking without Words Remember that communication isn’t always about words. Some 70 per cent of communicating can be done in other ways, and for athletes, hand signals, gestures and a series of signs are often used to indicate what a player is thinking or wants to happen. These non-verbal cues should be part of your team’s unspoken language, practised again and again so they can be seamlessly used on the field. Having this private language is a fantastic way to build bonds and to ensure a team really feels connected when playing a match.

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What You Say Matters Don’t waste your words. When discussing issues or tactics as a team, be specific, using examples from previous games or practices. Make sure what you’re communicating is useful – ask yourself, will it add to the team’s knowledge or the way that they play? Keep things simple too – don’t complicate discussions with analogies and justifications, good communication speaks for itself. And make sure to end conversations with positive reinforcements. As Alex Ferguson, who managed Manchester United football team for three decades, and is one of the most successful British football managers in history, once said: “Few people get better with criticism; most respond to encouragement instead. For a player—for any human being—there is nothing better than hearing “Well Done.” Those are the two best words ever invented. You don’t need to use superlatives.”

Off the Field Downtime is important too. People’s personalities will shine here and it’s a good opportunity to find out about what drives others. The locker room is a great place to learn. Encouraging players and teammates to talk about family, friends, other hobbies, children and pets means they will start to reveal things about themselves that will help others understand them better. But stay away from personal opinions about more emotive subjects such as politics or religion – sometimes all that binds people together on a team is their shared desire to play and win, make sure this remains the central focus.

And finally, remember, it takes time to become a team. See your team as a work in progress and keep the lines of communication open all the time. Communicating shouldn’t be a ‘exercise’ you do sometimes, it should be something that permeates every part of your training, practice and play.

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HEALTH

Too much information You would think that more knowledge is always a good thing, however, when it comes to nutrition, the demand for clear-cut messages in a complex world has led to a lot of confusion‌

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HEALTH

– and they also want up to f only everything in date, relevant information. life was simple. When Of course, this changes it comes to nutrition, all the time. Science is we often crave rules – eat a process that moves in this, don’t eat that – but many different directions, the truth is things are generating questions, much more complicated, discussions and debates simply because every body and every lifestyle is along the way. The term ‘expert’ has been abused, different. The demand for information on nutrition resulting in confusion for the consumer and has grown exponentially in the last few years. People undermining the credibility of all experts. How are now interested in food on more than a basic emerging nutritional science is communicated – level and are also increasingly concerned about their by scientists, the journals, the media and the many health, as reflected in the huge media coverage. interest groups that influence the process – can have Communicating science to the powerful effects on the public’s general public comes with several “We must be aware of understanding, on its behaviour challenges for scientists – from and, ultimately, on its well-being. ensuring a straightforward message agendas, someone trying That is why it is so important that through to the different aims and to sell something will food-related science is effectively agendas of all the communicators communicated in ways that serve always find a way – someone trying to sell something both public understanding and will find a way to make it sound to make it sound good the objectives of the media, health good for you! There is also the professionals and educators, who for you” added inherent complexity of the are the gatekeepers of today’s scientific message. There is a conflict food and health information. They between the media trying to put things as simply as determine, for the most part, what consumers hear, possible and scientists trying to avoid simplification read and believe about food and health. and absolutes. Uncertainty is unavoidable in Along with that comes the responsibility to provide nutrition research and ‘perfect’ research does not the facts, put them in perspective, and help people exist, however consumers are not scientists and they determine how the findings may affect their behaviour already have pre-formed views. They want certainty and lives. Among them, the media is the single most – to know whether things are healthy or unhealthy important information source on health and nutrition

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for the public. In today’s world, as people get used to greater amounts of information, they have become more skilled at accessing it, and applying their own filters. They base everyday decisions on what they hear or see in the mass media. In a sense, the press is both a window and a mirror. It shows its readers other lives and possibilities, but it also reflects back to them its own views and prejudices. People tend to read newspapers which share their own political views and validate their views on life. They rarely read newspapers to be actively challenged. This means that the press, far from driving the nutritional debate, is more likely to contribute to the inertia of it, which is a greater force against change than active hostility. Therefore, the media has to be seen as an important partner, with its own views and agenda, rather than a delivery mechanism for scientific messages. So what does this mean for us? Firstly, we must learn to treat all new studies and recommendations with caution, look at who is telling us these new facts (is it

sponsored by a fast-food brand or a personal trainer with a protein powder brand for example?). We must also remember that everyone is different – so what works for say a bodybuilding man, may not work for a female receptionist. Look for supporting studies, when it comes to nutrition there are some things that the experts do universally agree on – eating five a day, drinking water etc – and use your own judgement to see how it affects you personally. Finally, remember that your body is incredibly clever, it wants to be healthy and will tell you what it needs – we just need to listen.

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Inspire

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe� - Gustave Flaubert

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INSPIRE

Great communicators throughout history Secrets of success from ten leaders and mavericks who are also consummate communicators

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Richard Branson “Communication is not just about speaking or reading, but understanding what is being said – and in some cases what is not being said.” Richard Branson believes that communication is the single most important skill any leader can possess. In fact, he is so committed to communicating with his customers and the public, that some 25 per cent of his time is set aside for PR. And he’s good at it. Never one to miss an opportunity for selfpromotion, he doesn’t shy away from a clever gimmick or a visual trick to engage his audience – donning space suits and wedding dresses in the quest to get his message across. He is also a consummate user of social media to back up his message, writing and managing his own blog and Twitter account, and he doesn’t shy away from covering the difficult topics when he needs to. Crucially though, it is his ability to speak to people on their level, to see the consumer’s point as view as his own, that ensures he is always relevant and always in touch.

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INSPIRE

Michelle Obama “Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.� Michelle Obama has that rare gift of being both a great communicator on a one-to-one basis, and a force to be reckoned with in front of thousands of people from a podium. When meeting new people, she offers a warm smile, strong eye contact and an ability to really listen and be in that moment. When on stage, she is influential and inspirational, engaging her audience by being both informal and yet articulate. Her speeches are emotional and powerful – she makes bold statements and then relates them to personal experience. She nearly always speaks from memory and maintains eye contact with her audience throughout. Clear and composed, she is a commanding presence in many ways.

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INSPIRE

Sheryl Sandberg “Communication works best when we combine appropriateness with authenticity, finding that sweet spot where opinions are not brutally honest but delicately honest.” Communication is somewhat par for the course for someone who is the chief operating officer at Facebook, but that doesn’t mean that Sheryl Sandberg isn’t also a consummate communicator in her own right. A champion for ‘authentic communication’, she is passionate about teaching people in business to communicate with more honesty, openness and candour. Particularly adept at harnessing personal stories and experiences to get her point across, she has covered such personal topics as the death of her husband and her grandmother’s upbringing in past speeches. Openness like this builds trust and keeps an audience captivated, and it allows Sandberg to share bold points of view and radical ideas with a vast range of audiences.

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Warren Buffet ‘‘If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.” Money talks, especially if you are business magnate and investor Warren Buffett with a net worth of $87 billion. But it’s not just his money that has something to say. Highly adept at speaking to investors across the financial spectrum, Buffett is renowned for his communication skills, not least his ability to speak plainly and candidly on a typically complex subject. When public speaking he always follows notes, rather than a script, is humorous, down to earth and playful. He has a natural flair at a microphone and is seemingly undaunted by any size of audience. However, it is things like his annual Investors Letter – notable for its plain language and transparency about the business – and his warmth and sincerity with people that he meets, which sets him apart as a great and authentic communicator.

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INSPIRE

Martin Luther King “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” One of the most influential orators of the 20th Century, Martin Luther King was a powerhouse of public speaking. With a vitally important message to get across, he employed every linguistic trick in the book to ensure his words were both memorable and profound. His speeches are littered with alliteration, strong rhetoric, bold statements, analogies and repetition - his seminal ‘I Have a Dream’ speech features this phrase at least eight times, and ‘Now is the time’ four times. He was also acutely aware of the importance of cadence, carefully and steadily building pace, tone and momentum, working to a powerful and forceful crescendo. When Martin Luther King issued a call to action, you couldn’t fail to be moved.

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Oprah Winfrey “Communication is like a dance. One person takes a step forward, the other takes one back. Even one misstep can land both on the floor in a tangle of confusion. That’s the perfect moment to rise to your feet and get clear about the next move.” As someone who talks and listens for a living, Oprah Winfrey is a master of communicating with authenticity and warmth. On television she gets the best out of guests because she listens not only to them, but also to her audience. She can speak their minds and ensure that everyone in the room is communicating. During interviews she focuses on making a connection and encouraging sharing and acceptance. When she is public speaking she uses the strength of her words and her position as an influential woman to motivate, inspire and educate. She is keen on using stories and anecdotes from history and often starts a speech with historical facts before finishing it with a powerful truth.

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INSPIRE

Winston Churchill “Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in a way that they look forward to the trip.” Where Martin Luther King favoured rhythm and pace, Winston Churchill threw out words like grenades. In short, staccato sentences, he barked his words at his audience, and communicated by getting straight to the point and then attacking that point again and again till he had really made an impression. He was especially adept at singling out one or two key phrases and ensuring that this was what people took home with them. His famous phrase: ““Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” is a perfect of example of how he used simple language with clever repetition to communicate to the British people the enormous debt they owed to their soldiers. He also tirelessly rehearsed and edited his speeches, even practising more casual asides and impromptu remarks to ensure he left nothing to chance.

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Steve Jobs “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” When you’re trying to communicate complicated technological developments and gadgetry, the way you present this information to the general public is paramount. Steve Jobs always spoke about technology from a human perspective, focusing less on features and specs, and more on what a product meant for our lives and families. He always spoke with passion and commitment, and his enthusiasm for his subject was infectious. He treated every public speaking event or presentation as a performance, rehearsing heavily beforehand, and kept in mind the single point he wanted to communicate throughout. His habit of ending by saying: “And one more thing…” was a great way to leave audience with the lasting impact of his key message.

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INSPIRE

Angela Ahrendts “I don’t care how advanced technology gets. I don’t think that there’s anything that can replace looking someone in the eyes, touching their hand, you know? I think that’s where the human communication comes in, you know?” Good communication isn’t just about our ability to speak, it is also about our ability to listen. The previous CEO of Burberry, and now senior vice president of retail at Apple, is not only an accomplished public speaker, but has also excelled at communicating with her consumers and responding effectively to what the global market is telling her. In short, Ahrendts’ success lies in her consummate listening skills. She is a big advocate of using stories around a brand to engage consumers and build a community, which means making them part of the story too. And she has spoken numerous times about how her successes in business are down to listening before you act, to knowing what you don’t know and communicating with people to fill those gaps. As she says: “Just listen, just learn, just feel.”

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Bill Clinton “We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” Charismatic and conversational, Bill Clinton’s ability to turn complex issues into simple ideas is considerable. An accomplished speaker and communicator his skill lies much less in what he says, but the way he says it. He is unusually good at matching his words with his actions, he uses his considerable frame to dominate the stage and his arms to give extra weight to his words – palms up when he’s asking questions or his index finger dragged through the air to the rhythm of his words. He is adept at using pauses and silence to drive home a point and will often deliver the last words of a sentence slowly and deliberately, bringing the audience along with him till the end.

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INSPIRE

- STORY OF WI S DOM -

Words of Wisdom on life’s highway

nce upon a time, a king had a great highway built for the people who lived in his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest. He invited as many of his subjects as desired to participate. The challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best, and the winner was to receive a box of gold. On the day of the contest, all the people came. Some of them had fine chariots; some had fine clothing and fancy food to make the trip a luxurious journey. Some wore their sturdiest shoes and ran along the highway on their feet to show their skill. All day they travelled the highway, and each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king

about a large pile of rocks and debris that had been left almost blocking the road at one point, and that got in their way and hindered their travel. At the end of the day, a lone traveller crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a small chest of gold. He said, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This chest of gold was under it all. Please have it returned to its rightful owner. “The king replied, “You are the rightful owner.” “Oh no,” said the traveller, “This is not mine. I’ve never known such money. “Oh yes,” said the king, “you’ve earned this gold, for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is he who makes the road better for those who will follow.”

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Asma El Husna

as-Samč’

The Hearer of All, The Ever-Listening The One whose hearing and attention comprehends everything. The One who pays attention to every supplication and invocation. The One who listens to every voice. The One who hears and accepts every word, thought and secret. The One who listens to everything, perfectly, eternally, without limitations.

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Augmentative Alternative Communication Devices

by Dr Asma Naheed, Educational Psychologist, Special Needs Consultant and Public Speaker

ommunication impairments are conditions that interfere with a person’s ability to understand or process information or express themselves in an auditory manner. Although some communication impairments are medical conditions that manifest from birth, most are traditionally considered secondary impairments or results of more severe impairments such as Cerebral Palsy or a hearing impairment. Communication impairments can significantly affect the clarity and content of one’s speech. They can also be related to a comprehension

deficit that results in ineffective verbal communication. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices help people with communication disorders to express themselves. There are various Assistive Technology solutions ranging from low tech to high tech. The ideal device (low to high tech) for each individual to use is often determined by the level of physical or cognitive impairment as well as affordability. You may have seen someone write in a notebook to answer a question. Maybe you have seen people

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using sign language or other gestures. You may have seen someone push buttons on a computer that speaks for them. These are all forms of augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC. AAC includes all of the ways we share our ideas and feelings without talking. We all use forms of AAC every day. You use AAC when you use facial expressions or gestures instead of talking. You use AAC when you write a note and pass it to a friend or coworker. We may not realise how often we communicate without talking. People with severe speech or language problems may need AAC to help them communicate. Some may use it all of the time. Others may say some words but use AAC for longer sentences or with people they don’t know well. AAC can help in school, at work, and when talking with friends and family. Augmentative and alternative communication solutions (AAC devices) offers many choices for user to customise the experience of expressing thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. There’s a huge variety of options of AAC devices, but most fall into one of three categories: Low-tech, No-tech Options: including sign language, paper, pen, dry eraser, symbol or picture based communication books. Mid Tech Options Mid-tech devices are defined as such because they are slightly more expensive than low tech devices, they run on a power supply, typically batteries, and using them effectively entails some training. These solutions typically consist of some sort of recordable device with a static display and a limited number of options for storing recordings (typically 1 - 30). Most mid tech communication devices also provide switch scanning options to allow access to people with various levels of physical impairments. High Tech Options High tech communication devices, typically referred to as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, consist of a computer-based, touch screen system with a dynamic display that utilizes a combination of recorded voice and synthesized voice

to convey messages for people with communication impairments. To use these types of devices one can either directly type words or phrases to be spoken or activate a symbol that has been programmed to link to a word, phrase, or sentence. Through the keyboard option as well as a dynamic display. These devices are produced by many manufacturers (Prentke Romich, Assistive Technology, Inc., Words+, Dynavox, etc.) and made in various sizes from PDAs to laptop-sized devices, making them easily portable.

“We may not realise how often we communicate without talking” To access one of these AAC devices, one can either use direct touch or switch scanning. The number of options and the complexity of scanning makes AAC devices difficult for people with cognitive impairments. High-tech AAC devices offer the user the most options for communication while also providing the user a “voice” via an audio output. These devices make any conversation possible and also give the user the opportunity to initiate a conversation. High tech AAC devices are also portable and usable across many different environments. The biggest drawback to these devices is their cost, which is often multiple thousands of dollars. Communication is an essential tool for success in society. Because of this, people with a communication impairment have been at a significant disadvantage to the rest of the population. There are several accommodations to help overcome verbal communication impairments such as written or typed communication, however, communication impairments are often secondary impairments rendering these solutions ineffective. Devices have progressed toward being more usable and natural sounding with the next step in device development being to create more affordable devices with more human sounding voice synthesis. Based on the advances already made and the importance of communication, considerable communicationrelated AT advances are expected in the future.

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INSPIRE

This month I am.. .… Trying to solve..

Reading..

How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes

Listening to..

Whether you are the sort of person who quietly dreads walking into a crowded room or someone who storms the door open and annouces your arrival, this book offers the ideal tune up to ensure your ideas – and you – are landing in the most effective way possible. Written by the bestselling author of ‘How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You’, this witty, concise book offers 92 simple and effective techniques to help you speak to anyone, from breaking the ice with strangers to winning over colleagues at work.

Ted Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek What drives behavior? Do people buy what you believe or why you believe? Using examples from some of the most popular brands and people, Simon Sinek reveals how great leaders think, act, and communicate. Using “The Golden Circle” Sinek shows why some leaders are able to inspire while others fail to do that.

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“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless” – Mother Teresa


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