assertive communication goes beyond getting others to follow your directions. It should also create your position as the leader and must involve aspects of staff communication and team building.

The team tasks and structure of a corporate team building day should be designed to help bond your team and build a team vision to take back into the workplace while having fun.

Adventure and fun are used to highlight specific learning outcomes with a team. This involves a program that not only changes the thinking processes within the team, but also looks at applying the learning back into the workplace. You work in teams and compete only with yourself to achieve your own new personal best in life and at work.

These are primarily team-building or networking outings where people can lighten up and have some fun without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed.

Team building programs should be custom built and tailor made for corporate groups. Such challenging activities promote team building, and develop staff communication, motivational skills and leadership while having fun.

Adventure Team Building is an opportunity to revitalize and rejuvenate not only your team, but also the whole organization with outdoor pursuits such as archery, abseil, caving, and rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, fishing, or taking a mountain bike trek, horse riding, driving and more. There are also expeditions, gorge exploring, orienteering, scavenger hunts, rescue games and other multi-adventures intended for relaxing and team motivation. Therefore, Adventure Team Building enables staff to interact between each other, react and act accordingly in similar circumstances, turning unusual collaborative circumstances into experiential learning.

Adventure Team Building can address specific workplace issues; motivate work group understanding, collaboration and cooperation. Experts say that people learn and develop from overcoming challenges, recreational team building provide work groups with instruction and guidance to expand them through a rotation of different problem solving activities.

Outdoor adventure activities, conference energizers and team building exercises may last from a few hours up to a few days enjoying camping, shelter building, barbecues, and al fresco feasts, whilst adding priceless synergy to group dynamics and staff communication

To create successful community-building activities appears to be simple, but they require competence, practice and experience. We have found that the best results have been obtained when the program has been well-matched to the needs of the client group, be they recreational, team-building or a vehicle for another agenda.

http://www.wildafricaonline.co.za

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Lubbe
http://EzineArticles.com/?Designing-Team-Building-Programs&id=1205785

Technorati Tags: assertive comunication, communication in the workplace, staff communication

Related posts:

1. Confident Communication Speaking Tips for Educators In his new easy-to-read resource, trained counselor and experienced...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Some companies feel they have a global market ecommerce with an online presence. But are the international clients coming to your online store? And if they are, how did they find you? Does your online website have a real presence in foreign countries?

Once you have a local or national business operating through a website, there are a few steps you can take to develop your market further abroad.

Targeting international markets still involves the same type of market analysis you needed for your current business. Often a bit more market analysis is needed to allow for the cultural adaptation of your products. This market research is multiplied by the number of countries you would like to do business in.

Assess your communication

Then you must step back and look at your current means of communication. The website you have for your own local market. How would foreigners react to your website?

There are a few general questions to ask yourself:

1. Is your website clear and easy to understand?
2. Could an 8 year old easily understand what your company does?
3. Do you only provide an 800 number? Do foreigners know how to reach you? Put in your local land line telephone number. Give your full physical address.
4. Is your order form compatible for international addresses, or does it get stuck if you don’t put in an American State code? Make sure your order forms have enough lines for foreign addresses.
5. Do you use one specific word for things? – having two or three ways for saying one thing makes it harder for foreigners to follow you. Choose between “car” and “vehicle”. It is a good idea to create a glossary of company terms – you will greatly appreciate this later on.
6. Do you use specific cultural expressions or slang? Keep your communication easy to understand by everyone.
7. Does your website refer to specific national holidays? Is that something you should change?
8. Do you have any embedded words in your diagrams? Avoid them and it will make it easy for you to translate any images later on.

Making these changes should not take away the strength of your sales message to your local market. The good practices for an effective website in your local market are very similar. Taking those local good practices a little further will open your website up for international expansion. Your communication will become clearer to your international clients.

Once you make these transitions to your current website you will be on your way to your next transition towards an international business:

Localized Websites

Once you have your main website open for international business. If your website is actually speaking to foreign visitors and not alienating them, then it is time to take your next step in developing a global market presence.

All of your marketing efforts should be aimed at determining where you need to sign up for a localized website.

• Are your current international clients from a concentrated area on the globe?
• Does you market lead you to choose a specific international market?
• Is there a country you feel passionate about and feel there is a market there for your products and services?

Depending on your resources you may only choose to develop one new country market at a time. The more countries you do a market analysis for the easier it becomes.

Some companies at this stage decide to translate their website into 5 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and German. This can be a wasted investment at this stage. Will your product hit the same emotional buttons in your foreign markets? This is highly unlikely.

Remember Spanish in South and Central America is very different from the language spoken in Spain. And the people are different. French is spoken in several countries too. Which culture is your main target?

Become Acquainted With Your Foreign Market

If you are a small business and or do not want to go to the expense of too many changes in translations, take this process slowly. Take your time to get some detailed market knowledge for your products in the foreign countries. You can do this from your “internationalized” local website.

Work with your current international clients. Run international campaigns in English from your local website that stimulates international market feedback. Use traditional methods of market research and client prospecting by phone. Even when only speaking English you will get some feedback. Keep at it until you feel you are now acquainted with your foreign market.

Localized Websites To Get To Know Other Markets

You now know which country you want to sell to. You may even have decided to target a country that speaks your own language. The next logical step is to create a localized website in your first overseas target market.

So what does a localized website mean? Create a second website for your foreign market. This new website is localized for your new target market. It can be hosted locally or in your foreign market. But it will be submitted to all of the local foreign web directories.

And it will be written specifically for your foreign market. Use your original website as a model to adapt to communicate with your new market. Company branding is important. Truly communicating with your foreign markets in a way that will get them to listen to you is more important. Play around with finding the balance.

One key to successfully finding this balance is using web templates…without text imbedded in the graphics.

At this stage probably only part of your website will be translated. This is not the best scenario. It may feel like a cold brochure. Just be sure to give your international clients access to your local website in English. If they know what to expect in which language and this is clearly indicated on your new website, this is acceptable.

Continue to develop relationships with people in your new markets, do more research, test changes and adaptations to your localized website. With a little bit of follow up and concentrated effort you will become very familiar with your new market. You will learn how to offer your product and services to get sales in a different market.

You will then be ready for the next transition:

A Fully Customized Website

Once you have a localized website adapted to each of your target markets you will want your international clients to feel more familiar with your products and services. You will want to improve the level of communication with your foreign markets.

Your website is now localized. It is already on their territory. The best way to deepen your relationship is to communicate with your foreign markets solely in their language, and to communicate exactly how you would if you were your local competitor.

Foreign Language Communication Strategy

The better you know your foreign markets the more options you will have. At the very minimum you could organize an email campaign in their language. Before doing this, make sure this would be appropriate in their culture. Will your target market read your emails, how would they read your emails?

Foreigners targeting North American business men might be surprised at how many of them use tiny little Blackberry screens to read emails. A country like France with high ADSL penetration might forget that other countries are not so lucky and they should therefore send appropriate content in their emails.

Easy, Low Cost, Multi-Channel Communication Each Month

Once these elements have been defined, create a simple communication strategy in the foreign language. With a little thought and preparation you can come up with a foreign language communication plan for minimal investment in time and money.

Take advantage of the possibility of re-purposing content to be used in different formats both online and offline. Come up with ways to get your international clients to interact with you, plan beforehand to get feedback and track results.

• Online events
• Surveys
• Competitions
• Ask for feedback campaigns

Use incentives to improve responses. Think of the foreign appeal your incentives might have. This can often translate into something low cost. Tie this with your own local events.

Example Based On A Monthly 2-Page Newsletter Written

One cost effective solution is a monthly 2-page newsletter with 4 articles written by a foreign native marketing professional. This monthly newsletter can be repurposed into several formats using the same content. This will give you a variety of communication touches in your foreign market each month:

• Monthly Newsletter – online and in print
• Weekly Emails
• Podcasts
• Videos
• Monthly Surveys
• Product Reviews
• Case Studies
• …and more, with variety over the year

This entire international client lead generation strategy only by investing in one 2-page translation.

This can work very well if combined with a local event, international exhibition or some other way clients can interact with you.

A great bonus is getting your writer to use foreign language keyword optimization.

This foreign language communication campaign will increase your understanding of your international markets even further. A valuable asset for any business. You will be ready to move towards a fully customized foreign website.

Website totally customized to local cultures

You will need to analyze your market potential again. Do you understand what incites your foreign market to buy your product? If so, then it is time to look at translating your entire foreign language website.

Your own knowledge of your international market will make it easier for you to determine which web pages can be translated and which web pages should be exchanged for pages written in the foreign language by industry experts. Your foreign website will probably not look exactly like your original local website.

Adaptation Phase

Creating a foreign language website can be done in stages. Remember to always think of how your foreign visitors may react to this.

• Welcome them
• Acknowledge their needs
• Show them what you have in place already to help them.

You may or may not have a fully multilingual staff, explain this appropriately somewhere on your website.

“We particularly appreciate all of our foreign clients. Unfortunately we are not able to have staff to speak to you in your own language on a full time basis. Please leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can”.

You Have Control Of Your International Development

As your business grows and defines itself, you will set up an appropriate structure and find the partners best suited to your business requirements.

Are you committed to speeding up your international sales cycles?

Learn how to combine cross-cultural marketing tools and international sales strategies for faster sales.

Join us on the International Sales Road Map

Would you like to develop your international business?
Are you a beginner at international sales and marketing?
Read the Beginners Guide Discover Your International Business.

Cindy King
http://www.articlesbase.com/international-business-articles/small-business-international-development-in-three-easy-steps-712556.html

Related posts:

1. Clear Business Communication: 4 Steps To Success Business owners know the bottom-line impact of business communication....
2. Why is self-concept critical to the development of communication skills? Give an example of how this applied? Why is self-concept critical to the development of communication skills?...
3. What is the Role of Comedy in Business Motivation and Sales? Guest: Rick March, President, MHA Communications Topic Title: What...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Write different methods of communication available. And explain in 2000 words how each of these could be used effectively within the organization to solve the problems being experienced.

You may not know for sure that the problem is in communication, since there could be a culture of finger pointing, a sense that higher ups indulge in unfair practices.

It is normal that top managers direct lower levels what to do, are not interested in advice from below. Only if top managers approve of such a plan, a company can get a score card for top leadership, which has statistics on how the lower echelons are doing.

It can have things like percentage scrap this week, volume of customer returns, and reasons given most often.

There can also be a suggestion box for written improvements.

Some companies send an annual survey to their customers asking that we be rated for how good we doing in pricing, speed of delivery, quality, responsiveness, etc. list any major complaints.

The results then go to people who manage what we do for that customer (that did a return) then we have a meeting to review how we doing to improve the score.

There is a concept of total quality management, with tools like ISO 9000, that work towards identifying what ought to be improved, measuring how we doing, making one improvement at a time, continue the measurement to make sure we don’t back slide. It is heavily dependent on written documentation that the standards are being attained.

Within a company, there are often many methods of communication that different people have different comfort levels with. Many, but not all the workers may have connection to a computer system that supports various messaging. You trying to do your job, and you interrupted by messages. That does not make for an efficient work force.

Thus if the messages come through some instant message approach, through phone calls, PA system, there can be an excess of interruptions that are not good for the overall worker productivity.

e-mail is better … people not have to check it when it arrives, check it occasionally … but different people have different skill levels when it comes to being concise yet all relevant details

Most companies have periodic meetings. During the meeting nothing else in the company is getting done, so they need to be occasional, like once a week or so. Usually they held in person in a conference room, sometimes have an agenda, sometimes a discussion leader, almost always a limited number of topics to be resolved. There are ways to have meetings over speaker phones, video conferencing, but generally these not as satisfactory as in person.

Whatever record keeping system is being used, if it is well integrated, and the people trained in its use, then whatever info needs to go from one department to another, gets there through the system.

I have a murphyism about rules regulations and systems in any corporate organization.They are the glue that ensures the quality of the cooperative communication of the work force team.

If there are not enough rules, not good systems, then everyone is doing their own things, flying off in all directions, no team effort. Not enough glue.

Too much glue, and the organization is all gummed up, stuck on rules, instead of focused on working effectively on joint team efforts.

The quality of the rules, to help foment cooperation, without the too much or too little, that has to do with good management guiding the rule making, and training the staff in whatever the needs of the organization.

Related posts:

1. Staff Communication and Designing Team Building Program assertive communication goes beyond getting others to follow your directions....
2. Cross Cultural Communication Web Tools – Company Hierarchy Here is another web tool for you to use...
3. Internal Communication – at the Heart of Every Business Internal communication is an effective tool for handling many...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This article is directed to the CEO, but it can help anyone in a management position communicate more clearly with staff.

Glenn, owner of a midsize professional services firm, describes his situation: “Every January I give a state of the company address to the troops. The usual stuff: how we did last year, where we’re going this year, how excited/optimistic/cautious I am about the future, and so on. And for the next 12 months, every year, managers and staff ask me where we’re going, how we’re doing, etc.

“What am I doing wrong? I keep telling them what they want to know, but nobody seems to get it.”

What’s going on

This example demonstrates why communicating effectively is so tough. Think about these points.

Nobody – and I mean nobody — has the same perspective as the CEO. The CEO sees how myriad pieces come together. He or she is really alone in this position.

Managers have been told what’s going on, but they are human beingsthey have their own concerns. They each have their own turf or silo to take care of and be held accountable for.

The general staff know what they do on a daily basisget in by 8 a.m., out by 5:30 with luck, make calls, take care of the project, do good work. But they lose sight of the company’s strategic goals and plans for the future.

What to do so they get it

Start with asking yourself some critical audience analysis questions. What do they (your managers, staff, and/or stockholders) . . .
- Already know?
- Want to know?
- Not want to know?
- Need to know?
- Not need to know?

When the CEO speaks, it’s like hearing the booming voice of the wizard in “The Wizard of Oz.” Everyone is wary, particularly in a tough economy. So the CEO has to think through the perspectives of everyone in the audience and figure out to deliver the message. This applies whether it is a small firm or a multistate firm with hundreds of employees.

No one can read minds. Clear communication from the CEO is absolutely essential for a firm to be successful.

The Challenges

When addressing a large, diverse group of people, you have multiple needs to meet.

1. Some listeners/readers want a history of how we got to where we are. This is a favored approach for many left-brained types. So, you tell your story from a chronological standpoint. “In 2006, we were here… In 2007, we…”

2. Upon hearing that, other folks will think, “Here we go again. Same old, same old.” And they will stop listening. These are likely the folks who want the big picture: “Where are we going in 2008? What new markets are we looking at? What new and exciting opportunities do we expect to find?” They are looking to the future and new possibilities.

3. You also have the group that wants to hear the logic behind these plans. This group can come across as challenging the CEO and his thinking. Their challenges can come across as micro-managing or as if they think the CEO weren’t thorough in his thinking. For this group, the CEO needs to enlighten them on the thinking behind your decisions.

4. Then there are the folks who always want to know about the impact on the people.

What’s a CEO to do?

Sit back and think about your audience and your message. Start with what you want the outcomes to be from your speech or presentation. Some call this reverse engineering; I think of it as starting from the end and working backwards.

To begin your message, set the framework for what you are going to talk about. For example, “I want to take the next 20 minutes to recap where we’ve been, where we are going this year, and what we expect a couple years down the road.” I’m being very loose in my wording. You would be more specific in terms of “couple years.”

Set the tone of the message. “Last year was a mediocre year. We’re expecting similar outcomes this year. However, we are putting things in place to ensure the firm grows in the next couple of years.” Keep it simple. Be specific. But this is not the place to quote your P&L.

Then tell them the story.

A. Since you have given a framework for your comments, which makes the folks in No. 2 above happy, you can go to No. 1 and give the history and financials.

B. Tell more now about the future and expectations. Remember to convey the logic behind your decisions to keep the folks in No. 3 above at bay.

C. Focus on the impact on your people, point No. 4 above. What opportunities do you expect? What new education or training can they take advantage of?

D. You’ve heard it before: Tell them what you told them. Recap, highlighting the points you most want them to remember. Listeners and readers always remember the last point they heard before they remember anything else you said. If you want to downplay information, put it in the middle of your speech.

The CEO as Storyteller

The CEO needs to be the Chief Storyteller. Take time to craft a story that conveys your message in a way that your staff can understand.

Remember: Numbers may drive the business, but people drive the numbers.®

Pamela Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/ceo-tips-for-getting-staff-to-understand-you-489856.html

Related posts:

1. Staff Communication and Designing Team Building Program assertive communication goes beyond getting others to follow your directions....
2. McCoy Travel & Cruise – The Movie – Staff – Destinations – Clients – Hotel Suppliers – Join McCoy Custom Travel and Cruise as we share who...
3. 8 Ways to Motivate & Improve Staff Performance A stronger economy means more opportunities for you, and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

http://www.signingonline.com/

They offer web-based courses, designed to effectively teach you American Sign Language (ASL) at your own pace from anywhere in the world. The courses focus on conversational ASL and make extensive use of digital video to demonstrate the visual nature of signing. The courses are perfect for anyone wanting to learning ASL. State Board Approved Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available to educators and Continuing Education (CEs) contact hours are available for nurses.

Related posts:

1. Winning With Assertive Behavior and Body Language Many people will tell you that what bothers them...
2. Confident Communication Speaking Tips for Educators In his new easy-to-read resource, trained counselor and experienced...
3. Winning Body Language—Mark Bowden—Expert Keynote Speaker on Communication Order Mark Bowden’s new book Winning Body Language now at...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Here is another web tool for you to use in your cross cultural communication.

Company Hierarchy

Some cultures expect you to pay more attention to a company hierarchy than others. They need to be able to identify the leaders. They might only want to speak to the person with the right title or who is at an appropriate level for them. Very often cultures will only work on a peer to peer level.

There are some cultures that respond better with stronger communication on company hierarchy. These are cultures with a strong belief in authority and hierarchy.

Cultural barriers will pop up if you don’t work towards these needs in your foreign culture.

As you get to know your foreign markets, pay attention to their needs in being informed of your company hierarchy. You may not need to change what you already have on your website.

Do some online market research in your target country to see how other local websites present their company’s hierarchy.

You might want to:

• highlight your executive team a little differently
• present your company’s executives in a different way.
• include other members of your staff.
• be careful how you translate job functions

Determine what your foreign market needs and give it to them.

The Right Touch

Remember…

These web tools are not sure solutions to barriers that will pop up in your cross cultural communication. You will need to find the right mix of tools to communicate effectively with your particular markets.

Different things drive the different cultures. Everyone has their own communication style, and needs. It is seldom a simple mix, you have to work to make sure you are actually doing the right things.

This is not about whether to put any reference to company hierarchy on your website or not. You need to test:

• the most appropriate place to display information on your website
• how your website is viewed in your target countries

There are other tools you will need to highlight as well. Luckily it is easy to test results with online marketing. As we go through this series of cross cultural communication web tools, use the knowledge you have on your foreign markets, do a little foreign market research and test your own mix of these tools.

Cindy King
http://www.articlesbase.com/international-business-articles/cross-cultural-communication-web-tools-company-hierarchy-712374.html

Related posts:

1. What ICT systems are there that help communication within a company and its staff? this is for my AS Applied ICT exam … its...
2. Internal Communication – at the Heart of Every Business Internal communication is an effective tool for handling many...
3. Engaging parents: what staff think School staff share their views about their experiences of parents...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Everywhere you turn, the current state of the economy is a central topic. The economic crisis is not only an issue in the United States, but a matter of global concern. In fact, the United Nations projects that about 20 million jobs will be lost worldwide by the end of 2009.

As many businesses across the country are facing financial challenges, employees naturally are uneasy about their future with employers. The fears of reductions in workforce loom large in employees’ minds. Minds that are also dealing with adjusting mortgages, rising childcare, fuel, food, and generally a higher cost of living.

Jon Gordon, author of “The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work,” suggests that employer’s ramp up communication during this period of uncertainty to quell employee fears. By holding weekly meetings, sending out informative newsletters or e-mails, an employer can better manage fears. Gordon says, “Even if things are great, people are still nervous.” When there’s a void in communication, he says, “Negativity fills the void.”

The reality is that as many businesses experience the twinges of financial strain, the first thought often is to turn to staff reductions, as reductions can be a fast and quick cost saving measure. However, the decision can also result in general fear, increased workers’ compensation and employment law claims, a loss of trust, and non-productivity.

There are options that employers should consider before making the decision to cut staff. Some alternatives are highlighted below.

• Have frank and open discussions with staff about financial challenges. Staff may willingly agree to a reduction in pay or hours worked in lieu of undergoing a reduction in staff.
• Consider retraining current employees so that they can assume greater responsibilities and limit the need of having to hire additional workers with specific expertise or limited skills sets.
• Consider cutting back on perks such as employer-sponsored meals and snacks. Although many enjoy workplace perks, most would gladly give them up if it meant saving jobs.
• Consider alternative ways to save money, such as banning color copies, canceling company service subscriptions or limiting employer-sponsored memberships.
• Have employees volunteer to leave early on days where business is slow or set up a rotating schedule of who will go home early on slower days.

The bottom line is if this is a challenging time for your business, be open and share with your staff. Employees are much more willing to compromise and contribute solutions when they feel their input and opinions matter.

Michele O\’Donnell
http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/staff-reductions-the-last-resort-722523.html

Related posts:

1. what are the basic height reqirements for ground staff in full cost domestic airlines? hii! im interested in working as groundstaff for full cost...
2. Why is it important for the NHS to have good information handling & communication skills amongst their staff? How important is good information handling, and good communication skills,...
3. NASA Staff Communication   When businesses talk about workplace staff communication they often...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Related posts:

1. 8 Ways to Motivate & Improve Staff Performance A stronger economy means more opportunities for you, and...
2. ways to communicate with customers other than through the verbal and non-verbal communication? what are other ways that a retail store can communicate...
3. Staff Magazine tool http://www.SnapComms.com Staff Electronic Magazine tool for organizational communication. Distribute user...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

use L2TP/PPTP

Layer Two Tunneling Protocoll /Point-to-Point Transfer Protocoll
128 / 168 encryption

for Virtual Private Network or Remote PC

use certification Windows that expired in 2028

In other words means

to tell you more you have to PAY FOR THIS

Related posts:

1. Communication is the New Job Security In motivation studies over the decades, \”job security\” has...
2. Transition Networks 24 ports MiLAN MIL-SM24004TG Wired Switch 1 Gbps (MIL-SM24004TG) The MIL-SM24004TG from Transition Networks is a managed 24-port...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.