tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110066022009-06-25T15:51:00.529+03:00<center><B>Azriel Winnett's Insights and Commentary for Users of<br> <a href="http://hodu.com">HODU.COM - YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS PORTAL</A></B></center>Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-42123149440409050892008-05-12T14:36:00.003+03:002008-05-12T21:40:01.054+03:00

What's the difference between a good leader and an excellent leader ? According to Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and various other books on the same topic, the answer to that is a no-brainer. You guessed it, of course: it's emotional intelligence. At any rate, that's what accounts for at least 85% of the difference!And if you think

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-68929460663141775212008-05-11T13:59:00.003+03:002008-05-11T16:14:06.694+03:00

An estimated 100,000 people have already perished, and millions made homeless, owing to the devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar, the largest country by geographical area in Southeast Asia. The sheer magnitude of the destruction is more than mind-boggling, and equally so is the enormity of the need for relief. Several million people are in dire need of support. Things each of us often take for

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-77464208941089671972008-03-30T16:57:00.002+03:002008-03-30T18:02:35.762+03:00

It was his first post as school principal. When the soft spoken, mild mannered young man walked in the door to take up his new position, he had no prior experience in running even a "normal" school. And this was no normal school.Junior High School 22, a hotbed of drugs and violence, was one of the most dangerous spots in New York City. No surprise that it had gone through six principals in two

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-32028631601171292892008-02-27T13:31:00.005+02:002008-02-27T16:21:16.224+02:00

As we've asserted repeatedly over the years, the way many people perceive relationships is great for romantic novels, but has little to do with real life.People enter into serious relationships such as marriage with little preparation or even basic knowledge what to expect. Then, when the inevitable disillusionment sets in, they may be so overcome with doubt that they act and react in

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-52770286608115898792008-01-15T13:22:00.000+02:002008-01-15T18:57:25.854+02:00

It's not the kind of sandwich that will hopefully quieten your rumbling stomach during your midday break, but it does have something in common with the contents of your lunch box: it's meant to be appetizing, figuratively speaking, and easy to digest.Like it or not (and usually not!) there's something almost everybody in the workplace has to brace themselves to receive now and again: those

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-49186032455479784362008-01-10T22:09:00.000+02:002008-01-10T22:10:52.627+02:00

What, marriage is bad for your health? Hardly. Few things can be more health-promoting than a good marriage. But read that headline again. What's going on in your marriage?To be more specific, marital conflict can be bad for your health. A growing body of research now bears this out, points out Dr Joshua Coleman, prolific contributor to our site (as well as dozens of media outlets around

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-21893231350006641252008-01-08T14:29:00.000+02:002008-01-08T21:35:43.826+02:00

Susanne Gaddis, a.k.a The Communications Doctor has for many years been a veritable goldmine of "Prescriptions for Effective Communication", as she calls them, and her new weekly email tip-sheet, Communication Booster Shots, continues the tradition.A friend, family member or colleague shares some exciting (from her point of view) news with you. So how do you respond? This is the pertinent

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-3184478657485817692007-11-14T14:57:00.000+02:002007-11-14T22:04:41.628+02:00

The growth of e-mail, Instant Messaging, SMS, web conferencing and the like - together with the decline in face-to-face meetings and phone calls - has broken all the accepted rules of business etiquette.This is the view of Microsoft's unified communications manager Mark Deakin, as reported in The Times recently.Yes, he says, for sure we're becoming savvier every day in terms of applying IT,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-65171770716311319782007-11-04T10:52:00.001+02:002007-11-04T13:11:19.695+02:00

Have I noticed a strange new language pattern creeping into people's speech? Yes.Does it make the message any clearer? NoDoes it annoy me? Yes, it annoys me a lot!With these three short paragraphs, business communication coach Helen Wilkie introduces a short rant in her excellent e-newsletter Communi-keys.Of course, she could have written: "Recently I've noticed strange new pattern creeping

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-46682195310358434592007-10-24T16:17:00.000+02:002007-10-24T21:33:55.641+02:00

Dr. Mark Goulston, clinical psychiatrist turned business coach, describes in a column of his in Fast Company his meeting with a certain high-powered personality.Ed is a highly competent and successful CEO, respected and admired by many in the business world. He has good manners and for the most part, is respectful of others. On the other hand, his modus operandi is characterized by that

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-78189340752637468392007-10-23T20:59:00.000+02:002007-11-04T15:35:53.118+02:00

Thank you to training consultant Dan Bobinski, whose ongoing stream of penetrating, down-to-the bone observations and insights on corporate and work life have long earned my respect (See Dan's top-class blog), for the following intriguing parable:An adult, the story goes, was walking with two small children in a nature park. Before they knew it, their path was next to a steep cliff. “Stay

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-8609311388057999562007-07-29T16:15:00.000+03:002007-11-04T15:37:03.855+02:00

As you know, Hodu.com is dedicated to bringing you the best resources to help you communicate effectively on all levels, build harmonious relationships and enhance your social skills.In line with this mission, we have now launched an exciting new section, presenting carefully selected educational videos dealing with the various topics we cover.Although many of these videos may be available

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-37859266645969523152007-04-18T11:45:00.000+03:002007-04-18T16:09:00.768+03:00

The tension in your marriage relationship is becoming unbearable...and deep down you know you're at fault. Your dilemma is: how do I proceed now?Implementing a solution can be far from easy, points out Dr. Peter Pearson, but nevertheless there is a solution, and in a popular article on our site, he outlines a formula for getting the results you want.Yes, it's a matter of apologizing, but what

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-72257474356491949552007-04-16T21:32:00.000+03:002007-04-17T15:43:59.017+03:00

Hey, what have shirts got to do with writing?Well, this is how consultant Dianna Booher describes two styles of writing - at the opposite ends of the spectrum - in her very worthwhile email offering: Communication Tip of the Month.As we know, different people have different ways of expressing themselves with words. "Stuffed shirt writing" refers to the ultra-formal, stilted, impersonal and

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-26317329571281262442007-02-28T20:04:00.000+02:002007-02-28T23:07:15.442+02:00

We know that our two eyes are intended to be used for far more than the routine and passive viewing of objects, people and events. They play a critical and indispensable role in effective communication, building productive relationships and proving one's ability as a leader. It would be folly to underestimate the power of the eyes.In her column on careers in the Wall Street Journal earlier this

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-89955661231485927432007-02-14T13:13:00.000+02:002007-02-14T19:36:30.870+02:00

Yes, you've read correctly. I don't like it.The word "partner" is used very widely by people writing about relationships, including many of our own site contributors. And it's perfectly understandable. After all, what better term do we have at our disposal to describe your opposite number in an intimate relationship? While dictionary definitions may differ, its simple meaning is one

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161948964079565052006-10-27T11:04:00.000+02:002006-10-27T13:36:04.676+02:00

Thought is the father of action. How we think affects how we feel, which in turn influences how we act.Of course, our thoughts, whether positive and negative, also influence the way we respond to the people around us. Often, just by shifting our mental focus, we can bring about a profound change for the better in our relationship with another party. We can create a new reality.And it may be hard

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161266119560245052006-10-19T12:21:00.000+02:002006-10-19T20:26:10.593+02:00

I don't know whether her motive was to pass on some useful advice for mature living or merely to help us remember the spelling of a common word, but a schoolteacher of mine often used to admonish us: "Don't assume! It makes an ass out of you and an ass out of me."At any rate, it's certainly true that failing to verify what appears to be obvious could mean a lot of hard work and

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1161007532002108592006-10-16T15:51:00.000+02:002006-10-27T13:54:41.933+02:00

Regular contributor Joan Lloyd explains in her latest article on our site explains why a "nice" workplace - one where the overall atmosphere is relaxed and congenial, where workers don't appear to be complaining about each other or their superiors, where the bosses appear to be tolerant and easily satisfied - could be, in reality, not nice at all but rather downright nasty.When a manager,

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1156430150093228482006-08-24T17:32:00.000+03:002007-02-16T13:12:21.843+02:00

This time of year is "back to school" for millions of college and university students all over the world. For beginning students especially - freshmen as they're called in the US - one of the most daunting challenges, regardless of what course they are taking, will be the expectation that they be able to write at a high level.The University of Maryland's Professor Linda Coleman, former

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1155123403258920442006-08-09T13:19:00.000+03:002006-08-10T00:15:22.770+03:00

If there's one aspect of interpersonal relations that's absolutely essential in the workplace, it's trust. Without it, the wheels of business would turn very slowly, if they turn at all.This is true whether it's a customer trusting that a company will fill and order and deliver it on time, an employee trusting that her boss will reward her for working long hours to meet a deadline, or one

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1149685383908666812006-06-07T14:00:00.000+03:002006-06-07T16:17:11.453+03:00

Writing about people who work in the customer service industry, site contributor Andy Hanselman points out that its often easier to stick to a prepared script than to think and use your initiative.In other words, whenever you're confronted with a query or a complaint that has the slightest smell of some similar case that you have handled sometime in the past, the automatic pilot in your

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1148289343802582312006-05-22T11:56:00.000+03:002007-02-20T23:00:16.073+02:00

Hodu.com is a one-man show, and Your Communication Skills Portal is growing by leaps and bounds. I've been kept pretty busy searching for good content, making contact with our highly talented band of contributing authors, editing and posting new articles and attending to a multitude of routine tasks necessary for the maintenance of a big site.Nothing to complain about, of course, but the downside

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1143493233372197992006-03-27T21:08:00.000+02:002006-03-28T10:23:47.576+02:00

When it comes to forming opinions and making judgments on hot political issues, supporters of both the major political parties in the United States don't let facts get in the way of their decision making. At least, that seems to be the conclusion of an interesting experiment by researchers at Emory University, according to a report released last January.There's a lot we can learn from this

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006602.post-1140620648358839822006-02-22T15:07:00.000+02:002006-02-22T19:21:58.836+02:00

Marketing expert Paul Myers, well known, among other things, for the dry wit with which he peppers his writing, made the following comment in a recent issue of his ezine:CertifiedEmail is pretty much a fait accompli. (From the Greek, for "Done deal. Get over it.")Actually, he knew very well that the term fait accompli is French, not Greek. His intention was a humorous one, although some of his

Azrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669699588206008571noreply@blogger.com1