Beyond Folders : communication skills

When Your Boss Bugs You

Community Manager — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:09:00 GMT

TV classic The Office is gearing up for a season finale where the Dunder Mifflen gang meets prospective boss candidates. Star-studded possibilities include Ray Romano, Jim Carrey and even Ricky Gervais. Only on TV is a kooky, crazy, annoying boss cause for laughter.

Are you starring in your own personal dramedy with your boss? We've posted here and here about dealing with bad bosses. But what of the merely annoying boss? The boss whose antics don't add up to HR complaints but get on your nerves nonetheless?

Bosses are people first and whenever two personalities need to interact day-in and day-out, there's bound to be the occasional friction. And if you and your boss have dissimilar temperaments, work styles, or even different senses of humor, tensions can be exacerbated.

Looking to defuse tension? Hoping to become impervious to your boss's irritating habits? Check out the advice in 5 Ways Your Boss Bugs You and How to Respond: tips include changing the subject when your boss attempts to over share personal stories. We also like the advice in 7 Ways to Deal with Annoying People and Still Get Things Done.

Finally, we leave you with a must read: 3 Annoying Habits of Successful People. You may see your boss in this piece, but then again you may see yourself. Read on to see what traits can really irk colleagues.

Have you ever worked for an irritating boss? How do you shrug off co-workers annoying habits? Share your thoughts here and at the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Let's Talk...Tips for Talking to Your Boss

Community Manager — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:07:00 GMT

Let's face it, bosses may be people too but sometimes chitchat with the corner-office occupant can feel a tad strained. You may be comfortable talking to your boss about work-related mattershttp://bit.ly/gkXDi9 but find that casual conversation throws you for a loop. If you need help finding conversational common ground with your boss for work outings, the holiday party or those awkward elevator rides, we have some tips.

Listen: This may seem counterintuitive but if you are a careful listener, you will always have something to say. Good listening skills will reveal interesting information about a person - their favorite hobby, a recent vacation spot, their hometown - that will provide fodder for conversation. Warning: No Googling and revealing overly-intimate knowledge of your boss' life.

Ask Questions: People like to talk about themselves. Artfully asking questions will help conversation flow. You can ask specific questions such as "It's been ages since I've seen a good movie/play, do you have any recommendations?" or more open-ended questions such as "Have any good ideas for holiday activities for the kids?"

Don't Panic: If the conversation falls into a lull, try not to panic and say the first thing that pops into your mind. Lulls in conversation are natural; don't rush to fill the void.

Put the Ball in Their Court: Once you've gotten the ball rolling, turn the conversation over to your boss. Saying "what do you think?" about whatever you're discussing, makes your boss a partner in the conversation.

Know When It's Over: All conversations eventually run out of steam; know when call it quits and make a graceful exit. Leaving on a high note will leave both parties willing to re-engage the next time an opportunity presents itself.

For more on the art of conversation read How to Talk to Anyone at a Party and When Work Involves Socializing: Knowing What's Appropriate...and What's Not.

How do you keep conversation flowing with higher-ups? Share your thoughts here by leaving a comment.

by Candie Harris

Recovering from Mistakes

Community Manager — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:24:00 GMT

Mistakes are an unavoidable part of work and life. It's been said that the greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fear you will make one. This celebrated quote states the obvious: mistakes are going to be made, no if, ands or buts. So don't hamstring creativity or the occasional need for risk-taking by desperately trying to avoid errors. Rather, learn the fine art of recovering from mistakes and free yourself from the fear of taking a misstep.

Moving On

Get some perspective (aka don't panic.) Everyone makes mistakes and even if its doozy, you can still recover and move on (look at Bill Clinton or Martha Stewart for very public examples). Do not hit the panic button; instead collect yourself, take a deep breath and get ready for damage control.

Assess and forgive yourself. Successfully fixing, or moving on from a mistake, requires a little self-care. If you're so busy beating yourself up, odds are you are not going to have the energy to actually fix the problem. Recognize that you made a mistake, as everyone does from time to time, forgive yourself, and get on with the hard work of fixing your mistake.

Offer sincere apologies. If you've erred, it's time to make amends. Take responsibility for the error, apologize sincerely to the offended parties, and get busy trying to rectify the situation any way you can. Actions always speak louder than words so put in some solid work before you expect absolution for your error.

Try, try again. Don't let mistakes derail you from staying in the game. Hiding out may be tempting but doing so can make it harder to reenter the fray down the road. Stay visible, let your colleagues see your contrition and your continuing efforts to be a team player.

Do right by people. If you've made a habit of doing right by your co-workers, this will pay dividends when you make a mistake. People are more likely to have your back if you've treated them well. Similarly, don't abandon your friends in their time of need, be consistently supportive of those around you and support will be returned in kind.

You may also find useful advice in the helpful How to Recover from Four Major Mistakes at Work: Bouncing Back After a Big Screwup.

How do you navigate mistakes? How important is a sincere apology in smoothing ruffled feathers? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

Work it Out: Getting Along with Difficult Co-Workers

Community Manager — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:22:00 GMT

In a perfect world, everybody would get along swimmingly including office co-workers. Alas, offices are full of people, and people come with a range of personalities, and not all interact harmoniously. Snow White may have watched the seven dwarves whistle their way to work but she still had to deal with Grumpy. Some fairytale!

Getting along well with others is not just a skill for the nursery-school set. The ability to work well with co-workers, clients and bosses is a must for professional growth, no matter the differences in temperament and work styles. So if your days are spent dealing with the office grump, know-it-all, or another personality type that drives you bonkers, read on for some tips for dealing with difficult personalities.

Take a Deep Breath: If a colleague is driving you crazy, take a step back and try to understand if this is simply a "different strokes for different folks" situation. If you see that the person in question simply has a different perspective or style and is not deliberately trying to annoy or harass you, you may find some of your animosity dissipate.

Clear the Air: No one is a mind reader. If you've failed to communicate that someone's behavior is adversely impacting you, how are they to know? Take time to calmly and coolly explain how you feel. They may be unaware that their behavior has upset or bothered you and may be receptive to your concerns.

Agree to Disagree: Sometimes people are truly out of sync. You can agree to disagree with a person's work style or opinion. Just be sure to treat your co-worker professionally and politely and make clear that you expect the same courtesy.

Take it Up with Higher Ups: If a co-worker is deliberately sabotaging you, shirking work or committing a host of other office sins, schedule time to discuss the situation with your boss. Again, be sure to remain professional and objective. Your boss will be more receptive to your concerns if you don't come off as a complainer or an emotional wreck.

When the Boss is the Bad Egg: Bosses are people too and sometimes you wind up with working for a difficult personality. Again, communication is key; try to dispassionately and professionally communicate your concerns and work towards getting your relationship on a better footing. If the boss just can't be tolerated, consider consulting with your HR department for guidance or in a worst case scenario, explore other job options within the organization or elsewhere.

Have you had trouble dealing with difficult personalities at work? Does your office have any policies that keep office relationships harmonious? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook page.

by Candie Harris

Communicating Better With Your Boss

Community Manager — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:33:00 GMT

If men are from Mars and women from Venus, what planets do bosses and direct reports occupy? Smart workers strive to be on the same planet, er, page as their boss. Direct, unambiguous and mutually respectful communications are key.

Too often communication breaks down between bosses and direct reports because neither is speaking the same language: expectations are out of sync. For example, the boss may want an overview but the employee provides minute detail. Or vice versa.

Here are five strategies to ensure that you are communicating effectively with your boss.

Be prepared.

Unless you're making casual water cooler chitchat, be sure to be organized before all verbal and e-mail interactions.

Be direct.

Don't beat around the bush. Direct, unambiguous communication is more professional than soft-pedaling information. Be polite, but be direct. Likewise, if your boss gives you negative feedback, keep your cool and respond neutrally.

Be a good listener.

Communication is a two-way street. You need to listen and truly understand what you're being told. If you're at all confused, ask for clarification. And maintain good eye contact so your boss knows you're listening. Everyone wants to be heard.

Be there.

Face-to-face conversations are a must for good relationships. Don't allow the ease of e-mail to entirely supplant personal contact.

Be clear.

Before ending your chat with your boss, make certain that each of you understands the next steps, strategies, etc. that you have agreed upon. This puts you on the same page going forward.

Do you communicate effectively with your boss? What tips do you have for keeping open channels of communication? Share your thoughts here and at the Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

When Networking Doesn’t Come Naturally

Community Manager — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:11:00 GMT

Networking is not just for glad-handers and the gregarious. Anyone can network. Even shy, introverted people can master the art of introductions and expanding your circle of business contacts, colleagues and clients.

Think networking isn't in your DNA? Entrepreneur magazine debunks the notion that shy people aren't good at networking. Networking is a two-way street says the magazine in the article Networking as an Introvert, and introverts are often good listeners, more readily able to understand others needs. This tit for tat dynamic is the architecture of good networking.

Not sure how to get started? Take small steps at first, no need to make cold calls or attend events where you know no one; begin reaching out to neighbors or friends, or join organizations that reflect your passions. Remember to be yourself, networking doesn't mean being a stand up comic or the most extroverted person in the room.

A self-proclaimed introvert offers the following useful tips from the web site Work Buzz.

Introverts think to talk.

Focus on listening rather than self-promotion in initial job search conversations.
Carefully select what job search events to attend - target those of most interest.
Prepare specific questions to ask new contacts.
Prepare and practice aloud responses to frequently asked questions while on a job search.

Introverts drill deep.

Research the type of job most suited to you and focus your attention there, rather than dissipating your energy casting a wide net.
Arrange one-on-one meals with select individuals rather than joining large groups.
Follow up with others based on their interests, proving your immediate value.
When at a career fair or job conference, leave yourself time between sessions to pace yourself, increasing your focus at the programs you do attend.

Introverts energize alone.

While at networking events, periodically step away from the group to recharge.
Volunteer - this gives you a focus, purpose and specific role while networking.
When arriving at an event, pause to look over attendee nametags, giving you initial alone time and the opportunity to strategize whom to meet.
Make notations about new contacts on their business cards, increasing your ability to remember details and creating breaks between conversations.

Do you have out-of-the box networking tips? Share your thoughts here or at the Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Candie Harris

Avoiding Communication Missteps

Community Manager — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

In real estate, the mantra may be "location, location, location" but at work the motto that makes life run smoothly is "communication, communication, communication."

We blog about effective communication frequently (see past posts Something to Say? Choosing the Right Form of Communication and How to Write Persuasively and Why) and we think about the topic even more often. Recently, I came across some terrific articles that crystallize the mistakes that people all too often make when communicating. Read on to avoid pitfalls.

What Not to Do

Harvard Business Review contributor Stever Robbins succinctly summarizes what not to do in Seven Communication Mistakes Managers Make. This article is spot-on in indentifying crucial missteps that sabotage effective communications. They include:

1. Making controversial announcements without doing groundwork first

2. Lying

3. Ignoring the realities of power

4. Underestimating your audience's intelligence

5. Confusing process with outcome

6. Using inappropriate forms of communication

7. Ignoring acts of omission

Cultural Foul-ups

In our increasingly global world, communication must surmount not only time zones but cultural obstacles. If your work environment includes cross-cultural communications, take the time to educate yourself about the nuances of the world with which you interact. Good advice can be found in

How to Steer Clear of Pitfalls in Cross-Cultural Negotiation - Tips for Avoiding Misunderstandings When Negotiating Cross-Border Deals and Avoiding the Pitfalls of Coaching Across Cultures.

Finally, I leave you with an amusing video produced by the Peace Corps illustrating cultural blunders in action.

Don't let this be you, educate yourself to avoid cultural communications gaffes and take steps to ensure that your domestic interactions are equally inoffensive (and most importantly, effective!)

Have you had issues with communication missteps? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

Getting Back To Business

Community Manager — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:34:00 GMT

September is the time when America's workers put away the beach gear and renew their focus on work. Summer tans may be fading but smart employees can keep a glow by re-engaging at work.

Author and employee retention expert Leigh Branham has made a career out of teaching employers how to engage and retain employees. But any successful relationship is a two-way street and employees owe it to themselves to self-engage on the job.

This September, commit yourself to focusing on Branham's five principles of employee self-engagement that he posits in Re-Engage: How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times. Branham argues that employees should take responsibility for engagement by:

Working for managers you respect in fields where you believe that you're making important contributions.
Understanding your strengths and pursing work that lets you use and improve those abilities.
Thinking of your job not as a static set of responsibilities but as a dynamic and growing relationship; identifying areas where you can contribute before you are asked. Seek opportunities; don't wait for them.
Learning to communicate assertively with your manager.
Learning to manage your stress and energy level. You are responsible for you.

Assess your job using Branham's five principles and see how you measure up. Use September to sync up your situation with these principles; you may find that commitment to self-engagement renews your vigor at work.

What steps do you take to self-engage at work? Do you have any tips for getting back to business after the lazy days of summer? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

From Playground to Boardroom: Dealing with Workplace Bullies

Community Manager — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:36:00 GMT

Bullying in the schools and online is often headline news. Now a recent study says that America's workplaces are also the scene of troubling bullying. Nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce is either a victim of or a witness to bullying on the job according to the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI).

What Does Workplace Bullying Look Like?

What constitutes bullying? According to WBI, workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment that takes one or more of the following forms:

Verbal abuse
Offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating
Work interference - sabotage - which prevents work from getting done

Signs that you may be being bullied include:

Feeling physically sick before work
Enduring repeated yelling and verbal abuse
Being repeatedly excluded from key meetings or social events

For more signs that your workplace is toxic, read Ten Signs You're Being Bullied At Work from Forbes.com.

I Spy a Bully

Work bullies like playground bullies need to be confronted to get their behavior to stop. Try letting the person know that their behavior or communications are unacceptable; if they don't change their interactions, it's time to get your boss or HR staff involved. For additional advice, BNET has a wonderful primer on managing workplace bullies: How to Handle a Workplace Bully.

Have you had trouble with an office bully? What steps does your workplace take to encourage civility? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

To Negotiate Well, Learn to Listen

Community Manager — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:25:00 GMT

"The basic mistake people make in negotiations is not listening," said Steven P. Cohen, author of Negotiating Skills for Managers in a Forbes article The ABC's of Negotiating. "Information is the most important commodity that changes hands during negotiations," Cohen added.

In a past post Negotiate What You Deserve, we blogged about how negotiating is a fact of life, be it at work or home: everything from vacation calendars to raises to what to order in for dinner can be subject to the push-and-pull of negotiation and compromise. At the heart of any successful negotiation is skillful listening.

Hear, Hear

So how to listen effectively? Let's take a moment to suss out what constitutes listening. Broadly speaking "listening" incorporates two functions: receiving spoken information and interpreting that information.

Interpreting the spoken word is where things get tricky. A famous Russian composer once said "to listen is an effort, and just to hear has no merit. A duck hears also." The key to effective listening is not merely to hear but to understand what the speaker is conveying.

Listen Up

So how to move from hearing to understanding? Take time to be an active, engaged listener, not a passive recipient of information; ask questions and study nonverbal cues. Stay engaged and connected; make an effort to keep your mind from wandering. Take time to check in and engage in reflexive listening, repeating what the person has said in order to help determine meaning, such as "you believe you need more time to complete the project? Is that correct?"

For more advice on your improving listening and negotiating skills we've assembled the following resources:

Are you an active listener? Do you see a link between effective listening and negotiating? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

When You Don’t Work with Mind-Readers

Community Manager — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:14:00 GMT

How many times in life have you wished you had a superpower? Leaping tall buildings in a single bound or seeing through walls? Nice work if you can get it but for those of us who can't read minds (and don't work with those who can) effective and clear communication skills are a must.

Great Expectations

Effective leaders set expectations for those who follow them. No matter your role-general, boss, teacher, parent-your underlings will not meet your expectations unless you clearly define them.

Expectations are milestones against which progress is measured. If expectations are not clear, people can become hesitant or indecisive. We've assembled a list of resources here that help managers effectively set expectations for their employees.

A tip that I found to be particularly useful was not to "over-operationalize a job" meaning don't put all of the focus on describing the steps to follow. Rather, define the outcome and let the employee get to a successful conclusion their own way. Sound advice. For more helpful tips, read the following articles:

How do you set and communicate expectations? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Decision Making 101

Community Manager — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:57:00 GMT

It's been said that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes. I'd amend that famous dictum to add....decisions. From sunrise to sunset, the day is jam-packed with decisions. And while many are relatively unimportant-coffee or tea?-other decisions are more weighted requiring careful attention for successful resolution.

Effective decision making requires having a clear picture of the issue at hand. An organized approach also helps. For tips on establishing a systematic method for decision making read this constructive article Decision Making Techniques and Decision Making Skills Training. In short, the article posits that adopting a logical and systematic decision-making process makes it less likely that important factors will be overlooked and that better and more effective decisions will readily be made.

Basics steps for making an effective decision include:

Create a constructive environment.
Generate good alternatives.
Explore these alternatives.
Choose the best alternative.
Check your decision.
Communicate your decision, and take action.

While these six steps can be viewed as decision making fundamentals, different situations can require additional steps. Decision Making 101 is a collection of articles on making decisions on everything from finances, your marriage to how to know when it's time to leave a job. In future posts, we'll examine specific types of decision making that occur frequently in the workplace.

For now, I'll leave you with some decision making advice from Suzy Welch, a business writer and wife of business tycoon Jack Welch. In her book 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea, Welch advocates defining options when making a decision by considering how the decision will affect you in 10 minutes, 10 months and then in 10 years. Welch's theory is that viewing decisions through this prism prevents one from making decisions based on short term expediency or solely with the long run in mind; instead all factors must be considered.

Interesting advice. What do you think? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

How to be a Better Boss

Community Manager — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:13:00 GMT

The hit show "Undercover Boss" is rolling out a new season featuring CEOs from mega-brands such as NASCAR and Chiquita slipping anonymously into their companies' rank and file. These honchos get an up-close, warts and all look at their companies' inner workings and leave enlightened about how to better run their company and be more effective bosses.

While the show makes for entertaining TV, going undercover within your workforce isn't the only way to become a better boss. We've collected an assortment of resources that can inspire you to become a more effective and trusted leader. Subordinates should read on as well; these articles are a two-way street, providing useful tips for improving interactions with your supervisors.

Tune In

Stanford professor Robert I. Sutton, and author of the upcoming Good Boss, Bad Boss, says good bosses work diligently to "stay in tune" with how their employees-and superiors, peers, and customers-react to what they say and do. These bosses realize that success depends on having the self-awareness to control their moods and moves, to accurately interpret their impact on others and to continuously make adjustments that inspire hard-work, pride and a sense of dignity amongst their workforce. In short, good bosses have well-honed, well-practiced emotional intelligence.

For more insight from Bob Sutton, read his blog post 12 Things Good Bosses Believe at the Harvard Business Review.

Coach, Not Control

Serial entrepreneur and columnist for U.S. News and World report G.L. Hoffman recommends bosses take a page out of the playbook of football coaches. Hoffman argues that the leadership qualities that translate into Super Bowl victories can be put into play at work. Hoffman says that putting people into positions where they can succeed is crucial as is developing players: successful teams have MVPs and the guy who carries the Gatorade. All play a crucial role in the team's success. Sports enthusiasts, read on for tips that may win you Coach, I mean, Boss of the Year: Manage like a Football Coach-22 Ways to Be a Better Boss.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Author, executive and mother-of-three Shari Storm believes raising children is a powerful management training system. In her witty and wise book Motherhood Is the New MBA: Using Your Parenting Skills to Be a Better Boss, Storm shares tips for managing your workforce that were honed on the toughest of underlings, young children. Storm suggests bosses create a family environment where everyone is invested in the well-being of the whole, that they set a calm and collected tone for the group and that they hold the line on tantrums. Sage advice for both the work and home fronts. For more on Storm's parenting-***-leadership advice, read Parenting 101: How to Be a Better Boss at Work and Home.

What makes a boss good or bad? Do you have tips for being a better boss? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris

Dial in, Log on: Your Conference has Begun

Community Manager — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:32:00 GMT

When the corner office is across the globe, personnel increasingly need to work across wide geographies and multiple teams. In a past post Teams and Time Zones: Tips for a Global Workforce we offer ideas for managing the logistics of working in different offices and time zones. Useful options for bridging the time zone divide include web and teleconferencing: both can help shrink the divide, facilitating both informal meetings among a handful of colleagues and gatherings for audiences into the thousands.

Best Practices

To make web and teleconferences run smoothly, keep in mind a few simple points. Try to schedule conferences at a time that's convenient for all participants. If that's not possible, rotate the times so that all parties have a turn at the less desirable (i.e. late/early) time slots.

Be sure to introduce yourself when speaking at least the first few times; don't assume participants will automatically recognize your voice. As with any meeting, limit side conversations. Make use of that mute button if you must colloquy separately from the meeting.

Practice politeness: limit typing and cell phone use during calls, you want to give your audience your full attention. Add a personal touch; if using a web cam, make routine eye contact just as you would a face-to-face meeting. If a webcam isn't available, consider uploading a .jpeg photo.

For more useful tips on web conferencing, check out these resources:

For more useful tips on teleconferencing, check out these resources:

Do you make use of web or teleconferencing? What tips do you have to make web and teleconferencing productive? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

Something to Say? Choosing the Right Form of Communication

Community Manager — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:46:00 GMT

To tweet or to e-mail? Phone or face-to-face? When a host of communication options are at your fingertips choosing the right one requires careful matching of audience and message.

The Basics

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's take a minute for an overview. Communication can be broken down into two broad categories: verbal and written. Both are used extensively in the workplace and life.

Generally speaking, verbal communication is a more personal form of communication and is well suited for interactions that require extensive questioning or back-and-forth and for delivering emotionally-charged information such as compliments or reprimands.

Written communication is the most appropriate choice when delivering detailed information, when something needs to be documented, or when a person is too far away to easily speak with in person or by phone.

What to Pick?

When proceeding, ask yourself how would you like to best receive information? In addition, I like to ask the people I interact with on a regular basis, what method of communication they prefer. Tap into your commonsense and do a gut-check. When in doubt, consult with a colleague for a second opinion. I've also found a list from the book The Leaders' Communication Toolkit to be a helpful guide:

Face-to-Face

Terminating employees
Cultivating relationships
Performance reviews
Resolving conflict
Sales presentations

E-Mail

Breaking news
Informal communications
Non-confidential communication
Scheduling
Working collaboratively with remote teams

Phone

Informal communications
Non-confidential communication
Sharing confidential communication
Scheduling
Working collaboratively with remote teams

Memo

Sharing information informally
Sharing information formally
When something needs to be documented

Audio/Video

Teleconferencing through phone/video for meets with remote teams
Sales presentations when in-person attendance isn't realistic
Working collaboratively with remote teams

Newsletter

Showcasing departments/people

Twitter

Breaking news
PR/marketing outreach
Building relationships with wide audiences

Keep in mind that choosing the right form of communication matters less than how well or effectively you communicate. When communicating verbally, master your emotions, avoiding sarcasm or angry tones. Be sure to be a good listener as well, verbal communication is a two-way street. For more tips on interpersonal relationships and communication in the workplace read our post Developing Emotional Intelligence: Putting on Your "Feeling" Cap. For tips on effective written communication, check out our post How to Write Persuasively and Why.

What rules of thumb do you use in selecting the right form of communication? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris