| President's Message |  |  Last month, I had a wonderful opportunity to teach positive confrontation (based on my book The Power of Positive Confrontation) to a group of police officers in the southwest.
It was a first for me. I have taught conflict management to hundreds of professionals in all types of industries, and presentation skills to police officers, but never before had I talked with police officers about managing conflict.
Initially I was unsure why they needed the seminar. When I spoke with the officers' training director, however, he explained that he had read my book, which he called a "game changer" for him, and wanted his officers to learn my concept of "polite and powerful" behavior. He believed that if his officers became more aware of how they came across to others, many of their everyday interactions with the public would be less confrontational and more likely to build rapport within their community.
The day of the training arrived, and I admit I was a little nervous, facing so many representatives of "The Law." I had better do a good job.
Fortunately, the training day was great. The officers listened, asked numerous questions, and really got into the role plays in which they acted out some of the situations in which they might find themselves, and their reactions. Some of the items we discussed were uncomplicated issues, such as officers removing their sunglasses so people could see their eyes, to more-complex ones, like staying calm when they were helping victims of domestic violence.
I walked away with greater appreciation for the difficult encounters police officers face every day, and felt good that positive confrontation would help them in their daily jobs.
Barbara |
| | | Social Media Etiquette in the
Digital Workplace The ways in which people communicate are changing rapidly. In the digital workplace, electronic exchanges-–text messages, Facebook posts, tweets, video chats, blog commentaries and email messages—are being used to convey information as much as, or more than, in-person discussions, phone calls, and written correspondence.
Yet, as with all things new, there is a learning curve. It takes time to understand how to use the new tools politely. A breach of etiquette (even committed in innocence) can result in loss of business or damage to your reputation.
This short seminar will help participants interact effectively with colleagues, bosses and clients whether they are using their Smartphones to text a colleague or their computer to tweet followers or email clients.
To schedule a seminar or for more information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856-751-6141 or joyce@pachter.com.
 Email Etiquette: Still Puzzling After All These Years
Though email has been around for a while, I still get numerous questions from business people and reporters about how to use it appropriately in the business world. Here are some of the more recent questions:
Is it okay to use email to send a thank-you note?
In today's business-casual world, an email thank-you note is acceptable. Email still doesn't replace the personal quality of a handwritten note, but if you want the note to get to the person quickly, you need to use email.
Do I need to use a salutation?
Email doesn't technically require a salutation, since it is in memo format. And when email first appeared, many people did not use salutations. Eventually, people started adding a salutation to appear friendlier and to soften the tone of their writings.
I see both e-mail and email. What is the correct spelling?
Both are correct, as long as you consistently spell the word the same way throughout a document. But remember that our language is always evolving. When the AP Stylebook was revised recently, the hyphen disappeared from email within its covers. Most print media in the United States follows AP (Associated Press) style. I have eliminated the hyphen in email, also.
I received an email that clearly wasn't intended for me. Should I let the sender know?
If the sender will be expecting a reply, you need to let that person know. One woman in a similar situation wrote: I know you're very busy, but I don't think you meant to send this email to me. And I wanted to let you know so you can send it to the correct person.
I need to send an email to a group of people. What would be an appropriate salutation? I have used, "Hi all," but that sounds awkward.
You could use "Hello Everyone." You could also just say "Hello."
I never know at what point I no longer need to respond to someone's email. Any suggestions?
If the person needs to know that you received the information, or the person has helped you, you need to respond. A quick "Thanks" is usually all that is needed.
Pachter & Associates is an international communications company providing group training and individual coaching in the areas of Business Etiquette, Assertive Communication, Presentation Skills, Women in Business, International Etiquette, Positive Confrontation and Business Writing.
For more information, visit us at pachter.com or call 856-751-6141.
Requests to reproduce our articles for commercial or other public use must be made in writing to Barbara Pachter at bpachter@pachter.com.
© Pachter & Associates 2013 | | |