Choose Wisely

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn that, when it comes to the content of your message, the words you choose and use DO say a lot about you. And, you are then encouraged to choose wisely.

Why? Well, first examine examples of those who did NOT choose so wisely. Recently a report by CareerBuilder listed some major gaffes found on job applications. And as you see, most, if not all, of these gaffes could have easily been avoided.

One guy had the word "insanity" as part of his E-mail address. Conjures up an image, huh? Another had "lovesbeer" as a part of his.

While using pop language, or "hip" talk, might help you convey the message or image you want to convey, understand that not all of your receivers will find that to be a good image. The fact that you're a person who "lovesbeer" might say several things about you in certain situations. But, in others, it may be completely inappropriate and even damaging to your message's effectiveness. All because you simply chose the wrong words to use.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Because you can doesn't mean you should

Technology today gives you so many different ways to talk to people. The two keys for you are to first realize that "talking" is NOT the same as "communicating" and then, secondly, to figure out which method of communication will be best for your message.

More and more often now, men are proposing marriage to women through text messages. Really. Perhaps thinking, "Since we text each other all the time anyway, why not?", they shoot off a little missive that says "OMG, IDK, want 2 get married?" or something like that. How romantic. Even Miss Manners says, "texting, which is a lightweight way of conveying instant thoughts, is unsuitable" for proposals. The technology may be at your disposal and may be appropriate for certain messages, but it isn't appropriate for all.

We've discussed examples, in the past, of companies handling mass layoffs through E-mail. In casual conversation, you'll hear of some "jerk" who ended a relationship by voice mail or text. As the title of this post says, "Because you can, doesn't mean you should".

You can "talk" to people how ever you wish. "Talking" simply means that you're telling people things. They may or may not be listening, may or may not be understanding, and may or may not care about your message. But, you're sending the message anyway, because you're just "talking".

"Communicating" is something more and something completely different. Communication is about reaching someone with your message, affecting him or her in some way, and often eliciting a response from him or her. When you need to communicate, consider which method will be most effective in reaching the other person. It may not be the most convenient way for you, or your preferred method, but if it is more likely to reach the other person than it is the method to use. If they need an address and they need it now, text it. If they need an explanation and they need it now, call them. If they need information and lots of details, E-mail it. And if you want to get married, ask them face-to-face. Any message that is going to affect the other person emotionally should be delivered face-to-face so that you can see the effect you're having on him or her and gauge the response you get.

This is the type of advice and discussion you'll get in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

You're in the shallow end more often now

Scientists are starting to see and measure the affects today's society and the Information Superhighway are having on people. Their findings directly affect the way you need to communicate today. Your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar will teach you and your group the skills they need to be heard in this environment.

The book, "The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains" says, among other things, that people who are becoming accustomed to instant everything - information, news, answers to questions both pertinent and mundane - are developing patterns of distracted and shallow thinking. When people are used to the immediacy of social media, of constant texting and phone calls, and of "always" being able to to access someone or something, their methods of processing information change.

Memory development and usage are no longer necessary - instead of trying to remember who sang a song or what the name of a song is, you now simply hold up your phone and it tells you the title and artist. Instead of remembering what year such-and-such occurred, you know you can always find it online. Your phone will tell you your schedule. Your car will tell you how to get somewhere. You may consider these to be amazing developments that have greatly increased the quality of life, but they also affect how people process information, including your message.  No one needs to remember anything anymore. Sadly, that applies to your message, too.

On a social media site, you see that a friend did something, or posted a photo, or announced something that has happened to them. You respond as soon as you see it. That's great. But then, you move on to the next thing from someone else. And what your first friend did, showed, or announced is replaced in your memory.

Your message is a small part of a large amount of information that your receiver will see and hear in a given day. They'll digest it for an instant or two, and then move on to the next thing. You need to take that into consideration when you are crafting your message. Understand that subtlety is often lost because it takes too long to develop. Grab their attention early in your message and capture their imaginations in order to try to keep them. You CAN do it, but it takes some work.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing so. Once they get their noses out of their mobile devices, that is.

Eradicate Obfuscation

How bad has it gotten for clear, understandable speech in our country today? Last year, Congress passed something called the Plain Writing Act. Helping to spearhead the support for that Act and this year's Plain Regulations Act is the non-profit Center for Plain Language. When we have to have a "Center" for plain speaking and we have to enact legislation to force people to communicate clearly, we've obviously reached a crisis situation.

The Plain Writing Act requires all federal agencies to write all new publications, forms and more, in a "clear, concise, well-organized manner". Employees are to be trained in plain writing. The Plain Regulations Act now before Congress would force agencies to use plain writing in their regulations. And it would force the Office of Management and Budget to return for revision any regulations that aren't written in plain language.

Well, hallelujah.While it's sad that plain writing (and speaking) has to be forced on people, it's good that someone is at least paying attention and addressing this problem. Now, you need to make sure you're part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Plain speaking and writing involve several things that you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. It is stressed over and over in your seminar that you should use only words that you know will mean something to the other person. Avoid lingo and jargon, specialized language unique to a certain area of interest or expertise. Also, avoid trying to sound "hip" or "cool". In fact anytime you use a  word or phrase that your audience isn't familiar with, instead of being impressed with how much you know, they tend to feel alienated and even insulted. Plus, any time they spend trying to figure out what the heck you're talking about, is time they're not listening to what comes next.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your business or group, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. Everyone will learn, together, how to write and speak clearly, concisely and effectively. And you'll be a hero for making that happen.

It's a phone, not an appendage

A recently published list of phone tips for job seekers serves as a good reminder for you, too. The column of tips mentioned several examples of what not to do when talking on the phone. Tales of hearing someone flush a toilet during a phone conversation, of having the other person's words drowned out by wind noise because he or she is outside while talking, and of radios, kids, and dogs being so loud in the background that communication is nearly impossible are becoming all too common today. As phone use becomes more and more ever-present in today's world, it's easy to forget that you should treat each conversation as a special opportunity to communicate with someone. And that means that you should give them your undivided attention.

The practice of talking on the phone while driving, while shopping, while typing, while ordering food at a restaurant, and even while watching TV, means that your phone conversation suffers and your other activity suffers, too (see the 5/1/12 blog post). Multitasking doesn't work. That's why people are dying and killing others along with them because they're trying to drive while on their phone or texting. When you stop whatever else you were doing and focus on your phone call and the person(s) at the other end of the call, you can concentrate on communicating. Then and only then can you use the skills you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar to help you communicate effectively.

If it's important enough for you to call someone, or for them to call you, it's important enough for you to care about your conversation. Put the focus on the other person and think about your conversation from their perspective. Will they be able to hear and understand you? Do you need to have this conversation at a later time when it's quieter for each of you, or you have better cell reception? Can you finish your conversation without any interruptions from other sources? Take all of this into consideration and you will make a better impression on the other person, and you will enjoy a more effective conversation.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing so.

Phone calls passe`?

It may already be true. Phone conversations seem to be almost a thing of the past. Particularly when you're trying to reach a younger audience with your message, reaching out and touching someone just isn't your best strategy anymore.

Loud, annoying cell phone calls made in public are falling by the wayside, replaced by text messaging. On one hand, it's great to not have someone in a restaurant or airport lounge forcing everyone else to listen to his or her phone conversation. On the other hand, a brand new etiquette needs to be followed now in this day of individuals focusing on their phones and ignoring those physically in their presence.

What does this mean to you? Several things, including practicing Economy of Words, and utilizing the most efficient forms of communication possible. In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of editing your message so that it has a better to chance to break through the clutter of everyday life. With text messaging, you have no choice but to edit. In your seminar, you learn how to decide what to keep and what to edit out of your message. The voice-mail and E-mail strategies covered in your "Break Through the Clutter" seminar teach you to even use "Subject" lines to convey key points of your message. This is even more critical today if you've reached the point where you need to text or E-mail someone just to find out when you can call them.

While it may seem "old school" to call someone when you need to communicate, there are subjects that are still best left to face-to-face, or at least phone conversations, so that you can explain complex issues and gauge your receiver's reaction. That's another skill you'll develop in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, information that's now even more critical for you in today's fast-paced world.

Call or e-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Footprints in cyberspace

Colleges and employers, both current and prospective employers, can and do check an applicant's digital footprints to help determine who might not be a good fit for their school or business. Tweets, photos and postings on social media sites, blog rantings, search results and more, can give screeners a clear picture of an applicant's behaviors and activities. Too often, it's not a very flattering picture.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn that focusing your message on the other person(s) is one of the most important things you can do to communicate effectively. As a part of that, you learn to think about your audience - what they're doing, thinking, and feeling, what they'll do just before getting your message, what they'll do just after getting your message, and in what environment they will receive your message. You learn how to differentiate between different audiences and how to tailor different messages to those different audiences.

Those are the skills you also need to apply to creating your Internet presence. Some like to call it the "Grandma" test - if you wouldn't want your Grandma to see it or read it, don't post it. Consider who will see your posts and photos, who might see them at a later date, and decide what is and isn't appropriate for each potential audience. Gear each posting and photo toward the appropriate audience and only the appropriate audience. If your friends will think you look great with your tongue out and a drink in your hand, great. Show them that. But keep in mind that you might not want everyone to see that particular pose.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. Help them get the skills they need to communicate effectively, and safely, in today's world. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Think, before you send

Unthinking people do foolish things all the time. But today's technology too often lets you take your faux pas "to 11", to use the line from "This is Spinal Tap".

In the U. K., a job seeker E-mailed a note and his resume to 4,000 head-hunting firms. He's "Unthinking Person #1" in this story. They each got the same note. The E-mail had the names of all recipients visible. Each recipient could tell that no effort was put into the job search.

"Unthinking Person #2" is the head-hunter who took exception to being included in the mass E-mail. He wrote an expletive-filled reply that included "it's nice to know you are taking this seriously and taking the time to make us all feel special and unique", and told the applicant that he was too stupid to get a job in banking. Further, he attacked his competitors at head-hunting firms, calling some of them obscene names. Then, he hit "Reply All".

As you can imagine, both #1 and #2 are looking for work now.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of striving for Zero Defects in your messages. You learn that proof-reading is critically important. You learn to check your emotions when creating your messages. And, you learn to put the focus of your message on the other person, understanding what he or she is thinking, feeling, and doing when receiving your message. This story shows two individuals who would have benefited from putting that knowledge to use. Don't let this happen to you.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Twenty-five words, or less

Several college and universities have begun having admissions applicants answer essay questions using only twenty or twenty-five words. That's right, your chance to make an impression and to be accepted to the college of your choice can now hinge on 25 words, or less.

The questions can be a little off-beat, too, which perhaps lends itself to such short answers. Questions such as, "Best movie of all time?" are giving the schools new and more personal insight into a candidate's make up.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of editing your message for length and time. You learn that you may have as little as three seconds to make an impact on the other person with your message. And you learn how to put the important (to them) information early in your message. Now, it appears that this might be a skill you also need to develop to get in to college. And, if that proves to be successful for schools, you can imagine that such questions will be used in job interviews of the future, too.

Real-life communication skills and the tools you need to master in order to communicate effectively, all presented in a humorous and entertaining fashion. That's what you get when you schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business. Call or E-mail today, to schedule your own seminar, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Two words - Anthony Weiner

Wow. Sometimes blog posts write themselves. In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn that, when it comes to E-mail (and nowadays text messages, tweets, Facebook posts, and other text messages) remember this phrase - "When in doubt, leave it out."

That also applies to photos of you with your drink raised, doing duck lips, with your mouth open, or with your tongue sticking out. In the moment, it may seem like the thing to do. In retrospect, or when seen by an unintended audience, it may come back to bite you in your photographed and texted bulging undershorts.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business. It will not only help your organization and its members communicate more effectively, it could keep their careers from going down the drain. 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Yes, it DOES matter

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn that the words you choose and use DO say a lot about you. And you're cautioned to, therefore, choose wisely. An advertising agency and one of its now former employees learned that same lesson the hard way recently. He "dropped the F-bomb" in a Twitter message while signed in to a client's Twitter account. He not only lost his job, the agency lost the client. The fact that he thought he was using his own private Twitter account at the time is immaterial. If he simply didn't use that word in any communication, he would have never made that error.

Profanity has crept into more and more common usage over the years. Depending on the intended audience for your message, perhaps you can get away with some mild usage of offensive words to make a certain point. But profanity, and other offensive terms and phrases, is often "in the eye of the beholder". It is simply best, for effective communication, to use only words, terms and phrases that you know will mean something to the other person. Avoid anything that might be offensive to him or her. When you draw attention to the words you use, you draw attention away from your message's content. Use your intelligence and advanced vocabulary to find another, non-offensive way of saying the same thing.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business. 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Watch It!

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you'll learn a couple of good rules to keep in mind regarding E-mail and other text messages.

First, if you wouldn't say it in public, don't say it in a text message. The other rule is similar but perhaps more direct. When in doubt, leave it out.

It's easy to accidentally send a message to the wrong person, or at least to people you didn't intend to send it to, like clicking "Reply All" instead of "Reply Sender". A recent survey in Britain showed one-fifth of those responding had sent a "racy" text to the wrong person. Oops. Try explaining that one to your Aunt Hilda.

The best way to think of text messages, especially E-mail messages, is that they are like the back of a postcard. Anyone can read them. And chances are, someone other than the person you sent it to, will.

Call or E-mail to day to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Privacy? No.

In June, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on whether an employer was reasonable to search employee text messages. Unanimously, the court ruled that the search in this case was reasonable. This was not an all-encompassing decision, but it is one that will serve as a precedent in the future.

What does this mean to you? If you wouldn't say it in public, don't say it in a text, E-mail, or voice-mail, either. The Electronic Communication and Privacy Act lets your boss go through your E-mail at work. As technology continues to develop into new methods of communicating, new legislation and litigation will be needed to sort out what can and can't be done by employers. But, you will do well with an overall philosophy of "when in doubt, leave it out".

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar you learn that a great way to think of an E-mail message is that it's like the back of a postcard - just about anyone CAN read it, and chances are someone, other than the person you sent it to, WILL.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing something that really helps people in today's world.

Watt a grate book

A book released last month is all about typos. Hopefully, it doesn't contain any. Two guys took a two-and-a-half month clockwise journey around the U.S. hunting for typos. They weren't disappointed. 437 errors were found on public signs. Some were misspellings, some were wrong forms of a word (they're, there, their), some were simple mistakes. 437 on display for public consumption.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of Striving for Zero Defects. Everybody makes mistakes. The only people who don't make mistakes are dead people. The key is to keep your mistakes from ever seeing the light of day.

First of all, mistakes send a message about you, and, it's not a good one. More importantly, mistakes become distractions. The focus of your receiver goes off of your message and onto the mistake. You're essentially creating interference for your own message.

And, mistakes can cause confusion. Anything you can do to make it easier for your receiver to understand what you're talking about is in your best interests. So, use a spell check program. Have others proof your work before it ever sees the light of day. Whatever it takes to reach Zero Defects.

This isn't about being picky or anal retentive. It's about taking pride in your message and making it the best it can be so that it is as effective as it can be. And that's what you learn how to do in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Less is more, here as well as there

It's official. There is now an unwritten policy in China that bureaucrats need to edit what they say and stop talking and talking and talking. Amen.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn about the philosophy of "Economy of Words". In China, they're putting it into practice. A Communist Party official in Henan was forced from the podium during his remarks and chastised by a superior with, "All your words are empty. Please stop reading and get off the stage." Ever wanted to say that to someone?

With texts, tweets, IMs, phone calls, electronic media, and all of the other messages bombarding your receiver every day, they have neither the time nor interest to listen to you prattle on. Edit your message to the bare bones, make it efficient in its use of language, and phrase it so that they get your message right away. That way, you'll make an impact BEFORE they ask you to "please stop reading and get off the stage."

Learn how in your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule one for your business or group, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

Watch and learn

Now that the Primary Election campaign is over in many parts of the country, watch and learn from how campaigns change as the General Election approaches. It's a great example, whether you're a fan of politics or not, of tailoring your message to fit your audience.

In the primaries, candidates are only running against others in their same party. So, a candidate needs to convince members of that party that he or she is "more Democrat" or "more Republican" than opponents. But, for the November election, independent voters and voters from the other party need to be won over. The messages, themes, and promises of the Primary campaign give way to newer, more moderate messages and promises.

That's what it takes, not only to get elected, but just to reach your audience in general. And that's what you'll learn how to do in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Think about who your audience is for a given message. Think about their frame of mind, their wants and needs, and the environment in which they'll receive your message. And then, tailor your message to fit those unique circumstances. That's how you break through the clutter of everyday life and actually reach the people you need to reach.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

Editing for success

Ken Burns' masterful documentary on the Civil War includes a quote from Edward Everett in its discussion of the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg. This quote was also included in the official "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar workbook years ago in order to encourage you to edit, edit, edit.

To recap the story, Edward Everett was one of the speakers at the dedication of the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1863. As was the custom at the time, Mr. Everett spoke for about two hours. Then, Abraham Lincoln was introduced to the crowd and he delivered what is known as "The Gettysburg Address". The official photographer of the event took his time readying his equipment as the President began to speak, knowing that he had a couple of hours to get the right natural light and compose his shot. Suddenly the President finished and walked over to sit down. The photographer quickly snapped the only existing photo of the event, a blurry shot of Lincoln, in mid-air, as he's sitting down.

Following the event, Edward Everett wrote to Lincoln and summed up the whole philosophy behind "utilizing Economy of Words", a skill you'll learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Everett wrote, "I wish that I had come as close to the central idea of the occasion in my two hours as you did in two minutes." Seven score and seven years later, one of those two Gettysburg speeches is remembered and treasured.

Writing or speaking a lot, or for a long time, does NOT mean you're a great communicator or an effective communicator. It doesn't even mean that you have a lot of important things to say. It just means that you talk a lot. And, in today's fast-paced world, it also means that no one will listen to you or remember what you said. Edward Everett was an orator. Abraham Lincoln delivered a message that meant something.

"Economy of Words" is just one of the philosophies and approaches to communicating effectively that you will learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

Say, what?

As a follow-up to the post from 7/7/10 about the narrow demographic the Athletic Equipment Managers deal with when communicating with their athletes, there are a number of words, terms, and phrases that still seem normal to you nowadays but make no sense at all to younger people. It's not that you're getting old, it's just that they might have a completely different frame of reference than you do.

For instance, try telling a 20-year-old that when he or she keeps repeating something or constantly bringing up a certain subject, he or she sounds "like a broken record". In fact, with today's MP3 players, you might not even be able to use "like a stuck CD" anymore.

Similarly, saying in frustration that "trying to talk to you is like getting a constant busy signal" is meaningless. Their lives have really only seen call-waiting and calls that go straight to voice-mail when someone is not available. A busy signal is not something they've ever had to deal with.

Picturing an actual person in your mind when composing your message can and will help you avoid these and similar pitfalls. Take the time to actually think about that person - what are they thinking, doing, feeling - what are their experiences and background - and take all of those characteristics into consideration as you compose your message.

It's an important point that's stressed in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar because it is so critical to the success or failure of your message. It's all part of putting the focus of your message on your receiver.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

When in doubt, leave it out

In your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar, you're reminded that E-mail is not necessarily private. And that your boss can get into your E-mail at work, thanks to the Electronic Communication and Privacy Act.

Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the use of employer-supplied computers, cell phones and pagers may be reviewed by employers. If the employer has a policy that clearly tells employees that the use of this equipment can and will be monitored, then the content of E-mails, text messages, pager messages and the like, is open to review.

In your seminar, you hear that the best way to think of E-mail is that it's like the back of a postcard - anyone can read it, and chances are someone, other than the person you sent it to, will. Hence, when in doubt, leave it out when it comes to sensitive material of either a business or personal nature. Especially, when using employer-supplied electronic devices.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

E-mail only for appropriate subjects

Soon, it will be the anniversary of one of the worst uses of E-mail ever. And that serves as a reminder to you to use E-mail only in situations where it is appropriate.

You learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar that anger, sarcasm, and other negative emotions need to be gotten out of voice-mails and E-mails. Negative emotions like that are best left to face-to-face communication where you can see the effect you and your message are having on your receiver.

With all of today's methods of electronic communication, it's easy for people to hide when there's a potential for conflict. Things like ending a relationship by texting, breaking up through voice-mail, and the like, though, make you look shallow and callous. It's obvious that you didn't want to deal with the emotions in person, so you hid behind technology.

This was carried to another extreme nearly four years ago now, in August of 2006, when Radio Shack sent this E-mail to 400 employees - "The workforce reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated." Fired, by E-mail.

While it may be easier on you to hide, screen calls, and block E-mails, if you really want to communicate effectively, know when it is appropriate for electronic communication and when face-to-face is really the only option.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.