Sep
26
Overcoming Fears and Winning Your Audience EffectivelyPublic speaking isn’t for everyone. Those who haven’t overcome their high school stage fright probably don’t have plans to do so at the next company orientation meeting where they’ve been selected to talk about the
recent company merger! Public speaking is that fun class that you hated to take, but needed to finish in order to get your English credits in college. After that, well, the rest was up to you to get the skills and experience you might need.Even though you may avoid it, gaining strength in public speaking is an asset that can help in both a career and social setting. Your self-confidence is immediately boosted when you are able to connect with your audience, no matter how large or small. If you’re having trouble with an upcoming speech, don’t know where to start, or just need to fine-tune your skills, try out some of these public speaking tips that actually work!
Aug
30
Why the Attraction is More Powerful OnlineThe rise in social networking sites has opened up doors to a variety of possibilities and avenues of interaction; millions of web users log into their favorite portals each day to exchange news, events, and show various sides of their personality. An online presence in your network comes
close to paralleling a full-fledged social life in the ‘real world’ for many; the gossip fest surrounding a particular news piece in the media, a current event, or a personal story can elicit thousands of page views within a few hours. Who needs a soapbox to cry out today’s affairs when your idea can be carried across the world in less than an hour? Writing up a blog full of links to support your viewpoint is a rising trend for thousands of subjects.Sites such as Digg.com, Furl, Technorati, and other Web 2.0-driven sites are creating large-scale opportunities for this immediate exchange. This ‘invisible grapevine’ serves as a fantastic web of informational energy, bursting with the latest and greatest. If you’ve got the scoop on your favorite star, have a juicy story-byte on the happenings in the community, or are just getting back from a crazy encounter with the media, there are many avenues to disperse and declare your views. Gossip blogs are quickly becoming a top search item on many news, entertainment, and current event networks for low-key, high-drama content. People are now thinking beyond a phone call, an e-mail, or even a face-to-face conversation. If you can generate an article on the next nearest keyboard, chances are your opinion and comments will get heard and even sputtered around a network within a few hours. Thanks to large-scale social networks that highlight hot topics instantly, gossip and chatter are taking on new forms for hundreds of users and viewers.
May
24
The Psychology of Gossip, and Why it is a Crucial Part of Social InteractionSocializing is a natural human activity and may even be considered a need for survival. It is necessary for social norms and culture to be understood in order to learn and grow within a group or setting; climbing the social ladder isn’t just for housewives and women’s groups!
Men take part in this form of interaction but perhaps in a different context; business networks, closed social circles, and even groups of friends can take part in similar interaction patterns. And it’s in these close circles and networks that the need to gossip is commonplace.Gossip isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it is a way for people to connect, to gain insight about one another, and learn through the grapevine. Positive gossip creates unique, interesting, and evolving relationships. Who doesn’t want to know a friend’s decision to propose one week before their potential mate? Who wouldn’t want to know that their neighbor friends are planning a surprise party for their new son-in-law? However, gossip in the negative contexts can cause harm and emotional upset between friends, groups, and networks. But can it be overcome, or is it a natural human trait? Workplace gossip is likely the most popular; most people spend almost half of their waking life at work, and can form tight bonds with peers and coworkers. Gossiping around the water cooler isn’t just for office types; it is a widespread trend, and can often be the way to learn a company’s culture from the inside out. If and when you koow what happens in the rumor mill, it’s likely that you will be able to identify safe, and unsafe, territory! Just remember that being known as a gossip monger is probably not your best career option; it’s best to stay aware, but choose not to participate. If you take your job and career seriously enough, you wouldn’t want to be associated with this always-present vein in any company! As tempting as it may be, set your boundaries and stick with them.
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