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Helen Wilkie's Articles in General Business

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  • Don't Let Jargon Hide Your Message
    Sometimes our business letters, memos and e-mails fail to communicate our message because we put up barriers between the messag and the reader's mind. One of those barriers is inappropriate use of jargon.
  • Employees' Poor Writing Skills Can Lead to Lost Profit
    Employees' writing skills — or the lack of them — substantially affect the bottom line in ways you may never have considered. This article gives some surprising examples.
  • The business letter: still a valuable communication tool
    The letter has traditionally been the central vehicle for written messages in the world of business. In fact, it still is. Even today, in spite of the continuing growth in e-mail, text messaging and other technologies, when we want to send important information in writing to people outside our companies or organizations, the business letter is still the best choice.
  • For New Managers, Conventional Management Training Doesn't Fit
    When it comes to management training, one size does not fit all. New and recently appointed managers need a different type of management education.
  • On my own time? What Time?
    Proponents of e-learning often cite as an advantage the fact that people can take the training at their desks, on their own schedule. The problem is everyone is so busy that it's difficult to find the time. There are other disadvantages to learning at your desk.
  • Influence: the ultimate workplace advantage
    Knowing how to exert influence is a valuable skillset in today's workplace. In this article, Helen Wilkie gives a simple example of how you can use the Laws of Influence to your advantage.
  • Networking: admit you don't know
    Networking question: why do we think we should be experts in everything? If we acknowledge our ignorance on a given topic, we open up the possibility of learning.
  • What do you mean, I'm not a team player?
    We all see ourselves as team players, but what that term means may be quite different to men and women.
  • Avoid e-mail overload and still keep everyone informed
    Trying to keep everyone informed and up to date by sending a blizzard of e-mail doesn't work, and just increases people's stress levels. Here's a better way.
  • Constructive Criticism Can Be More Valuable than Praise
    We all know people like to be praised. But constructive criticism is also valued because it helps someone improve --- which can actually make it even more welcome than praise.
  • Don't ask for feedback if you don't want it
    Making a final decision is a managerial function. Asking for feedback or input on that decision is optional. But if you don't really want feedback, don't send false messages by asking for it. That can sow the seeds of resentment on your team.
  • Praise Individuals As Well As Groups
    Praising a group for its contribution is a positive thing, but it can be even more valuable to praise the individual group members.
  • Business Meetings: Who to Invite
    A major reason business meetings fail is that the wrong people are in attendance. Here are some questions to ask yourself in deciding who to invite to your business meeting.
  • Benchmarks In Presentations: Is This Good, Bad or Indifferent?
    Benchmarks in presentations are essential tools to help your audience understand the impact of information. They help people decide whether a stated fact is good, bad or indifferent.
  • In Communicating At Work: Keep It Simple
    Whether we're talking about sales conversations, meetings, e-mails or other written messages, presentations or reports, if we want to improve communication at work, we need to learn to keep it simple.
  • Take Responsibility for Your Own Communication and Take Back Your Power
    Taking responsibility for your own part of communication at work can actually empower you. This article give you specific ideas for reclaiming your power at work through more responsible communication.
  • If you want good answers, ask good questions
    Asking questions is a great way to get the information you want or need, but not if you ask the wrong questions. This article illustrates how to ask good questions to get good answers.
  • Holding Effective Meetings: nine simple rules
    Business meetings are a fact of life, but too many of them are conducted inefficiently and simply waste everyone's time. This article provides nine simple rules for holding effective meetings.
  • Business Networking: Three Tips to Make it Easier and More Successful
    Career networking is important, but it can be intimidating. Walking into a room full of strangers can be a challenge, but these five tips will help make it easier and more successful.
  • Include Team Members In Setting Goals for the Year
    New Year is traditionally the time for great plans and schemes to be hatched by those at the top of organizations and teams. But implementation is often doomed from the start, because all the team members were not included in creating the plans. If you include team members in setting goals for the year, you'll have a much better chance of success.
  • Employee Morale, Employee Retention and Common Civility
    Employee retention is an ongoing challenge in today's workplace. Employee reward programs are an integral part of the solution, but the root cause of morale problems can easily be addressed with no financial outlay at all.
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