Services
One-on-One Consultation
Powerful Presentations
Communicate Across Generations
Communication Skills
Gender Communication
Professional Image Development

Newsletter | Holiday 2009 • Volume 17 • Issue 4

This issue: How to Relax, Mix and Mingle During the Holidays

Dear Readers,

This month marks the end of our first year as The Insight Communication Group. And what an exciting year it has been!

Not only did we change our name to better reflect what we do but we made a number of other changes as well.

We revamped our website entirely with a new layout, new descriptions, new graphics, new articles, and much easier accessibility. If you haven’t seen it, do check it out: www.theinsightcommunicationgroup.com. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

We revised our Communicating Across Generations sessions by adding a segment on social media! As with so much relating to how generations communicate, the use of social media is an important area for us all.

We moved to a new office and have now settled in at 1425 W. Schaumburg Rd. along with all of the changes that has entailed.

Throughout it all, our Advisory Board has been of immense help with ideas, support and encouragement. I would like to thank them all:

• Jill Allread, Principal, Public Communications Inc.
• Gary Beu, Managing Director – People and Leadership Development, West Monroe Partners LLC
• John Early, Vice President, North American Sales, Harley-Davidson Financial Services
• Sonya Evanosky, Controller, HSBC Technology & Services USA
• Carol Kone, Associate Director, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
• Sharon Lawrence, Vice President, Human Resources, NorthShore University Health System
• Bill Niro, Attorney at Law, Niro, Scavone, Heller & Niro
• Bob Sash, Partner, Deloitte Tax LLP
• Mark Shadle, President, Central Region, Edelman
• Cynthia Vivian, Director, Human Resources, American Library Association
• Stephanie Wise, Executive Vice President Business & Institutional Services, First Midwest Bank.

Finally, our sincere appreciation to all of you, our clients, former clients, and friends for your continued support over the past 20 plus years! We wouldn’t be here without everyone involved!

Sincerely,
Pat Smith-Pierce
CEO & Founder

Staying Fit: Do's and Don'ts of Stress-Free Holidays

Evamarie Pilipuf
Fitness Expert and Founder of www.TheFlexibility
Coach.com

Ah, the holidays. Amazing how two innocent words can produce a bountiful array of images and emotions. This year, give yourself the gift of enhancing the positive and coping with the negative with the following fitness do’s and don’ts:

1. DO set your expectations appropriately. This time of the year is what I typically call a “tread the water” period: You may not make huge strides in your fitness goals but the easiest way to lose weight is to not gain it in the first place!
2. DON’T just wing it. With the above in mind, it’s important to have at least some idea of what your goals are. A firm but flexible plan to stay on track in light of the chaos the next several weeks will bring.
3. DON’T abandon the exercise ship completely. In fact, it’s a good idea to make physical activity a top priority, even on the days you’re extremely busy. The more active you are, the happier and more energetic you’ll be.
4. DO explore mindful eating to get the most out of holiday eats and treats: You can eat within your body’s needs and still be able to enjoy more of those “forbidden” favorites. Build your eating around wholesome foods most of the time; When you indulge, enjoy the appearance, the aroma, and the taste of the food.
5. DO be wary of the “group domino” affect: You’re on track with your regular healthy eating goals, and one of your coworkers declares it a good day for pizza! Before you say to yourself, “Oh well. I’ll just eat better tomorrow,” stop! Doing so means suddenly your eating habits are being dictated by others.
6. DO get some fresh air: Whether it’s a brisk lunchtime walk, a quiet nighttime stroll around the neighborhood, or a weekend hike, there’s nothing like taking the time to enjoy the beauty of the natural world at this time of the year.
7. DON’T stop monitoring yourself: Keeping honest with yourself will help you trouble-shoot small lapses before they can become major problems.
8. DO adopt the mantra, “Every inch is a cinch” when it comes to extra calories burned from everyday activities: Park the car further away from the store. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. It does add up by as many as 150 additional calories burned a day. That's over a pound NOT gained.

Ways to Show Appreciation

This past year has been a brutal one for business. Companies have gone bankrupt, profits are down, employees have been downsized and morale is often swirling around the drain.

So how do you show appreciation for employees – and co-workers - who are trying to take up the slack and do what has to be done? And how do you do it when little or no money is available for raises?

We spoke to some of our readers to see how creative and successful they were in letting workers know they are appreciated.

Charles Stanley, Vice President, Human Resources, North American Frozen Bakery, Maple Leaf Bakery
One of the things we do to recognize those who go above the call of duty (typically below director level) is called a Bravo Bonus. In most cases, it is the extraordinary effort someone displays to meet a customer's demands that are essential to the business.

A good example would be an executive assistant who might be here late but takes a customer request if the customer cannot reach customer service. The executive assistant then tracks down the head of customer service to meet a customer request. In that case, the head of customer service might recognize the person with a certificate (Bravo Bonus) along with a $100 gift card. It is not meant to compensate their salary but be significant enough they could buy something or go to dinner.

Ronald S. Sonenthal, Office Managing Partner - Chicago Tax Practice, Deloitte Tax LLP
We have a number of formal programs to reward positive behaviors. Monetary awards range from a "spot" award of a small (under $25) gift card to more substantive awards of $100 to $5,000. And, while the money is important, I believe that we have as a much success with non-monetary recognition.

For example, two years ago, we established the Deloitte Quest Award. The award was designed to reward good mentors. We asked our people to provide written examples illustrating good mentoring behavior. All individuals who are nominated are recognized. The award itself is a nice compass for someone's desk (representing that you were able to guide someone through their career). Each subsequent year's nomination is recognized with a sticker noting the year of the award, with the expectation that the stickers will be applied to their compass.

We also publicly recognize the award winners, and provide them a copy of the nomination form that was the basis for the award.

There is no money involved, but I think that our people really appreciate the recognition.

Diane Brown, Assistant Vice President, Technical Projects Manager at a major financial institution, tells about managing a large project with people all over the country. One of the team members joked about wanting T-shirts for the team. Money was not available to buy all members T-shirts, so she went to ClipArt, found a blank T-shirt, added the project name with WordArt, and sent a virtual T-shirt to all members. They loved it! It's now a running gag, and now she creates virtual T-shirts and gifts to members on all of her projects.

One experienced trainer actually used play money to "reward" participants. The funny part is when someone gets "$10," someone else who only got "$5" actually "complains."

Bob Menard, Training Manager for Sears, gives small rubber ducks to co-workers at various times throughout the year. "I started giving these little toys to my nieces and nephews at holidays. Then I did it a couple of times at work and the people seemed to enjoy them. They keep them on their desks, so they must like them."

Making You a “Star” at Holiday Parties

Patricia Smith-Pierce
CEO and Founder
The Insight Communication Group

The holiday season can be both fun and stressful as discussed elsewhere in this issue. That can be especially true at company holiday functions where you know the boss or other executives are there and possibly watching you.

Being able to talk easily with everyone can decrease the stress and add to the fun of the function. Here are some quick tips to help you enjoy yourself more!

What are your answers to the following questions?

a) Do I give so much detail the other person begins to tune me out?
Analytical communicators want to provide their listener with a step-by-step description, filling in the details as they go along. For Expressives and Drivers, this can be very irritating as they are primarily answer-first communicators. If your listener’s eyes appear to be “glazing over”, quickly change and just provide the bare details. Let them ask if they want more information.

b) Do I think and talk so fast I often do not finish my sentences?
Expressive communicators frequently move from one thought to another—in the same sentence. They assume everyone is following them. If your listener appears “lost” or confused, slow down and make certain you finish your sentences!

c) When I first meet someone, does my tendency to talk about family and friends appear to be met with resistance?
Amiable communicators believe that building personal relationships is the primary use of communication. Therefore they always begin each interaction by discussing what has happened in the family or with mutual friends. On the other hand, Driver and Analytical communicators tend to minimize small talk and often don’t feel very comfortable with it. If the person does not appear receptive to sharing personal information, move on to other topics.

Here are a few nonverbal communication cues to watch for to help you assess how you are being heard. Taking note and changing as needed will make your holiday event more enjoyable and less stressful.

Frown on the brow: generally the person is confused or uncertain.
Positive Head Nodding: usually reflects a person who is comfortable with what is being said.
Unseeing Eyes: usually indicates the person has tuned out.

Thanks to Our Contributors!

Once again we'd like to thank the contributors to our newsletter. We sincerely value their diverse views and expertise in the field of communication.

• Sonya Evanosky
• Lafayette J. Ford
• Chetan Ghai
• Ron Milner
• Cassie Turner
• Teresa Hall Bartels
• Nancy Briney
• Sharon Lawrence
• Joyce Watts
• Dale Grossman
• Mark Shadle
• Evamarie Pilipuf
• Charles Stanley
• Ronald S. Sonenthal
• Diane Brown
• Bob Menard

News about The Insight Communication Group

Pat Smith-Pierce recently served as a mentor for the ASCEND Midwest Chapter Workshop.

Pat was recently installed as a member of the Governing Board of The Metropolitan Club of Chicago.

Past Issues

Fall 2009 Newsletter

Summer 2009 Newsletter

Spring 2009 Newsletter

December 2008 Announcement

If you'd like to request a previous newsletter, please contact us.

share this page

Copyright 2009 The Insight Communication Group Ltd.
All rights reserved.
1425 W. Schaumburg Rd #311 • Schaumburg, IL 60194 • 847-895-6527 • Fax 847-895-6576 • office@ticgltd.com