Obviously, nowadays there are more ways than ever to communicate from a distance, from instant messages to video calls. The number of different options can sometimes be a little overwhelming.

But just because we have lots of remote communication options, that doesn’t immediately make us good remote communicators. Here are important rules to follow and tools to use to be ensure you become proficient at communicating from a distance.

Communicate accordingly to the medium

Video calls, voice calls, instant messaging, email, social media postings: there are so many means of communicating remotely that is it difficult to adapt the way you communicate each time, but that is exactly what you need to do.

Think about it. A video call gives us the opportunity to see the other person, but often we have to contend with slight delays in what we do and say. Voice calls, however, tend to be a little quicker in exchange, but then we do not have the benefit of being able to see each other. Body language – something that can be such an essential part of communicating – is suddenly redundant.

A simple question can prove how easy it is to miscommunicate through the incorrect use of a medium, and here it is: How many times have you offended, or been offended, by an instant message? And now compare that to the number of times you have been offended by an email. Emails very rarely put our noses out of joint the way an instant message can, simply because it is so brief.

You could make a similar comparison between a telephone call, where you can obviously only hear the other person, and a video call, where you obviously have a little bit more to play with in terms of being able to see the person and judge their body language.

The fact is, instant messages usually cause the most problems because of the extremely short, and often reactive, nature of the messages. Emojis can help hugely with the tone of the message, and this is an example of communicating well according to the medium. Would you stuff an email full of emojis? Probably not.

The key here is to adapt the way you communicate for each method of communication. That is what the best remote communicators do.

Write well

Writing is a skill, but often the key is to keep it simple. If you have difficulties producing written work that reflects what you want to say, consider using an online writing tool such as Linguix, which not only fixes structural and spelling mistakes but can help you with the tone and formality of your writing. Linguix even offers templates to help with all manner of different communication tasks, such as writing blog posts.

If you want to communicate well remotely, let the right tools guide you.

Respond swiftly and clearly

Another issue with their being so many means of communication these days is that it is hard to stay on top of all the ways that people can (and do) contact you. That means you may need to keep a tab on WhatsApp, Slack, Skype, Email and Facebook, for example, and that can be tricky.

As well as ensuring that you manage your incoming messages properly, you must also ensure that you have an effective means of replying in a timely manner. Because communication is so instant, people can be a little impatient when it comes to expecting a reply, so don’t let your tardiness in sending a response, damage important business relationships. Use an app manager to collate all of your incomings, and then have an efficient process for prioritizing and then responding. Using set templates can be helpful, so you don’t need to rewrite similar messages from scratch each and every time.

And keep your messages simple. Overcomplicating things very rarely does any good. Reply in a timely fashion, be simple and clear in your response, use the correct tools to help you (such as Linguix) and see how you can quickly become an efficient and productive remote communicator.

The post Guide: Communicating at a Distance appeared first on Linguix Blog.

This guide will give you some practical tips for putting together your first college essay or paper. Here’s all you need to know:

First steps

Do you understand what you need to do? If not – and we mean understanding 100% – then seek clarity from the professor or tutor who has set your task. Ask as many questions as possible, and seek out examples too. You are well within your rights to do this as a student, and it actually shows a large degree of diligence and conscientiousness to do this. Any tutor would be impressed.

Seek inspiration

Research is key to any good piece of work, and this is equally true of your first college paper. Unearth as many sources as possible and collate the information you gather neatly, with an idea in mind regarding how you would like to present the findings of this research. In doing this, make sure you:

·      Follow the essay guidelines as closely as possible, seeking clarity from tutors where needed.

·      Ask to see or get access to previous essays submitted to get a good idea of what a good essay entails (by no means should this be used for plagiarism purposes, but instead to study the way in which the essay is presented, and to understand what a good quality piece of work looks like – this is the first time you are doing it, after all).

·      Follow tried-and-tested formulas. You do not need to reinvent the wheel in terms of presentation, which brings us neatly to…

Use a great template

Formatting your essay can often be the toughest task – even harder than the content itself! What should your essay even look like?

The first piece of advice is to check carefully with the professor who has set the task because there are usually guidelines to go along with any assignment that has been given to you. What is the structure? How many words does the essay need to be? These are usually made clear.

Usually, not always. And once you have been given guidance on these particular issues, it may still not help.

Never fear, for why not use an AI-powered writing tool that can provide a first-class essay template to fit your needs? An AI-powered writing tool such as that offered by Linguix.

Always start with a draft

When Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, he didn’t just get out of his paintbrushes and start painting. First, he made a draft of what he wanted to depict, and so with any essay you write, make sure you put together a draft first before you work on the end product. You may end up with half a dozen drafts, each time ironing out weaknesses and adding relevant points that weren’t included before.

Perfect the structure

Nearly all essays will be based upon a tried-and-tested formula, as a well-constructed template will prove. Of course, there are different types of essays and essay structures. That said, a basic formula can be defined as follows:

1)    An introduction, featuring an enticing hook +

2)    A brief summary of your intentions and presentation of the essay +

3)    Your thesis statement (the main argument that you will seek to prove, or disprove) +

4)    The body of the essay (tackling the previous point) +

5)    A summary of your argument +

6)    A hard-hitting conclusion =

A well-structured essay

Here is a simple example of how this works in reality.

Once again, it is important to reiterate that there are different styles of essays, but that’s exactly where a template as provided by the likes of Linguix can make a big difference. The template library on Linguix offers all manner of options that fit differing needs.

And when you’re done, don’t forget to proofread!

The post Writing Your First College Essay appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Here’s how you can start to make improvements with your workplace communication.

Listen better

Being a better communicator all starts with firstly becoming a better listener. Have you really heard what people are saying to you, or are you choosing to hear what you want to hear?

We are all guilty of that sometimes, so start by truly listening to what other people have to say. If you are being charged with a task, listen very carefully to the brief: what exactly do you have to do? Or if someone asks you a question, mull the question over in your mind for a few second before launching into a response. Certainly, don’t respond with a pre-prepared answer that sounds overly rehearsed: that will only give the impression that you were not really listening in the first place.

While listening, use active listening skills and responses to show that you are engaged with what the other person is saying. Half the battle is convincing the other person that you are truly listening, and that their words are being heard. That starts you off on the right foot immediately.

To be a better listening, employ some of these strategies:

·      Don’t remain silent, but use responses to show you are listening

·      Ask questions to show that you are seeking clarification

·      Make everything a conversation, not a challenge or competition.

·      Use the correct body language. Look at the person when they are speaking to you and have an open body shape.

Think about your audience

Who are you communicating with? That is the first question you must ask yourself. Why? Because no two people are the same, and audiences differ and respond to varying approaches.

There are so many variables when it comes to audience. Age, culture, language, seniority, and more besides. Learn to tailor your communication skills to the audience at hand. For example, some cultures tend to be more direct than others, so what may be deemed as perfectly normal and polite in Spanish may not wash in Japanese.

It all boils down to educating yourself and paying attention to how good communicators work, taking note from them. If you are doing business internationally, read up on the culture and ask a guide to assist you in navigating any communication faux pas that are unlikely to unfold.  

Less is more

And remember than too much can certainly confuse the matters. Keep messages as simple as they can be. Do not overly complicate things, and allow time for questions.

Always check your understanding of what the other person is saying, clarify accordingly, and move on from there. Keep it simple, in other words.

Use tools and educate yourself to be a better communicator

There are many tools you can use to be a better communicator, and we can all educate ourselves by reading more, listening to those who are deemed good communicators and taking tips from what they do.

There are also a number on online tools and apps which can be availed of to help with that all-important communication at work.

One such tool is Linguix, which is an AI-powered writing assistant. Not only will it help in penning anything from content articles to work emails, but also gives you word prompts and synonyms, which helps you build your passive and active vocabulary. Active vocabulary is the vocabulary that you actually use – when speaking or writing – to communicate. What better way to become a better communicator than to have the right word available for that very situation or feeling you wish to express?

Linguix also gives you a readability score in the web app, so you are able to gage how well your writing reads to your audience. It’s a great way to become a better written communicator in English.

P.S. In the meantime, use our unique 30% off discount offer on a yearly Premium subscription to unlock the full power of our AI-based grammar-checking engine.  

The post How to Communicate Better at Work appeared first on Linguix Blog.

An idiom is simply a set expression, whose individual words often do not relate to the true meaning. While raining cats and dogs may indicate a heavy rainstorm, we can assure you no pets were harmed in the creation and use of this popular idiom!

We are not speaking about technical language – or jargon if you will. Idioms are clear to all speakers in any context, and they are particularly likely to be found in an office environment, not to mention in interviews and press conferences, or cleverly harnessed in a particularly effective marketing campaign with a catchy slogan.

So, dive on into our list of some of the best-loved, and oft-quoted English idioms which cannot fail to hit the spot in the workplace, and beyond.

Classic workplace favorites

1) Get/Set the ball rolling

Obviously originating from some form of game, this is now a much-loved business idiom which means to start an activity. Every new project has a starting point, and someone who has to begin it, so this is quite literally the beginning of everything you ever do.

In use: “So I think we are all clear on what we need to do. Sally, if you can set the ball rolling by sending an email to get opinions on the subject.”

2) Take the bull by the horns

Not a nod to a traditional Spanish sport, or indeed a risky encounter, taking the bull by the horns is to take control of a situation, often by being decisive. So, don’t be a passive bystander, or watch meekly as your latest project struggles: take the bull by the horns and be the master of your own destiny.

In use: “No one was taking responsibility for the poor performance of the new product until John took the bull by the horns, took charge, and was able to lead the team to success.”

3) Ahead of the curve

A business that is ahead of the curve – a trendsetter if you will – is in a good place. More modern, more advanced, more successful! Similarly, your boss will be most appreciative if you remain ahead of the curve – up-to-date and innovative in everything you do. And a happy boss is a great boss!

In use: “You’ve all done a great job this year, but with increasing competition, we really need to stay ahead of the curve if we want the business to remain successful.”

4) On the back burner

And often used analogy in business is the juggler – a person who has many balls up in the air at the same time. Multi-tasking is an essential part of most jobs these days, but setting priorities is essential. If something becomes a priority, similarly another thing loses importance…for now.

That’s when you put it on the back burner. This idiomatic favorite comes straight out of the kitchen – putting the less important elements to the back of the stove where the heat is reduced. You can almost see it as you do it!

In use: “Thanks for all your work on the training programme but we have to put it on the back burner for now while we concentrate on our new product launch.”

5) Back to the drawing board

Sometimes things are not working out, and something needs to be rethought. That’s when you take things back to the drawing board: literally where many of the world’s greatest inventions began. But it doesn’t have to be a physical thing, you can take any idea back to the drawing board, or go back to square one, to start again on the road to success.

In use: “Unfortunately the new marketing campaign hasn’t been as successful as we would have hoped, so let’s go back to the drawing board, and I’d like some ideas on my desk by Monday.”

6) Think outside the box

Want to be the boss’s favorite? Want to show that you are as innovative as the best of them? Then climb outside the box most thoughts are born into and start thinking! No, not literally! Thinking outside the box means to develop ideas that are outside the norm: innovative and fresh. If you want to get ahead in the workplace, thinking outside the box is a great place to start.

In use: “Our new product needs to be something really special, so I want you all thinking outside the box on this one to come up with something truly memorable.”

Other idioms to help you make your mark (make a good impression!)

7) On the same page

This one’s got nothing to do with books and everything to do with being synchronized in your actions and thinking. Any effective team must be on the same page – success is hard to come by if not. So, make sure you are on the same page as other thriving businesspeople with this old favorite.

In use: “I hope by explaining this to you we can now be on the same page as we go forward.”

8) Up to speed

No one wants to be left behind, and in a fast-moving environment, staying up-to-date is no easy task. Fortunately, you can be up to speed with your business idioms by using this oft-used favourite. No getting left behind for you!

In use: “I want the report to bring me up to speed with all the most recent developments with the project.”

9) Touch base

We could produce a pretty detailed article with all the idioms that have found their way into modern parlance from the baseball field, and here’s another. It’s important to stay in contact and share information is any workplace, so touching base with colleagues is a must. So, don’t say you’ll speak on Wednesday, say you’ll touch base instead.

In use: “Let’s touch base on Wednesday and you can fill me in with developments.”

10) Hit the nail on the head

If you think hitting the nail on the head means identifying the correct thing, then you’d be spot on, which incidentally, has the same meaning. Of course, there are no tools required for this hugely popular idiom, but it’s a colorful phrase nonetheless.

In use: “When you said that we needed to invest more in staff training, you hit the nail on the head.”

11) Too many irons in the fire/bite off more than you can chew/juggling too many balls

Many idioms don’t make sense to a modern audience because the way we do things has changed – we have electricity to thank for a lot of that. So, having too many irons in the fire wouldn’t be a problem these days. But biting off more than you can chew (and hence swallow) or juggling so many balls that you are undoubtedly going to drop one or more? These idioms may have the same meaning, but only two of them would have a modern understanding. Yet our language so often reflects bygone days, so feel comfortable in using any one of these crowd favorites – in this case having a lot of irons in the fire can be a good thing!

In use: “It’s clear what went wrong: you had too many irons in the fire. If you had concentrated on just one or two important clients, you wouldn’t have lost all of them!”

12) Not up my alley/not my cup of tea

This pair of idioms, the first more frequently heard in the States, the second unsurprisingly favored by the British, is great because saying that you don’t like something can be so negative. Of course, in business, and beyond, sometimes you indeed have to let your feelings known, but done like this, you can make a negative situation so much less abrasive. So, if it’s not your cup of tea, or up your alley, let it be known like a native.

In use: “I appreciate all the hard work you have done but I guess this is just not up my alley. But I think with a few changes, it could be just what we are looking for.”

13) Cut to the chase

Pleasantries are always important, no one likes it when someone only talks shop (business, business, business!) But there are moments when the time is ripe to say what you really need to. No more talk for talking’s sake, let’s cut to the chase – the action! Unsurprisingly this well-loved idiom (particularly by impatient bosses) originated in the movie business – the chase being the action required to maintain interest. Yet from Hollywood to the boardroom, this is a colorful idiom that will get the conversation where it needs to be. You can get down to brass tacks too if you prefer – that takes you to the same place!

In use: “I have understood all that you have said up till now, but let’s cut to the chase. What do you really want?”

14) Face the music

Here’s one we hope you never need. As nice as it may sound, facing the music is not recommended, as it means you are accepting the blame for something that you may or may not have done. It’s the moment of truth when the boss reads you the riot act (a few more idioms for you right there), so it really is an idiom to use rather than experience if at all possible.

In use: “I have a meeting with the boss on Friday, I’m pretty sure I’ll be facing the music over that deal that I didn’t close.”

The post 14 English Idioms To Communicate Like a Natural In The Workplace appeared first on Linguix Blog.