Two Ears one Mouth !

Good communication begins with listening

By Annette Richmond

Whether you're interviewing with a potential employer, meeting with a client or giving a project update to your boss whether you're successful or not depends in large part on your communication skills.

Unfortunately, most people think of communication as talking or writing. They think primarily about getting their message across to the other person. This is a big mistake.

The key to being a great communicator is to learn to listen. Understanding what the other person is thinking will help you tailor your message to their needs. This is the best way for you to succeed. Become a better listener by using these three techniques today.

Focus on the other person

Remember the last time you tried to carry on a conversation with someone who was looking around the room or checking his watch? Imagine what it's like for a potential employer.

Let's say Joe is interviewing with Susan the marketing manager at ABC Company. Joe is prepared. He carefully explains why he wants the job and what he can do for the company. Trouble is Susan notices that Joe frequently looks down or gazes out the window. She finds it difficult to take Joe seriously.

Naturally, you'll want to avert your gaze from time to time in order to avoid starring. Try to do this while still focusing on the other person. Practice maintaining eye contact with friends and colleagues. Soon you'll feel comfortable in any situation.

Stop thinking about you

I once read a quote from Ed Howe, "No man would listen to you talk if he didn't know it was his turn next." While this seems a bit harsh, I believe that there is probably an element of truth to it.

At one time or another, everyone has been guilty of planning a response while the other person is still talking. Maybe you're meeting with an important client, eagerly waiting to answer her question. Be careful. Don't be so eager to dazzle her with your knowledge that you miss what she's really asking.

Don't be afraid of silence. Practice taking a few moments to gather your thoughts once the other person has finished speaking.

Pay attention to the music

Make sure you listen to the music. You'll hear it in the other person's tone of voice. Do the words and tone agree? It's like seeing a fake smile. When someone truly smiles her eyes sparkle and her face lights up. When someone "puts on" a smile only the corners of her mouth turn up.

The next time you're in a meeting listen to the words AND the music. There's a difference between "OK, I'll take care of it" and "OK, I'll take care of it!" Make sure that you're getting the right message.

Many philosophers have suggested that we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak. That's great advice for everyone who wants to develop better communication skills.

Being a good listener is more than being there while someone is speaking. Being a good listener means hearing and understanding the message that's being sent.

It HOTS up for students!: Deccan Herald

Bangalore, Feb 11: For the first time, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students of Class 10 and 12 will take their exams that includes Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) that will put to test, their application skills.

The 2008 examination, which is set on the new curriculum, will have 20 per cent of questions based on HOTS.

Addressing presspersons in Bangalore on Sunday, CBSE Chairman Ashok Ganguly said in HOTS format, students will have to understand and interpret the questions. “It is more of application-based,” he said.

Earlier, the questions were more — Most Of The Same (MOTS) type, which was repetitive and stereotype.

The question paper is designed in such a way that students should be able to answer all the questions within the stipulated time, besides revising them.

This year too, they will be given an additional 15 minutes so that they get sufficient time to read the questions carefully. Internal evaluation in Maths, Social Science and Science subjects and oral testing in languages will be introduced for Class I to X.

A new model on grading system for Class IX and X is in the offing, Mr Ganguly disclosed.

For the first time, CBSE has come out with joint certification for vocational course. The course is Financial Marketing Management, being taken up in 90 schools and which will be certified by NSE and CBSE.

CBSE is also planning to develop many such courses in collaboration with NIFT, NASSCOM for IT-based package course and other organisations including general health care and retail management. All these courses will be supported by the industry.

“We need industry support not only for framing curriculum but also for the transition of curriculum. This is going to be a paradigm shift for Class 11 and 12. One of the reasons for the change is the 11th Plan, which is about universalisation of secondary education,” Mr Ganguly said.

On new subjects for Class 12, he said it will be more skill-based. One of them has already been implemented — creative writing and translation. “Some of the programmes we are planning to introduce are films and media, heritage crafts and others,” he said.

The chairman said the board is thinking of introducing nanotechnology at school-level. “We are thinking whether to introduce in science or as a separate subject,” he added.

'Fish rain' takes Kerala villagers by surprise

Residents of Kandanassery village near here were quite surprised when small fish started raining down towards the end of a sudden downpour on Monday night.

The phenomenon was first noticed by two persons when the little slimy things started pattering on their body while they were returning home late in the night.

As they thought that people would reject this as a mere fantasy or concocted tale unless there was a tangible proof, they picked up some of the bubbling fish and kept them in a water-filled bucket near the village library.

Sivaraman, who first sighted the rare phenomenon, said he also saw some fish crushed by vehicles that drove on the road when it was raining.

"There is no reason to disbelieve what the villagers say, as it is possible to have a scientific explanation for this", Dr C K Rajan of the School of Marine Sciences of the Cochin University of Science and Technology told PTI when asked about the phenomenon.

"When convective clouds are formed, it is possible that tiny aquatic organisms get lifted to the atmoshpere. They can survive suspended in the clouds so long as the clouds have moisture content," he said.

The type of fish that came down from the sky was the same as commonly found in ponds and canals in the area, the villagers said.

Some time back, a few places in the state had received 'red coloured' rain. Scientists who studied the phenomenon attributed it to the presence of algae in clouds.

source:http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14603512

My comment:It is simple..the tornadoes (high speed revolving-tube like winds)can easily lift schools of fish from the sea or pond and throw it in the land when the velocity of wind decreases.