The world is changing. Today's businessperson needs to be acutely aware of possible offenses against others - and there are so many possibilities: Racial, cultural, sexual, physical, mental. Even business etiquette is changing because of the new "unwritten" rules! Much of this misunderstanding is unintentional and based entirely on perception.

Unfortunately, it's their perception of your words and actions that cause situations to go wrong. Because what you say is not always what they hear, and what you mean is not always what they understand. The people in your organization need to know about these infractions and understand how other people feel and why others react the way they do. Even more importantly, people may need to replace terms, words, and behaviors they've used all their lives.

This program will make your group more aware of the ways we offend and burn others; help them understand diversity and their own blind spots; provide them with new terms and phrases they can use to avoid verbal, social, and written blunders; and show them the more acceptable forms of business protocol. They will learn to see the similarities in people as well as the differences so their working relationships can be stronger.

Program Outline:

• The importance of perception
• The danger of stereotyping
• Analyzing your cocommunicator
• Gender: How men and women differ in their communication
• Age: The generation gap
• Background: Education, race, culture, religion, ethnicity, etc.
• New verbal and written ways of expressing yourself
• Our changing etiquette - American and international
• The beauty of group diversity
• How we "burn" others
• How names can hurt us

With this program, you will be able to:

• Identify the implications of Workforce 2000 to your own organization and future
• Avoid the mistakes that are perceived as harassment, bigotry, or cultural insensitivity
• Understand your own verbal and nonverbal mistakes
• Use more acceptable business etiquette and protocol
• Understand why people react the way they do and how to avoid a negative reaction
• Deal more adequately with perception
• Understand the changing dynamics of the American workforce
• Communicate better with customers, managers, coworkers, others
• Understand the elements of discrimination
• Get more cooperation and support
• Identify personal blind spots, biases, and stereotypes

How It's Taught

Kay uses a combination of lecture, class participation pation, overheads, and worksheets. As a business person herself, and as author of Business Etiquette And Professionalism (Crisp Publishing, 1990), Kay brings to this program the experience of both doing and understanding business etiquette and protocol. She uses comprehensive and practical information, humor, solid advice, and group dis cussion to help participants improve their skills and remember the information.

Kay has been trained as a cultural diversity facilitator by the Anti-Defamation League's A World of Difference and by the National Multi-Cultural Institute.

Who Should Participate

Anyone who deals with other human beings in their life:

• Executives and CEOs
• Managers
• Association members
• Secretaries, typists, wordprocessing operators
• Salespeople and service reps
• Administrative assistants
• Frontline customer service people
• Engineers
• Data processing specialists
• Public service employees
• Educators

For more information about Kays's keynotes, seminars, and products, contact her at:

The Communication Connection
2137 Mt. Vernon Road
Atlanta, GA 30338

Phone: 770-395-7483
Fax: 770-395-1931
E-mail: kdupont@TCC-WSA.com