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Many Americans are learning Spanish to meet both business and personal goals. If you are one of the millions of visionary Americans taking on this challenge, bravo!

In business, speaking Spanish will help you attract loyal customers and a diverse employee base. By speaking Spanish in your personal life, you will meet fascinating people from around the world– and you’ll build valuable, long-lasting friendships.

For adults learning foreign languages can be challenging. You are never too old to acquire a second language! In fact, it’s good exercise for your brain.

Prepare to be dedicated in the pursuit of your linguistic goal. After all, you didn’t learn English over night. We learn our native language through years of trial and error. Nevertheless, you can achieve good results quickly by using these ten practical tips.

1. Use the words you know. Everyone who speaks English knows more Spanish than they realize. When you are beginning to speak Spanish, it could be difficult for you to compose and say an entire sentence. That doesn’t matter. Don’t wait until you have an entire “perfect” phrase. Say the words in Spanish that you know.

When you observe native speakers, you will hear them converse in English, Spanish and even Spanglish. With language it’s never all or nothing! Say what you know, even if it’s only one word.

2. Set yourself up for success. Start with simple greetings like “hola” or “buenas tardes.” If you say please or thank you to a Spanish-speaking customer or employee and you know the words “gracias” and “por favor,” use them after you say the words in English.

Setting a positive bilingual tone for communication is always a good idea. It lets the person you are speaking with know that it’s fine with you to use both English and Spanish.

3. Expect to make some mistakes. If you had a foreign language class in high school or college, perhaps you were corrected so many times that you feel defeated before you start. We all make mistakes when we speak English, so making mistakes in speaking Spanish is normal and natural. Everyone makes mistakes– even native speakers.

4. It’s OK to feel awkward. Speaking Spanish will feel physically different to you. You might even feel like a cartoon character has taken over your speech! Speaking Spanish requires more use of your facial muscles- and then there are those “trilled” r’s. Just do your best. Your accent will develop over time. Not having the best accent will only stand in the way of your ability to communicate if you let it.

5. Being shy is normal. It takes a strong, positive personality to take the risk of speaking another language. We are all inhibited to one degree or another. We’re terrified that people will laugh at us– or even yell at us out of impatience. Smile and dive in! It’s normal to feel inhibited when you begin to speak another language.

6. Ask “yes-no” questions. As you begin to increase your skills, when asking questions pose them so that the answer will be yes or no. This will give you a head-start on understanding the rest of the answer.

7. Practice each day. Practicing just five minutes each day will make a “grande” difference in your ability. A few minutes here and a few minutes there really add up over time. When you do practice, put yourself in situations where you can use the language. Attempts at memorization are usually very ineffective.

Write the days of the week on your calendar at the office and look at them each day.

Put a sticky note on your phone and write the numbers in Spanish from zero to ten on it. Each time you dial a number, say it in Spanish.

Make index cards of the Spanish words you want to learn first, and carry them in your purse or car. Exercises like these make your practice habits practical and help you build them into your normal routine.

8. Learn practical phrases.Think critically about what you do each day and what you need to learn to function more efficiently at your workplace. Learn those words and phrases first. By learning words that are practical, you will use them more often. The more you use the words, the faster you will remember them–and add to them.

9. Don’t worry about your grammar. Remember that no one speaks perfectly. Always remember that communication is always more important than conjugation! If the individual you are speaking with understands you, that’s all that really matters. It doesn’t have to be pretty and perfect to be effective.

10. Go slowly. Learning Spanish is like eating your favorite meal. Savor the experience. Learn Spanish one word or phrase at a time. Chew it completely before going on to more material. If you learn slowly, you will remember what you have learned longer. And, that’s the whole point!

Myelita Melton is the author of the SpeakEasy Spanish TM series. She is a nationally recognized speaker and expert in language and cultural diversity. http://www.speakeasyspanish.com.

Pagers are small telecommunication appliances that receive and transmit (depending on the model) both warning and alert signals and in some cases short text messages. This kind of gadget is suitable for people waiting for a telephone call, but who are not in the near vicinity of a telephone in order to make or return a call instantly.

Until recent times, pagers were fabricated only as receiver devices. There are two main reasons for this. First of all, two-way communication cell phones are available and are more suitable. Secondly, all the engineering difficulties that arise when trying to design a competent, trustworthy wireless transmitter that can fit in the interior of a small package and still present sufficient signal range to reach a destination from all points can pose a difficult problem for engineers.

A two-way pager is a pager that permits users to both send and receive data. More than often a two-way pager can replace or supply an alternative for a cellular telephone. Regardless of the engineering challenges a two-way pager which is also called a two way messaging tool or two way interactive system, has been created.

This unique, innovative system makes use of a large numbers of repeaters, permitting wireless transmitters that function at low power and have short antennas to reach at least one repeater from any point situated in the coverage area. A typical two-way pager is no bigger than a pocket calculator and it is equipped with a tiny keyboard that is built in and a liquid crystal display screen that is usually capable of displaying several lines of text and simple graphics depending on the model of the pager.

Local pagers will only receive or send messages if they are in range of the network transmitter. It is quite imperative to remember that a local pager will not be able to receive a message if it is switched off or if you are in an area that is out of coverage or if the signal has somehow been interrupted. The other types of pagers have nationwide range.

Nationwide paging refers to the paging services that function perfectly not only in single location, city, or area but in an entire country. Thus, users can benefit from their pager at a greater scale mainly because of the much larger coverage zone and better network transmitters that are in place

Nationwide pagers usually indicate if the pager is within the coverage area and if it is switched on. If your pager is not turned on or if it is out of coverage this distinctive system will store incoming messages for up to 90 hours.

In any major city, paging systems and services provide all paging system requests and needs including sales installation and service in both the city and the surrounding area. Paging System installation can be executed in different types of working environments, mainly those that are trying to combine flexibility with reliable communication.

For more information about Two Way Pagers, National Pagers and Local Number Pagers, visit AllPage of Houston at http://www.allpage.com/

Two way pagers are a substitute for cell phones. Owning a two way pager means you can both send and receive messages (words and numbers) from your pager therefore replacing other more expensive communication devices.

There is a great number of firms that sell two-way pagers thus getting one is relatively easy and it can be done without any effort over the internet since most companies have websites and provide delivery services.

Taking into consideration the busy lifestyle of the majority of people the need for better communication devices is justified, consequently the two-way pager may just be the best gadget for you, especially if you take into account the advantages a two way service has to offer. In conclusion two-way pagers are a great communication device mainly because they are cheap, simple, reliable, easy to use and do no necessitate charging for a long period of time.

Local pagers refer to pagers that functions in a well defined area; a pager that needs to be in the range of the network transmitter that’s within a single city falls under this description.

There are three basic types of local pagers that can function nationwide depending on the service and upgrades provided by the paging company. The most commonly used and affordable pagers are the numeric ones. Numeric pagers receive a set of number thus informing you who to call; in addition they also have extensive features such as a clock, alarm and predefined alphanumeric messages. Alphanumeric pagers are superior because they allow the user to receive text messages.

The last type is the two-way pager which is pretty much the best pager money can buy. Pagers are generally suitable or great for doctors and hospital care personnel, technicians as well as different individuals that work at various locations such as construction workers and professionals.

The Houston TX area houses most of Houston’s pager and beeper sales stores. Paging systems are able to assist your business in order to be more prolific, secure and flexible. Houston paging systems and services meet all paging system requests and they strive to fulfill all your needs including sales, repairs, installations, and customers services.

Houston pagers cover the city as well as the surrounding areas (Texas metro area etc). You can always opt for a personalized paging system specially designed to fit with your needs, work flow and style without interfering with your current telephone system setup.

Houston paging system installation can be set up in all sorts of work systems that are aiming to perfect their processes with the help of more flexible and practical communication. Clients benefiting from these types of systems can vary from hospital employees, industrial warehouse workers to school staff and many others.

Nationwide paging actually refers to a paging system that covers an entire country. Outside the country’s border pagers stop functioning but you can retrieve messages sent to your pager while you are abroad. Generally, in order to accomplish this all you have to do is to call the network call center and give your personal identification number to an operator.

For more information about Two Way Pagers, National Pagers and Local Number Pagers, visit AllPage at http://www.allpage.com/.

A manager who coaches others needs to provide feedback that keeps them focused and on track. Feedback is also a critical element for working out relationships with coworkers, friends and family members. Unfortunately, “feedback” can become a euphemism for not very constructive criticism.

Feedback can and should be a way of helping another person become more effective. You can help others increase their effectiveness by helping them to understand both what you observed about their actions, and how those actions affected you.

Feedback, at its best, involves sharing both facts and feelings in a way that supports someone who is willing to accept your information.

Use these tips to improve the quality of the feedback you offer others.

1. Give feedback when it is solicited, rather than imposing it on an unwilling listener. If you must offer unsolicited feedback, first say that you would like to give some feedback and ask if this is a good time to do so. If now does not work, schedule it for a later time.

2. Provide well-timed feedback — usually at the earliest possible moment after the given behavior. Feedback given long after there is any opportunity to correct a problem will usually sound like criticism. However, you may still have to wait until the recipient is ready to hear what you have to say.

3. Give descriptive rather than evaluative feedback. Report on the facts or behaviors you observed, and the impact of those behaviors. Avoid pejorative words like dumb, crazy or stupid.

4. Be specific rather than general. “I observed this twice,” is more specific than “You always…”

5. Check to be sure the receiver understood your communication. A good way to do this is to ask them to tell you what they heard you say.

6. Offer feedback that is useful to the recipient. Think about their level of understanding, and ability to use the information. It is useless to give a novice complex, sophisticated details that she doesn’t understand. On the other hand, it may be considered insulting to call someone’s attention to a problem of which she is already aware.

If you want the recipient of your feedback to change their behavior as a result of you conversation, do not assume that giving the feedback is enough. Ask specifically for the change you want. For example, “Next time, please call me as soon as you know that the schedule needs to be adjusted. O.K.?”

Others will be more willing to give you the feedback you need to increase your own effectiveness if you demonstrate your willingness to receive it.

1. Ask others for their thoughts and feelings.

2. Actively listen to what is said. Paraphrase what you hear and ask if you are correct. Ask questions only for clarification.

3. Accept what you hear and avoid trying to explain or defend your actions.

4. Let others know how you use their feedback.

Remember, effective feedback gives you the information you need to keep learning and growing.

Communicate skillfully about sensitive subjects. Http://www.DareToSayIt.com/blog
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D. is a Master Certified Coach and communication expert. Dr. Weiss has spent 35 years helping clients resolve conflict in business and personal relationships. Email feedback@laurieweiss.com

Leadership is defined as the capacity or ability to guide others to accomplish an objective. To provide leadership, one needs to be a leader.

The following is a quote that captures the essence of a great leader:

The six most important words: “I admit I made a mistake.”
The five most important words: “You did a good job.”
The four most important words: “What is your opinion?”
The three most important words: “If you please.”
The two most important words: “Thank you.”
The one most important word: “We.”

Author Unknown

Wouldn’t you love to work with a leader who is willing to speak these words? It has been found that the most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction is trust and confidence in a company’s top leadership.

What qualities do you believe are required by a good leader and how does one become a leader? Although some people have natural leadership skills, good leaders are made not born. We are all involved in leadership capacities in our everyday lives. Whether we are leading a business, government, family, organization or arranging a dinner or household, leadership abilities are required.

Five of the most important skills of an effective leader are being trustworthy and ethical, the ability to be an effective communicator, good self-management, maintaining focus, and courage. Let’s explore these qualities.

First, a leader’s credibility is based on what he or she does and their beliefs and values (which incorporates an attitude of service regarding the needs of others.) If there is a discrepancy between actions and values than the leader is out of integrity. This clearly will be noticed and the leader will be less effective.

Second is being a good communicator. When a leader is clear about their direction and purpose then it is easy to convey this to others. If a leader is having trouble articulating what he or she wants to have happen, then it would be valuable to re-evaluate the goals. As well when one doesn’t have a clear picture about what is going on then it would be a challenge to talk about it.

The third quality is self-management or what many describe as life balance. It is important to acknowledge the emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological aspects of life. People are not one-dimensional. If one is physically exhausted or emotionally drained, they are not operating on all cylinders. Leaders need to continue to self-nurture in order to maintain the ability to provide positive, effective leadership.

Fourth is focus. Leaders are able to see the big picture and pinpoint what is important. If they become bogged down in details, preoccupied with perfection or insist on doing everything themselves, then their focus is off. The task is about leading rather than doing.

The fifth skill is courage. The willingness to do something different; to be open to new possibilities and be daring enough to implement them. Let’s be clear, this does not mean that there is no fear, but rather the desire to move forward in spite of it. Many companies would not exist today if owners had given into their fears.

Successful organizations have leaders who set high standards and communicate well. If your company is large it’s impossible to know all your employees, however you need to know many of them, as well as knowing what is happening. When changes are occurring, communicate the information to staff. When things go wrong, as they do from time to time, explore what occurred, rectify the errors without blaming others and move on. This sets the example for staff.

One woman executive had many of the leadership skills which have been described. Her staff felt she was supportive, encouraging and helpful, a mentor and a role model. However she also had been raised with the belief that men were more successful leaders than women. This notion interfered in her attaining higher positions within her company. To become the dynamic leader she wanted, her learning required her to explore this inhibiting belief.

In speaking with university students who had several work placements, they stated that although they had learned a great deal from having good bosses and a positive work environment, they learned just as much, if not more, from jobs where the boss was difficult and an ineffective manager. From adversity can come the greatest learning. They had learned what kinds of environments and management they did not want to experience. Consider the bosses, managers and leaders with whom you have worked. What were the things that you liked about their style and what did not serve you well?

In order to be most effective leadership must be conscious. The awareness of what you are doing and how it affects the company’s objectives and the staff morale is paramount. A good leader should not only focus on what he/she thinks is best, but must also consider the greater good. It is now becoming important to think beyond the company and consider what impact the business is having on the community and environment. Many companies are now encouraging and providing the opportunity for their employees to volunteer in the community. This directive comes from the top down, the leaders.

Great leaders are involved in an on going process of self-study, education and action. Determine where you are on your path to providing great leadership and what actions you need to implement in order to increase your skills.

Copyright 2007, Gail Solish.

Gail Solish provides Executive/Personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management. Claim your FR-EE e-course “Unleash Your Potential and Increase Productivity and Fulfillment” at http://www.ActualizeYourGoals.com