You are receiving this email from The Beckham Publications Group Inc because you purchased a product/service or subscribed on our website. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add [email protected] to your address book today. If you haven't done so already, click to confirm your interest in receiving email campaigns from us.
 
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Better English 49
Timely Communications Tips
September 21, 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FALL MEANS LOOKING AROUND AND PLANNING
-- YANKEES SPARK LESSONS
-- PROFESSIONS NOT COMMUNICATING

The fall or autumn season is a good time to stop and plan for the next spring. Part of your planning, especially if you have reports, theses and dissertations due, should focus on improved communications. Promise yourself that you will be a better speaker and writer by next March.


YANKEES SPARK LESSONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As we approach the fall World Series and wonder in this household if the Yankees will be champions again, the team does generate some communication issues

First, Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs in one August game against Kansas City. Here's the faulty NYT headline:

"Yankees Pull Further and Further Away"

"Further" refers to extent, not distance. You can remind yourself of this tip since "furthermore" derives from "further."

At least NYT writer Ben Shpigel got the distinction right, noting below the headline: "Alex Rodriguez homered in his final three at-bats in the Yankees' victory against the Royals, each one traveling farther than the one before."

"Farther" refers to distance.

Of course we could ask Ben what the term "each one" refers to. I hope the ball traveled that far and not the bat.

WHEN DO WE TELL THE TRUTH?

In one game this month, a Tampa pitcher hit Yankee captain Derek Jeter on his wrist. So Jeter went to first base.

But the ball didn't hit Jeter, we discovered through TV replays. Instead, the ball hit the knob of his bat.

Jeter was acting, we were told. Or was he lying?

Said Tampa manager Joe Maddon: "He didn't do anything wrong. He got away with it, which he should try to do, and he did."

Is "getting away with it" a synonymous term for not telling the truth?

Jeter later admitted that the ball hit the bat. He said that the umpire hold him to go to first base. "I'm not going to tell him I'm not going to first, you know," Jeter said.

If you have kids, what will you tell them this fall about what represents truth in your household? If you don't have children, how do you yourself separate the truth from lying?

Does it matter anymore?


PROFESSIONS NOT COMMUNICATING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought I'd check with a new dentist to be sure that my teeth will be in shape for all of that Halloween candy I expect to devour next month.

The receptionist greeted me warmly, and the hygienist was careful and meticulous.

Then the dentist herself came to sit next to me reclined in her dental chair. In two minutes, she said something about her name, that she was pleased to meet me, that I would get the X-rays and treatment plan from the receptionist, and that was that. Good bye.

She will never see me again.

Is this how the professions--licensed medical and legal practitioners--communicate with us now?

What happened to the nice interaction I had with the dentist in Omaha, Nebraska? He spent at least ten minutes in an introductory chat. He had a philosophy about patient care. He told me what college and dental school he attended. He wanted me to call him whenever I had any questions.

If you are a professional, do you communicate that you care about your client or patient? If you visit a professional, do you get the feeling that she cares about you?

Years ago I interviewed Brown University president Ruth Simmons for a magazine article. She is the first black woman to head an Ivy League university.

After our 90-minute dialogue, I was returning from the men's room and she was coming down the hall toward me. She had the friendliest smile.

"Do you have any children?" she asked in the most sincere tone.

I felt that she cared about me, although I was just another of so many interviewers she had talked to.

Yours sincerely,
Barry Beckham


Quick Links...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • Newsletter
  • Beckham Publications


  • Contact Information
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Email Marketing by