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50 years of success - Established 1974

50 Years of Success
Established in 1974

"Helping you gain
.control of your career"

Business Bites



Return to Business Bites back issues

In this issue we look at ‘cultural intelligence’; consider tips for successfully managing a project and provide information on making more informed career choices.

Welcome to the latest edition of Business Bites. Are you a well-organised individual or are you one of those people who always tries to put off the jobs you don’t like doing until the last minute? This means you waste time thinking about them and dreading them rather than concentrating on what you should be doing at the moment.

I recently read a book that advocated having a ‘golden hour’ each day. You should set aside one hour where you just concentrate on doing key tasks – this could include anything you find difficult or complicated; anything you’ve been putting off or phone calls that may be complex or time-consuming. And here are the rules for your golden hour:

Choose a time of day when you are feeling alert and energetic (so obviously not straight after lunch!)

Close your office door (if you have one), tell everyone you are not to be disturbed for an hour and get someone to answer the phone for you and take messages. Don’t check incoming emails or texts.

Clear your desk so that only the relevant files/phone numbers are available to you.

Concentrate and get on with the work that you need to clear.

When the hour is up – assuming you’ve achieved what you set out to do – reward yourself.

You’ll probably find that you do more in this hour than in a whole morning or afternoon of less intense concentration. Why not give it a try and let me know how you get on?

Now back to the contents of this issue. Our article looks at Cultural Intelligence – what you need to consider when you are working alongside colleagues or customers from a different background to your own. What is acceptable to an English business person may seem insulting to someone in China and body language that is acceptable to one group of people may seem excessive to others. Our societies are becoming increasingly multi-cultural – so what do we need to take on board to ensure that we get on well with everyone and don’t give offence?

And if you are interested in improving how you communicate with others in a business environment – both in your own country and if you have contact with people further afield – then why not consider enrolling on our Business English with Spoken English Diploma course?

I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the newsletter but don’t forget to visit the Business Training Blog – you’ll find lots of useful information and plenty of ideas that will get you thinking!


European Association for Distance Learning Institute of Training and Occupational Learning

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