Dear Charlotte

This month:

News: The smoking ban and the implications for small businesses

Grammar: Helpful hints on how to tell your 'which' from your 'that'!

Public speaking: What NOT to do when giving a presentation

Free download:  Confident presentations

My colleague Paul Himple wrote this month's guide to the Smoking Ban implications. He is willing to answer any questions you may have during July by email concerning the 'rules'. Don't miss this free opportunity info@danjonvic.co.uk

Meanwhile enjoy......

Best wishes

Charlotte

Smoking Banned in enclosed public places – We may be aware… But are we ready?

In England from 1 July 2007 all smoking in enclosed public places will be banned, bringing England into line with legislation already in place in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Most people are aware of this imminent change in legislation, but are people aware of its implications and what should be done?  As often with legislative changes, it will not all be straightforward.

Do you know what needs to be done?

Do you know how many signs you need and where they must be displayed?

Do you need to display No Smoking signs in company vehicles?

Do you need to have a policy on smoking in company vehicles?

Do your staff know what will happen to them if they smoke on your premises?

Do your staff know who to go to if they observe a visitor smoking on the premises?

A survey of 257 companies carried out by employment law firm Consult GEE has suggested that following the 1 July ban, more than a third of employers planned to ban smoking breaks altogether.  Whilst this may imply a crackdown on workers who take cigarette breaks, other research points to over 90% of employees in support of smoking bans  and up to 80% employees who currently smoke attempting to give up or planning to do so after  1 July.  So the ban is an opportunity to help create a healthier work environment and a more productive workforce.

If you want some answers for these questions or need any advice on the content of the legislation, the implications for company policies or the support mechanisms that can be provided to help smokers, email Paul Himple MSc, Chartered FCIPD of Danjonvic HR Consultants Limited at info@danjonvic.co.uk

It could be a very expensive mistake if you get it wrong.

Grammar Corner

This month the sticky subject of when to use 'that' and when to use 'which'.

'Which' should be used when you are adding information about something and 'that' is used when you are defining something. 

Both 'that' and 'which' are used to introduce a clause. If the clause is essential to the sentence use 'that' such as:

"The workshop was the first one that they had attended. 

If the sentence expresses a complete idea without the clause you should use 'which' so:

"The workshop, which was held in January, was the first one that they attended". 

Note commas are used before and after a clause beginning with 'which'.

Of course when we are referring to people we use 'who' not 'that' so:

They met the people who had come from Spain and not they met the people that had come from Spain.

All this and much more is taken from 'What not to Write'  A guide to the Dos and Don'ts of Good English available from our website special price £6.99 + postage.  Visit the Top Tips page www.quicklearn.co.uk

Irritating speech mannerisms

Last month I attended a presentation at a local networking function.  The presenter, a confident knowledgeable speaker, looked set to give us an interesting 30 minutes of a thought provoking seminar.  However the message got lost in a series of speech mannerisms and pointless expressions and certainly took my mind away from the content. I simply became obsessed with the delivery.  We will forget the fact that he clutched a glass of water throughout the full half hour without once sipping the drink.  No! it was the constant repetition of OK at the end of most sentences that got me irritated.  In fact my colleague on my left started keeping a tally and got to 191 by the time he finished.  The expressions I most hate were there in abundance.  “At the end of the day”, “in the fullness of time”, “in all fairness”, “with respect”, peppered his communication.

A presenter needs to get his/her message across to a group effectively if s/he is to get the audience to ‘buy in’.  So how can we ensure we save ourselves from losing the message in this way?  Well it's simple – practise, practise, practise firstly to a tape recorder and then do so in front of a critical friend who can point out the errors and question the expressions.  Until someone tells you how you come across to others you can never be sure you are not slipping into these well worn clichés and other irritants.

Visit www.quicklearn.co.uk and download this month's free guide on giving confident presentations