Com10009 (group A)

These online platforms are already transforming the way we operate by allowing an instantaneous flow of information and suggestions on how best to manage local healthcare services.

Thanks to social media, we no longer need to rely on face-to-face meetings or long chains of emails to share ideas and hold discussions. It is like an online meeting with real-time minutes that can be easily accessed and updated at any time.

The ease with which local information like this can be accessed is proving beneficial for all kinds of doctors. While there are still a number of GPs who do not use social media, newly qualified doctors have found our group particularly useful when familiarising themselves with services in the area.

Great performers understand that communication is an art and takes practice to refine. When Jay Leno was hosting The Tonight Show, he would leave the taping on Friday and head to Las Vegas or another city for a series of standup shows. Leno would do 100 to 150 acts a year even when he had a full-time job because he had to stay sharp. When is the last time you practiced any presentation 150 times, or even 20 times? Speaking of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon rehearses his monologue in front of a live audience earlier in the day. He has a pen and paper in hand and makes notes of what gets a laugh and what doesn’t. These comedians do not rely on a scientific algorithm to develop their jokes.

''Most important, I tell people to try to not be so intent on scoring their own points that they miss the gist of what someone else is saying to them,'' Ms. Conrad said. ''Too much conversation is really confrontation. In business, you've got to keep your emotions out of the discussion if you want to hear things right.''

'Speaking, you have the opportunity to bring the force of your personality into play.'' she said. ''Some of the things I teach people is how to use eye contact and body language effectively to emphasize a point and how to modulate their voices to keep out patronizing, petulant or aggressive tones that turn off an audience.''

I teach managers how to use humor to their advantage in dealing with employees.''

we must all learn how to better communicate with individuals and groups whose first language, or language of choice, does not match our own

This requires the ability to see that a person's own behaviors and reactions are oftentimes culturally driven and that while they may not match our own, they are culturally appropriate.

Consider any special needs the individuals on your team may have. For instance, they may observe different holidays, or even have different hours of operation. Be mindful of time zone differences and work to keep everyone involved aware and respectful of such differences

Mentally prioritizing your current or daily work tasks is a strategy you can use to improve the way you orient your thoughts and complete goals

Creating a mental list of tasks beginning with the easiest and leaving the most complicated for last allows you to accomplish lots of tasks early in the day -- this will give you a sense of accomplishment

Complaints about the new language of swift communication are not limited to concerns about clear and understandable communication. 

Here's a new term to consider: sensory dynamism. The concept has to do with our perception. When you look out of a window, you perceive millions of variances - colour, perspective, sound, feeling, and many others. But when you gaze at an iPad, you're sensing just a few variables - and with email and SMS, you may barely be using your senses. That could pose a problem in the long run for future human development.

"What we don't know is which came first: was it that they felt lonely and they used technology as a means to lessen their loneliness; or are they using more social media and that is increasing their loneliness?"