Mail your greetings in time to arrive for designated holiday. If you find yourself addressing envelopes on Super Bowl Sunday, keep cards until next year and send out a high-quality note thanking people for their business during previous year instead. The best way to avoid last minute greeting rush is to have all your envelopes addressed before Thanksgiving. Then during December you can leisurely write a short message - one or two lines are all that is necessary on each card, sign your name and have them in mail with a minimum of hassle.

You now have all time in world for shopping, baking, decorating and celebrating that accompany holiday season.

************************************************* Additional Tips for Addressing Envelopes

If you are about to address your holiday greeting cards or invitations to company party and you are confused about correct way to do it, you are not alone. There are situations that we have not had to consider before. There are more women with professional titles, increased numbers of women who retain their maiden name after marriage, and couples choosing alternative living arrangements. The simple act of addressing an envelope has become quite complicated. Here are a few tips to cover majority of those demanding dilemmas.

Always write titles on envelope. The card or invitation goes to "Mr. John Smith," not "John Smith." It is addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith," instead of "John and Mary Smith."

When you address a couple, use titles, rather than professional initials. It's "Dr. and Mrs. John Smith," not "John Smith, M.D. and Mrs. Smith."

If both husband and wife are doctors, you write, "The Doctors Smith." However, if they use different last names, you address envelope to "Dr. John Smith and Dr. Mary Brown." The husband's name is placed first.

If wife is a doctor and husband is not, you send your invitation to "Mr. John Smith and Dr. Mary Smith."

Try to get it all on one line. When husband has an unusually long name, wife's title and name are indented and written on second line:

The Honorable Jonathon Richardson Staniskowsky and Mrs. Staniskowsky

When a couple is not married and share a mutual address, their names are written on separate lines alphabetically and not connected by word "and."

Ms. Mary Brown Mr. John Smith

When woman outranks her husband, her name is written first. It's "Major Mary Smith and Lieutenant John Smith."

Note: The man's name is always written first unless wife outranks him or if couple is unmarried and her last name precedes his alphabetically. So much for "Ladies first."

(c) 2004, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.

How does Ibis improve your communication policy?

Most of opportunities that enterprise has to improve communications in formal and formal/ informal contexts are covered by Ibis SOP programme. In that accompanying chart, where these are available are highlighted in black. What this means is that Ibis monitoring programme will automatically build in improved communications policies as part of overall development of organisation.

Channel What can it do to improve communication/ decision making? When should it be introduced into company communication planning? Formal

Employee suggestion scheme Vital for improving enterprise performance – most cost effective communication tool As soon as possible via SOP Customer satisfaction survey Vital for improving quality of product/ service offering, and new product/ new service development As soon as possible via SOP Corporate governance Establishes formal rules for availability of information to wide range of stakeholders Stage by stage introduction from early growth phase of company – financials and action plan crucial initial first steps. Must be accompanied by good time management TWP Business plan Informs all stakeholders of where enterprise has been and sets clear goals for future As soon as possible – publish edited highlights where necessary Annual report Can provide clear information about company performance and future direction Essential for legal purposes; can be improved into powerful communication tool Review meetings Crucial to integrate key staff into operational and strategic developments of enterprise Stage by stage introduction. Must be accompanied by action planning and good time management TWP Planning meetings key suppliers/ customers Improves understanding of suppliers/ customer requirements, improves integration with company operations Key customers and suppliers should be linked in as sales/ orders reach significant levels Document storage for wide availability Enables all staff to access information and standard operating procedures As soon as possible via company Intranet system – also create a magazine/ book/ manual/ SOP hard copy storage point (not necessarily a library) Web site Has multiple functions. Serves as on-line brochure, and can be rapidly updated. Provides e-commerce platform which provides service information for both suppliers and customers As soon as possible, provided responsibility is defined for management and regular updating Noticeboard Provides reference site for regulatory notices; social events; company progress As soon as possible – but responsibility must be assigned for upkeep Newsletter Provides stakeholders/ potential stakeholders with continuing information Depends on company circumstances General meetings Difficult to manage as a communication channel – better to deal in small groups Only essential when major change has to be announced Employment contract/ code of conduct/job description Provides employees with clear information of what is expected of them Legal requirement - good practice to make as clear and detailed as possible Employee manual Provides detailed information on operating procedures in form of collection of SOP material Should be part of induction training Disciplinary and grievance code Provides clear information on how enterprise will manage employee problems – creates reporting system in tandem Should be introduced early and be accompanied by SOP Customer complaint system Provides key communication on customer perceptions of company and when properly handled can be positive sales tool As soon as possible Public relations Provides company with low cost route to maintain contact with market when properly structured and managed When company has reached platform Formal communication – email, letter, telephone, fax Needs specific policy to ensure that communication rather than time wasting element is maximised considerable potential for TWP Careful introduction and management to ensure effectiveness, and regular review Promotional expenditure Part of communication mix When necessary Formal/ informal

Canteen/ coffee room Enables all staff to meet in environment conducive to discussion Consider when possible Premises design Research suggests that involving staff in premises design can create environment that stimulates communication Consider when possible Team work Enables staff to develop links within enterprise while completing a specific task As soon as possible Quality circles Provides formal platform for informal discussions about company performance Link with quality assurance programme including ISO Appraisal Permits two way information on employee perception of enterprise and enterprise view of employee (360o) Starts within first year of enterprise and is programmed on regular basis Job design/ rotation Ideal for improving understanding and links within organisation Worth thinking about regularly Motivation design Can link with appraisal in providing individual solutions to job satisfaction – ideal communication channel Worth thinking about regularly Compensation design Bonus systems linked to group performance can certainly influence communication Worth thinking about regularly Induction training Provides ideal platform for creating informal links within organisation Vital at early stage Maintenance training Provides means of developing team cohesion if provided in-house with case study/ project content Needs to be part of developing company programme Development training Provides means of developing team cohesion if provided in-house with case study/ project content Needs to be part of developing company programme Informal

Management by walking about Very good communication channel providing that management style is appropriate Individual decision Face to face discussions Ideal communication channel is management style is appropriate Individual decision Social gatherings Normally poor communication channel Handle with care