A change in perspective betters relationships at work

Published: The Hindu
On: April 7, 2010
At: Hyderabad & Chennai, India

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.
 Picture this at work. You have made a detailed report about an ongoing project. You have put in long hours and number of weekends to make sure all the relevant information is present. Yet, when you hand it over to your boss, he becomes uneasy and impatient. He says this is not what he was looking for, and worse asked you to do redo the report. Now you are upset and baffled. So, where is the problem? This is a classic example of a communication error.
Try to step into your boss’s shoes and walk a mile! Imagine yourself in this person’s situation and position. How differently do you think things would look? It’s an assumption you have made that he will like to read the reams of information you have painstakingly researched. Considering that your boss is not you, he does not want what you want. Probably he wants you to hit the high points only.
Your skills in communicating with others at work – boss, colleague or a client - and developing smooth working relationships will significantly improve if you merely take the time to learn how people are different from you. Find what methods of interaction they are most comfortable with so that you can provide the same. Be aware of how you are communicating and be alert to others’ styles as well.
Experts say that our personalities are genetically determined resulting in different sets of preferred behaviours. We are all different. Some people are outgoing, spontaneous, and talkative while others are serious, introspective and quiet. For instance, if you prefer information to be told, then you are bound to get into a potential conflict with your colleague or perhaps a client who likes written reports and see things presented graphically. Now this may be a strategy that works for this individual and therefore it is valid. If you want to strike a chord with him, you need to keep in mind that it's important to remember what he wants and needs. Perhaps a possible solution here would be to demonstrate your flexibility and accommodate this person’s style.
Ashish Parikh, Regional Sales Head at Marico Ltd. says, “It is always important to have different strokes for different folks. The key is to customize your communication basis the other person’s needs and requirements to be truly effective.”
So, how do you know what your coworker wants? Observe and analyze. See how he interacts with others, how he responds and how he approaches others. How are his presentations? Précised and focused on facts? Or, gets to the bottom line and presents his position strongly? Does he communicate with feeling and emotion or in a calm and impersonal manner? Determine the best way to interact with him and bring in your own interpersonal style.
Listen actively. It’s one of the most important skills you can have. Ask open ended questions (questions which call for more than a simple yes or no answer). This will help you understand why he sees it that way. Once you have gained this alternative perspective, your own non judgmental inner voice will help you in dealing successfully with this individual. At this point everybody wins, and who today does not like win-win situations?
Body language speaks. Remember Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote, “When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.” Try to be aware of what your body is saying. It constitutes 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean. Smiling genuinely, nodding your head and maintaining eye contact will go a long way to communicate your point.
All of the above suggestions if implemented could perhaps help in reducing the communication conflicts at your work thus leading to a positive and productive environment along with higher levels of understanding. And, every company needs dollops of it. Consider a change in perspective as a new beginning for improving your communication.

Improve professional image by fine tuning writing skills

Published: The Hindu
On: April 7, 2010
At: Hyderabad, India

To read The Hindu's online version, click here.

You in all probability pepper your speech with informal words like ‘cool’, ‘neat’, and ‘awesome’ when interacting with your peers. As people have become so informal, it can be easy for our writing to follow suit. However, the business world demands professionalism. Inadvertently, you could offend a client or employer who sees your salty lingo as a sign of laziness or not so professional. Research suggests a vast numbers of employees are sabotaging their career by ignoring their writing skills.
The face you regularly present in your workplace is via written reports, presentations, proposals, executive summaries, memos, e-mails, instant messaging (yes, you read it right) and all other forms of written communication. It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you send out a written communication. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your writing skills.
Given the rapid pace of technology innovation, writing skills is the lifeblood of business today. Every employee is under increasing pressure to deliver better results faster than the competition. A professional written communication gives a meaningful message and establishes a connection that leaves a powerful impression. It’s not just correct grammar that reflects professionalism; it’s also the appearance of the words on the page. Content that is well-organized and neatly formatted assures readers that the author represents quality and professionalism.
Apart from the words you write, how you think about the words is equally important. Sloppy thinking is entwined with sloppy writing. The key here is to write concisely and clearly with clarity in thoughts.
Here are some tips that can be followed for all forms of written communication:
State your objective in the title, subtitle, or first sentence. It allows the reader to quickly decide if he wants to go ahead with reading the document. For longer or more complex documents, consider stating the objective in the first paragraph.
Knowing your audience is important. Ask yourself - Who will read this? What do they need to know? What do they expect from you? Do some research on your audience and pitch your points, flow and language to suit them.
Stay on topic. Don’t allow unrelated research to throw you off track. Focus on the subject otherwise you might lose the reader.
Start with the most important information first. Remember, the reader does not have ample time to go through pages of information to find what is relevant to them.
Insert illustrations and graphics to keep the writer on track. This helps to reinforce the discipline of using modular structure, which leads to clear, simplified writing.
Use formatting techniques to organize your documents. This will allow the reader to find the information they need quickly and easily – and skip what they don’t need.
Emphasize major points. A word of caution: overuse of emphasis may result in the impact getting diminished and the text looking chaotic.
Use simple sentences to communicate key points. Avoid jargons. You don’t want your reader to have a dictionary in their hand while reading your document.
Avoid wordiness. Instead of saying 2 p.m. in the afternoon, say 2 p.m.
Spell check. Pay attention to details. An error-free report or proposal speaks volumes. It reflects your professional attitude.
Take advantage of the vast number of resources available in the market. A good dictionary, thesaurus and books on grammar such as Elements of Style by Strunk & White will allow you to keep your writing fresh.
E-mail etiquettes: Here the visual components such as your smile, body language and eye contact are missing. So be careful when writing messages laced with anger or flippancy, which can be easily misinterpreted. Be conscious about responding to your emails within 24-hours. People expect a response just like a phone call. Use email as a formal communication tool. When addressing someone use a greeting (Hello Anita), a closing (Regards) and a signature that tells who you are, your title, department, work address and telephone number.
Craft a good email subject. Summarize the message and be concise. Avoid using adjectives, articles and adverbs. For instance, if you are inviting somebody to a conference, use “Invitation: Seminar on presentation skills, Hyderabad April 10-12.”
These suggestions have been around a long time. Unfortunately, few people follow them religiously. However, as the need to improve professional image continues, our need to improve written communication will also grow. With a little fine-tuning, and practice your writing skills will convey the confident, poised, capable and attentive image that you have worked hard for!