Much of the focus in the business world is about technological advances. Imagine the shock in the Google high-tech environment when internal research made senior management realize 'soft' skills are more important qualities in the firm's top employees than tech skills. An article in the Washington Post quoted a post by eminent Professor Cathy Davidson discussing the Google findings. Davidson noted that in its first 15 years after being founded in 1998, Google sought ...
Read morePR professionals are involved in a wide range of projects that require planning, coordination and implementation with others. This usually means working with inter-departmental or cross-functional team members. One of the most common problems arising in such projects is how to lead or shape the project when you have no formal power or authority over the other team members.
Read moreIf you are like most people, you dislike having to play the political ‘game’ in your organization. However, organizations exist through the interdependent cooperation of the employees, and therefore the ability to get things done requires you to develop interpersonal skills so you can handle power and the capacity to influence those on whom you depend, ie the politics involved in the job. The blunt truth is that if you fail in this effort, ...
Read moreSome people have the happy knack of persuasion – of getting others to do what they want. They seem to do it instinctively while most of us struggle to sway others to our way of thinking. But psychological research has shown that persuasion is more than instinct – you can use it in predictable ways by appealing to a limited set of deeply rooted human drives and needs. Persuasion is governed by basic principles ...
Read moreMaking a point of getting noticed by those who count is a career-enhancing move because their views will no doubt positively influence the boss as well. Being recognized as being good at the job is the best way to be noticed. Effective communicators find ways for their strengths, abilities and willingness to make the extra effort to be seen by those who count. You should seek your boss’s opinion. Present proposals so your boss ...
Read moreManaging your boss requires you to develop a good understanding of them and their context as well as your own situation and needs. You need to understand your boss’s goals and pressures, strengths and weaknesses, pressures from their own boss, and preferred style of working. For a start, you could try to obtain a copy of their CV. You might say it would be helpful for doing a write-up on them in the staff ...
Read moreAll bosses are human! They are just as susceptible to self-doubts as anyone else. And they all share with us one of the deepest desires in human nature – the need to feel important, to receive a compliment, to be appreciated. That’s why so many bosses and chief executives like having ‘yes men’ around them! As subordinates, most of us crave appreciation and encouragement from our boss, a ‘parent’ figure in our life. Unfortunately, ...
Read moreThese days all bosses have limited time. Every contact you make with your boss uses some of this time. It is surprising how many people use up their boss’s time (and some of their own credibility) over relatively trivial matters. So it is important to prepare ahead and call upon your boss’s time sparingly. Use your formal meeting times with them for dealing only with important issues. Make a list of small items that ...
Read moreSurveys reveal that managers and supervisors think they are better communicators than they really are. Therefore asking managers and supervisors about their communication skills generally doesn't lead to much that's useful. However, by asking their direct reports to give anonymous feedback on the communication skills of their bosses is a different matter - there is a big disconnect between the bosses' self-assessments and the candid assessment of the people who report to them. The ...
Read moreIt is not surprising that many managers and supervisors don’t know how and why to recognize their employees when those managers have been on the receiving end of criticism for most of their lives. That’s one of the reasons why they are quick to criticize in their turn. How do we know that managers are quick to blame and slow to praise? The conclusive proof is in surveys conducted by Sirota Consulting, which revealed ...
Read moreBias may seem a vague concept for business, but people's biases cause massive errors in business decisions, including communication decisions.
Testimonials are a classic way to create perceptions of authentic value to customers and clients. Sample testimonial: Other thoughts for
Presenting to senior executives is a daunting proposition. They are extremely busy and have to make many decisions under