Crafting your professional narrative
How you communicate is essential for shaping not only how your voice is heard but, more broadly, how you are seen. The old adage ‘dress for the job you want’ can be expanded to cover every aspect of how you present yourself and is essential for crafting your professional journey.
Raising your voice
In today’s job market, career progression is no longer simply a straight line dictated by hard work and dedication. Advancement must be earned through demonstrating essential qualities that are impossible to overlook. Moreover, clear overtures should be made to indicate your desire to move ahead in your career. Finding the opportunity to articulate as well as having the capacity to put your best foot forward requires thoughtful preparation.
Advocating for ourselves doesn’t always come naturally. There is a blend of humility and respect that may stymie your desire to outline to higher ups in your business that you want to go further. We resist the appearance of greed and the fear of overstepping which can hold us back.
Developing your communication skills is a baseline requirement for putting yourself in a position to move forward in your career path. Gaining confidence with your voice will put you on course; learning to be an advocate for yourself; asking for the things you want; being part of the conversation and being seen as someone who should be listened to.
Listening is key to being heard
Amongst the skills developed when working with a communications coach, a prime factor is the reinforced understanding that listening is an essential component in communication. Developing your ability to listen thoughtfully and actively will boost your value within your company; someone who is a reliable sounding board; someone who asks pertinent questions and responds to ideas with sensitivity and empathy. Knowledge gained as you demonstrate your ability to listen can be a valuable asset, giving you a broader understanding of your business and becoming someone worthy of trust.
Boosting confidence in your voice comes with two distinct factors. Knowing how to use your voice and knowing when to use your voice. Learning the power of your contributions comes with knowing when it is important to join the conversation. Rather than appearing as someone who is constantly fighting to be heard, like a youngest child at the dinner table, b someone who speaks appropriately and with quality insights. Communication is an art. It isn’t a volume business. Favour quality over quantity. Choosing to contribute with precision will help identify you as someone with value.
Refining your listening skills and developing your understanding of your own voice will grow your curiosity and become integral throughout your business.
Recognise the power of your voice
Once you have begun to frame yourself as a valuable communicator, you will be in a solid position to shape how you want to be seen. In too many businesses, we can find ourselves stuck within a middle management position; putting out fires from above and below without having a more significant impact. When pigeonholed into these roles there can be few directions of professional growth.
Developing your communication skills will help not only with the practical aspects of being heard, it will also support your strategic communications goals. Take how you are seen seriously and be realistic with your expectations. By understanding the efficacy of clear communication you can boldly state your desires for growth.
Being involved in the conversation will give you insights into broader business goals and the steps essential to achieving them. Identify niche qualities that would be of value to your company and demonstrate these. With sharpened communication skills, you will be able to articulate your ability to deliver results.
Only fools rush in
As mentioned, listening is fundamental in communication and will put you in the conversation more effectively than simply ‘trying to be heard’. Dr Arthur Burns wrote; “It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubts.”. There is truth in this, with the caveat that a well developed communications skill set can ensure that when you speak, you bring value to the conversation. Listen, learn and leap onto opportunities when they present themselves.
A sharpened communications toolkit will also expand your capacity for empathy; your ability to understand others and read situations. You will know when it is appropriate to speak about your career growth and be listened to in turn. You will be your best advocate and boost your trajectory for the benefit of the business, not only yourself.
