Improving Your Communication Skills

When I began my career, I received some advice from my mentor. He told me that the most important skill an employee could have was keen communication skills. I didn’t fully appreciate his advice at the time. But, when my own children start out in their own careers, I will offer the same advice to them.

Regardless of how successful you become as a manager, communication is always a skill that can be improved upon. At the most fundamental level, a lack of communication projects a lack of education. I’m often amazed at how regularly people in management misspell words in documents—including emails. Email is now the largest form of corporate communication, and perhaps the most neglected. Too often, emails take too casual a tone for the workplace, and include spelling or grammar mistakes. Before you hit the “send” key, ask yourself, “Is this the image I want to project out to my team/management/customers?”

It is easy to take an informal tone in an email, since it is so much a part of our personal lives as well. But, I would err on the conservative side when sending or responding to corporate emails. Take advantage of the fact that you can craft your words carefully and use that to portray the image you want. Also, take advantage of the built-in spell checker that is available with the email client you use. Think of email as a permanent, written record of your professional persona and treat it with care.

Another area of communication that is often overlooked as new managers rise through the ranks is active listening. Do not underestimate the power of being a good listener. Particularly in high performing teams, there are often several individuals vying for a chance to be heard, to monopolize time in meetings, to get “face time” with management. Listening allows you to better formulate your responses. As a manager, it allows you to actually consider the needs of your staff and react accordingly. As an added bonus, this is a skill that is highly valued outside of the workplace and will help you in all situations. Everyone wants to be heard.

Finally, resist the temptation to speak the first thing that comes to your mind—particularly in meetings. Allow a brainstorming session to come full circle before taking it into a different direction. Allow a team member to fully articulate an approach before providing feedback. This is where listening comes in again. Resist the urge to jump in and take the lead when your team is working through a problem. If they are not struggling for direction, but actually working through it, let that process mature and get to completion without interfering. Sometimes, knowing when not to speak is one of the most effective forms of communication.

Doing Business Globally:  A Brief Guide to Cultural Awareness

When traveling for business or hosting International customers or coworkers, there are a myriad of things to know regarding International business etiquette. Of course, these rules vary greatly depending on what part of the world you’re visiting or where your business partners are from. Some of the things that you will need to research involve how you behave and gesture, how you talk (tone and volume), handshaking and introductions, personal space and relationship to your counterpart, how you dress and your overall appearance, where you should sit in meetings, and when (times of day) you conduct business—just to name a few. The best way to ensure a successful business trip is to be prepared. Learn everything you can about the culture you will be visiting. Pay particular attention to business and typical customs of the region, hours of operation, and so on.

For an extensive list of tips from passport information to airport security to immunizations to public safety and regional / custom information, consult with the US State Department’s Consular Affairs Publications, available online: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1231.html

The US State Department issues Consular Information Sheets for every country of the world with information on such matters as the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country. I strongly recommend that you access the Consular Information Sheet for any country that you will be visiting. In order to be successful in business overseas, it is important to exhibit that you have researched your customer and have taken the time to understand their culture. Common mistakes of ignorance could cost you that “big deal” that you’ve spent the past 12 months working to close—and you may not even know why.

Did you know:

1. Aggressiveness—often valued and exemplified in America—is viewed as disrespectful in India

2. Many Indians are vegetarian—keep this in mind when hosting customers from India for a business dinner

3. The consumption of alcohol in Germany is prevalent during business meals, whereas in Muslim countries it is not

4. In China, when a business partner extends his or business card, do not “snatch” it out of the person’s hand nor slide yours across the table. This is considered rude. The exchanging of business cards should always be done with two hands, as a sign of respect

5. Sharing of personal and family information is encouraged in China, even in a business setting

6. In Japan, a person’s rung on the Japanese corporate ladder is highly linked to that person’s age, so when in a business meeting seating position is important and everybody will be facing a similarly aged counterpart

7. It is part of the South Korean meeting ritual to begin by offering guests a beverage. Accept a drink when it’s offered to you, even if you only choose to sip rather than drink it.

8. Indonesian people are naturally soft-spoken, so be aware of your tone of voice and avoid being loud or harsh-sounding.

9. A person will be judged in France on their educational level, family reputation and wealth. They respect privacy, value politeness and they are generally reserved in their social interactions. They are very patriotic.

10. In Germany in business meetings, it is considered common courtesy to allow older people to enter conference rooms or other meeting settings first. The list goes on and on. The point is—educate yourself in order to be positioned for success. Here is another resource- International Business Etiquette

The list goes on and on.  The point is—educate yourself in order to be positioned for success.  Here is another resource- International Business Etiquette