By Pamela Jett, CSP

Gaining cooperation and resources (such as money, time or equipment) from others can be made easier with one communication tip:

Ask for advice before you ask for resources.

While this approach doesn’t guarantee that others will give you what you want, it greatly increases the odds that you will gain their cooperation and support.  It draws on a key truth:  Whose ideas do people like the most?  Their own!

Let’s make this simple and break it down to a 3-step process.

1.)  Share your current concept with them and then ask them what they might do to improve a certain part, or what they think you could do differently, or how you could take it to the next level.  Thank them and go away.

2.)  Ponder their contributions and, if possible, integrate some of their advice.

3.)  Re-approach and use language such as “the project you’ve been so supportive of requires….” (and then state your request for resources).

Obviously, every situation is different and would require different language.  However, if you use the 3 steps outlined above, you increase the chance you will get the support and resources you need.  Remember:

Ask for advice before you ask for resources.

I would love to hear your success stories.  If you’ve used this technique, share your story.  If you have a question, let me know.  Please post a comment on this blog, tweet it, and share it with others.

]]> http://www.jettct.com/blog/gain-cooperation-and-resources-with-this-quick-tip/feed/ 0 http://www.jettct.com/blog/communicate-and-minimize-the-havoc-of-interruptions/ http://www.jettct.com/blog/communicate-and-minimize-the-havoc-of-interruptions/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:36:28 +0000 pamela http://www.jettct.com/blog/?p=112

By Pamela Jett, CSP

Interruptions happen about seventy-three times a day!  They can eat up more than 2 hours of the work day.  And, the result is a cost to U.S. businesses of an estimated $588 billion a year.

How would you like you and your team to better manage interruptions so that they don™t take such a terrible toll every day?  During Pamela™s informative 60 minute teleseminar learn how to communicate more effectively and either prevent interruptions or minimize the negative impact of interruptions.

• Discover the key role communication plays in keeping time wasting interruptions at bay.
• Learn how to let others know that œnow is not a good time without appearing disinterested or uncooperative.
• Master the œacknowledge and reschedule technique to stay on task while still being a team-player.
• Enhance your ability to get things done by communicating effectively and manage interruptions with tact and finesse.

Pamela I want to let you know how much we here at the International Monetary Fund enjoyed your teleseminar.  Your presentation was crisp, clear and strong–a real inspiration for how we all need to be communicating! – Paula D., PhD

Learn how to manage interruptions with tact and finesse and watch your productivity soar!  Register for Pamela™s 60 minute teleseminar here (March 8, 2010 noon pacific time.)

]]> http://www.jettct.com/blog/communicate-and-minimize-the-havoc-of-interruptions/feed/ 0 http://www.jettct.com/blog/how-to-improve-communication/ http://www.jettct.com/blog/how-to-improve-communication/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:06:59 +0000 pamela http://www.jettct.com/blog/?p=91

by Pamela Jett, CSP

In a busy work environment it can be very easy to get  caught up in managing a multitude of tasks, meeting tight deadlines, coping with constant change, and being asked to do more with less.  In that environment, it can be very easy to forget to use remarkable communication.  Here are a few quick tips to keep you focused on using remarkable communication even in the midst of chaos:

1.  Focus on making one change at a time. If you are looking to make remarkable communication one of your personal and professional hallmarks, pick one thing to work on and stay focused on mastering that change.  For example commit to replacing the words “idea” and “suggestion” with more powerful words such as “solution” or “plan.”  For more ideas of small changes in communication that can make a big difference, click here .

2.  Teach someone else. When you learn a remarkable communication tool, share it with someone else.  I often have great conversations  about communication with a friend, Charlotte, who is committed to self-improvement. Charlotte is an active blogger and she often shares what she has learned during our conversations with others through her blog and by teaching it to her family.  This reinforces her commitment to practicing the technique because she has declared herself publicly.  (Read Charlotte’s fantastic blog here.)

3. Recruit a colleague. If you decide to make a change in your communication, recruit someone who knows you well to support you in your efforts.  They can applaud you when you succeed and keep you on track when it is easy to lose focus.

Communication is the most important skill we possess.  Make a commitment to enhancing your communication and hence your credibility and professionalism, even in the midst of the pressing daily grind.

Pamela Jett is a communication skills expert who is committed to sharing remarkable communication tools that create remarkable results.  For more information on bringing Pamela to your meeting or event, click here or call Aimee at 866.726.5388.

Want to learn remarkable communication tools without even leaving your desk?  Attend Pamela’s next teleseminar!

By Pamela Jett, CSP

In previous blog posts I’ve shared the power of vision boards.  And, I have even shared pictures of my vision boards.  I firmly believe that if you post a “vision” of what you want your life to look like, the goals you want to achieve, and the areas of life that you want to improve you greatly increase the likelihood that you will achieve those goals and objectives.  So, I was thrilled to see this commercial as I watched the Olympics tonight.  Enjoy and congratulations Julia!

Click here to view the embedded video.

By Pamela Jett, CSP

I am a huge “Olympic Geek” – particularly the Winter Olympics (OK, I confess, I am not really a huge fan of curling, but just about everything else has me glued to the television.)  This weekend I watched Apolo Anton Ohno win a  silver medal in Men’s Short Track (speed-skating).  Short track is very exciting to watch because all sorts of things can happen in a very short amount of time and the medal race was no exception.  Ohno was sitting in fourth place behind 3 Korean skaters who were pulling away from the pack during the last moments of the race.  All of a sudden, one of the Korean skaters attempted to improve his position.  The result – two Korean skaters slammed into the wall and Ohno, because of positioning, won a silver medal – just like that.

In many ways, success in short track is all about strategy and positioning.  According to his coach, while “Ohno may not have the power to simply blow by someone on the final turn, he™s much more aware of positioning, angles and setting up his opponents for the pass.”  It’s all about positioning.

The same thing goes with career success.  It’s all about positioning.  Are you using your powerful communication skills to take advantage of opportunities?  Are you communicating in a powerful, professional fashion?  Do you use confident language and avoid disclaimers and minimizers which can make you look weak?  Are you positioning yourself in such a way that when opportunities arise for advancement your name is at the top of your leader’s list?

One way to use great communication to position yourself for success is to send regular “I’m great up-dates.”  These are brief e-mail reminders  you send to your leader about once every quarter which highlight your contributions to your organization’s success.  This is not done to brag, simply to keep your leader in the loop.  Sending an “I’m great up-date” not only displays confidence, it is a proactive step to let your leader know how valuable you are.  It makes it easier for them as well.  When review time comes around they can use your “I’m great up-dates” to help them write a great appraisal.  For more on leveraging your “I’m great up-date” and communicating with confidence, listen to my “Mind Your Own Business” audio CD program available at my success store.

If you’ve successfully used an “I’m great up-date”, I would love to hear about it.  Leave a comment, tweet this blog, forward it to your friends and let me know what you think.  And remember, use powerful communication to position yourself for success. Take a lesson from short track, it is all about positioning.

by Pamela Jett, CSP

Does communication improve employee engagement?  The answer is a resounding “yes!”  Does effective communication contribute to an organization’s financial performance?  Absolutely!  According to Watson Wyatt’s 2009/2010 Communication ROI Study Report, effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and a driver of employee engagement.  In fact, research reveals that companies with highly effective communicators had 47% higher total returns to shareholders over the last five years compared with firms that are the least effective communicators.

Further research indicates that the best organizations invest in helping leaders and managers communicate with employees. The best organizations provide leaders and managers with the tools necessary to clearly communicate vision, values, and objectives – especially during times of change or economic difficulty. Top companies treat their managers and leaders as a special audience – offering additional training to help them manage.

So, my question to you is  - what are you doing to invest in your communication skills or the skills of your leaders and managers?  There is a direct correlation between good communication skills and bottom-line results. It makes sense, good financial sense,  to make sure employees have the soft skills, the people skills, the communication skills they need to succeed.  Far too often employers invest only in technical training and neglect soft skills training.  Now is the time to evaluate your own personal professional development plan to make sure you are investing in your communication skills (even if your employer won’t make that investment.)  If you are a leader or manager, now is the time to evaluate your organization’s training schedule to ensure a balance of technical and soft skill programs.  Give leaders, managers, and yourself the communication skills you need to succeed and for your organization to thrive.

By Pamela Jett, CSP

It is a myth that good work gets rewarded.  The reality is that good work alone is not enough to experience success.  Several years ago a participant in one of my workshops shared the following:

Pamela, I work so very hard.  I am always on time.  I don’t waste time chatting and gossiping.  I come in, I get to my desk, and I get to work.  The numbers prove that I get more work done than any of my colleagues.  They seem to waste time going to lunch with people, participating in extra activities, and, in general, seem to brag about what they get done.  I am frustrated because others seem to be getting promoted and I, the top producer, am stuck – it’s not fair.

While I could understand this person’s frustration, it was also clearly evident that she bought into the myth that good work alone is enough to get ahead.  The reality is that while good work is a first step towards getting attention, authority, and opportunities, good work must be leveraged with good career management communication skills.

Top notch professionals recognize that it is their responsibility to “mind their own business.”  They recognize that it is not their leader’s responsibility to know and track how valuable they are, it is their responsibility to communicate their worth and value.   They use powerful communication skills to leverage their contributions and increase the likelihood that this good work gets noticed.

One simple way to communicate your value is to replace the words “idea” and “suggestion” with more powerful words such as “solution” or “plan”.  People will pay more attention to a “solution” than they will to an “idea” or a suggestion. This is a small change that can make a big difference.  And, if you really want to communicate your value, make sure you put your contributions in writing (even if you present them to a group).  This increases the likelihood that you will get the credit you deserve when your solution yields great results.  Additionally, people will take you more seriously simply because you took the time to put your contribution in writing.

If you are looking for more powerful communication tools to “get noticed” and “get ahead”, join me on February 4, 2010 at noon PST for a powerful one-hour teleseminar to help you “Mind Your Own Business.”  Can’t join the live event?  If you register, you will receive a download to listen to at your convenience.  Register here: https://secure.confertel.net/tsregister.asp?program=Jett2010 An audio CD version is also available at http://www.jettct.com/success-store

If you have a great suggestion on how to “Mind Your Own Business” that you believe will help others experience career success, please leave a comment.  I would love your suggestions!

By Pamela Jett, CSP

I had a conversation recently with a good friend of mine who is parenting a fantastic 16 year old son.  He is a great kid, a stellar student, a gifted athlete, and well liked by his peers.  He does, however, pressure himself to be a “superstar” at everything and sometimes that self-imposed pressure creates nerves or jitters, especially on the basketball court.

In a well meaning attempt to ease the pressure her son has imposed on himself, my friend tries to remind him that “it is just a game.”  After she shared this with me, I asked her “are you open to some feedback?”  (Unsolicited advice is the worst kind, in my opinion.  So, I wanted her permission or “buy in” before sharing my thoughts.)  Here is the gist of what I shared with her.

The word “just” is a minimizer.  For example, “I’m just an administrative assistant”  sounds weak and self-demeaning.  Whereas “I’m an administrative assistant” sounds confident and capable.  I was concerned that by telling her amazing son that it is “just a game” she would be unwittingly sending a message to him that basketball isn’t very important, ought not to matter, and that she as a parent doesn’t place a lot of value on something that he clearly deems important.  For her son, such a message could be devastating.  She agreed and together we worked to craft a message that would still honor the importance basketball holds for him while not adding pressure to perform or succeed.

It’s “just” a word – right?  It’s just one small word that can completely change the tone of a message. Words matter and the words we choose to use and the words we choose to lose can make all the difference to our career (and our parenting) success.  I challenge you to monitor your use of the word “just.”  Use it sparingly.  Use it wisely.  Consider if using “just” adds to your credibility or detracts from it.  Ask yourself if using “just” might send a belitting or demeaning mesage (albeit unitention as in the case of my friend.)  Using “just” is a habit we can break.

If you have situations where you have found “just” to be a minimizer, please share them with me.  Post a comment, subscribe to this blog, and share with your friends and colleagues.