One quality that most successful leaders have, and that has influenced their climb to the top of the corporate ladder is excellent communication skills. Your communication style will greatly determine how far you can move forward in your organization. There’s simply no escaping it; communication is a constant in every organization, and will either spell your success or doom you to failure. But how can you tell, in the first place, if your communication style is not doing any favour for your career?
1. What’s the response to your call to action?
Whenever you’re at a meeting and communicate your ideas, what response do you get? Do your colleagues respond favourably, and constantly make follow-up questions? Or do they criticize you or, worse, put you down? Obviously, if you’re not getting the reaction you want, then there’s an incompatibility that needs to be addressed.
2. Are you able to get your point across?
Were you able to get your point across? You can tell by looking at the faces of your listeners—are they intently listening to what you’re saying, and taking off from where you left your ideas? If you’re the leader in the team, you can also ask them to repeat what you just said, as this will help determine if they were able to absorb your message.
3. Are you being taken seriously?
When you throw your idea out in the open, are your peers listening to you, and supporting your stand? Not only do you have to voice out your thoughts, you must also command respect as you do so. You must back your words up with evidence and force of persuasion, in order for you to be taken seriously.
4. Do your words cause negative repercussions?
If there’s a negative response whenever you present your ideas, it’s time for you to look back at where you are going wrong. Maybe your ideas are not powerful enough, or maybe your listeners can sense a hidden agenda behind your words. In any case, if there’s negativity whenever you present your ideas, it’s time to consider an alternative and more persuasive way of communicating.
5. Do your listeners remember what you say?
In the end, what matters is that your ideas stick. If nobody remembers your ideas, no matter how good they are, you can’t expect to be credited for it! Recall is absolutely essential, and will help you propel to the top of your organization.