Communication Strategies During Tough Times
You can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future, but you sure can arm yourself with the best possible tools.
Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a Soulcast Media | LIVE event on LinkedIn where she shared tips and personal stories about communication strategies during tough times.
1. Visibility Mindset
Cultivating a visibility mindset is how we can ensure others notice our work and they keep us top of mind. Oftentimes, we think if the work is good, others will just notice. However, the truth is, everyone is busy! We have to proactively find those opportunities.
Consider the following.
- Share Wins – When we do something great at work, it’s essential we have a strategy in place for sharing it. Sometimes, it can feel a bit uncomfortable, but it’s crucial to let others know about our wins. The good news is we can share our wins in a way that doesn’t come across as boastful or arrogant. For instance, all we sometimes have to say is, “Really excited about this!” and forward them what you’re talking about.
- Meetings – Speaking up during meetings is a powerful way to increase our visibility at work. It’s often one of the simplest and most effective tactics. For instance, trying to contribute within the first five minutes of a meeting is a smart move. It sets a positive tone and ensures that our voice is heard early on. Anchoring is another clever technique. It involves building on what someone else has said, and using their point as a foundation for our own message. This not only adds value to the discussion but also acknowledges the contributions of others.
- Proactive Communications – In the hustle and bustle of the workplace, everyone, from our superiors to our colleagues, is often preoccupied with their own tasks and priorities. But here’s the thing: being proactive with our communications can work wonders in keeping us top of mind. For instance, when our boss is out of town or we simply didn’t get a chance to catch up with them, we can simply shoot them a quick email saying, “No need to respond, but just wanted to keep you updated on ABC.” Simple, concise and proactive.
2. Build An Army Of Supporters
Building a network of supporters is a smart way to develop our career brand without coming across as brash or pushy. When we have a strong support system, these individuals can become valuable advocates for us in the workplace. It’s all about fostering positive relationships and leveraging them to advance our career goals in a genuine and effective manner.
Consider the three support groups you can create:
- Advisors – Advisors form the bedrock of our support system. For instance, when we have a new idea or proposal we want to present to our manager, advisors are our go-to individuals to flesh out what we have. Reaching out to them for their insight and opinion not only helps us refine our ideas, but also strengthens our relationships with these key supporters.
- Endorsers – Once we’ve refined our idea with the help of advisors, the next step is to identify our endorsers. Endorsers are individuals who are invested in seeing our plans come to fruition because they see the value and it directly benefits them. They also possess the social and professional influence to support and champion our idea forward. These endorsers can play a pivotal role in gaining traction and support for our initiatives, helping to turn our ideas into reality.
- Approvers – After gaining the support and backing of our advisors and endorsers, the next step is identifying our approvers. These are the individuals who have the authority to give the green light to our proposals and ideas. Armed with the insights and endorsements from our advisors and supporters, we can make a compelling case to our approvers. This comprehensive approach, backed by the collective effort of our network, increases the likelihood of receiving a favorable response and ultimately achieving our goals.
While we can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future, but we can arm ourselves with a visibility mindset so we are top of mind. We can also expand our network so have an army of supporters around us. All this takes time, consistency and effort. But it’s the smart way of working to increase the ROI of our work everyday.
Check out Jessica’s Youtube Channel if you want to see the full version of this Soulcast Media | LIVE conversation.
___
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you:
- Discover your communications style, so you know where to start. Over 4,000 people have found theirs here.
- Attend our monthly communication workshop to build communications confidence (new topics: public speaking, advocating for yourself, building credibility, etc) here.
- Get your brand in front of 43k+ people by sponsoring our newsletter or Soulcast Media | LIVE LinkedIn events [contact: hello@soulcastmedia.com]
