credibility

One of the Fastest Ways to Have a Bigger Impact

Most of the go-getters I work with rarely celebrate success – and I’ve been just as guilty over the years. I remember the first time I was honored by the Dallas Business Journal with a Women in Business Award. I barely told anyone, let alone invite them to celebrate with me at the awards luncheon. 

As someone who belongs to a family of overachievers with tremendous resilience, I got so used to expecting a lot of myself. And my career choices continued to reinforce this. In my 14 years working at Deloitte, I was surrounded by smart, competitive, capable people. So, it was easy to say, “What’s the big deal?” when I accomplished something significant.  Like many of my high-performing clients, my definition of “average” performance became skewed. 

So, what’s at stake if I (or you) let a “check-the-box-and-move-on” approach continue? Simply put, others can’t fully tap into the power of your strengths, and you miss the opportunity to have a bigger impact. In other words, there is tremendous value for others when you truly notice and “own” your strengths. When you begin to see what you do well and how you consistently do it, you can be more intentional about leveraging your strengths and can teach others the same skills. 

Noticing your strengths is key to creating a bigger ripple effect.  In fact, that is why we make it easy for you to identify them in New Lens®, our online leadership development solution. 

How to Notice Your Accomplishments

A simple way to start noticing the value you bring is by tracking your accomplishments. The process doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Simply take five to 10 minutes per week to write down any accomplishments. For each one, list its impact (i.e., the “So what?”). And remember not to judge yourself too harshly; include the smaller things, too.

For example, you might include an introductory meeting that you had with someone who is important to a project you are working on. On the surface, it may seem insignificant. But when you really think about the impact, that one meeting may have set the stage for smooth collaboration with a department critical to your project’s success. 

As you continue to capture your accomplishments day after day, you will start to see how much you are getting done and what you do well. This will not only affect your confidence but also make it easier to share your results with others to build more visibility and credibility. And don’t forget to celebrate your successes to take it one step further.

For more strategies to help you or your employees be successful, schedule a demo of New Lens.. It makes learning digestible through bite-sized lessons that you can access anytime anywhere and a collaborative approach to foster deeper learning and stronger relationships.

Is Your Communication Style Undermining Your Credibility?

Two foxes jumping at each other

Every day you shape how others view your leadership, through how you communicate. You send messages directly and indirectly all the time. Although this sounds really obvious, most people don’t take time to think about how their communication style affects their credibility.

The biggest opportunities to improve how we communicate typically exist when we know exactly what we mean and are laser focused on our message, because this is when we may forget to provide important context. We can leave people confused or making incorrect assumptions about our intentions.

So, here are three important questions to ask yourself before you engage someone, or to have your team think through before they approach you:

1. What do I want the other person to do with the information?

When you approach someone with information, the first thing she typically wonders is, “Why are you telling me this?”

  • Do you want me to take action? Help you problem-solve?

  • Are you just giving me an update?

  • Are you venting? Do you just need me to listen?

Remember to Connect the Dots for others to help them understand how the information impacts them and what you expect from them.

2. How important is this?

Next, ask yourself what level of priority the topic really warrants. Remember that by having a conversation focused on a single topic you may inadvertently give it more emphasis than you intended. Even the method of communication — face-to-face vs. phone or email — can convey relative importance.

Given the level of priority (high, medium, or low) what method and timing make sense? Should this topic be bundled with others? Can it wait to be discussed at a meeting you already have scheduled on another topic? Each approach communicates a different level of priority.

3. How can I connect this to the bigger picture?

Finally, consider the strategic significance of the information you want to share. If you are like most people, you have a bigger issue or business priority in mind even when you are “in the weeds.” How consistently do you make that connection for others in how you frame your message?

If you are in a leader’s office frequently talking about what seem like minor things at a surface level, it can undermine your credibility over time. Ensure the leader understands how each item relates to a bigger picture.

This week, I want to challenge you to think about these three questions as you communicate. Where do the biggest opportunities lie for you? What one step can you take to build your credibility through your communication style? Don’t forget that small steps can lead to big results.

 

© 2012 Neena Newberry | All rights reserved.