Personal Coach Tips on Becoming a More Effective Communicator at Work

Whatever industry you are in, it is a must that you have great communication skills. No matter how good you are technically, not being a good communicator may still lead to your downfall in a job interview and this will also have a significant effect on your being successful in your career. Thus, it is crucial that you develop the right attitude and appropriate skills towards communicating with people.

If you want to get along well with your colleagues and give a positive impression to your boss, here’s what you should do to improve your communication skills:

#1 Don’t just hear what people are saying. Listen.

Many of us are terrible at listening. It often seems too hard to keep our mouths shut so we could listen to what another person is saying. Instead, we tend to interrupt, do something else, or assume that we already know what is going be said. To be a good listener, you have to be able to focus well on the speaker. Stop whatever it is you’re doing and wait for the other person to finish before you give your response.

#2 Don’t ignore non-verbal communication.

A person’s body language says a lot, and it is important that you understand what is not being said. Likewise, you should be aware of your own non-verbal communication. How you listen, look and move while the other person is talking says a lot about your thoughts and feelings about the person talking.

#3 Know what the preferred means of communication in the workplace is.

People are different even in terms of how they want to communicate with others. Some prefer emails, while others are more comfortable talking either on the phone or personally. It would be a smart move on your part to get to know your colleagues more as far as their preferred method of communicating is concerned.

#4 Always think about your tone.

One big challenge in communicating via social media or email is knowing the tone of the person sending the message. You can easily be misinterpreted as someone who is pushy and always angry. Thus, it is important to avoid using exclamation marks so the reader would not assume that you’re upset.

#5 Rephrase what you’re being told.

Saying again what your boss or coworker has said is a good sign for them that tells how you’re trying to listen and understand what’s being said to you. Plus, this is a good way for both you and the person to clarify anything that could be confusing.

Effective communication is a type of skill that you must practice continuously to improve. By being a good communicator, you give yourself a bigger chance of becoming successful in your chose career path. If you have no idea how to develop such skills, working with a personal coach is highly recommended so that you can have expert guidance in acquiring and enhancing the skills necessary to communicate well with others in the workplace.

Want A Higher Salary? Use These Tips from a Personal Coach

Did you know that in general, employers are often more than willing to pay more for the right experience and education? Are you also aware that you can actually earn double the amount of what you’re making if you are to go in a bigger company? These are just two of the best negotiating points you have that you should point out as you have a performance review or perhaps request a promotion.

If you think you deserve a higher pay than what you are currently getting, here are some things you should emphasize when you speak to the HR.

a. Number of years in the business.

It is common knowledge that the more experience you have, the higher the pay you should expect. You can point out that you have more experience than what is required in the position you are holding. Take note, however, that with too much experience, you may turn out to be overqualified for the position.

b. Educational attainment

How your educational background matches the requirement of the job has a significant effect on how much you will be offered. Also, the kind or quality of education you got can affect this. Thus, if your educational attainment is higher than what’s required, you definitely deserve to receive higher.

c. Performance assessments

This is a vital factor when you are being considered for a promotion or pay increase. If your performance reviews show positive points about how you work, this should give you hope that you’re going to get a pay raise.

d. Professional certifications and associations

In most companies and organizations, great value is given on an employee’s certifications and associations. If you don’t have such certifications yet, then you should make an effort to work towards attaining one.

e. Shift differentials

There are particular jobs that require employees to work even at the most unfavorable times. When working outside the normal work hours, an employee is eligible for a higher rate.

f. Recommendations

Getting a recommendation from your boss is a big boost in your chance to receive a higher salary. Although it seems common or ‘given’ for bosses to recommend their staff for promotion, many actually don’t bother to do it. Thus, it is important that you develop a good working relationship with your boss if you want to get his support when you need it later on.

Typically, an employee would have to wait to be offered a promotion or a pay raise, but you can also be proactive about it by making a request for a higher pay or a better position in the company. Any career or personal coach would also advise that before you do this, make sure you have prepared whatever documents are necessary for you to be deemed deserving of a bigger salary.

Career Planning and the Importance of Smart Networking

When it comes to doing a job search and career planning, it is important that you do networking the right way. Basically, there are two types of networking – bumper car networking and smart networking.

Bumper car networking happens when you just show up at an event or a social function and meet someone with whom you chat about different things. You then give out your business card and end the conversation being hopeful that you both are going to meet each other in the future.

Meanwhile, smart networking is about building relationships and not just contacts. This is the kind of networking you would want to do as this is the more fruitful and beneficial one. Below are tips you can use as you try to have meaningful conversations with people who may eventually be helpful to your career.

1. Be ready. Always be prepared with a couple of openers you can use when you meet a variety of people. Being ready with your lines will prevent you from fumbling for words when you’re in front of someone already.

You could perhaps ask what brought them to the event, or what they think about the presentation.

2. Come up with a topic to talk about.

One of the reasons why many people fear having small talks is that they have no idea what they should talk about. Well, the truth is that there is just so much to talk about, and the problem is that you don’t know how to start talking about something. Thus, make a list in your head of the things you think will be interesting for the people you are about to meet.

3. Be attentive and a good listener.

After you have given your opening statement, patiently wait for the response. Never rush the person to answer you or end whatever it is that they are saying. Show that you are interested to hear what they are saying.

4. Find something you have in common.

Once you have heard the other person’s story, that would be a good time for you to share some thoughts and experiences of yours. Ideally, you want to mention something that you both know or understand. This way, you can build a bond that may eventually be the reason for the two of you to keep in touch in the future.

5. Have a good ending.

If you think it would benefit you to keep in touch with that person, then by all means express it. You could even invite him or her to have coffee with you some time soon.

Being prepared, having an agenda, and being sincerely interested in meeting people are the ingredients to effective and smart networking that would help you gain relationships rather than mere contacts. These are the people who may soon play an important role in your career planning and success.

Career Coaching Tips on Dealing with Boss Problems

Are you in a situation where it seems like there is no other way you and your boss could work well together? Well, this doesn’t necessarily mean you literally hate each other; but you just feel that things could be a lot better between the two of you. Quitting your job and looking for a new one won’t make things right, so the best you can do is try to figure out how your employer-employee relationship will be better. You can consult a career coaching professional also if you need help in fixing issues with your boss.

The following are some tips on how you should deal with your boss so your career will not have to suffer:

1. Get to know your boss more.

Keep in mind that bosses are all different in so many ways, just as no two individuals are totally the same. You may have worked for another manager or supervisor in the past whom you think had the ideal traits of an effective boss, but this doesn’t mean your present boss should be like him or her. For you to avoid clashing with your boss, you have to figure out what he is expecting from you. It would be good also to know how he likes presentations to be made, or even how he wants his coffee.

2. Never avoid your boss.

Many of us tend to avoid interacting with people who are in higher positions. The problem is that limiting your contact with your boss could lead to loss of respect and trust on both parties. Needless to say, lack of communication results in more problems, especially misunderstandings.

3. Be professional and don’t bad-mouth.

It is so tempting to speak ill of your boss in front of your coworkers, but this is a clear sign of lack of professionalism and maturity on your part. Whatever disagreements you may have with your boss, it is a must that you handle it with care. Express your concerns to him so he would know where you’re coming from as well.

4. Look at the positive side of things.

If you don’t like your boss, it becomes easy to feel that he doesn’t like you either. Thus, you will feel sort of paranoid every time you hear him making comments about your work. Being on the negative side will bring nothing but negativity, and is a real career killer. Always be reasonable and have perspective when dealing with your boss.

While it is true that your boss plays an important role in your career advancement, it is still up to you to make your relationship with your boss work to your advantage. It’s not an easy task, of course, but getting some guidance from a career coaching professional will make a really huge difference.