“But why would I leave anything out? It's all important!” At first, I thought the chemical engineer was kidding. I even laughed at what I thought was an attempt to make fun of the prevailing stereotypes of engineers and other technical professionals. But this engineer was not joking. He was serious in objecting to my guidance that his presentation on bio-diesel be cut down to 8 slides from the 21 he had prepared. Well, so much for fighting stereotypes.
These informal lectures are perfect practice for client presentations.
Speakers crave useful critiques of their talks yet most people shy away from offering helpful feedback. But good speakers are always looking to fine-tune their craft.
Presenting at a medical conference or to a group of your peers can be challenging and, for some, even frightening. Too often, one struggles to prepare and deliver a presentation, while the audience struggles to maintain interest. Most presenters, even those who fail, begin with good intentions. But effective public
Set goals, redefine relationships and communicate as a leader.
As a professional in an intellectual discipline such as the law, chances are you were rewarded in life for being smart. You did well in high school, so you got into a good college. You did well in college, so you got into a good law school. You studied hard in law school and landed a nice job at a respectable firm.
In difficult economic times, two communication skills can help improve client relationships and generate more business. First, we can become our clients’ trusted shoulder to lean on as they deal with their own difficulties. Second, we can help them understand the many ways in which we can help them as they deal with their difficulties.
As lawyers, we routinely need to persuade others. We need them to hire us, to find in favor of our clients, to work for us, to promote us to partner. In order to persuade others we must tell engaging stories about how we can help them.
Yesterday, I received four voicemail messages and 62 e-mails. The tide has turned and we now communicate at work far more through writing than through actual conversation. So here are a few things to keep in mind about effective writing:
As an associate, I was once in a colleague’s office when a clearly annoyed partner walked in. He threw a letter on my colleague’s desk, a junior associate, and asked, “What’s wrong with this?” The junior associate stared blankly at the document, trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong. Had he left out some important information? Was it addressed to the wrong person? Was the caption wrong? The font?
Business professionals change titles every two or three years. Along with those changes, they generally receive training on how to work effectively in their new roles. At law firms, our roles change more subtly. We may refer to associates as junior, mid-level or senior, but our business cards don’t change, our clients may not see the change (except on fee statements) and our firms may not acknowledge the changes with training to give us the necessary skills for our new roles.
In college public speaking classes, we were all told to make eye contact with the audience. Most of us heardthat message as, “Scan the audience. Make eye contact with as many people as possible.” Unfortunately, when we scan the room, whether we are talking to three people or 30, we increase our anxiety because we try to process information about each person we see.
As workloads begin to pick up with summer’s end, it’s time to focus once again on how best to impact those around you. In a recent survey conducted by my firm, 74 percent of more than 1,800 legal and business professionals listed “listening skills” as one of the three most important communication skills a leader must possess. No other communication skill was listed more often. “Conveying clear messages” was a distant second, at 59 percent.
We all make snap decisions: attorneys, clients, jurors, our colleagues. Many issues we decide on the fly should be made that way. Fax the document or e-mail it? Delegate the assignment to a junior associate or do it myself? Do I want fries with that?
Convey to your employer that you possess the intellect, dedication and maturity to help serve its clients.
As you advance in your legal career, you’ll find your role at the firm changing. Although your job initially is to crank out billable hours, after a few years part of your job becomes helping to plan for the firm’s future. At large and small firms alike, this often means helping to hire new attorneys.
While taking a business writing program, whether it's with bankers, accountants or lawyers, a participant will ask how to become a better writer. The answer is easy: Become a better reader.
With your game face on, you walk into the conference room to meet opposing counsel. Your client has given you the guidelines for what they want to achieve from the negotiation. It’s the first time you are on your own with the other side. You’ve always known you were tough, and now you get to prove you can play hardball with the big guys.
It takes values, a vision, a plan—and good communication skills.
We have a love-hate relationship with e-mail. Perhaps no business tool has moved faster from being a tremendous boon to a tremendous burden than e-mail.
Sometimes, who tells and how they tell it is as important as the missive itself. How can you make sure that the message reaches the right audience in the way you had in mind? It's all part of a well-thought-out communications plan.
Positive Client Meetings Build Strong, Lasting Relationships
Communication becomes even more important when you're hashing out solutions to tough problems.
Today's reduced workforce demands that fewer employees take on more responsibilities. For managers, this means maximizing the talents and potential of their subordinates and making sure they are fulfilled and challenged by what they do day to day.
Skip the tricky ploys—try these tips to negotiate successfully and ethically
Getting mileage out of your public relations program takes planning. How you relate to reporters, what you say to them, and how you say it can make or break your company's public reputation. Your company's image is particularly challenged when an unplanned crisis occurs and grabs the attention of reporters. They want to know what happened and why, so you need to have a communication strategy in place that puts you and your company in the best possible light.
Senior executives can't afford to have presentations skills that stink, but many do. Here's how to meet the challenge and come out smelling like a leader.
Are you taking every advantage offered to you?
You need to do both to retain talented employees
If Companies know that a productive workforce improves shareholder value, why do so many neglect the coaching and counseling of their human capital? Unfortunately, many companies ignore the value of human capital — an asset that directly affects the bottom line. The high: costs of rehiring and training for positions vacated by unmotivated, underutilized individuals are strong, support for the need to make the employee's career growth a priority. So if managers know these skills are crucial for employee retention, why do many resist using them?
Your goal is to win the sale and keep the relationship
Solving problems as a team is never an easy task. Too often, managers concentrate on their individual needs and goals and miss the opportunities of collaboration. What should be a coordinated effort that capitalizes on the sum of individual strengths unfortunately often degenerates into an unproductive series of destructive internal struggles.
Your company's public image is particularly challenged when it is linked with a crisis which grabs the media's attention. They want to know what happened and why, so you need to have a communication strategy in place that puts you and your company in the best possible light.
Many senior executives struggle with the question, "How am I really doing?" Most executives have the discipline and initiative to set their own goals and gauge their performance. These leaders can show the overall business results that they and their subordinates have achieved by citing revenues, returns on investment, and other data. But on a qualitative level, how can these people know both how they are performing and how they are perceived?
It can be difficult to get a frank, useful assessment of your management skills. But with the help of a good coach - and videotape - you can take a long look at yourself and discover what in your professional presence, demeanor, and syle needs improvement to enable you to better lead, manage, and motivate.
International Meetings
Quick tips for overseas meetings and presentations.
When can "yes" mean "no" and even "maybe"? When speaking to international audiences, the executive who doesn't understand this could be in a heap of trouble.
Getting ready to announce an initial public offering is a stressful undertaking. Newly formed companies are typically so distracted with all the financial and legal details of "finishing the deal." that they often do not spend enough time properly planning their communication strategy for the crucial first press conference.
The savvy negotiator recognizes that using unethical tricks to win single deals does not build long-term relationships. Their client won't want to do business with them again if they resort to underhanded manipulation.
You need to probe beyond the resume to know if the candidate interviewing for the position is right for the job and company.
The increased globalization of business has required that executives be effective presenters in a number of different cultures. Many managers perform quite well in their own countries, but neglect to account for the cultural differences of the audience when planning presentations.
Chief executive officers have consistently noted that they are most likely to lose sleep over talent gaps in the executive ranks. Whether a company is a new dot-com or a traditional corporation, the crucial goals of innovation and growth depend on planning and implementing recruiting strategies.
Make Sure Your Natural Talents Are Evident to the People Around You
Getting along with your boss can be a challenge. One way to foster a good relationship is to understand his or her preferred communication style. With this information, you will better understand what motivates your boss and how he or she is most comfortable receiving and processing information.
Getting more mileage out of an interview
Use Too Much Text, And You Risk Confusing Your Readers
