COMMUNICATION is at the core of every PR pro’s work. The way we communicate can actually spell the difference between success and failure.
In his work as a business consultant, Martin Zwilling, Founder and CEO of Startup Professionals has seen many professionals and leaders initiating “high risk communications that have come back to haunt them.” After all, as he states in an article in Inc.com, “any business communication you initiate involves some risk to your credibility, has legal implications, and may impact your relationship with peers.”
At the same time, taking the opposite strategy of no communication is not good, but being brazen has a lot of pitfalls.
In his article “9 Business Communication Tactics That Are High-Risk And Not Worth Taking,” he urges us to strike a balance a take the route to smart communicating.
With some help from Communicate with Courage, a book by long time executive coach Michelle Gladieux, he shares some guidelines for smart communication initiatives.
1. Don’t engage with manipulative or unethical people.
“Remove yourself or set rules if you choose to or have to communicate with someone who reveals themselves to be duplicitous,” says Zwilling.
These people, after all, will likely be damaging to your health and spirit, and don’t deserve your accommodation, compromise, or collaboration. Avoid such relationships. In short, flee.
2. Don’t risk setting unachievably high standards.
Perfection in an unattainable goal, and, for Zwilling a sure route to burnout. “Unforeseen challenges in business usually prevent things from going exactly as you visualize, so be gentle with yourself and others. Don’t keep score about your wins and losses when it comes to getting outside your comfort zone”, he says.
3. Letting others define you leaves you at risk.
If you concern yourself too much with what others think of you and follow their direction, it will likely be impossible to be totally satisfied with who you are inside. Especially in business, he believes our legacy needs to be more than monetary.
4. Never avoid constructive or negative feedback.
Underestimating feedback limits your growth as a communicator and as a human. It may be delivered gracefully or without respect for your feelings.
It is important to always seek that kernel of truth that you cannot deny, leaving you better and stronger for having heard it, and act on it. Don’t risk losing the learning.
5. Don’t stay in an adverse employment situation.
“If your attempts to improve the culture where you work or volunteer don’t yield any movement toward wellness, take the steps to get out of there before you succumb to burnout or compromise,” says Zwilling. Simply use job search tools to seek openings, line up references, and use trustworthy people to find other employment.
6. Stay quiet when you’re too angry to see clearly.
It’s better to vent accusations and insults on paper and then burn the results rather than draft an email and accidentally or intentionally hit send. Use the quiet time to observe and meditate on what bothers you most about messages from others, and determine to never follow that lead on your own. Silence is truly golden.
7. Don’t try to be funny when you might be insulting.
Negativity and criticism resonate deeply and longer with message recipients than praise likely ever will. Consider whether or not your humor is welcome or just a defense or rebuttal to workplace harassment. Always test your response by first putting yourself on the other side of the equation.
8. Don’t assume people know how you feel about them.
It’s always good to express gratitude and appreciation. Drop a quick line via electronic mail or text to standout people in your business on a regular basis to share your gratitude for their support or special project. The longer they wait for you to acknowledge their value, the higher the risk for you in getting their support or change the next time you ask.
9. Don’t allow any misuse of confidential information.
Business peers must feel that they can trust you with any sensitive information, business or private. Like complaining, leaking a secret has a certain natural high to it, until the thrill is gone and you’re left with the negative impact on your reputation as a communicator. Don’t share confidences.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: Pressfoto | Freepik.com
