Driving Career Results: How to Manage Self-Directed Employee Development (Monica Dedhia's Library) by Linda Brenner

Author:Linda Brenner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pearson FT Press
Published: 2016-03-12T16:00:00+00:00

Behavior 3: Shares Information

Sharing the right information at the right time is crucial to communicating well. People who are skilled at sharing information in a workplace provide information other people need to know to do their jobs. They are timely with information and share and leverage what they know to help others. They are careful not to over-communicate.

Ideas for improving this skill:

• Become an expert on your content. The more you know about your subject, the more effective you will be at speaking to it. So spend time studying all sides of an issue, researching the appropriate facts, and preparing for challenges or questions. Interview or speak with subject matter experts for additional data, and crawl content-specific blogs to glean what people are saying across the industry. As you collect data, build an informal fact sheet, and add to it regularly as new information becomes available. Put this approach into practice for the next 60 days, and note how it impacts your ability to easily share necessary information. Later, share your learnings and outcomes with your manager or a trusted advisor.

• Learn more about what people need from you. Within the next 30 to 60 days, build a list of the people that you interact with regularly. Interview each person and ask questions like, What kind of information do you need from me? How often do you need it? How do you like to receive information? What can I do to help you stay better informed? Compare this information to your style and tendencies. What gaps exist? Which individuals seem better informed, and why? Less informed, and why? Make note of your learnings and the outcomes. Later, share this information with your manager or a friend.

• Deliberately practice rigor in communicating. Over the next 4 weeks, during key conversations, take these three actions: (1) summarize what has been discussed when appropriate and (2) check for understanding before moving on. Afterward, (3) send out an email detailing each person’s next steps and accountabilities, including timelines. Keep track of the instances in which you put this approach into action. What benefits did this rigor yield? Did it save time? Could people act on next steps immediately? Make note of your learnings and the outcomes. Later, share this information with your manager or an advisor.

• Know your audience. Know your listeners and consider what appeals to them when preparing to engage. Ask yourself questions like, What is important and or crucial to this person/group? How do they like to receive information (detailed facts? fun anecdotes? quick and to the point? formal or informal setting?). What is the minimum amount of information they need to be effective? What about my message will get them most excited? Least excited?

Incorporate the findings of this evaluation into each communication with an eye toward matching and meeting your audience. Over the next 60 days, use your new approach for both formal and informal communications. Keep track of your work in this area, and share your learnings with your manager or a mentor.

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