Communicating meaningfully with your people is the real name of the game. It's not just getting attention, but getting through is what really matters. To achieve success when you communicate requires that you be aware of what others see and hear and how they respond to you, whether it be face-to-face, over the phone, during a sales call or presentation, conference call, meeting or via technology.
It's not just what you say but how you say it that matters If you aren't making a conscious effort to manage your tone of voice, the way you stand, and the words you use, you risk delivering your message ineffectively and leaving your listener with the wrong impression. The resulting misunderstanding will not help your cause.
When projects fail to deliver results, ensuing conversations can often become accusatory. The division manager says, "Even with all the resources and money put into this new product, the quarterly numbers show that it's another loss. Plus, one of our competitors brought out an equivalent product before we were ready to launch ours".
Lately I have found myself having a similar conversation with a number of clients. The conversation begins with my client stating they want to increase their visibility within their organization and better position themselves to work at a more senior, strategic level. They want to be noticed and earmarked for succession by supervisors; to be seen as a thought leader by peers; and, ultimately, to position themselves as someone ready to participate in the larger decisions facing the company.