If you’ve ever been to a conference you know the break times are short and it’s only then you can check your office messages, make phone calls, and meet with others.  At a recent coach conference I shared a room and Internet line with an associate.  This was tricky and caused me to have to get even more strategic with how I did my outside communicating. 

If you have something you want to say to someone, but little time in which to do it, here’s a few pointers you may find helpful:

1.  Be sure the recipient of your communication is open and available to hear what you have to say.   If not, your words are falling on deaf ears and your efforts are in vain.  If they are able to listen, great.  If not, use this time to make an appointment for a better time to talk.

2.  Give some thought to your message on your way to delivering it (and more time if you’re not short of it).  Formulate a brief outline of the main points you want to cover (even if the outline is in your head), and what you hope the outcome to be.   This will save you time when you’re finally able to talk.

3.  Deliver your message in a confident, stable voice, rather than sounding hurried – or worse, impatient.  Be concise and on target with what you have to say.  (Note:  if you’re on the phone with someone, walking while talking isn’t a good approach.  One reason is that moving locations while on a cell can not only make you sound winded, but the line can become staticy or even disconnect, which isn’t the best impression and it wastes time reconnecting.) 

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Jim sat in his manager’s office about to have his 6-month review.  His boss seemed to have that look on his face.  A look he’d seen before.

“Jim, I’d like to say your work is outstanding, but while we’ve been pleased with your project outcomes, your approach to your work needs improvement.”

Jim squirmed in his seat and tried to prepare himself for what would probably mean another layoff.

“I don’t want to fire you, Jim.  You’ve done some good things for us since you came on board.  But we need to work together to help you stop fighting needed changes that come along so you become more resilient with change,” his boss said.

“W–hat?” Jim stuttered.  He sat up straighter as the realization hit him that he wasn’t being let go.  He looked his boss in the eye saying, “What can I do differently?”

And so a mentoring relationship ensued between boss and employee, born of a willingness to learn and do things differently and the patient guidance of another who would take the time to encourage those positive changes.

Being agile or resilient to change is a learned behavior.  It grows out of experiences of getting knocked down and getting back on your feet, then nearly being knocked down, but confidently making changes when you see they’re needed, and finally seeing problems and their solutions ahead of the curve.  Since becoming agile is a life-long learning process, letting go of your resistance to change early will expedite your facility with changes.  Your willingness to adopt positive behaviors will propel your success.

Jim had his share of layoffs and job changes because he had long felt the problem was outside himself.  When he finally asked what he could do to improve, he was on the road to a more effective way of being and to continued improved actions.  Resisting would only bring the same results over and over and Jim would continue to have problems with work. 

How can you face resistance head-on and learn to be more agile with change?

•  Acknowledging something isn’t working can feel humbling, yet don’t take it personally. 
•  Assume responsibility for your errors and be a role model for others to acknowledge theirs, as mistakes and failure are a natural part of the process.
•  Think and act for the betterment of all and, if necessary, even be willing to let go your cherished ideas.
•  Have checks and balances in place and if problems arise, note them clearly so you don’t have to repeat them, moving on to better ways of doing things.
•  Form trusted mentor and mentee relationships and use those valuable relationships for ongoing support.

The Women’s Conference Jan 2010.  Courtesy of Youtube.com 2.15

With job security not so secure these days, bucking authority in your job could lead to job layoff.  Employees don’t want to be fired. so their suppression and even fear of their boss leads to feeling undervalued and ultimately job dissatisfaction.  Even entrepreneurs need to know the when and how of conversations in critical business relationships.  So how do you know when you can speak up or when it’s best to be quiet? 

If you’re a manager, director or supervisor, chances are you’ll have more opportunity for input than someone further down the chain.  But not always.  Some bosses have a great need to control and if you’re an excellent employee doing well they may feel inadequate next to you, even try to undermine your efforts, as well as not listening to your input.  If you’re confident in your self, your job role and the tasks at hand, then consider the following:

1.  Can you risk losing your job?  You should always have a minimum of three months salary saved in your bank account that’s enough to cover all expenses at any time.   This is security in many senses, including a useful backup should you decide to change jobs.  If you don’t have those finances, consider what other recourse you could rely on, should you be fired.  This is a risk that you’ll be taking, but take it with advance preparation.

2.  How important is your boss’s influence and interactions with you regarding your job performance and job satisfaction?  While no one should work in negative surroundings, if you have little interaction with your boss and recognize it’s their general style of communication, you may decide to leave matters lie and not contest their behavior.  A simple straight and directly spoken comment such as, ”John, I hear you and I’ll take care of it,” may get the point across.  However, if you can pleasantly smile it off, and go about your business, then this is obviously a first and easier approach.

3.  Is this a particularly bad time for your boss personally or professionally?  We all have periods of our life that are better or worse.   It’s possible he or she is dealing with a personal crisis you’re unaware of.  See what you can find out without talking with them directly and consider if you can wade through a short-period with them that may be difficult, yet you know the high tides will soon recede and your boss will return to his/her professional demeanor.

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Researchers at Ohio State University, talk about their job satisfaction.  They are processors of large amounts of remote sensing data to help create detailed images of Antarctica and the ice sheets of Greenland.  Courtesy of YouTube.com