How incredibly influential and admired leaders communicate.
Transform the way you speak and win the professional game as a finance professional.

MASTERING COMMUNICATION AT WORK from Ethan Becker and Jonn Wortmann.

BOOK SUMMARY FROM A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE.

The authors say that there are two types of thinkers; deductive and inductive. Each of them tends to communicate differently, depending on how their brains process information. 

Neither type of thinking is superior – they’re just different.

Inductive Thinkers: They provide a lot of context of the situation to arrive at an end statement or ask.

Deductive Thinkers: They start from the ask and provide context if they think the other person needs it.

Example

You are at your lunchtime, and a co-worker approaches you, staring at the dark clouds with a preoccupied look. 

Then he starts talking to you;

Co-worker: – Hey, last weekend I went to have supper at my in-laws. 

My mother-in-law suggested that I start jogging, you know, cardio is good for your heart and help you to distress…. 

So, I went to the mall yesterday, and after trying a lot of styles, I got a very comfy and lovely white pair of sneakers. 

The traffic jam was awful, by the way, and looking for a parking space… uf, a nightmare….

I want to put them on and take a lap or two, but those clouds look nasty. Do you think it will rain?

That is an inductive thinker.

By the other hand, a deductive thinker would ask:

Co-worker: – Do you think it may rain?

You: – Probably

Co-worker: – I have a new pair of sneakers to run, but I do not want to get them dirty. 

Neither type of thinking is superior – they’re just different. 

But you need to consider that senior leaders tend to be deductive thinkers and get exasperated, bored, and even annoyed with long stories that never seem to get to the point.

So, accommodate your pitch to communicate from the beginning; 

1. what is the goal of the meeting (is this a debate, brainstorm or an informative-giving session)

2. what is expected from them. 

This simple practice can frame the whole meeting in a way that will keep everyone focused and engaged. 

Bonus Tip! Respect people’s time and ensure that information is included in the meeting invite, the objective of the session, and the role of each of the attendees you are asking to meet with you.

Communication issues, including annoyance for the receptor or confusion, occur when people don’t consider their audience thinking tendencies.

As well as knowing your own tendency, you need to know your colleagues’. 

 Below the kindle version:   

How do influential and motivational managers communicate?

A manager who knows how to influence and motivate their team learns the preferences of each member to communicate with each of them appropriately.

Often, managers lack purpose in their communication and assume their team members know what is expected from them because it is obvious, they may say.
It is far better to over-communicate and provide extreme clarity than to assume everyone is old enough to know what is expected from them, consequently having a poor-performing team due to poor expectations.

In the past, it has happened to me; an employee is underperforming, but they are skilled, have the intellectual capacity, and great attitude. The reason for their underperformance? Lack of direction and clarity from my side.

Once I am crystal clear, create a road map and specific milestones with them, they transform, blossom, and thrive.

 
If you are not a manager and you are falling in your job due to poor direction from your boss, take the initiative and propose a plan to them to achieve the milestones you think they want you to master.

Even the goals you drafted are not the same they expected; doing that exercise will open your manager’s eyes and realize you are trying but need their guidance.

OUTSTANDING PRESENTATIONS THROUGH BEST IN CLASS COMMUNICATION

Say you have to propose a solution or efficiency to your group’s vice president.

How do you do it – go straight in, or cushion the blow?

It depends on how your VP thinks– although most senior leaders tend to think deductively. 

Present the critical point right at the start before rowing back and giving the context the inductive thinkers need.

Of course, that’s not all it takes to give a good presentation. It’s always vital to be upfront with your listeners about what you’ll tell them, how long it’ll take, and why the presentation will be worth their time. 

Also, offer a clear, actionable summary.

But a master communicator will constantly be adapting to their audience’s inductive or deductive tendencies. Because communicating isn’t about you: it’s about the people you’re talking to. Pay attention to their reactions and use them in your favor to charm, convince, influence, and set your branding as an excellent communicator. 

Remember that some people – external thinkers – talk as they process information, while internal thinkers need a little quiet first. Give internal thinkers ample time and opportunity to participate too – don’t always let the external thinkers dominate.

An impeccable, charismatic, intelligent, creative ethos or professional branding in the workplace will do wonders.

How do you want others to conceive yourself? As someone who is a great speaker, with clear ideas, innovative thinker, fantastic listener, humble leader? Or someone shy who never speaks their mind and has no value to give to the broader organization?

If you want to make a career and keep growing and challenging yourself, you better learn to be an excellent communicator!

First impressions count tons in the finance world.

The way we physically present ourselves says a lot about ourselves, or at least, people have an idea of who they think we are. 

Our clothing style, how we look to others, our smile, the way we stand, our gestures and hand movements when we speak and communicate our ideas.

Hands have a considerable role in the delivery of our messages.

People that is categorized as trustworthy, confident, great speakers or influential leaders use their hands to accompany their speech. 

Imagine the financial and planning department of an SP500 company. 

Everyone is dressed up formally – everyone except for one analyst. She always wears jeans and sandals.

There’s a chance that this lady is the best, most creative, and imaginative analyst – and her unusual appearance only enhances her reputation as a free thinker. 

But now, imagine she made a big forecast mistake. 

Suddenly it doesn’t look so intelligent to be dressed like a college student. 

And people will start to interact with her differently.

Put another way, her ethos or professional brand has changed in the collective workplace mind of her co-workers. Hers lost credibility, so his ability to communicate with the rest of the team has been damaged.

What is ethos?

Ethos, in a nutshell, is the impression you give to those around you – your level of credibility. And it can go up and down: it’s relative to your performance. It changes depending on the context, too. 

What about your own ethos? Whether you’re conscious of it or not, you already have one. It’s vital to know what it is – and it might be worth asking a trusted co-worker to tell you how people perceive you. 

But the even bigger question is what you need your ethos to be. What ethos do you need to achieve your goals? Until your ethos is strong enough, you might find it challenging to move your ideas forward or motivate your staff, colleagues or senior management.

Maintaining your ethos is vital at all times at work and understanding other people’s. Sometimes when you get too close with your colleagues or team members, you may forget about the professional brand you want to project.

Remember always to be respectful. Be authentic, definitely, but remain professional, so your ethos does not turn blurry or hard to define by others.

You want to be remembered, remarkable, and outstanding. 

How to handle tough communications? – Give feedback naturally to those above, sideways, or under your care.

Giving feedback should be a healthy and well-appreciated habit.

However, it may be awkward – nevertheless, it’s vital to get results and develop your staff or to influence the leaders of your company. 

The key is always to be respectful.

If you’re delivering the message with the correct tone, attitude, and words, the other person will respond respectfully and thoughtfully.

 A good communicator is an expert at framing their message.

The best communicators are masters of validation.

Why do people need validation? 

Because everyone wants to know that their work matters – and that you value it. Validation affirms the value of someone’s work – and, by extension, that person too.

Everyone on your team, though, needs validation differently. 

Workers motivated for recognition will likely need more explicit validation than those who crave achievement. But everyone wants to feel seen and heard. They want to know you’re listening.

How to do it? 

Validation can be as simple as employing a stock phrase, like “Good job” – so long as you get the tone right so it doesn’t sound patronizing. 

Add a “because” and flesh the phrase out to show you’re listening. 

Another technique is to paraphrase: provide a summary of what your employee has just said to you. Don’t underestimate the power of body language. 

Either: a well-placed smile or a thumbs-up can go a long way.

Validating doesn’t mean agreeing. 

You need to acknowledge the other person’s feelings and views, but not necessarily to go along with what they say. Once again, it’s all about framing: if you have to say no, frame this in a way that still makes them feel valued.

Validating is especially important when people get defensive. VThis happens a lot at work: the moment someone feels they’re being criticized, they’ll start to feel threatened and become rigid and inflexible. They’ll stop listening to you – so the trick is to listen properly to them.

Ask a defensive employee: “What do you need?” or “Help me understand.” 

Let them show you their own perspective – and validate how they feel. 

That gives you the perfect frame to work through the problems and find a constructive solution.

MASTERING COMMUNICATION AT WORK Book summary

Communication is a crucial skill to bring to the workplace if you want to stand out and grow as a financial professional. 

A master communicator will adapt their communication method depending on the listener’s tendency and motivation. 

A great communicator will also provide validation when needed and frame their messages flexibly and effectively while playing with different tonalities depending on the message they want to deliver. 

Creating a culture of clear communication is essential for high-functioning workplaces that aim to get to the mountain TOP.

Author: Ruth Valverde A.

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