Early Saturday a.m. I had the opportunity to speak to a group of women from Dress for Success, Indianapolis about communication and confidence. We sat semi-circle in plastic chairs, with coffee brewing in the background. The women ate snacks and took notes while we chatted. I had planned a formal conversation. However, that plan went out the window as we found ourselves talking through each participants communication challenges as a group.
These women are in various stages of their professional development, from initial job hunt, to in a job but seeking to find a better one, to those comfortably working and wanting to learn more about navigating communication challenges within their positions.
Regardless of where they are in their current job situation, they all wanted to know the same things…
“What do I say when they ask me….”
“What do I do when I don’t know the answer to…”
“How do I say ______________ and sound confident?”
“How do I handle this disagreement?”
“How do I know how much is too much information to give?”
“What questions should I ask?”
And so much more...
As the women answered each other’s questions and provided encouragement, I sat back, watched and listened. I was reminded that no matter where we are in our careers, these issues ring true for most of us. From the CEO to the fresh out of school job seeker.
We want to be better communicators.
We want our messages to be heard and understood.
We struggle to find the “right” answers.
These women reminded me that, to even attempt to answer these fundamental communication questions, we must be willing to ask them out loud in the first place.
And that takes courage.
It takes courage to say ” I don’t know,” “I need help with…”, “I’m not sure how to…”.
The women I was blessed to meet on Saturday showed that courage over and over. And as they did, they reaped the benefits of learning from everyone around the table.
That’s a lesson we can all learn from, don’t you think?
“The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
Learn more about Dress for Success, Indianapolis at http://www.indydfs.org/
I’m Alexandra Rufatto-Perry M.A., CCC-SLP, the owner of Practically Speaking, LLC and I’m crazy passionate about helping leaders and speakers create clear, concise and compelling messages and stories.
P.S. Like this post? Check out my website at http://www.practically-speaking.net or visit me on Facebook or LinkedIn to learn more.