Communication skills

Speaking Up in Meetings – Why and How to Do it

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speaking up

When I first worked at McKinsey after college, I was pretty scared of speaking up.   I distinctly remember sitting in the large conference room with another analyst, our manager, the senior manager, and the Partner on the project, to discuss our strategy for a consumer business client.

The Partner discussed a strategy that frankly didn’t make sense to me, but he had 10+ years of experience, so I didn’t say anything. I was convinced that I didn’t know any better — I was only an Electrical Engineer with little business experience. I had some thoughts and suggestions, but I wasn’t sure if they were sound. ...  read more

Communication Skills – 5 Tips to Increase Career Success

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How-to-Improve-Communication-Skills

Communication skills are some of the most critical soft skills for achieving career success during a job search or in the workplace.  Improving your communication skills is a huge task, since business communication encompasses verbal and written exchanges, formal and informal styles of communication, along with one-on-one discussions and group talks. Obviously, then, this article is just a starting point. ...  read more

How to Break into a Managerial Role – Part 2

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Previously, we discussed the first part of this real life situation that Jessica is experiencing.  Today, we will finish this topic on how to break into a managerial role with a follow up discussion I had with Jessica a few weeks later.  Here is her follow up email updating me on her situation and some new challenges she is facing. ...  read more

5Cs to Effective Email Communication

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email communication

Email is one of the primary methods of communicating at work today. “What so hard about writing an effective email?” you may ask. Well, the mechanics of sending an email are simple, but if you want to facilitate effective email communication (e.g. your email is read, understood ,and acted upon in the time frame you desire), then there are certain skills involved in writing a good email. ...  read more

Active Listening Skills – 4 Tips to Practice

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active-listening-skills

Developing active listening skills is essential to improving your communication skills. How often do you find yourself zoning out or thinking about what to say next during a conversation, instead of listening? If you are anything like me, then the answer is probably everyday, even if it’s just for a few seconds. ...  read more