06/21/17
Recently a colleague reported his experiences he observed
during his job search. It points out the importance of networking
[2] , doing After Action Reviews, knowing that your can build your
career by taking related positions. A career is a process of
growth combined with continuous learning.
.
Networking:
applied online and got a personal contact of mine to forward my resume
to the hiring team…he felt comfortable to refer me.
it was too late, they had already considered a candidate.
This year they contacted me. So as you have so many times emphasized,
networking is key to getting one’s resume noticed.
Career is a Process:
A senior level manager:
- Asked about my industry experience and was probing about my interests,
strengths and ability to work in a team. We really clicked in the interview.
It was a pleasant conversation about various aspects of manufacturing, QA,
QC , work ethics, and honesty. he was very pleased that I was familiar with
Quality Management System. I felt we were already colleagues in the interview.
Among questions asked:
- what I do not like, and what I like.
- given a situation what do I prefer: perfect and late, good and on time, or quick
and early…something like that. I elaborated on each as it all depends according
to me. For example, I recall saying it depends on how critical it is. In a situation
where you are looking at an API, it is critical to be within the acceptance
criteria/specifications, better be late but safe. But for a report, as long as all
the important information are there, I won’t delay it for perfection. I recall also
talking about how in a team, different people have their own preferences - in
terms of how to present a table. I personally don’t like to delay output for these
things (as long as it is not wrong).
.
Another Interviewer/non-technical manager:
- were able to relate a little as I had previous experience in the finance
department when i was in accounting.
- ended up in a conversation about the market, competitive advantage, pains
of month/year/quarter ends.
- Talked about SAP and Oracle.
- He actually appreciated that I knew about science and financial side of the
business.
.
After Action Review:
- if I run into a situation like that again, I should transition my mindset into a
“sales pitch”- meaning, I should do the best I can to use facts from my
experience to support each criteria they are looking for.
- asked to visit the lab and areas of interests. I found it odd they did not propose.
06/16/17
Recently I have received requests to review resumes and cover
letters for people who have completed several post docs and
wonder what can they do to attract interview attention.
.
First it was important to realize that they do not see the
changing role of push-pull marketing using on line profiles.
Since online profiles can contain much more information than
resumes and can be accessed in a multiplexed mode, quite often
this is a leading recruiting step. Push marketing is typified by
sending your resume to a recruiter or uploading to a website.
Pull marketing occurs when recruiters review profiles on line.
.
The online profile needs to be very good and show
communication savvy, while being consistent with your resume.
.
Second. When I examine the profile/ resume/ cover letter package
I ask for the job description. The exact title [cover letter], job code
[cover letter], and keywords [cover letter, resume, online
profile-Linkedin] need to be listed in the documents. It is critical
since screening is often done by ATS applicant tracking systems.
Third. While the ATS examines the full document, human reviewers
will want to see information that is easy to read, error-free and
specific to the position. Please:
- avoid long paragraphs of information in cover letter or resume
- insert your experience section before education, after you
reach five or more years beyond your last degree.
.
While it might be very true, statements like the following are
not taken seriously:
‘I believe I am a
quick learner as demonstrated previously where
I have
worked in various fields (materials, analytical and clinical)
and published
papers. I hope my skills and background are a
good
fit for to satisfy the requirements for the … position. I thank you for
your time and enthusiastically look
forward to hearing from you
soon. ‘ [note too many ‘I’s’– whole letter had >16]
for we know other interpersonal, cultural, and nonverbal
factors can dominate. [Technical skills alone are not enough.]
.
While the ACS offers good general suggestions about
writing documents, specific situations require outside-the-
box thinking.
- when there is little evidence for scientific accomplishments
via patents and papers, consider creating a List of Projects
addenda that might mention project work on proprietary
material ethically and legally.
- when seeking positions of some authority and responsibility,
providing information in the affiliations or highlights section
or in the cover letter or in the Linkedin profile where you
point out project and team leadership and responsibility
06/09/17
Herbert Simon is credited with recognizing that in a
data rich world what is critical is managing audience
attention. Combined with the attitude that audiences
prefer A I D A, the digital media promoters code…
attention,
interest,
desire,
action,
we lose our focus, disturb our direction and slow our progress.
.
Leaders of the digital and media organizations realize this
and take advantage of the uninformed. It is critical that
technical professionals understand this and improve the
way we manage ourselves, our colleagues and teams.
.
The technical world including the chemical enterprises is
dominated by the “attention economy.” Earlier this blog posted
prescribes actions we can take to contain the outside influences
that digital media and devices introduce in his web site:
managing our attention and careers.
05/16/17
Some people are in roles that it is an asset to remember and
use people’s names. Sales, interviewing, teaching, politics and
guess what, leadership roles.
.
[They offer F-A-C-E: Face the person, Ask how they like to be
called, Cross reference to links, Employ the name in conversation.]
.
In a recent
podcast I learned another acronym that might be useful
to recall names that gives useful advice: C-H-A-R-M. from Jim
Kwik
- Care. Showing that you care enough to remember a person’s
name reveals a connection.
- Hearing. Often we are thinking of something else when another
person offers their name. our attention is not focused on listening
closely, Distraction leads to not hearing.
- Ask. How do you spell it? Where does it come from? What is
the meaning or who were you named after? How would you like to
be called?
- Repeat Say the name and impress yourself with the name, situation,
origin/factoid.
- Marker. imagine the names spelled on their face, or link their face to
another face with the same name and jot it down in another medium.
05/04/17
Mlodinow, in Subliminal, delivers a clearly written book that helps
us understand Listening and Remembering. He explains that it all
comes from William Carpenter’s book “Principles of Mental
Physiology” in which he told that human brains carry out three
things simultaneously– autonomous functioning (without formal
thinking), conscious mental actions, and unconscious processing.
.
When we listen we hone in on specific utterances and fill in the
gaps with our unconscious. It is similar to the way computers
capture images and store them as thumbnails. Taking in certain
‘pixelated’ data, allowing us to reconstruct by filling in the details.
.
Our memory on the other hand is known to be “faulty”. We are
almost always never right with our recollections unless we take
special precautions to capture details. People try to maintain a
story’s general form, drop and change others to make us be able
to tell stories “confabulating” choices we make in the dropped
details.
.
Thus, false memories and misinformation is a common human
frailty. With time we drop more and more information.
Mlodinow offers several examples one of the most striking is
James Dean, President Nixon’s personal attorney, in his responses
in the Watergate hearings. Mlodinow writes that Dean misstated
and mixed up nearly every detail of the affairs in which he was
involved based on a comparison of actual tape recordings from
the Oval Office and the Watergate hearings. At the time, we
were informed that Dean had a nearly perfect memory.
.
This goes to point out the importance of having and maintaining
a calendar, a professional daily diary, an ‘idea notebook’ and records
of key goals, accomplishments, master resume, and personal
records.
04/18/17
You know, I am a strong proponent that scientific professionals
have a strong understanding of working with statistics and
perceive the hazards in our environment, that have good and not
so good effects on humans.
.
So in our final class we talked about three features we should
look for in evaluating statistical data. [I am always amazed that
their relevance is not emphasized in classes.] variation, shape
and central tendency.
.
In our daily lives we are faced with statistics for nearly everything
and given “selective” interpretations to sell or convince us of various
positions.
- insure the data provides its sample size and range and variability
[small sample size, limited range, no measure of variation should
not be basis of a general position.]
- If the data is presented with many significant figures, it should
raise “red flags” in your mind. [10,234,511.39 ?]
- The shape of the distribution of measure reveals critical insight.
[power law, normal, bimodal, skewness…]
- What is the appropriate central tendency representation? Mean
if it is normal distribution…Other than that, questions are needed.
.
.
There are two radioactive species in our environment that we
should be aware of some things. One I encountered when I was asked
by a middle school student about a science project on radioassays.
That is when I learned about technetium. Technetium-99 is most
useful as a radioassay measure for imaging internal organs.
CEN published a short factoid recently about this lightest, artificially
produced element. ”
Technetium cows” were developed by BNL
researchers and have been in use for more than 50 years in
medical diagnostics and research. In addition, technetium is a
by-product of U-235 decay and thus can be a valuable monitor
for nuclear reactor spent fuel rod decay and storage.
.
A second radioactive element is the gas, radon. Radon is naturally
occurring in the environment and is attributed to be an effector of
. Radon decays naturally producing alpha
particles.
Maps of the prevalence of radon in the US point to where
it is. This should be a point of reference for us where we live
and work.
04/13/17
Many articles we find about requesting for salary
increments overlook the need to do three things–
* perform consistently well in meeting and exceeding your’s
and your team’s goals [time in grade is often insufficient],
* gather critical information about pay, time in grade and value
to the organization, and
* have a proposal for your continued growth plan and how it
contributes to the organization [it is helpful to have mentors
who are knowledgeable about the organization, policies and
culture].
.
One article offered:
- separate salary conversations from performance review meetings, so
that you demonstrate you are not focusing as being money-driven.
- know that a timely one-on-one can be helpful in supporting the
value you provide to the organization with a successful project
completion
- ‘plant the seed’ for an increase before the organization’s budget
planning (article indicates 3-4 months, is that too early?)
- practice what you are going to say, plan for interruptions, and
have a back-up plan
04/08/17
Our Professional Development class is interesting because
we can use feedback from class members for future discussion
items and exercises in class.
.
One feedback card read: Could we engage in networking
conversations and elevator speeches from each person in class?
It is better than describing them.
>In subsequent classes we asked people to deliver elevator speeches
to their team mates [which should be done in all team situations].
Then when we brought in guest speakers, we asked each class
member to deliver an elevator pitch to the guests.
.
A couple of other situations that are intriguing. One class member
met privately and said she did not know what to do as her team
was unresponsive to requests to work together and complete tasks
on time. We talked about it and in class performed an exercise.
What can you do to work better as a team? There are many excuses:
too busy, lazy, procrastinate, think the assignment is dumb….
>
- plan ahead; discuss the work assignment
- know yourself; study your teammates behaviors, values, likes
- keep in touch; communicate, even over-communicate
- offer help if others have trouble understanding/solving the assignment
- Team formation usually follows easily recognizable stages, known as
“forming, storming, norming, and performing.”
YOU ARE EXPECTED TO GET TO NORMING QUICKLY
- learn about your team-mates: their values, behavior, goals, time lines,
honesty, promptness, caring; strength and weakness
- When do you report to higher Ups?
- Influence: consistency, scarcity, authority, trust worthiness,
social proof
- Work together, share ideas and don’t just divide up the work.
- Use people’s strengths and interests to produce something that
exceeds expectations.
- Become familiar with due dates, put buffer between team
deadline and final deadline alert people in advance
- Givers succeed most, reciprocators are a close second
- Adam Grant’s book “Givers and Takers”
.
A second class exercise was inspired by an incident where a class
member forgot an attachment when sending an email. It happens to
all of us.
.
The class came up with several and discussion ensued about how
some recipients might feel it revealed lack of attention to detail or
how you perform under pressure. There are technological solutions
that we should know and use.
Outlook
03/31/17
This is a story about two conversations. The first is
one with a very accomplished senior grad student.
The second conversation is one of a series with
a department of chemistry chairperson.
.
Ph.D. LACKING NEEDED SOFT SKILLS
Almost Dr. Smith (not his or her real name) wanted
to talk about a situation in which she finds herself. She
has received several promising offers, only to be rejected
after providing references. She has learned from a reliable
source that the reference supplied the information that her
writing skills were not up to acceptable standards, whereupon
the offer was pulled.
.
She asked what can she do now? Learn by various means–
reading for style and formatting, specialized training to write
for specific audiences, and practice, of course are several
possibilities. Shouldn’t the grad school provide that for her?
.
The answer is generally, not in today’s climate.
Second conversation, now.
.
PROPOSAL TO CHAIRMAN TO OFFER PRACTICAL
SKILLS TRAINING
[Bring a solution, when you ask about a big concern you
have.]
When the new chair was installed I went to her with the
concern that many graduates do not have essential writing
skills and other “Soft skills” that we need to be successful.
What are some courses, programs of study, and tutoring
assignments (shadowing, draft writing, editing, reading)
that are offered or can be offered? We will bring it up to the
dean, was one response.
.
Another time, post-docs are people without support,
representation or a voice. What can be done to help their
case? That is up to the individual PI was the response. I reflected
on several national labs, medical schools and NIH programs
and received the feedback. That is not something I can do.
.
I pursued: Why not? some of the ideas are nice, but I would
be stepping on people’s [departments] toes and it is imprudent
to do here.
Another reason is that I can not impinge on the time they are
working in the lab. They have so many distractions and
commitments as it is. To add another requirement would take
time from the research work that needs to get done.
.
So, it goes. Outside speakers emphasize it is important to “get
out of the lab” and learn extra-curricular skills through different
activities, internships and volunteer roles. Most students immediately
reflect that their boss would not like them doing that. Most say
they feel pressure to be in the lab 7×12 getting results.
.
While I receive consistent support for Professional Development
activities in summer and both semesters, I am only one and
so much more could be done to make a difference. What we
do is as much or more than is offered in other R1 institutions.
Please send in ideas and concepts working in other institutions.
I look forward to them.
03/25/17
We have written about using emotions in our
storytelling especially related to trust, by Brene
Brown.
.
the psychology of influence. His latest Pre-suasion
is highly recommended in offering ways to understand
how we are influenced and might be able to express
ourselves better.
.
Cialdini presents “pre-suasion” as frontloading attention
by altering audience members associations with what we do
or say next.
- privileged moments: tuning in to times when audience
is most receptive
- channeling attention using attractors and magnetizers
- ‘I link, therefore I think’ - creating or building on
associations
.
Influencing examples:
Agenda setting theory- media rarely produce change by
presenting compelling evidence; more likely persuade
indirectly by selecting issues and facts and excluding
unfavorable items.
.
Forced confessions have a history going back to the 1692
witchcraft trials appearing in many trials, Chinese Cultural
Revolution ‘convictions’, and Joseph McCarthy Communist
Party affiliations indictments 1950s.
.
Neidert Core Motives Model of Social Influence
Stage 1: cultivating a positive association, using
“reciprocity” and “liking” in a meaningful, unexpected and
customized way
Stage 2: reducing uncertainty, using authority and social
proof to provide priority to a course of action
Stage 3: motivating positive action, sealing the action
to move ahead.
.
Where Influencing is used in marketing:
1. media traffic reports as programming space editors
2. naming of supplements and nutrients sounding like
derivation from natural products.
03/15/17
Yahoo had an appropriate article by Maria LaMagna
about the consequences of lying in an interview when
asked how much you currently make.
This could happen in various interview formats…
screening, on-site, wrap-up with HR, or during
salary negotiations. Preparation and research
are key.
In all cases tell the truth, as they may ask you to produce
a pay stub. Alternatively it is fair to ask what is their
purpose.
I feel it is appropriate to state that salary is one
component of an overall compensation package.
While it is a gauge on your value to the company,
it is fair to point out that other factors may be equally
important to you…vacation, citizenship work papers,
insurances, location, travel requirements, etc.
03/14/17
What is my future like? many are asking as we face an
uncertain future. It seems as this was the case decades ago,
but it is more uncertain now.
What is the reason? What are the drivers?
Harari has something to say about this. Look at his
TED Dialogdiscussion.
.
1. We have lost “our story”. The narrative that describes modern
life in the 21st century is not what previous generations’ stories
were. This is one of the major roots of upheavals seen around the
world.
.
2. Technology is bringing people together in many ways while
it separates us into many many subgroups. The wealthy, in
information-rich positions, influence the decisions of authorities
and will take advantage enhancing income mal-distribution.
.
3. National priorities have no connection to reality in many global
issues. Job loss, despite all the rhetoric, is not as strongly
influenced by immigration as it is by robots, algorithms and AI.
.
4. Political leaders have very little influence to do good. They
have great influence in doing bad and it is usually not one
individual responsible, because there are many supporters and
people of influence.
.
See some of the
reviews of Harari’s work bring up several other
disconnects we observe and may not easily explained. Knowing
allows you to define for yourself
the meaning of joy, satisfaction, happiness and help.
03/10/17
Two recent communications provided thoughts for this
post on the complex visa issues facing international
technical professionals.
.
CASE. EB-1, EB-2
One was from Southeast Asia who earned a Ph.D. and worked
as an industrial post-doc before accepting a permanent position.
She learned that her firm was closing its doors and landed a
technical position at a leading international firm.
.
It was a positive experience for more than a year as her
direct manager and senior technical professional mentored
her through the politics of the product development group.
Unfortunately he is no longer there.
.
She finds that the work is challenging and a positive experience.
However, there are “people challenges” that are hard to work
through. How long should she stay and what goals should she
set?
.
Pressure seems to be building up with the challenges. We talked
about retaining benefits (401k, bonuses, promotions in title)
seeking her working visa, and long term ambitions if things turn
out perfectly.
.
She pointed out that if she knew what she knows now, she
free assessment of her case and guarantees if she self applies
for an EB-1 or EB-2, there is a money back guarantee.
.
CASE. Canadian Visas
A second conversation was with a Canadian professional
working in the US as a post-doc.
Canadians are allowed to visit the US for up to six months
(182 days) per calendar year. Nationals of other countries
are allowed only 90 days. You can accumulate those
days by one long trip, or an aggregation of several short ones.
.
The nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows
citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals,
to work in the United States in prearranged business
activities for U.S. or foreign employers. Permanent residents
of Canada and Mexico are not able to apply for TN visas
to work as NAFTA professionals.
.
$50 for the filing fee and $6 for I-94 fee. Pay at the border
at the time of applying for the TN Visa. Total Cost by Mail
= $325 for Form I-129. See the USCIS website for the
latest fee amount.
.
Current U.S. laws and regulations say that Mexican and
Canadian citizens can stay in the U.S. in TN status for periods
up to three years. Even better, TN workers are supposed to
be able to extend their stays indefinitely, in three-year
increments, so long as they satisfy the requirements under
the TN program.
.
As a Canadian citizen hoping to work in the US, there are multiple
options that are available to you. Some relevant work-related visas
include:
- HB-1 Visa-this option is available to individuals who at least
hold a bachelor’s degree. The employer would have to agree
to sponsor you and should file the appropriate paperwork on
your behalf.
- E1 or E2-if the business you plan to work for is 50% owned
by nationals of your home country and it trades and invests
in the US then this could be another option for you.
- O Visa-if you have proven substantial contribution to areas
such as education or science you may be eligible for this type
of visa.
- L Visa-this type of visa may be an option if you have
worked for a company for at least a year and then wish to
pursue employment in the US under another branch of the
same business.
- Green Card-if you have a master’s degree or work in a
position that requires it, you may be eligible to apply for
a green card to continue working in the US.
As you can see, there are various avenues you could take to achieve
your desired results. To better understand your options and to select
the appropriate option, you should contact an immigration
attorney.
Keep in mind, many of these processes take time to complete, so
you we want to be sure to choose the best option.
01/31/17
Reading a book that you may wish to get your hands on.
That is if you are interested in improving your “small
talk” skill.
I know I am. So let me tell you more. I am visiting several
friends and new acquaintances and am looking at how I can
ideas that are encapsulated in three acronyms for different
circumstances.
HPM SBR EDR
draws on memory, focused on topic focused
experiences and on exploring
opinions
focused on you
History - Specific Emotion
Philosophy Broad Details
Metaphor Related Restatement
==========================================
H reply to comment
using personal experiences on a topic
this reminds me of…
what a coincidence…..
P personal stance on a topic
I always enjoyed….
M metaphor
there was a famous quote ….
this allows for a subtle change of topic
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
S ask to go deeper, more specific
B ask to springboard into subtopics
R explore into tangential topics
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E It seems to me you feel …. You are…. Other people’s emotions
D define the details
what were they wearing…
how was the weather…. How did you deal with it…
R employ 5 Ws to complete a restatement
is this what you mean?….
01/25/17
One of the requests from one of the new students is “how
to get involved in entrepreneurial ventures.” It got me to
thinking about things we could bring up.
Two interesting concepts that we can point out is Nonobvious
2017 and Cooperatives for entrepreneurs.
Rohit Bhargava gives thoughtful tips on
trends
before they take off. This is something that should
interest entrepreneurs. He suggests ideas for trend curators:
- be curious: ask why, continuously be in learning mode
- be observant of the small details of organization
- attend to various ideas and hold back from fixating
- pause and think through things; avoid jumping to results
- be elegant in expressing things
Riding on a flightI learned about CCA Global Partners which
has a remarkable corporate mission and business model to help
entrepreneurs. The web site boasts more than ten divisions
of fields they enhance by bringing folks together involved
in related enterprises.
Sometimes seeing what works in one field helps progress
in your area.
01/04/17
`How do you figure out appropriate information that is important
and verifiable, relating to your interests and goals?
.
We can subscribe to publications. Does that provide what you need?
We can view broadcast media or skim Flipboard or other “news
aggregators” or subscribe to twitter feeds for our philosophy matching
sources.
.
We all have limited time and viewerships.
.
- Set your short and longer term goals
.
ASK GOOD QUESTION
A good question is not concerned with a correct idea.
A good question cannot be answered immediately.
A good question challenges existing answers.
A good question is one you badly want answered once you
hear it, but had no
inkling you cared before it was asked.
A good question creates new territory of thinking.
A good question reframes its own answers.
A good question is the seed of innovations in Science,
technology, art,
politics, and business.
A good question is a probe, a what-if scenario.
A good question skirts on the edge of what is known and not
known, neither
silly nor obvious.
A good question cannot be predicted.
A good question will be the sign or an educated mind.
A good question is one that generates many other questions>
A good question may be the last job a machine will learn to do.
A good question is what humans are for.
GOALS- Think through your “purpose”
1- Do you like what you are now doing?
2- What do you feel and think you want to do? Like is not
enough. Purpose is about setting up a direction and a path
and pausing and allow back up plans and ideal case formulation.
3- Can you do what you want? Know the difference between
your wants and what you are competent at. Understand your
priorities and values and your organization’s priorities and values.
4- Have you define your next and following steps involving
awareness, action and accountability
5- Who can you depend on for good, reliable advice? Who
will tell you the truth without involving their personal interests?
6- What are you willing to re-pay, offer up and return?
7- What do you to learn or gain experience in?
COGNITION
It is useful to consider the words we use. ’Truth’ is most often
not strictly absolute, black and white. Yet there are certain words that
do not trigger the outcomes we desire.
NEED very few things “need” to get done. OFFER, maybe, WHAT
DO YOU THINK ABOUT… or HOW DOES THIS SOUND…
CAN’T you probably can. In reality, there are multiple or opposing
“can’s”
EASY This is a way to describe other people’s jobs. Notice how
many times that speak about their jobs as easy.
“Cousins” of these words are everyone, no one, always and never.
12/15/16
Three top line topics have appeared this year:
1) Evolving trends in technical careers
2) Professional Behaviors that can help you
3) High Need for New Division in ACS– Economics
and Chemistry [Not only short periodic webinars that
are at 30,000 foot level and CEPA]
10/14/16
We (M. Godek and I) asked our seminar group:
What might you seek from a mentor?
Some answered one or two of the following–
Where are your career directions moving? Where are you now?
What are your visions and aspirations, strengths, weaknesses
and how to relate them.
In addition, suggestions to build soft, technical and wise skills
Navigate the organization, explore new ideas, new career path
Expand your committed network, build confidence.
Who is responsible for setting up a “mentoring connection”?
To many it was a surprise to hear “You are!” Sure many
organizations set up formal mentoring arrangements to achieve
goals for the organization. Not specifically to meet your personal
questions or goals, intentionally, and their metrics reveal that.
It is imperative that you assume responsibility for the mentor,
roles, goals, timing and how to move it forward.
A ‘take home message’ is that there are formal and informal
mentoring connections. While the formal are set up by organizations,
include training, last for a specific period and are designed to
benefit the organization; informal ones involve people who
may not have formal training, offer long term rewards for
both and benefit both partners in a win-win arrangement
that is two-way.
We differentiated
Coaching, Teaching and Mentoring -gain or improve a skill, performance driven COACHING
-discover and acquire knowledge, theoretical, practical,
experiential, laboratory, plant-wide TEACHING
-2-way collaboration, guidance and perspectives in challenging
situations, relationship-based MENTORING
This opened many audience members’ eyes.
Then, with many questions and stories, we discussed
characteristics of good mentors, how to meet and invite
a mentoring relationship that is win-win.
Here is a link to the session feedback.
09/29/16
This topic may apply to working in teams, dealing with
customers and managing challenging situations. Three
useful concepts come out of Leonard Greenberger’s
soft cover book, “What to Say when things get tough“.
.
A. He characterizes the need to prepare and craft communications
tactically as beginning in the 1980s when a new field
emerged that outlined three steps observed in communications–
- ignore a situation or problem NO COMMUNICATION
- explain with facts as you see it ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION
- engage people involved TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
This approach recognized the emotional component.
.
B. The strategies he reported can use four equations:
P = R PERCEPTION EQUALS REALITY
E > F EMOTIONS TRUMP FACTS
S = B+ SUCCESS COMES FROM BEING POSITIVE
3P = HC THIRD PARTIES TRANSLATE INTO
HIGHER CREDIBILITY
What counts is your audience’s perception of what is happening
and whether or not you are trustworthy and credible source of
information
See events through the eyes of others.
Facts do not equate to winning people over. When people are angry,
worried and suspicious, they absorb and sift through information
with the emotional areas of their brains.
Life is divided between things that make you feel and things that
make you think. This is hard for scientists and engineers to
fathom. Situations seek reassurance and empathy. Understand
how others feel, rather than offering facts.
To achieve success, remain positive. Words used can often
embody the feeling. But receivers may pay more attention to
nonverbal cues.
Use third party resources to provide supporting feeling and input.
It helps that they have higher credibility. The closer to your target
audience is to your source the better.
C. CODE FOR DEVELOPING TRUST AND CREDIBILITY
Weighting factors
Caring and empathy 50
Openness and honesty 10-15
Dedication and commitment 10-15
Expertise and competence 10-15
Angry, worried and suspicious people pay attention not only to
what you say but also to what you do with your eyes, hands,
posture, clothing and other nonverbal cues.
Caring and empathy accounts for about half of the trust and
credibility judgments that people will make of you.
Telling relateable stories can be key.
09/08/16
You cannot fake trust,
J. Smith wrote. Covey points
out that trust is the highest form of motivation.
.
When trust is lost or not part of interpersonal connection,
less than what is set out as goals will result– for
individuals, teams and organizations.
.
So many times I have heard one person not being selected
for something based on a comment that another lacks
trust or did not feel someone was trustworthy.
Examples:
employee / boss: confidence in you before promotion
team / manager : belief in you to rely on your vision and
communication
audience / speaker: are you credible and have a credible
message to act on your recommendations
.
Trust reveals faith in the honesty, integrity, reliability
and competence of another.
.
Two resources that may apply to situations are
SUNY-Albany provides trust elaboration in a more global
perspective. I appreciated their defining three types of trust
1. trust conferred by professional credentials and
reputation. It may change based on more interactions.
CALCULUS-BASED
2. trust resulting from familiarity and consistent
work-group, team or association (professional, business)
interaction.
IDENTITY-BASED
3. trust resulting from adhering to legal or social
norms that prescribe and restrict behaviors and actions.
INSTITUTION-BASED.
.
This background can be instructive as it can inform how
trust results in different and cross-cultural situations.
.
Phrases and appropriate, following-elaboration that enable
trust include:
- ‘thank you…’ for attending, for reviewing, for helping….
- ’saying what is in it for the audience’
- telling ‘why I care about….’
- follow emotional beliefs with supporting, objective data
[not ‘cherry-picked’ data]
- listening carefully to another’s opinion and stating trust
in their judgment
- confirming that while you may not be expert on all things,
you have training, experience and willingness to learn new
things that enables you to offer a thoughtful perspective.
.
Other
ways to foster trust include:
- follow through and provide early notice for meeting or
not meeting commitments
- say “no,” when you mean no
- share what you know and don’t know