Speak up responsibly

Whether you speak up in your organisation depends in most cases on whether you feel able to do so. However, the advantages of doing so outweigh the disadvantages so it’s worth taking a chance. How is some advice on how to go about it.

BE A BALANCED VOICE: Balance your voice by thinking about and through what exactly you want to say, why you want to say it and what purpose you want it to serve. Say what you want in a way that shows you have reflected on the issues. If others have expressed opinions about the same issue, make sure you are presenting a fresh angle on things.

SHOW LEADERSHIP: Know when to speak; think about how and where is best to speak up. An open forum may not always the place to speak especially if what you have to say can put someone on the spot. Don’t address in an public forum an issue that should be dealt with one on one. Speaking up is not easy for many people; therefore when you do you are setting an example, so make sure it’s a good one.

DON’T BE AN ECHO: There’s nothing wrong with endorsing the view of another. Infact it is a good way of promoting consensus. However, being an echo is being loud, saying nothing new or insisting on just your opinions rather than hearing what others have to say or their response to your contributions. Whatever you want to say even if it’s a question, make sure it really adds value to the goals of the conversation.

SET A TONE FOR YOURSELF: Be calm and consistent, aim not to respond in the heat of the moment. When you feel agitated, give yourself time to cool down. Hold yourself responsible for getting a good result (as far as is within your control) for what you want to contribute. It’s your job not only to say what you have to say respectfully to improve the chances that you’ll be heard.

Now take action: What do you need to do to gather the courage to speak up more?

Don't play career lottery

There are a lot of things to that you can do to put your career on the right track such as developing new skills, working for good organizations or having a mentor. But there are many things than can insidiously eat away at your career prospects. Here are a few of those to avoid.

DON’T BURN YOUR BRIDGES: People burn bridges when they get too emotionally consumed about an issue or especially if they feel they have been wronged. The most challenging of these is remaining sane when in your boss’ eyes you can do no right. If that happens and you know for sure there’s little you can do to rescue the situation, look to go work elsewhere but depart in a decent way, no tantrums, no name calling.

DON’T WORK ‘UNCONSCIOUSLY’: Showing up at your job day to day and going through the motions isn’t exactly a career building exercise. At a minimum, appreciate what you need to do to make the job satisfying or fulfilling. You may be mostly interested in the pay cheque but that kind of attitude to work is unlikely to guarantee you a job for long or to offer you any real chance of advancement.

DON’T REJECT OPPORTUNITY: Sounds crazy? But we do that all the time without realizing it. For example, do you sometimes find yourself saying or even thinking ‘it’s not my job’ or ‘I am not paid to do this’ when you are asked to extra work? Of course it may be within your rights to decline but will it be in the interest of your career development? You can take on more work than you think but don’t overwhelm yourself. Think twice before you reject opportunities that are ‘clothed’ as extra work.

DON’T KEEP RECYCLING YOURSELF: If your organization were looking for a bunch of forward thinking, hardworking, problem solving, good team players to work on an assignment the rewards of which may could include promotion, bonuses or an enhanced reputation, would you be selected?. My point is are you ever ready to take on new challenges or are you satisfied doing the ‘same old, same old’?

Now take action: In what ways are you gambling with the future of your career?

You can be a HE.R.O

What are some of the personal or professional obstacles you have not had the courage to confront? Although some of these barriers look harmless, its best to address them quickly or they can eat away at your career prospects. Here are some suggestions of things to pay attention to.

HONORABLE BEHAVIOUR: Honourable behaviour means doing the right thing (including when no one’s watching), not deliberating misinterpreting information, using abusive language or engaging in malicious gossip or improper behaviour. For example, if you have a tendency to panic, to be unduly temperamental, remaining composed can be tough but it’s important to demand something better of yourself, but because it enhances your professionalism and sense of greater self-control.

ENTERPRISING ATTITUDE: Being enterprising is taking responsibility for yourself, your work and your actions, tackling head on any challenges you might face and exercising personal discipline. Learn to take the initiative on projects, even if they seem small or insignificant task. Such an attitude will keep you proactive, help you gather new experiences, learn new skills, benefit from work with different teams, explore your potential and adapt easily in different environments

RATIONAL THINKING: This is level headedness. It’s not always easy to focus on the logic of an issue especially if you feel strongly about the matter at hand; but ‘too much drama’ can hurt your reputation. The nature of higher level jobs requires ability to handle pressure and to think through issues properly. So if you are aiming high this is the time to reduce one-dimensional and to think through things systematically

OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE: Here, I mean gratitude for who you are, what you have and what more you are capable of doing. This is not always easy especially if you are surrounded by people who don’t acknowledge your contribution or celebrate your competencies or an environment that pulls you down. But you must appreciate yourself, show your mettle so that no one can put you down.

Now take action: What one challenge must you overcome to boost your career?

Aggregate the sources of your influence

Status and prestige give one influence. True; but there’s influence you can develop that’s not based on formal status and which will increase your ability to heard, listened to and valued. You can develop such influence via;

YOUR COMMUNICATION: Long-windedness can make people ‘shut off’. Cut to the chase; if it’s a question you are asking, ask; don’t do a speech before it. If what you’ve got to say is complex, try and summarize it in your mind before speaking. People are more likely to listen to you or pay attention if they know you’ll get to the point and clearly.

YOUR BEHAVIOUR: The good example you set can earn you not only influence but also a lot of respect. If you are a senior person, exemplary behaviour comes with the territory. Act in the interest of the greater good. Care about things other than things that affect or benefit you directly. Demonstrate objectivity especially when it’s most difficult so that people can feel assured that you can operate for the good of others.

THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK: This has a power of its own because it’s available for all to see and is an independent assessment of you. Take pride in what you do and not approach it as a mere transaction between you and your employer. The quality of your work speaks volumes about your personal standards, your sense of responsibility and leadership as well as your commitment to self-accountability and stewardship. So don’t do only what you feel your salary ‘buys’ from you but how doing more now can further your professional life.

OTHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF YOU: Perceptions may not be based on fact and the hard part is people act on their perceptions and unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about. But you can avoid blatantly unhelpful or irresponsible behaviour that will generate negative views of you and be costly to you later on. When perceptions of you are positive they can earn you influence and opportunities in a way that facts sometimes can’t. Have a sense of how you are perceived so that you work on improving any negative views.

Now take action: What can you do to increase your influence?