Soft tools of the trade

What say you on the issue below?

THEY may be called “soft skills” but no one can do without them. Communicating effectively as well as writing powerful letters, faxes and e-mail are tools that you cannot afford to be without if you want to be successful in business.

Probably one of the biggest disadvantages that Malaysians of this generation face is good (English) language skills (as seen from the current Malay versus English dilemma over Science and Maths subjects at school).

Author Heather Hansen, who specialises in speech training, said it’s not hard to improve the way you speak.

“Surround yourself with people who speak well and you will hear new words, phrases, pronunciations and grammatical constructions that you don’t normally use. Commit them to memory and apply yourself,” said Hansen, who is originally from the United States and now based in Singapore.

“Your confidence begins inside you. When you believe that what you have to say really matters – that you have unique knowledge, insights, and gifts worth sharing – that is when you will have the confidence to speak up.”

In the business world, what’s important is getting the right response which comes from asking the right questions.

“You need to be able to read people and situations to know when it is appropriate to raise a certain issue.

“Women are generally very good at feeling the mood of a room or a specific individual. Be open and honest in the communication of your views and feelings,” said Hansen during one of the Learning Lab sessions at the annual Women’s Summit held in Selangor recently.

The most successful communicators, Hansen observed, focus first on their relationships with others and then on communicating appropriately within them. The challenge for most women is simply having the courage to voice their needs.

“Many women keep their true desires inside and hope that other people will instinctively know how to make them happy.

“Women need to learn to be more assertive and confidently voice their needs if they want other people to act on them,” shared Hansen.

In this age of technology, electronic mail has a phenomenal effect on the way we communicate. It has become an essential tool in business and a fundamental part of the way we work.

However, the explosive growth of e-mail has created some problems, mainly because there have never been any guidelines on how to compose e-mail messages.

Consequently, systems are overloaded, communication is rampant, reputations are damaged, feelings are hurt and time is wasted. Messages are sent without much thought or planning, important details go missing. Some even neglect the common courtesies of a greeting and sign-off.

Shirley Taylor, also an author on communication skills, noted in the course of her research for her book E-mail Etiquette, that high on the list of annoyances was an unfriendly tone.

“Emotions are hard to convey in e-mail and some people type out exactly what they would say without thinking. Good writers learn to choose their words very carefully and get the tone just right.

“There’s also a decline in oral communication skills – people send e-mail to the person in the next office rather than walk a few steps!” said the British author, who also spoke at the Summit.

Today’s way of conducting business is very informal so that’s what we should aim for in our business writing, too – natural, relaxed, friendly and conversational, added Taylor.

“It’s important to take just as much care in composing e-mail messages as we do with formal letters, memos or faxes. Use short words and simple expressions, short sentences and short paragraphs that are clear and concise but still courteous.

“It helps if attention is paid to proper spelling, punctuation and sentence construction rather than resorting to SMS abbreviations,” added Taylor, who has over 20 years’ experience in teaching and training.

Alison Lester used to be a stand-up and improvisational comedian before she took on the challenge of developing communication skills and creativity training.

She has worked with companies as diverse as CNBC Asia, McDo­nald’s, IKEA and The Singapore Institute of Management.

“My approach is based on understanding the fears that inhibit us or make us aggressive,” said Lester, who also hails from the United States. She moved to Singapore from Tokyo in 1999. She speaks Mandarin, Japanese and French, and as an independent trainer, advocates creativity to empower one through the business world.

“I always think of ways to stand out. This means that I keep my eyes open for images, stories, props and particularly metaphors that drive my messages home.

“Some people function best under stress and get their best ideas while striving to meet a deadline.

“The brain naturally works by association and it’s best that you don’t stifle or censor the creative pro­cess.”