Communication Skills: Your Key to Advancement
When climbing the ladder of success, numerous challenges can be expected as you rise in any corporate management hierarchy. Each new opportunity involves a learning curve. You are learning new skills and assuming new duties. You are analyzing the needs and personalities of those you work with—both colleagues, and upper management.
Bo Cline, a vice president at Washington Mutual in Seattle in a business area known as "user experience design in technology infrastructure" says that honing your communication skills is the key to mastering these challenges.
Cline began her career in news magazine design, before moving through the ranks of several companies including The Seattle Times, MSNBC.com and AOL Netscape. She sought opportunities to grow in every position.
"In every company, I had to focus on learning the business, as well as understanding and speaking the language of the people I was working with," says Cline. "The first thing I do is listen and observe."
Communicating effectively in times of organizational change is critical to success. Cline says that all industries are responding to the growing power of customers by trying to make shifts to meet consumer needs more quickly. In technology, this occasionally means changing corporate structures.
"When changes are implemented, it's easy for people to take things personally," Cline says. "Adapting to change is sometimes daunting. Managers must make sure everyone understands the reasons for the change and how everyone can contribute during the change."
Cline emphasizes the importance of communicating across diverse backgrounds and communication styles. Diversity is a personal priority for her leadership; yet it is often an overlooked factor in providing effective business solutions, she says. Working with people who have diverse backgrounds brings different perspectives to problems and creates more profitable ideas.
Whatever task is at hand, Cline says it's imperative to understand how colleagues think, make decisions and want to be treated.
"If you can visualize solutions for people—from their perspective—they'll understand the necessary steps to take much faster," Cline says. "Understanding people across functions is key. It's important to talk to team members in other areas. You may challenge the solutions, but when you understand what all team members are saying, you build mutual respect and a partnership."