What's Your CQ?

Forget IQ. These days it’s your CQ that matters… your Communication Quotient. Degrees and awards are fine, your bilingualism and knowledge of the latest computer languages are nice, but how good a communicator are you? Every job description emphasizes it: "must have excellent communication skills." In performance reviews, many get marked down for it. For temp workers who wear many hats, speaking with many voices is also a requisite skill. So how is your communication quotient?

Communication takes many forms. Think for a moment about a typical work day. You may communicate with customers, clients, co-workers (including superiors and subordinates), vendors, service providers and government bureaucrats. On occasion you may also speak with the media, interns or volunteers, members of your association, and even competitors. Do you communicate equally well with all of them?

Each form of communication draws on different skills, each requires different approaches and sometimes even a different lexicon. As you read through the following types of workplace communication, place a plus, minus or equal sign next to each item to rate whether you see yourself as strong(+) average(=) or weak(–) in each area.

Do you interact successfully with strangers?

___ Can you make small talk?

___ Are you able to ask people about themselves?

___ Can you tell them about yourself?

___ Can you introduce two strangers to each other?

___ Can you discuss current events with confidence?

Networking and the ability to work a room are invaluable skills for individuals and especially jobseekers. Knowing how to introduce yourself to others in an effective, confident way can also open many doors of opportunity.

Being able to mingle and mix, compliment strangers and show interest in their line of work or job responsibilities is an excellent way to expand your sphere of influence, build your knowledge base and even prospect for new jobs. Good salespeople can often qualify prospects (without being obvious) while schmoozing.

Are your communication skills presentable?

___ Can you give a prepared speech?

___ Can you speak extemporaneously?

___ Can you make a sales presentation?

Some basic communication tenets to keep in mind in public speaking situations:

• Speak clearly and audibly at all times. Enunciate effectively by focusing on the consonants of each word.

• Don’t rush your presentation. Pare down content if you have too much to cover in the time available.

• Employ vocal variety to keep your audience’s attention. Avoid singsong patterns of speech.

• Think in terms of your listeners’ perspective: What matters to them? What motivates them? What’s "in it" for them?

How versatile a communicator are you?

___ Can you make a cold call? With experience you can warm up to cold calling. Once you understand this frequently used form of communication, you can develop an effective script, learn to bypass gatekeepers and handle objections adeptly.

___ Can you train others? Sometimes the true test of your depth of understanding is the challenge of training someone else. How well can you communicate your knowledge to others? Do they get it? Be sure to ask; don’t make assumptions.

___ Can you conduct a meeting? Taking the lead in running meetings and discussions can be a delight once you understand how best to apply your leadership. You don’t have to master Robert’s Rules of Order to be able to control a meeting and complete an agenda.

___ Can you constructively critique another’s performance? Constructively criticizing someone’s performance is one of the hardest things to do well. Learn to separate the performance from the person, to be specific, and to offer remedies or corrective actions, as well as benchmarks for success.

Employ active listening techniques to ensure you are hearing the other party’s message and that they can see you are receptive to what they are saying. Many professional and interpersonal difficulties arise from a feeling of not being heard. Learn ways of ensuring that you are listening effectively and communicating your message clearly.

When the going gets tough . . .

___ Can you handle criticism? The key to handling complaints and criticism is to separate the constructive part from that which isn’t. Remarks that are spiteful or hurtful should be ignored. But try not to let the hurt or embarrassment of being critiqued obscure the value in the message itself. By being open to input and dedicated to improvement, you can extract valuable learning points found within feedback.

___ Can you assert yourself when necessary? Many of us shy away from speaking up and speaking out for fear of negative feedback or political ramifications. In our quest to be liked or avoid making waves, we bite our tongue and look the other way instead of righting wrongs and correcting improprieties. Yet there are times when speaking up and speaking out is the right thing to do. When appropriate, learn to speak your mind, professionally and with precision, to get the results you desire.

___ Are you a good negotiator? Negotiating effectively involves a range of communication skills. In some circumstances, you may want to repeat yourself intentionally, reiterating your stance or stipulations for effect. Silence at the right moments can be a very powerful tool. Listening skills and creative problem-solving skills are also involved. Learn to speak the language of win-win and be able to reiterate your adversary’s perspective to help build consensus.

Where do you go from here?

We’re all developing our Communication Quotient on the job. Make a point of analyzing your style in each situation and the results it engenders. Study those whose communication style you respond to. Where can you improve? Could classes, practice or coaching help? Become a student of improved communication. Seek to raise your own CQ and you’ll soon see improved CR (career results).