Communicate With Confidence

I was recently asked to help a young engineer develop her writing skills. (I hesitated just now, before I revealed the engineer’s gender; I don’t want you to think a lack of confidence has anything to do with being female. I see this in young and old professionals of both gender.)

Here lies the problem: her writing skills were fine. In fact, I suspect she was a strong language arts student in college. I gave her various exercises on grammar, structure, punctuation, style and organization, all in an attempt to find her weaknesses. I was just about ready to end our consultations, when an obtuse question exposed her issue. I opened our meeting with simple chit chat and asked her how the sales conference went. She recently returned from a national event in which she met with potential clients and promoted the firm.

For the next 20 minutes, the young engineer described, in detail, how the time, money and energy that the firm spent at the conference was not worth the return. (Here’s a dream situation that all Vice Presidents and Principals seek: a young engineer considering the ROI!) She explained to me that the attendance was considerably lower this year which directly impacted the leads generated. She had even thought of two alternatives for the firm to consider before agreeing to attend the conference next year.

When she finished conveying her ideas to me, the natural follow-on question, was “Did your manager approve your idea?” (And here’s where the dream ends.) She looked at me with total confusion. She never presented her ideas. UGH! Brilliant ideas lost.

She didn’t think anyone would care and didn’t consider it part of her role. When I explained that her idea warranted a proposal, she looked overwhelmed. “I’m an engineer” she told me, “not a proposal writer.” And with that statement, my consulting session(s) began.

It’s not enough to just “talk” about ideas. A well-written, organized, two-page proposal is likely to get more attention than a 60 minute meeting. Never underestimate the power of the written word. This is especially important when you are asking people to spend money, time or change the way they are doing something.

To write confidently you need to avoid wishy-washy statements and be specific, but that’s an entirely different article. This article is about the need to believe in your ideas, your opinions and yourself. When that happens, you find your voice and you become a true asset to your firm.

If you have an idea of how to do something better, or how to solve a problem, or even a way to enhance the working environment, I encourage you to put it in writing. Use the techniques I have presented in previous articles to develop a clear, concise and complete document that will gain attention and respect. I always worry about the brilliant ideas that are lost because engineers can’t be bothered to communicate them.

Be confident with your ideas and with your writing!

Email me at LisaM@rgilearning.com if you have questions or comments.

Lisa Moretto is a Sr. Consultant with RGI Learning. For 16 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Further explore our website (www.rgilearning.com) or call (585) 461-3617 to learn about RGI’s courses.

© 2008 RGI Learning

back