Have your way with words & boost your career

Are you apprehensive of speaking at workplace? If yes, then be informed that nearly three-quarters of all working people are in the same boat, given the fact that the job market is difficult and people are fearful about consequences of unemployment. However, the most appropriate moment to speak up is during turbulent times because organisations are frantic for new ideas and means to rationalise working methodologies, increase profits, institute interior economy drives and improve client satisfaction levels.

There are many people who find it difficult to assert themselves when face to face with their boss; even doing so in the presence of their colleagues seems like a colossal task. Feelings of inadequacy and lowliness overcome them. Prompted by our upbringing that stressed courteousness and politeness during our formative years, we generally refrain from any supercilious and smug conduct. But the fact is that to have a strong opinion of your own strong points and possessing the capability to voice them to others, particularly seniors at work is neither supercilious nor smug.

One of the recipes for success at your work and in your career is knowing how to speak your mind in an accurate, brief and concise manner. You should not have any inhibitions to voice your views because when you speak up, the advantages that accrue far outweigh the disadvantages. How do you then have your way with words? Here are some tips:

· Discern your strengths & capabilities: To know your plusses, you should reflect on various assignments that you undertook fruitfully and your specific abilities and contributions that went in to make them successful. You must scan your day-today work schedule and identify the potencies demonstrated in them. It is also necessary that you catalogue all your exploits and feats, big and trivial. Mulling over them will serve to retell you of your potential and experiences. Thereafter, when you go over your fortes; this will offer you a picture of what you actually seek to do in life.

· Direct your attention on matters that you excel at: You must find ways and means to generate work around your strengths and focus points. It is essential that you maintain constant touch with your employers to facilitate concentrating on issues that are your forte. You must jog your memory about what you do well and direct your efforts in improving upon them.

· Set objectives & periodically evaluate your achievements: You must earmark time to yourself for introspection; this could be on a weekly or even a monthly basis. During such time when you are one to one with yourself, you should evaluate your accomplishments and inputs. It is necessary that you set objectives and which should be utilised for making optimum use of your skills, particularly and more habitually at your job.

· Remain upbeat and harbour a constructive disposition: Having laid hands on your strengths, your self-assuredness level will rise tremendously and you yourself will let them get in the vanguard. You will find asking for whatever you desire and seek quite comfortable stress-free affair. On the contrary, if you remain ensnared in the chains of dread and distress, you will be wedged stiff and unable to avow yourself. You need to remain upbeat and focus on the emboldening sense that is given rise to by knowing your plusses. It is only when you endorse your capabilities that others will do likewise.

· Don’t be wary of differences and opposition: There is absolutely nothing wrong with differing with others in views, but being displeasing definitely is. You should be reverential and deferential. Lending your years to others should be habit. Most importantly however, you should concentrate your attention and efforts on truth and objectives; and never on individual characters.

· Learn to decline when you feel the need to do so: There will be times when you will find others trying to dominate you. Under such circumstances, you need to maintain calm and find out alternatives to deal with them. You will need to find out what they precisely seek and accordingly offer recommendations; finding a middle ground will also be a viable option as also settling for anything on a reciprocal basis. It is necessary that you remain on the lookout to transform a losing situation into a winning set – something that will stand you and many others to advantage. Therefore, there is nothing wrong in declining; doing so can actually lead to a high state of output.

You must stop thinking that you are not good enough; in fact, you are stronger than you realize. You need to stand up for yourself and speak up. If you do not do so, you are letting somebody else win.