I am going to date myself here, and refer to one of my favorite moments in movie history. In the movie Wall Street, the central character Bud Fox says as he is about to enter Gordon Gekko’s office that “life comes down to a few moments… this is one of them.” (And my references to that movie will end here, because it gets pretty cynical and dark from that moment on.)
But while I don’t advocate going to people like Bud Fox for career advice, the quote resonates. Because there are big moments on the career path… that big meeting with someone who has the influence to help you… that interview for the job you really want… that presentation in front of a big-time audience… that meeting where you have a chance to speak up and show the group the quality of your thinking and your work.
There are moments in a career path that are disproportionately important to our success. And when those moments come, we are best served when we have the skills and tools at our disposal that will help us put our best foot forward.
At The Latimer Group we always make the case that powerful and persuasive communication skills need to be on the short list of things you need in those moments. When that moment arrives, you need to be able to make the connection, tell the story, make the point, advocate for the thing you believe in. And you need to be able to do these things with presence, confidence, and credibility.
The new year is always a good time to take some personal inventory, and ask yourself if your communication skills toolbox is as full as it could be… or rather as full as it needs to be. Because when those moments arise, that’s often too late to realize that there is a skill deficit.
So, when those moments arrive for you in 2025, do you feel you’ll be ready? What about your team members, or others whose success you have a stake in? After 20 years, we know that effective preparation can be different based on individual personalities, strengths, and goals. But we also know what aspects of preparation are universal. Anyone and everyone can increase their odds of a positive outcome by properly assessing each communication opportunity with their managers, coworkers, clients, or any important stakeholder.
And The Latimer Group is here to help, in any and every way you need.
Have a great day!
Comments