On May 25, 2006, Jean Fuller, Fuller Coaching, and Neil Olson, Coaching for Professional and Personal Satisfaction, gave a talk to in-house attorneys in Santa Clara, CA on communication skills.
It is important to know the language of the business versus speaking to colleagues in legalese. It is okay to say "I don't know", and then follow up with an answer.
Active listening is a key to communication. Being able to reflect back what is heard, soliciting feedback and seeking consensus, is more conducive to the business environment than the tendency to be right or impolite.
Listen to be able to communicate in another person's language. Diagnose someone's communication style and translate back to that person in the same way. For instance, a CFO may be focused on metrics. When proposing recommendations to such a CFO, ensure that suggestions are supported by metrics. Knowing someone's style shortens the time it takes another person to understand. For instance, understanding when someone is under stress, enables a person to defer stressful conversations to instances when the person more likely to respond.
The process in making decisions is as important as the outcome. Attorneys are trained in critical analysis and might overlook human relations when too focused on the outcome. Attorneys should be focused on human interactions just as they are technical.
Most people in business view risk as opportunity to make money. Attorneys are usually risk adverse and see reasons for not going ahead with ideas. The better approach is to understand risk and how to decrease it.
In order to develop a personal brand, the key is to be open to hearing what others have to say though critical.
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