What do you do if your communication skills are hindering your chances of promotion?

Developing effective communication skills is often a long journey requiring immense motivation and resilience. In my own experience, when we hire freshers from college we find some of them excellent in their technical skills but very average in their communication skills. Though it may not be an impediment in the initial days of one's career it starts to impact the opportunities ones gets over time. The learning curve is very steep if one has basic language issues and comes from a schooling in mother-tongue etc. The path is not a straight forward one on how to achieve improvement in language and communication skills; it depends on a large extent on one's self motivation and steadfastness to learn and improve.

The first step is awareness and acceptance of the area to improve and use that opportunity to scale up. It is ok not to be perfect, accept that this skill of communication currently is not your strong muscle. Take feedback of the scenarios and situations you do well and those you do not. Have a mentor or a coach to identify what is stopping your converse ..it is your skills or your fears , work thru your inhibitions, beliefs , confidence, it is your language or story telling capability etc Is it the connect or governance or platforms for visibility. This will help you work on the opportunities

I was elated and started to help my colleagues who were struggling for even average QA scores. With good scores I used to treat myself and stay happy. So patience, hard work, smart work, efforts, support from peers, managers, friends etc will eventually lead you to success.

Here are some examples of communication-focused behavioral questions you can ask to get a better understanding of your candidates’ communication abilities:? “Describe a situation where you had to adapt your communication style to suit a particular audience.”?This explores the candidate’s communication flexibility and their ability to adjust their approach according to their audience’s needs. “Have you ever had to manage a difficult conversation, like giving negative feedback or handling a conflict? How did you handle it?”?This question evaluates the candidate’s handling of sensitive or challenging communication scenarios.

Recognizing my communication skills as a barrier to promotion, I embarked on a six-month improvement plan. Firstly, I sought guidance from senior colleagues and mentors, observing their effective communication styles and seeking feedback. Next, I enrolled in communication workshops and online courses to refine my skills further. Additionally, I set SMART goals, focusing on active listening, clarity in expression, and confidence in presentations. Through consistent practice and dedication, I noticed significant progress, leading to enhanced collaboration and clearer conveyance of ideas, ultimately boosting my candidacy for promotion.

If your communication skills are holding you back from getting promoted, it's time to brush up. Practice speaking clearly and confidently, whether it's in meetings or presentations. Listen actively to others and ask questions to show you're engaged. Focusing too much on technical competence Decisions makers do not look to promote people who only have good technical skills. They also look out for people who have great interpersonal skills. Such skills include the ability to explain things well and listen – both in informal groups as well as formal presentations.

A SMART goal will align with the SMART criteria. An example is to?improve team communication through weekly status meetings, aiming for a 20% increase in project efficiency within three months. It also needs to be measurable and achievable.

Share instances where your improved communication positively impacted a project or team dynamics. For example: “Recently, I clarified project requirements with a colleague, leading to smoother collaboration and better results.”

When you ask for feedback, be specific about what aspects of your communication skills you want to improve, such as clarity, tone, or persuasion. Also, be open and receptive to the feedback, and thank the person for their time and honesty. Don't be afraid to ask.

Feedback and support from people you trust is a great way to grow. Take time to understand your audience - their expectations will vary depending on their role, level, and individual working style. Then, practice. Remember no one is perfect every time, but consistency is key!

In my view if you are feeling that your communication skills are lacking this is the most important step. You can ask your peers, school colleagues, friends, family and those who you may have authority over (mentorship situation, direct report, co-op etc.). This will give you great insight. If you're feeling confident and work in a place of candor, I would even go the other direction to senior management. This will give you a real balanced perspective of your style and how you're perceived.

Please assess where are your communication skills for that get feedback internally and also externally. Plan your way forward by setting realistic goals and have your stakeholders involved so that they can see your development and also for them to understand that you are taking action which is required

I remember vividly in my first bpo job I was constantly given feedback for appropriate pauses while talking, responding appropriately, listening upright, acknowledging, be patient with irate and angry customers, pronouncing words eightly etc. Initially I took them lightly but when I saw my peers improving I started taking the feedback seriously and worked on them. 1. I accepted the flaws in me so 50% job was done. 2. Heard my feedback and asked for suggestions to improve from my QA analyst. 3. Started to observe and kepy my all senses open. 4. Shadowed best performer by listening to recorded calls, listening to actove calls, taking tips from them and implementing. 5. Slowly there was great improvement and began to get 5 out of 5 ratings.

Don't let your ego get in the way! It's self-improvement after all. Be open! You must swallow your pride and not be defensive. It's easier to write and say it then to do it.......however it is possible!

1. Take feedback from colleagues and supervisor on how to improve it. 2. Be open to listen and accept and work on the feedback. 3. Acknowledge your shortcomings. 4. Join a workshop on communication upskilling. 5. Practice #1. Hack : Success Modelling : Copy the best people's communication style.