Career Conversations

Chapter 9 Facilitating communication techniques

‘Mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes.'

William Shakespeare

In chapter 8 I discuss the art of listening and how, when done well, it can be a powerful aid to building trust, demonstrating empathy and establishing a connection with just about anyone. In this chapter, I will expand on this theme by looking at facilitating communication techniques. These include minding your language and choosing your words carefully, applying a growth mindset, reframing for solutions, using mindfulness, and other practical techniques leaders can use to hone their communication skills.

Adopting a growth mindset, assuming positive intent and taking a solutions focus are great places to start.

A growth mindset

American psychologist and researcher Carol Dweck introduced this concept, comparing fixed mindsets and growth mindsets in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Dweck argues that a growth mindset associates success with effort and attitude and a firm belief in the capacity to learn, grow and develop, whereas a fixed mindset associates failure with a lack of fundamental ability, which is largely innate.

I strongly recommend all leaders to adopt and encourage a growth mindset when holding career conversations. Central to this mindset is a fundamental belief that all individuals, if they choose to, have the opportunity to improve and grow through sustained effort, and that learning supports career growth and development. ...