Professional Skills

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It gets better. That may be a message we’ve all heard recently in a variety of different ways, for different circumstances, and in different media. But I feel compelled to share some thoughts with you if you’re one of the thousands of people who is, through whatever circumstance, finding yourself without a job, finding yourself unemployed, or feeling desperate that the clock is ticking until you receive your pink slip: have faith that it will, in fact, get better.

Now I personally know how discouraging it can be when you feel no one is in your court. Through no fault of our own, we find ourselves in positions that we’ve never experienced before. Our support network of family and friends does what they can to support us, but in the end, we feel all the weight and gravity of our situation rests squarely on our shoulders; and, quite frankly, our shoulders are tired.

The bills mount, the mortgage company wants their money, the family worries about what the future holds. For some, it can be a matter of living from paycheck to paycheck, and finding new and creative ways to survive this protracted economic downturn.

But what can you do when you’re at your wit’s end? When you’ve exhausted every avenue you see as viable, when you’ve depleted all of your resources, and you are left feeling desperate, hopeless, and as if you have no choice but to take a radical, non-positive action to remedy the situation?

You can pour all of your energy into the mantra of “It gets better.” One of my most trusted advisors and mentors, a man by the name of Bill Bosworth, provided me some sage advice a while back. He said (and I paraphrase), “Scott, when times are good, take the time to prepare yourself for the bumpy times ahead; when times are bumpy, take the time to prepare for the good times ahead. It all comes around.”

Have faith in your abilities, in your self, and in your truth. It gets better.

Trouble Writing? Say It Out Loud!

Ever have trouble when you’re trying to compose an email to someone, and the words just won’t come? You write, you hit the backspace key about a million times, you write some more, you change your train of thought, you write some more, and then you highlight and delete the paragraph because you don’t like how it sounded?

In teaching writing skills for over 20 years, one of the key suggestions I make to my participants is to “say it out loud.” What does that mean? It means, literally, “Say it out loud” – and then write down exactly what you said.

For many people, using standard English syntax is something we do automatically in our speaking, but we have trouble when it comes to writing it down. As human beings, we learn to speak LONG before we learn to write. In fact, many people around the world are excellent communicators, but they cannot read or write. In modern society, however, basic reading and writing skills are not only necessary but mandatory to succeed in a professional environment.

I know it may sound crazy, and your cube mates may look at you funny, but the next time you’re composing an email and get stuck, just convey the message out loud (or perhaps under your breath), and then write that down.

Chances are, your message will come across much more clearly. I’d also suggest your time is better spent speaking out the message rather than staring at a blinking cursor.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!