Doctor’s need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of medicine. But to be a good doctor your expertise really can’t end there. You need to understand people and be sensitive and kind in your bedside manner. And it would probably behoove you to have some business sense if you ever decide to open your own practice. While you might be able to get along without these skills having them certainly helps.

I think most professions are like this. There are the requisite skills that you absolutely must have to perform the job, but there are countless other nice-to-haves that will make you much more effective. And I think there are some skills that are helpful no matter which profession you choose.

Of course, I’m gonna tell you that communication is one of those nice-to-haves no matter who you are or what you do. And I truly believe that. I think everyone will at some point in their career need to communicate an idea to their customers, managers, or colleagues. And it’s probably best not to wait to develop communication skills until you need them.

What are you doing to improve your communication skills right now? Even if you were a great communicator once, you can’t just let those skills sit on the shelf and expect to dust them off and use them effectively later. If you’re not working to improve them, they’re going to atrophy just like a muscle.

Work on your writing and written/verbal communication skills, and work on visual communication, too. In today’s world of Photoshop and ubiquitous HD video, the ability to communicate in images is increasingly in demand and certainly helpful. And also work on your oral communication skills. While you might be able to send a memo or spreadsheet to your boss to communicate your new idea, almost all big decisions get made based on a face to face conversation or presentation.

The time you spend becoming a more effective communicator will pay off. It’s an investment in yourself and in your future.

Do you have a story of how communication skills gave you an edge in your personal or professional life?

I’ve been excited about the new reality show, America’s Next Great Restaurant, since I first heard about it several weeks ago. First, I love Chipotle and one of the judges is Chipotle’s founder, Steve Ells, who is a very interesting guy. Second, I like that the judges are actually investing in the restaurant, so it’s not just about abusing and criticizing the contestants. The judges actually want to see them succeed.The pilot episode (which you can watch in its entirety here) aired a week or two ago, but I just got around to watching it this weekend.

In the first episode, 21 potential restaurateurs have to pitch their idea to the four judges/investors who then select only ten to proceed to the next level of competition. What a way to start! Over half the field eliminated solely on the basis of their ability to communicate.

This reinforces my message that presentation skills are crucial to nearly every walk of life. No matter your career choice, no major decision gets made in today’s world without a face-to-face conversation. No matter how great an idea you have or how good a chef you are, it all starts with your ability to communicate.

This first episode was a great study of the kinds of errors people commonly make when they’re not comfortable communicating.

The Bad

One of the most noticeable mistakes made by a few of the contenders was that they couldn’t simplify their message. Maybe they had a good basic idea but they hadn’t spent the time to really think about it and distill it to its essence. Instead, they presented the judges with menus full of hundreds and hundreds of items. In their desire to show the judges all the possibilities, they instead demonstrated that they really didn’t know what direction they wanted to take. And this left the judges without a clear picture of what they’d be signing up for.

This is a common communication error that stems from not knowing what information is important. It’s ultimately a form of laziness in which we basically ask the audience to sort through our piles and piles of raw data. It’s essential when you get up to speak to know exactly what information is essential and what isn’t. Develop key messages you want your audience to take away. Then present those ideas in bite-size pieces.

The Good

In contrast, it was easy to tell which people knew their stuff and were passionate about their great ideas. They stood out from the crowd. Their confidence shone through and made their ideas all the more appealing. And their ideas were well-developed and easy to understand immediately.

These were the leaders. And when they took the stage, you sat up, listened, and were ready to follow. That comes only with practice. It’s not a born trait. Some are born with confidence but that needs to be refined into an appealing manner that draws people in. If you want to become a great leader, communication skills are a must. And the time to begin working on them is now, not two weeks before your big pitch.

What Do You Notice?

Watch the episode and make note of your feeling about each of the contestants. How does the way they present themselves make you feel? Would you invest in them? Why or why not?

Neil Pasricha’s “3 A’s of Awesome” from TEDxToronto.

[ted id=1048]

Thanks to Tracy for sharing this with me.

It’s impossible to be a good speaker and communicator if you don’t know what a good speech looks like, which is why I try to share examples of great speeches with you when I find them. It’s also one of the reasons that I think TED is such a great resource for presenters. Short talks by some of the worlds best presenters and communicators. For free. If you’re thirsty for more, check out some of these previous posts.

A good teacher ought to be able to practice what they preach, and Nancy Duarte is an excellent teacher.

The above video, from a few weeks ago at TEDxEast, is a perfect example of Nancy’s ability to communicate. In this video, she relates many of the points from her new book, Resonate, so watch the video if you don’t have time to read it!

The best part  comes at the end when Nancy shares a very personal story of how she overcame obstacles in her own life to become the communicator she is today. She uses herself to prove that changing the world is possible. Nancy practices what she preaches, and that makes us feel that we can, too.

P.S. – Don’t Be A PowerPoint Felon is now available in Spanish. Many thanks to David Gomez for his willingness to do the translation and adaptation. Thank you, David!

No Sea Un Criminal Del PowerPoint

“It’s unwise to merely dump a pile of unstructured information into the laps of your audience. They will have the same reaction as if you take a watch apart, fling the pieces at them and say ‘Here’s all you need to make a watch.’ You might get high marks for research and energy, but that is a low-class consolation prize. By doing this you confess that you don’t know what to do with all the stuff you’ve dug up. Audiences expect structure.”

– Henry M. Boettinger

From ‘Moving Mountains: The Art of Letting Others See Things Your Way‘
Discovered in ‘Resonate‘ by Nancy Duarte