Tips for Becoming a Better Professional

[Reproduced from a Twitter thread by Ben Meer @SystemSunday]

For everyone having a career, it is important to improve consistently. Small but effective points are often helpful in propelling you towards improvement. Here are tips which will help you become a better Professional.

1. Make People Feel Important (SHR Method)

Your formula to be charismatic:

Seen

• Give eye contact

• Offer a specific compliment

Heard

• Ask good questions

• Be interested, not interesting

Remembered

• Follow up

• Remember name(s)

• Recall something you discussed

2. Hone Your Body Language (7-38-55 Rule)

People will like/dislike your communication based on:

• 7% words

• 38% tonality and face

• 55% body language

Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, make eye contact, smile, give a firm handshake.

3. Master the 4-Bullet Update

Powerful people are busy.

Give an update with this outline:

• Here’s what you asked me to do

• Here’s what I did

• Here are the risks/blockers (if any)

• If given more time, I’d do this.

4. Record and Study Your Speaking

The best communicator has told her secret:

She records her calls.

Then she replays them, studies them

Like an athlete watching game film.

You’ll cut ‘ums’ and ‘likes.’

99.9% won’t do this. Be the outlier.

5. Ask Rapport-Building Questions

Your network is your net worth.

Build bonds with these Questions:

• What neighbourhood are you in?

• Do you have any siblings/kids?

• How’d you meet your partner? (if mentioned)

• Any fun upcoming trips?

Simple, but most people miss this.

6. Send ‘Weekly Highlights’

If you’re new to a team, do this to build trust.

Every week, send your supervisor(s) a short email/message.

Two parts:

1) Highlights from the prior week

• Big tasks completed

• People networked with

• Extracurriculars (like affinity groups)

2) Upcoming activities for next week

• Forward-looking big tasks and networking

This will help you:

• Build trust

• Hold yourself accountable

• Tactfully self-promote (perception is reality)

• Have everything you need for self-reviews

7. Don’t Complain or Gossip. Ever.

Nobody likes to hear complaining.

So why do we do it ourselves?

(Respectfully standing up for yourself is different.)

Separately, when you talk bad about others, people wonder if you talk bad about them too.

Just don’t do it.

8. Remember All the Names

A person’s favourite sound is their name.

Their second favourite sound: The names of their loved ones and pets.

Whenever you hear one mentioned, write it down.

Later, ask by name about them. You will stand out.

Original Content: Ben Meer @SystemSunday