by Dr. Lois Frankel 

If you wonder why your ideas are often overlooked or not taken seriously, here are 3 easy tips for how you can communicate more powerfully in your work setting:

1. Prepare for every presentation you make—and remember that every time you open your mouth or prepare a written communiqué, it's a presentation. Think about the two or three most important things you want people to take away, and keep your message focused on just those. Remember: short sounds confident.
    
2. Do your homework. My 7th grade science teacher, Hans Selye, used to tell us, "Chance favors the prepared mind." I never forgot that. (And that was quite a while back!) Regularly reading professional journals, newspapers, and magazines not only keeps your mind agile and open to new ideas, it also provides you with the ammunition you need to support your positions. Use the information you glean in making a pitch or a point.
    
3. Brainstorm ideas with people who think differently than you. If you know you're an "idea person" who has difficulty communicating the tangible benefits of your ideas, talk to someone who's good at it and ask for help in synthesizing your concepts for crisp communication. Conversely, if you tend to get bogged down in the weeds, look to those who are always coming up with new ways of approaching old problems for help in assessing the bigger picture.
    

If you like these tips, you’ll love Urban Wealth Management’s webinar on November 9th: "Want the Corner Office?" Dr. Lois Frankel will spend a half-hour with us giving us more tools and tips for getting what you most want at work and in life. You can also read more Dr. Frankel's interview with Diane Manuel on our blog. You can also hear Dr. Frankel in person at the Women's Career Conference of Pasadena, benefitting BloomAgain Foundation, on Saturday, October 28th.