Improving Written and Verbal Communication

You may not have given a lot of thought to it, but your oral and written communication abilities have a tremendous effect on your professional success. In today's credit industry, communication skills are as important as technical know-how: They influence how others perceive you as well as your ability to accomplish tasks. In fact, members of the Financial Leadership Council—a distinguished group of finance executives convened by Robert Half International—recently identified communication skills as an essential interpersonal ability for today's finance and credit professionals.

The council—made up of executives from business and private industry, public accounting, academia and professional associations—recently met to discuss current and future challenges in these fields and brainstorm potential solutions. Following are some tips from the council on mastering oral and written exchanges as highlighted in an extensive report, Charting the Future of the Accounting, Finance and Audit Professions:

• Plan ahead. Before writing a report or email, consider what you'd like your message to accomplish. What should recipients feel, think and do after they read it? The response you receive—or don't receive—is a great way to measure your communication effectiveness. If you don't get your intended results, study the message to pinpoint where you may have been unclear.
• Spelling counts. Your electronic messages can be easily forwarded to others, so be sure that your communications are professional and polished. Though IM and email tend to encourage informality, it's still essential to adhere to punctuation, spelling and grammatical rules. Also, avoid any acronyms that some members of your audience might not understand.
• Find a mentor. Even if you feel confident in your abilities, a more seasoned professional can help you take written messages and oral presentations to the next level. Seek a mentor who is known for his or her diplomacy and effective communication skills. Such a person can be invaluable in helping you determine the styles and avenues that are consistent with the culture of your particular organization. You can learn, for example, when it's best to communicate via email or when a personal or telephone meeting would be most appropriate.
• Volunteer for presentations. The most effective professionals can communicate confidently with clients as with colleagues. To work on these skills, you could volunteer to make presentations at work, join a group such as Toastmasters or take on a speaking role within your local industry association.

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting and Accountemps