Make Authentic Communication Your Goal in 2016
At Six Words, we have the pleasure of working with incredible people — fiercely passionate business owners, small and mighty directors of non-profits, and disruptive leaders who are questioning the status quo and taking a fresh approach in their industries. Although they operate in different sectors, industries and geographies, there is one common element that our team ensures they all possess: authentic communication.
Being an authentic communicator will assist your business by:
- attracting the right people
- helping you build your brand story and reputation
- ensuring you build trust with stakeholders
- giving you opportunities to keep your vision front and centre
- keeping your employees engaged and focused on your shared mission
This year, you too can start developing an authentic approach to communication. Here’s how to get started:
- Know your values. Being authentic requires you to know what you believe in and what you stand for. Your values should be your foundation for authentic communication.
- Articulate what authentic communication looks like to you or your brand. Think strategically about how you want to come across when you communicate. At Six Words, we love helping others succeed. For us, this means being an informative business partner, at times acting as a cheerleader and always delivering a kind, positive experience for our clients. For us, authentic communication, in part, ties back to these attributes.
- Don’t be afraid to expose vulnerabilities. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses — own yours. In business and in life, sharing your vulnerabilities shows that you’re human and helps strengthen trust.
- Believe what you say but more importantly, live what you say. If people can’t trust you to follow through on what you say, there really is no point in saying it in the first place. Being someone people can trust is key to authentic communication.
Whether you are looking to improve your personal brand or your company’s reputation, authentic communication is a great place to start — make it your communication goal for 2016.
Not sure how to get started? Our team at Six Words can help. Contact us here.