Four Skills = Forearmed

1. Intellect – this enables you to identify the issues that are really important – to sort the wheat from the chaff. A keen intellect will help you to work out the ‘So what?’ implications for your organisation. Ultimately, it’s all about identifying and predicting the key threats and opportunities.

 

2. Courage – sometimes you will need to be the bearer of bad news, and you have to have the courage to deliver it gently but firmly. This will also help to nurture the respect of your internal clients or stakeholders.

 

3. Diplomacy – when you have identified something that isn't working properly, or something that is going wrong, you need to be tactful. This is particularly important when some of your audience have a vested interest in the project or have made decisions that don't look so good with hindsight. Key egos – and more – may be at stake, so learn to tread carefully!

 

4. Determination – If at first you don't succeed, you may need to try, try and try again. If your message falls on deaf ears but you think it's really important, don't give up. Identify your next opportunity and perhaps reframe your message so that it will be taken on board. You may not be able to do everything yourself. You may need to work through your allies or a more senior champion. But if you believe you have an important message, you need to find a way of making it palatable and getting it heard.

 

So, if you have all four skills, congratulations! If you haven’t, why not start working on those areas where you are weakest – or even delegate certain activities to other members of the team that have that required skill.

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