Effective communication is an essential tool in every successful person’s skill set. Here are five ways to tap the powerful conversational tactics and influence people.

1. Speak from knowledge and power.
   If someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, don’t just say “I don’t know.” Instead, say something that shows what you do know.For example: “Debbie is the real expert on this subject, so let’s loop her into this conversation to see if she can help us answer this question.” That response bolsters your credibility by showing you are actively engaged in solving the problem and that you know how to get information by accessing your colleagues’ expertise.

2. Move the conversation forward.
   When you encounter obstacles, ask your team members, “What else can we do now to take another step towards a solution?” Solicit their ideas and listen to their answers, even if they seem far-out or impractical. This encourages people to open up and share what’s on their mind. Someone on your team may have the unique knowledge and talents to see the challenge through new eyes or a new angle.

3. Express empathy.
   Showing people that you understand and appreciate how hard they work goes a long way toward earning their respect and getting them to value your abilities. Do this by actively listening to their concerns and reflecting their perspective back to them. Employ sympathetic body language (like leaning forward and maintaining direct eye contact) during conversations to show that you are concentrating to what they’re saying. Use phrases like “That sounds challenging” and “I hear what you’re saying” to promote connection.

4. Convey confidence in yourself and others.
   Whenever anyone critiques you, gracefully accept their comments by thanking them sincerely for honestly sharing their views, even if you disagree with their opinion. That response shows you are secure enough to welcome any feedback that could improve your performance, and mature enough to act on it if applicable. On a similar note, instead of criticizing people for their shortcomings, empower them with constructive compliments like “You’re doing a great job on ____” or “I know you can do this.” Positive reinforcement encourages colleagues to reach for their full potential.

5. Give credit where it’s due.
   Acknowledge other people’s achievements and demonstrate that you value everyone’s contributions and want them to be recognized. For example, when you say, “This was an amazing team effort. I couldn’t have done it without you,” it reveals a lot about the kind of person you are. It conveys modesty, generosity, caring and other positive qualities that make people want to work with you again.

Communication is about connecting people so they can work effectively together toward a common goal. By being honest and open, you’ll earn respect and increase your power to have a positive influence on others and the world.

* * *

Jacqueline Whitmore, CSP, is an international etiquette expert, author, and spokesperson who has helped thousands of people around the world learn to be more confident and courteous in business and social situations. She is the author of Poised for Success (St. Martin’s Press, November 2011) and Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work (St. Martin’s Press, 2005), which is currently in its tenth printing and has been translated into four languages.

Regarded as one of the foremost authorities on business etiquette and protocol in the world, Jacqueline has appeared on a variety of national television shows including ABC’s 20/20, The Fox Report with Shepard Smith, CNN International, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, ExtraTV, CNBC, and FOXNews.

Jacqueline will be speaking at the 16^th Achievers and Leaders Summit here in EDSA Shangrila Hotel on Nov. 9, 2016. For details, contact Juliet at 813-2703/32

These two people come from very different generations. These generational differences are important to take note of not only when it comes to being “followed”, but more importantly, when it comes to marketing. Here’s a list of handy questions to ask when you’re thinking of going the generational marketing route:

Why

Purpose is important in everything anyone does. Without purpose, or the “why”, whatever we do is frankly meaningless. Your brand and what your product means should have a purpose before it’s good to put out on the market. It should also have a purpose when it comes to your target market. What type of purpose does it serve them? Make sure your “why” is in order before you move on to the next step.

Who

The second step to successful generational marketing is knowing who your target market is. There are five main classifications for generations. The first is the Greatest Generation or those born before 1946. The next are the baby boomers who were born around 1946 – 1964. Generation X was born between 1965 to 1979. Gen Y, or otherwise notoriously known as The Millennials were born between 1980 to 1996. Finally, Gen Z, also known as iGen or the Digital Natives were born between 1997 to 2015.

What

After knowing who you’re targeting, the next step should be knowing what they like and what’s relevant to them. Each generation is different and possess different quirks that are unique to their generation. For example, millennials are notorious for being tech savvy and are always on the lookout for the next great adventure, especially when it comes to employment. Baby boomers on the other hand adapted to technology, which means they require more help with it. They’re also recognized for sticking around when they like their job. Baby boomers are a very loyal bunch and may even stay at a company for decades or until they retire.

These commonalities when it comes to behavior are key in identifying what next steps you should take when promoting a product or launching a brand.

If you’ve accomplished the steps above, the next thing you should be doing is ironing out the “how”. As in, “How am I going to put this out to market?” “How is this going to benefit the lives of my target audience?” and “How do I make sure this is relevant to the people I’m targeting?”

This is usually when all your data and hard work translate into creativity. The first three steps were just building blocks to help you get to your “how”. At this stage, you can now begin to experiment on what works for you and who your message is for.

Although generational marketing may be a great way to reach mass audiences, it’s important to remember there are other types of marketing tools to help you reach more specific audiences. The pitfall of generational marketing is that it’s too broad; there are so many other things that it might miss. So if you do use it, be careful and make sure you take a good look at the data before crafting your messages.

Also, there’s no solid laws on generational marketing. This is just a guide to help you get your ideas flowing. So get out there and get started!

References:

https://imaginativegroup.com/2017/11/29/pros-cons-generational-marketing/

http://time.com/4131982/generations-names-millennials-founders/

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2010/mining-the-u-s-generation-gaps.html

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2019/q3-2018-total-audience-report.html

In the Philippines, you can add to the list traffic congestion in Metro Manila as another sure thing we experience every day. MMDA reported 326,504 vehicles pass through EDSA every day. 12,000 to 15,000 of them are buses. In 2015, LTO-NCR recorded a monthly average new registration of 14,783 multi-wheeled vehicles (cars, SUVs, buses and trucks) and 14,940 two-wheeled units.

According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), traffic congestion cost the Philippines P2.4 billion every day in 2012. If remain unsolved, our country can lose P6B daily by 2030. The National Center for Transportation Studies (UP Diliman) explained that the cost of traffic are based on several factors, among them are: value of time lost due to delay; fuel costs; vehicle operating costs; Impact on health; and Greenhouse gas emissions.

An average Metro Manila resident, mostly working people travelling to and from their office, spends 1,000 hours a year in traffic and wastes as much as 28,000 hours of his economic life. Wasted productivity hours amount to a monetary value that could be used for other things such as earning extra income or spending more time with the family.

Joey Tibayan-Bayan, a radio reporter laments that going to and from work is such a chore. She said, “You get all dressed up looking fresh and clean, when you get on the PUVs, you disembark sweaty tired and dejected. The day has not event started yet!”

John Cueto, VP for Network and Technology, describes the Metro traffic as “tragic” because it wastes time and effort that results to low productivity. “Mompreneur” Margaux Hemady Rañosa confessed that her mother and sister were forced to rent a place in Ortigas because of the exhaustion they get from traffic and waiting for transportation to go to work. Ron Barbaza, a blogger, would sometimes allot 4 hours of travel time to go to event venues just to make he will not miss his gigs. BPO Manager Shawn Andrei Summers sums up his frustrations in five words, “Heavy traffic jam stresses me.”

Gretchen Filart Dublin shared that traffic is one of those reasons why she shifted to full-time freelancing because it takes her 4 hours to travel from Bulacan to her previous office in Manila. April Salonga, a Management consultant declares traffic as “unbelievable” and getting worse because she now gets late even on weekends. Rizza Garingo, who leads a field market survey team, would sometimes utter the word “hellish” when stuck in traffic that only makes him doubly tired at the end of the day. Cheryl True, a researcher, seems to have given up in finding answers to the traffic problem and uttered, “Traffic is here to stay. It’s hopeless!”

The government has taken some initiatives in response to the worsening traffic situation and its effect especially to workers like implementing of a four-day work week scheme in some government offices and the DOLE Advisory No. 4, Series of 2010 that includes flexible work arrangements.

The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), the premier organization of HR practitioners and people managers in the country with a membership of more than 1,800 corporate and individual members, conducted a survey in one of their recent monthly meeting attended by more than 200 members. The results showed that 81% of the respondents are in favor of a 4-day work week scheme. The companies also shared that they provide benefits to their employees to lessen the effect of traffic like flexible work schedule, free shuttle, work from home option and gas allowance.

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Ruth Dela Cruz, IT Consultant. Local companies should start implementing work from home option especially for positions which don’t require physical reporting in the office.

Kellypad Biasong, Nurse. Improve our train system and implement a “No parking, No car” policy.

Cristal Maramag, Digital Officer. There should be more means of public transportation and the government needs to fix our roads especially in flood-prone areas which worsen the traffic.

Grace Bondad Nicolas, COO of a media and PR firm. Carpooling is another solution we can consider aside from improving of our railway systems.

Raffy Pedrajita,Tech blogger. Every barangay should create a mass parking system for people who don’t have a garage. Limit car ownership per family or company and fire the current MMDA chair.

Enzo Luna, Blogger/ Photographer. If only we have a train system that works on time like in Japan then wasted time going to work or school will be eliminated. Adapting an effective system will help ease our public commuting.

John Michael Bueno, Computer Engineer. Use waterways and additional layer of roads as options for more efficient public transportations. People should see train ads in Singapore, it’s fun and educational.

Joveth Ong, Entreprenuer. Traffic management should start with LTO, LTFRB and MMDA. What are those colorum vehicles doing on the streets? For me that’s the basic and that’s the easiest way to manage the traffic.

Abdel Sabdani, Corporate Communication and Marketing Manager. Companies should be mandated to have vehicles that can pick-up and drop-off employees on designated points.

Jocelyn Alaraña Magbitang, Travel Agency Owner. Open the gates of private villages even for a limited only.

David Ricardo Valencia Ferro, Network Administrator. Old buses should be phased out.

Yenan Glorioso, Project Development Officer. Centralized transport system is one solution. Increase the registration of vehicles 500 folds to discouraged car ownership.

Saj Kamid, Research and Extension Specialist. Bus rapid transit should be considered as another mass transport mode. Re-educating the pedestrians on proper crossing, when to cross, how to use pedestrian facilities should also be considered.

Agustin John Cabredo, Government employee. I moved near my office and I ride my bicycle to go to work every day. It’s environment-friendly, cheap and good for the health.

Mark Joshua Pineda, Social Media Officer. Mass transport system, proper jeepney stops.

Peter Sumile, Publisher. Install walkways and flyovers in intersections, major roads and national roads.

Adrian Marco, Programming and Production Manager. President Duterte should reprimand all “underperforming” local government officials: mayors, vice mayors and governors. Manila and Pasay are good case studies.

Jayson R. Biadog, Technical Support. Flexible work schedule for employees.

Gino Romano Santos Decipeda, Process Specialist. Phase out all vehicles 10 years old and above.

Jhey Em, Call Center agent. Expanded number coding scheme which will prohibit vehicles from the streets at least two days a week.

Leo Brisenio , Photographer. We need an effective and efficient transport system which should be run by the government.

David D’Angelo, Event Organizer. Enact a congestion fee system where private vehicles will be charged per hour for using major roads which are deemed congested. Improve traffic lights and electronic system and remove incompetent traffic enforcers.

Whether we like it or not, the current traffic situation in Metro Manila will be something that we will be seeing for the years to come unless a miracle of a solution will pop out soon. While we are waiting for the antidote that will bring a lasting improvement to our roads, maybe we can still smile a little in the midst of a traffic jam and spread good vibes to our fellow motorist instead of pouting or worse, be involved in a road rage.

Or maybe we can consider the clever traffic-buster from working mom Mary Jane Dionela, who recently migrated from Pasig City to Davao City, who suggested, “Zipline please!”

It is true that some leaders are born, but if not taken care of and not given the proper tools, they fade into the crowd. For example, when their skills aren’t cultivated, their leadership skill sets drain because it is not being applied and/or practiced. In the event that these skills are honed over a certain period of time, only then will the companies experience good leadership.

Another thing that needs to be considered is that leadership is something that includes other people and letting go of being the individual contributor concept. It’s about reaching out to everyone to ensure productivity for the company. Moving from being an individual contributor to taking the lead takes a lot of support from the organization itself.

It is sad that some companies are facing difficulty in attracting good leaders because they have sacrificed the following major components of the working life and these are: salary, benefits, training, the work and life balance, purpose, and communication.

Leaders should still be led

Some companies promote their loyal employees, but suffer later on because these promoted people aren’t trained to be people managers. There should be proper and adequate training beforehand so that everything will go smoothly. Processes are learned, so as people. With the use of proper mentoring by the top leaders of organizations, transfer of knowledge is very possible.

Salary and Benefits still matter

Salary goes hand-in-hand with benefits. Most leaders are looking for the whole package; yes they want the title, role, and responsibilities, but they also need the compensation they deserve, rather than taking a basic and not minding the benefits part.

Leaders still look for work-life balance

As for the work and life balance, it has something to do with the company culture in which it greatly affects everyone in the organization. If a company has poor culture meaning standards or protocols aren’t defined, then employees will feel it, and as a result everyone will be demotivated. Some may render overtime and some might not show up at work. In the event that employees go beyond their working schedule, this will mean sacrifice of not being with their family. This is a tough situation and might result to burn out eventually.

Leaders are motivated by shared purpose

There should be a shared purpose and this has to go hand in hand with the objectives set forward by the top executives. A purpose shall be considered blind if it wasn’t explained and not clear. This should be done before any strategies are made or executed.

Clear communication fuels Great Leadership

By the use of communication everyone can have a sense of belongingness to the organization and leaders embrace this aspect wholeheartedly. Leaders need to know the overall direction, the current challenges and goals to be able to drive their team. Leaders know that employees tend to get frustrated when they do not have a clear picture of what they are working on.

The TDS Difference

TeleDevelopment Services, Inc. knows both ends: the struggle of the organization to develop and keep leaders, and the need of leaders to be supported to fulfill their roles. TDS’ management and leadership development programs have been created specifically for the BPO sector to focus on the fundamentals of managing in a fast-paced, results-driven, constantly changing workplace. Our Recruitment Team is also highly trained and equipped to spot these leaders who have the qualities that match an organization’s needs, and will have a ripple effect on the people they work with. Our extensive network and reach across all sectors of our industry has helped some of the world’s best known brands leverage our executive recruitment services to hire the best BPO talent available.