Person of Impact

Drive a meaningful and impactful messages via 3 key themes – relevance, resonance and resourcefulness. In your next conversations, put these tips in play to be a person of impact.

Be a Person of Impact!

I am fortunate to lead Cisco’s APJC Woman of Impact program where I have the opportunity to coordinate with many peers across the region to implement a framework to inspire, develop, celebrate and give back to our industry and community. Our ideal is simple – to drive a stronger voice on any agenda where freedom of thought and creativity can foster. We create forums and opportunities to speak up and out to spur confident contributions.… and we do not isolate contributions to only women. As an #eachforequal employer, Cisco welcomes and entices anyone to contribute.

So how does one contribute in a meaningful way? The goal is to have impact!

How does one gain impact? I will unveil how I do this via three key themes – what I call the 3Rs. Be relevant, ensure your message resonates and be resourceful with follow up.

Let’s first tackle relevance. If you are not being heard, maybe what you are saying is not in the correct language, tone or timed to appeal to your audience. Timing is everything and crafting the space for your idea to be heard can also be incredibly challenging so here are some tips. When I build and communicate a meeting agenda, I always asks for topics from the attendees on what to include. I always have in my agenda AOB “any other business” because it is so important everyone is heard, and all points of views considered. In other teams I belong, we start with a round table to present top-of-mind ideas to get this out in the open first. Collaborating teams sharing ideas gel faster and perform at higher levels. So, to be relevant, find the right time to comment to maximise your idea being heard. If you miss the opportunity in meeting, set up alternative meetings, use IM or even social media. Persistence without becoming a pest is key.

Next to resonate. How many times do you walk away from a discussion thinking, did they really understand what I was saying? Will they action the request I have placed? Was the content of my message succinct and clear? Will they leverage the idea I shared? It is vital that in any communication you check understanding. Especially working across cultures where primary known language is different to yours, always checking via verbal or written follow up is key to ensuring your point of view makes sense to your audience. Too often you see comments of time-wasting communication because the communicator has not expressed the idea in a manner the audience understands, or the audience doesn’t care, respect or appreciate your perspective likely because back to point 1, the comment is perceived as irrelevant. So, for your point to resonate, it must be relevant.

Finally, to resourceful. Never express a point of view without facts. It’s the biggest let down for your audience – they are engaged and interested and just on the precipice of your point resonating more deeply, it is dismissed. Additionally, be prepared to do the work to give your idea flight. Execution eats strategy for breakfast!

Therefore, in your next conversations, check your point of view passes the 3R test – is it relevant? Does it resonate? and have you backed it up with resourceful next steps? All 3 work in concert to be a person of Impact!