Knowledge is power.
The more you differentiate between myth and fact and understand the reasons behind it, the better equipped you are to do something about it.
Companies are continuing to downsize in today’s climate with an expected recession. They’re keeping the most productive and proficient employees and letting those go who don’t meet those same high standards.
It’s critical, now more than ever, to bring nothing less than your A-game.
Myth #1 Rambling is a good thing. Some people think that when they ramble and talk a lot, their boss and peers see them as friendly, open, energetic, and approachable.
Fact #1 – Cambridge Dictionary defines rambling as “to talk or write in a confused way for a long time.” Webster’s defines it as “proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction.” The thesaurus uses these words to describe it: long-winded, redundant, repetitious, exaggerated, bombastic, blathering, and gassy.
Does anything above sound good? Trust me when I say that rambling hurts you and never helps
Myth #2- My boss knows I’m a bit long-winded, but they don’t mind.
Fact #2-Leader often become frustrated with ramblers either quickly or over time.
Here is how some have described it to me. They- ‘go on and on… couldn’t complete a single thought… are all over the place.’ After communicating with a rambler, leaders’ takeaway mostly boils down to this: “I had no clue what they were trying to say.’
Today’s leaders are busier than ever with increasing productivity demands, juggling competing projects, and managing people. When they ask you a question, they want a direct answer. They don’t have the time or patience to try and figure out what you’re saying. They want simple straight talk and easy-to-understand answers.
Myth #3 My rambling doesn’t affect the productivity of my team and peers.
Fact #3 People that ramble hurt team productivity.
If you have one person on your team who rambles, productivity is reduced, and if you have more than one, it goes down exponentially.
Here’s why. Picture this: your team needs critical information from you before they can move to the next phase of the project. They ask you for the results of your analysis for A & B. You go into a long-winded explanation of what it took to gather the necessary information before you could analyze it, “…it was in eight siloed databases….and each had different inputting criteria..” You go on for 15 minutes as they wait silently.
Their stress begins to climb as they think, ‘Are you ever going to tell me? Get to the point! I’m on a serious deadline! I have to finish it today!’
Answering questions directly, clearly, and succinctly allows everyone to be more productive and saves valuable time..
Myth #4 – Rambling doesn’t hurt my brand.
Fact #4 – Rambling hurts your brand, authority, and credibility.
It can stop your career growth and keep you from getting a promotion.
Growing your communication skills is critical for your career growth.
The good news is that anyone can learn how to become an excellent communicator! Learning, practicing, and mastering our communication tools, you’ll never ramble again!