Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Importance and benefits of Reading Skills in communication
Excerpts from an article published in harappa.education
“There is no friend as loyal as a book”, said American author Ernest Hemingway.
The importance of a reading habit is intrinsically linked to professional success, as it opens up the mind to new experiences and provides new avenues of knowledge.
There are different ways of reading: extensive reading, intensive reading, critical reading and scanning. Choosing the appropriate way to read can help you get the maximum benefit.
Reading enhances our life in several ways. Let’s take a look:
1. Exercising your mind
When you read, you exercise your comprehension abilities and your analytical abilities. It fires up your imagination and stimulates the memory centers of your mind. It helps recall information as well as stabilise your emotions.
Reading is one of the best mental workouts there is. It’s been found that regular mental stimulation can slow down and possibly even prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
2. The role of reading skills in communication
Swedish-American writer Frans Johansson, in his book The Medici Effect, explains how creativity is intersectional. Ideas born in one medium and industry can be used as inspiration for others. Reading and writing work in similar ways.
Reading improves your writing style and flow. Another vital role of reading skills in communication is perfecting your oratory skills. It helps strengthen language and sharpens sentence structure. It gives you a better command over the language. All of these are critical to being a good speaker.
3. Finding yourself
Books work as portals to newer worlds. They have the potential to broaden your perspective, shape your attitude towards others and life, and open you up to new ways of thinking about everyday life.
One of the several advantages of reading is that it helps shape your identity. When you read, you decide who you want to become. For example, reading Sherlock Holmes can inspire you to become a detective or simply become more observant and analytical.
4. Becoming a well-read individual
Well-read individuals are held in awe. The words “well-read” are often used to denote a learned individual, full of wisdom.
Before the internet, books were the only sources of information and knowledge. Books contain the collective wisdom of our times. The more you read, the more you will learn about the world and the people in it. One of the great benefits of reading is that it helps you evolve your understanding of the world.
5. Keeping calm and entertained
Books can be a perfect escape from reality. They can cheer you up when you’re down, motivate you when you’re sad, and even keep you company when everybody else is busy.
One of the benefits of reading is that it relaxes your mind and body. You recharge your energy levels much faster when you read. Reading is the best way to end the day on a calm note. It may even help you fall asleep much faster.
The points above demonstrate the importance of maintaining a reading habit. Here are a few more benefits of reading regularly:
6. Improves your thinking skills and analytical abilities
There are times when you read a book and realise there are loopholes in the plot. You figure out who the murderer is before the book tells you. Somehow, your mind works faster when you read.
These same abilities also apply to the real world. A reader’s mind is trained to notice tiny details. It puts the pieces together and can find connections. It is more adept at identifying patterns and solving puzzles. It learns how to synthesise knowledge better.
7. Helps you block out noise
Short attention spans are the order of the day as lives become a constant stream of interruptions and activity. You are expected to manage your WhatsApp messages and check your email and interact with your colleagues, all at the same time. Juggling such tasks reduces focus and lowers productivity.
But when you read a book, all your attention is focused. The importance of reading in our digital age cannot be overstated. It is perhaps the only way left to improve focus and attention.
8. Helps master a language
Reading is one of the best ways to learn a new language or gain mastery over a known one. Also, when you learn through stories, you learn much faster. Learning about words through context is one of the most organic ways to understand their meaning and improve your vocabulary. This also helps gain knowledge about colloquial terms.
9. Connecting with others
Books can be great conversation starters and can help bond with new people. Readers can have multiple stories to tell or topics to discuss, and can easily become the center of attention due to their knowledge. Their ability to objectively critique issues also makes them popular.
10. Keeps you grounded
Reading is a constant exercise in humility. The more you read, the more you realise how much you haven’t. That reminds you of how much further you still need to go. Each book reminds you of how limited your knowledge is.
Career
Negotiation tips: 6 ways to get what you want at work
Excerpts from article by R. Dallon Adams, published in Tech Republic
Negotiating raises, promotions, and other workplace perks can be stressful, but opportunity, as the adage goes, favours the bold.
“Some employees think that if they do a good job, the company will recognise their efforts with raises and promotions. If you are in this environment, great! In other companies, you must be proactive to get what you want,” said George Siedel, a professor of business administration emeritus and professor of business law emeritus at the University of Michigan, who also teaches negotiation courses on Coursera.
1. Crowd source and bring evidence
For decades, the idea of fellow employees discussing their salaries with coworkers was viewed as somewhat taboo. However, this stance has faded in recent years. Crowd sourcing can be a valuable tool in a host of work scenarios.
In this situation, Siedel suggested that employees determine the salaries of other employees at the company in similar roles. This approach could help employees determine a value floor and ceiling before setting their asking price. An evidence-based approach could be a powerful negotiation strategy.
2. Framing matters
Whether you’re delivering a virtual presentation or negotiating a raise, it’s always important to keep the audience in mind. When preparing for the negotiation or delivering the pitch, attempt to sell the objective as a win for both parties. For example, if you want to ask your boss for a flexible time schedule, talk about how this will benefit the company,” said Siedel via email.
3. Take initiative
Broaching the question with a manager may be an awkward undertaking, but a proactive approach could be the difference between getting what one wants in the interim or waiting around until the next review cycle.
Regardless of whether your virtual working conditions are permanent or a temporary side effect of the pandemic, your supervisor can’t read your mind. With all the unknowns managers are dealing with right now, it’s important for them to know how their team is doing and how they can best support each member.
4. Don’t forget the pleasantries
A virtual meeting requires a different approach and planning compared to traditional face-to-face communication. During a standard in-person chat, people are able to take in myriad information from the other person’s body language.
“In a virtual environment, it’s easy to skip over the pleasantries and get right to business. But everyone has a lot on their plate these days, and a few minutes spent asking after a person’s welfare can go a long way,” said Castonguay via email.
5. Think outside the Zoom room
Rather than limit the negotiation process to a Zoom meeting, individuals could also consider taking a more creative approach to achieve their objectives. Castonguay suggested crafting a “compelling” slide presentation. Rajkumari Neogy, an epigenetic and executive coach, emphasised a similar sentiment. She also suggested creating a video to illustrate the employee’s thoughts and let the other person watch the presentation on their own time.
6. Take a pause
The negotiation process can be stressful for employees for numerous reasons including the employee-manager power dynamics at play. Situationally, Neogy emphasised the power of silence. This tactic could give employees time to assess the situation and gain leverage in the scenario.
“Be succinct. Name what it is that you want, and then stop talking. One of the most powerful tactics in negotiation is [pausing] and creating space for the other person to get uncomfortable and then allowing them to step toward you,” she said.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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