Be Courageous When Communicating

Communicating when the stakes are high or the subject is uncomfortable can be a challenge for PR practitioners. It seems like tactfully sharing hard truths or facilitating sensitive conversations is somewhat a specialty. 

All PR professionals should become skilled in navigating tricky topics and conversations to be true advisers. Even crisis communication experts may have to overcome fear or anxious feelings that arise before communicating. We may not have that thick skin yet, but we can work to develop it.

Leadership coach and author Michelle Gladieux shared her book “Communicate With Courage” with me. Here’s our interview on what we need to do to be more courageous PR professionals.

What are the four obstacles keeping people from being courageous communicators? 

I’ve participated in coaching interactions with thousands of people in diverse professions in my career. I’ve identified a few sneaky, shadow-y [challenges] that continue to hold us back from our full potential. 

They are: 

• Hiding from risk (playing small when it doesn’t suit us)
• Defining to be right (being quick to judge, missing the wisdom of others’ experiences)
• Rationalizing the negative (sticking with a pessimistic mindset)
• Settling for good enough (missing the opportunity to stretch when it matters)

What role does assessing risk play in communication? 

Risk is an exciting tool for achieving our potential. Playing small as a communicator means choosing not to engage to our best ability or to learn skills needed to do just that. [We should approach risk intelligently] to take a chance to behave differently and more bravely when the situation matters a lot to us. We might stand up, stand down, listen fully or voice our opinion more confidently — whatever the risky move is. 

Which communication risks are not worth taking professionally? 

Don’t risk your sanity by engaging with people who demonstrate manipulative or unethical behaviors. Distance yourself as soon as possible. 

Don’t risk setting unreasonably high standards for self or others. Perfect outcomes, as we all tend to forget, are impossible to achieve. 

Don’t let others define you. It’s imperative to invite others’ opinions of your work, but equally necessary to have your own definition of success for each role you play in life. 

Don’t run away from constructive or negative feedback. Instead, find something of use, forgive the unkind or amateur feedback-giver, and grow from it.

What should PR professionals understand about communicating with courage? 

To risk wisely, we need curiosity about how fear affects us. Fear exerts considerable influence on our thoughts, words and deeds, it deserves our respect. 

We can try to recognize when we’re operating or going into silent mode out of fear and then decide to summon our strength to participate in communication differently. Courage is something intangible but vital we must find for ourselves, in ourselves.

What mistakes do professional communicators make when it comes to navigating challenging communication scenarios? 

They make similar mistakes as others. They might let their ego dictate their approach to communication when humility is needed. On the other side of the coin, they might forget that they are equally valuable as any other human when nerves start. Communication is something none of us ever truly graduate from. We’ll be refining our approach as message senders and receivers our entire lives. 

What one thing could we focus on getting better at to be more courageous communicators? 

I’m a fan of valid personality assessment tools and encourage all PR professionals to learn about their own style, and then others’ personalities to better understand how to interact. A robust personality report shows us how others receive our interactions. Knowing yourself and then seeking to understand others is the basis of all growth as a communicator.