How Effective and Respected Female Leaders Demonstrate Executive Communication
How to email like a boss.
“How to be assertive without being pushy?”
It’s upsetting that in the second millennia since humans started keeping time, there is still a widespread culture of curbing assertive women.
As someone with something of a mouth on her, I’ve internalized feedback that I’m too much, aggressive or even angry and spent years regulating my tone so I could be taken seriously and heard by the people in charge. Some of this is appropriate.
I am always in the process of learning how to address touchy subjects, work with diverse teams, be a more humane manager and sometimes that will mean taking a second pass at a work email or slack message. That’s not necessarily the problem.
It’s when I find myself communicating something completely in bounds and agonizing over how to say it so as not to be considered “bitchy.” That’s when I will soften things to the point of undermining their urgency or meaning to the organization just so I’ll be liked or because I think that’s what I need to do/be to be effective. It’s a fair amount of work and in certain instances, not the best use of my energy.
As a writer, I accept that rewriting is part of writing. And there’s never a problem with being intentional with your words. That’s why when I saw @danidonovan’s email wording hacks, I knew I had stumbled on the cheat sheet we wish every mentor would hand us.
When you’re writing a comedy script there’s something we call a “punch pass.” That’s when you go through a semi-final draft of your script alone or with funny writer friends to “punch up” every joke – to essentially make it shorter and funnier.
I propose the same for work communication – call it a “power pass.” Scan the document and wherever you’ve softened something that does not need to be softened, plug in some of Dani’s suggestions or push yourself to find your own way to make it “shorter and more direct,” especially for situations that come up often. Once you have your script you can always fall back on it.
You might also consider getting someone to look over your work communications. That’s why each student in my new Career Strategy GPS group program that gets ambitious, high performing womxn hired, promoted and paid is allowed to submit up to 2 pieces of work communications (be it emails, presentations, speeches) for “a power pass.”
Interested?
Fill out a 3 question application for Career GPS
If you’re a fit, you’ll receive an invitation to a FREE Private Training
Join an exclusive group of hand selected women and learn to articulate your brand and value
Have questions now? Email holler@acelectric.co and ask away!