There is nothing more appealing to an MBA graduate, lawyer, or engineer
than to move to a city of opportunity like Atlanta. For the corporate woman, it is a business Mecca. For the corporate single woman, it can also
be hell. As a woman raised in corporate
America, communicating with colleagues and clients is easy for me. When a client relays their company vision for
a project, I have a good idea of what they need or want, and in return, I
express what we (my company) is capable of providing. If a miscommunication arises, it is usually
because my client did not like my answer, and not because they
misunderstood. Email correspondence, and
conference calls are constructed so that each point given is precise and leaves
no room for interpretation. But in
dating, these skills are not transferable, and often times the corporate maiden
is perceived as being demanding, stiff or cold.
Since communication is the art of and technique of using words
effectively to impart information or ideas, why does the corporate maiden fair
better in business communications than in communicating on a personal level? I began to look at the similarities and
differences in my business communications and personal communications and this
is what I found.
In business…training is essential
A good corporation equips their employees with the necessary tools for
success. Employers train their employees in what is
known as “business communications”.
Training workshops and classes on business etiquette, writing and
speaking are available to every employee and are more often than not, a mandatory
part of performance reviews for all employees in the company. I took full advantage of these classes and
during interaction with colleagues and client meetings had ample opportunity to
use the techniques learned from the classes. Such is not the case in personal life. In life, there are no training classes or
workshops, no simulations of what should be said in certain situations, no dry
runs. In life you have to go through it
to know it, and if you’re lucky you will learn from it on the first go
round. But we all know that is not the
case. Life is our training class and we
learn (hopefully) valuable lessons sooner rather than later.
In business…it’s a team effort
In corporate America you are never alone, in other words, it is a team environment. Each team member contributes to the vision
according to their specific skill set.
In our personal lives our “team environment” are our girlfriends who
offer advice, but often times, they are in the same situation as we are and
making questionable choices in their own lives.
But girlfriends are a necessity so, know the skill set of each of your
friends and build your team. No woman is
an island having a strong team in your personal life matters. Business motto…its business, not personal
With that as a mantra swirling around in our heads, it’s no wonder business and personal lines blur. In business we say… show me the bottom line… now show me how we get there and the projected time of completion. You work backwards to reach your goal. In personal relationships, it is the opposite. We start on the common ground of “like”, and then begin the journey of getting to know each other, not really solidifying the bottom line in the beginning. We are not really sure how much time and work must be put in to see what the outcome will be. This can be quite a change in how we “do business”. This is a no brainer…if you want a full life, then you must be willing to take the journey!
My fair corporate maidens, it is possible, no vital, that you separate business from pleasure. Balance is important and even though some of the skills learned on your way up the corporate ladder can easily be applied to your personal life, one must make an effort of truly valuing the experience of getting to know a person. Take the time to see where life or a relationship can take you without having a timeline to follow. Take the journey; it may surprise you where you end up.
Peace and blessings
Phaedra
No comments:
Post a Comment