Communication is Key
Some Say Silence is Key to Success, in a Team, There’s No Such Thing as Staying Quiet – Communication is Key. Those who are close to me might think I’m quite a talker, but what they may not know is that I’m not comfortable talking in front of a new crowd, or a person I barely know, especially in a professional setting. In the first 3 months of working with Addedsport, I barely participated in any group discussion and spent the whole discussion listening. To be honest, half of me kept thinking about contributing, but the other half resisted with thoughts like, “Are you sure? I don’t think it’s a really good idea, you better keep it to yourself”. I constantly doubted myself and it led me to believe less in what I’m capable of, which is the reason why I eventually opted to keep quiet.
Communication skills are not something you can hone in one night. Some people might be born with outstanding communication skills, all the talking comes naturally for them. But for us, introverted and insecure types of people, we have to work harder. As an athlete, I was taught to always enjoy and value the process — which, most of the time, included going out of my comfort zone to improve. Though highly uncomfortable, it was worth the struggle. After a few months into my mentorship program, I had to lead my own training session. I grew anxious, my heart pumping even harder when the time came, and my mentor told me to hold on.
I know for some that this might seem exaggerated, but this was what I felt at the time. So I tried to calm myself down, remembering that it’s part of the process and acknowledging that after this session was over, I will gain more professional skills that will be useful even outside of work. Even though the training session didn’t take place, at least I now know that I’ll be ready once it does. Along the way, I slowly gained more confidence through Added Sports’ mentorship program and somehow it has helped me to believe in myself more. My ability to communicate with both my colleagues and clients kept improving day by day, which simultaneously develops my performance at work. This was all thanks to David, my mentor at the time! He once advised me to stop thinking too much and begin taking action after counting to 5 to avoid regretting the things I don’t do. His method is something I still practice today and has been really useful in both my daily and professional life. I know the worst thing that can happen out of this would be making a mistake, but then again, mistakes help us grow and learn. In the end, this exercise will bring out the best out of you. Feel free to try this exercise out yourself 🙂 My journey with Added Sport has also taught me one very important thing, and that is if you want others to believe in you or your work, you first have to believe in yourself. You can’t convince someone to believe you if you yourself don’t even believe in what you’re saying — so start believing in yourself and everything will flow the way you want.
