Tip for your next presentation: Hit the main topic first! This approach is especially effective when dealing with a complex slide deck. Curious why it works so well? Watch this video to find out more.
Our last post gave examples of how you can change your communication to convey strength and confidence, which is important during meetings, particularly with KOLs. This post focuses on tone, and if you were ever a teenager and had a sassy tone, you might have suffered consequences because of it. There’s no getting away from it (just ask your mom) – tone matters. The tone in which you approach conversations will help put you on level footing or might result in the end to conversations. Our tone refers to the way we use our voice to convey meaning, emotions, and attitudes.
Your tone should convey confidence and respect, even if your heart doesn’t reflect those feelings. Whether you are speaking with your manager, a KOL or a troublemaking colleague that likes to push buttons, dig deep and use a respectful tone across the board. Use your emotional intelligence to keep your voice steady, even in challenging situations.
· Speak with confidence but ensure your tone is respectful.
· Don’t use a tone that would reflect the sentiment “I’ve told you that a thousand times” (even if you have!).
· Stick the landing. Don’t elevate your pitch at the end of your sentence as it will sound like you are asking a question rather than stating a fact with confidence. It will impact your credibility.
· Tone is often lost with written communication so, when an email/text chain seems to be going south, speak to the person directly (even an old fashion phone call is an option) to avoid misinterpretation.
Pairing the right words with the wrong tone can derail a conversation quickly. Even a simple phrase like “of course” could be misinterpreted as being sarcastic based on tone in which it is said. Aligning your tone of voice effectively can convey authenticity, empathy, concern, and represent your best self and aligned with your emotional intelligence, will help you strengthen your relationships.
In presentations, it’s easy to get carried away and forget to pause. Instead, focus on your key point—make it clear, concise, and impactful. Less is often more! Watch this video to learn more...
The language we use with our KOLs and peers impacts the direction and depth of the relationship. Here are some adjustments to keep your communication effective and impactful:
· “What can I provide” sounds more level than “How can I help you?”
· Don’t use minimizing language like “I feel” or “I think.” Replace those with “I am confident” or “The data indicates…”
· “Do you have any questions?” may not generate the same exchange as “What questions do you have?”
· Don’t undermine your credibility by inserting “just” into your sentences (e.g., “I just want to review this phase III data…”). Remove “just” – it’s unnecessary.
· Avoid apologizing and instead say “thank you for your patience.” This way of thinking is a game-changer! (Although, when an apology is truly warranted, certainly offer a sincere one).
· Avoid ending your sentences with a question that requests validation, such as “don’t you agree?” If you are asking the KOL a question, state the facts of the data and then follow-up your statement with a firm question “What is your perspective on this data?”
· Instead of affirming a negative, make the statement positive.
If Tim (from the example in Tip #1) had said, “Yup, your flip turns are slow and wonky,” I would have felt more self-conscious and may not have continued to practice my turns. His words gave me the confidence to continue to practice and implement feedback to support my improvement. Remember, you’re bringing value to your KOLs so convey the information or data with professional confidence. Ensure your words and phrases reflect your value and don’t insert words that diminish it.
Are you operating on a vertical or horizontal plane? Alfred Adler spoke about superiority vs. inferiority—challenging us to consider if anyone truly holds more value than another. When we see everyone as equal, we navigate life and work with a fresh perspective. Let’s aim to build relationships that reflect respect and equality. Watch this video to learn more!
“At least you’re doing them” was what Tim said when I told him my flip turns were slow and wonky. That was just what I needed to hear from Tim, coach of the Master’s swimming club I just joined. It’s been a long time since I was part of a Master’s team, and those simple words gave me the confidence to keep practicing my flip turns.
Saying the right thing may make a difference. Saying the wrong thing may make a BIG difference. Even when we use the right words, adding filler words can minimize our impact. And don’t forget about tone as it can change everything! Do you have a friend or colleague that always knows what to say, when, and how? Do you wish you had that gift? This series will provide ideas that will allow you to communicate with impact.
Remember the idea of “vertical” versus “horizontal” relationships from our LinkedIn series on Meeting Your KOL for the First Time? We discussed the importance of staying on equal footing with your KOL, as this shapes everything about the conversation—tone, confidence, and body language. The language you use can make a huge difference, supporting an equal relationship that grows positively.
“Tell us a little bit about yourself” can feel like a stale interview question, especially when they’ve already read your resume! Next time, try flipping the script: respond with, “Would you like to know something that’s not on my resume?” Then share a personal story that ties back to the job and the skills you've gained from it. This approach grabs their attention, builds engagement, and puts you on an even playing field—making the interview more of a conversation, not just an interrogation. Take control of your narrative!
A lesson in cooperation from a bucksaw? You heard that right! Sometimes the simplest tools teach the most powerful lessons. Watch this video to find out more...
Following on from our last post:
It is important that you don’t spread yourself across too many goals as your development is important, but you have many other responsibilities across which you must spread your time. These goals are likely not mutually exclusive so developing in your current role will help for future roles. You don’t need to conquer these goals at the same time, parse them out over the course of the year, prioritizing your development accordingly.
Tip: Don’t be a Best Kept Secret! Consider some magic words at meetings: “I liked that idea” helps you encourage with a specific emphasis, “May I tell you what I just learned from you?” is a great way to surprise the other and reinforce for them what worked, “I appreciated…” is another way to help others really understand their influence. You can even use them when you are about to disagree: “I really liked what you said about _____, and I had a slightly different idea, would you like to hear it?” Of course, all three must be done genuinely, never manipulatively.
Your personal development plan is a dynamic document, so adjust if you decide there are more relevant or timely areas for your development. It’s important to remember that while you work with your manager to develop this document, it is your responsibility to execute the plan, after all it is your development. During your one-on-one session with your manager, at least on a quarterly basis, discuss your progress against the goals and ask for feedback.
Next time you watch a presentation, take a moment to share what you liked, learned, and appreciated about it. It’s a thoughtful way to acknowledge the speaker’s effort and spread positivity.
Let’s build each other up through support and kindness! Watch this video to learn more...
Following on from our last post:
The final step in developing your plan is determining what you will do to accomplish your goals. Each goal should follow the SMART format (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Timebound) and should offer you an opportunity to demonstrate your learnings. For example, if you are working on your time management skills you may take a course or read a book. That’s a great starting point, but the next step is to outline 2-3 habits you will implement and track how you do against those. Maybe you have trouble meeting deadlines. What did you learn in class or through the book that will be implemented to overcome this issue? Implement the learning (perhaps calendar reminders) and track how you are progressing against your goal (setting reminders and meeting deadlines). Ask your manager for feedback.
Perhaps you would like to deepen your understanding of competitor products. What materials will you digest to meet this goal? Leading journal clubs for your colleagues will help deepen your understanding of the material and result in discussion that will benefit everyone. Do you have a colleague with a similar goal? If so, meet on a routine schedule to discuss materials you’ve read. Has one of your colleagues worked with a competitor’s product? Can discuss your learnings and gain their perspective? Outline a SMART goal and hold yourself accountable to accomplish what you’ve set out to do.
Perhaps you will be networking to learn more about the cross-functional teams you encounter. What goal will you set for the number of networking sessions you will schedule in a month? Set a goal of writing Thank you notes 100% of the time and within 3 days of your meeting. Measure your progress against this SMART goal.
More in our next post…
Confidence is the key to truly serving others. It’s about believing in yourself, your skills, and the value you bring to the table. When you’re confident, you’re not just focused on yourself—you’re focused on how you can help others. In this video, I share practical tips on how to project confidence during meetings, so you can engage more effectively and make a lasting impact.
The last posts in this series have focused on evaluating your strengths and areas for development based on your current role and what you want to do in the future. Once this critical groundwork has been laid, it is time to focus these ideas and write your personal development plan.
Start by aligning with your manager on your learnings to gain their perspective and begin narrowing down the list to two to three areas you want to focus on. Looking back over the approach outlined in Tip 1 in this series, when you evaluated yourself against the competencies required for your role, what skill did you uncover that could use some polishing? I believe one goal should be focused on optimizing yourself in your current role, even if you have been in your role for many years. This could include stretching your skills in a way you have not been required to do in previous years. Remember the company needs you to deliver in a certain role and you can always add to your level of competency. If you are new to your role, your PDP may focus solely on the competencies of your current role to ensure you are delivering value and having impact.
The next goal should be focused on optimizing yourself. This could be based on what you are currently doing or what you want to do in the future. This could be a skill such as active listening, negotiating, or communicating but could also be deepening your understanding of the science you speak to or how you present that science to various audiences. Perhaps deepening your understanding of strategy will be a learning opportunity (and valuable in all roles).
The last goal maybe focused on what you want to do next. Is there a way to support your current team by developing a skill that will aid in your learning or demonstrate your readiness for the next role? Your manager will likely have some ideas and opportunities to which you could align. Perhaps this entails deepening your connections to those in the role you hope to secure or even the manager of that team. Is there an opportunity to contribute while increasing exposure to their work?
More in our next post…
One of my clients recently mentioned to me that they were striving in their coursework not only for information, not only for behavior change, but also for ‘performance-based’ courses. This may not be new to you, but to me, it represented an important word shift: knowledge, behavior, and performance.
My graduate students read to understand, we demonstrate to isolate useful behaviors, and we practice to get so good that our performance is second nature. Actors call it ‘muscle memory.’ A physician at Illinois’ NorthShore University Health System, referring to their trauma surgeons, said they had “such great instincts” honed over a career.
Perhaps in those times when you said the right thing at the right time, in the right way—even you were surprised by the outcome. Perhaps that goes beyond what you know, beyond how you behaved, and the ‘performance’ was the integration of it all.
Behavior change is certainly good, but performance—well, that may be something different and better altogether.
Following on from our last post:
Put time on your calendar to network every week, even if it is just 30 minutes. Be prepared with questions related to their role and your interests. Why did you set up time with them specifically? What about their function sparked your interest? How do they collaborate across the organization? What are their biggest challenges / accomplishments? What are the functional and individual goals? How do they spend their time day-to-day? Share your interests and what you desire in a role.
Send a note of thanks following the meeting, including a specific take-away from the meeting. This is a critical part of networking that is often overlooked. People have given you their time and that should be acknowledged. Set yourself apart by remembering this final detail.
Tip: Never dismiss a contact based on their academic training, positions, or how they look to you. Turn on your best human relations skills so that you can find the wisdom they have. As an MSL, the first person you may meet is at the reception desk at the HCPs office. That is the person that can make room for us on the schedule, get us through on the phone, and can likely get faster results than a cold email! There is no such thing as an insignificant job or person. Every person is a book, just turn the next page to discover more about them… And about you.
Each of these meetings will provide value and offer a great opportunity to connect with people across your organization. A picture will start to develop about roles that may fit your interests. Even if a role or functional area turns out not to align with your goals, you will have made important connections in the company.
We often critique presenters, but what about the audience? Next time you're in the audience, consider this: How can you show up fully? Your engagement, attention, and energy are just as important to the success of the experience. Watch this video to learn more and let me know what you think!
In our last post, we focused on how to leverage your personal development plan (PDP) when you’ve already identified what role you are targeting. If you are unclear about what you want to do next, no worries! You can tailor one of the goals in your PDP to help you determine what direction you may or may not want to go.
We all enjoy some of our job responsibilities more than others. Perhaps you’re ready to spend less time on the road and more time at home but still want to stay close to the science? Or perhaps you enjoy working with pipeline molecules more than commercially available products? Maybe working on clinical trials is more your speed? Take time to reflect on the aspects of your role (or pervious roles) that you truly enjoy or areas in which you would like to grow your expertise.
Do you know what opportunities within your company that align with your likes/dislikes? If not, this is an opportune time to ramp up your networking skills and learn about the possibilities. Who have you met in the company that does something interesting that you believe aligns with your interests? Set up a 30-minute coffee (or virtual coffee) to learn more about the details of their role. You may find it is not what you thought it would be, or you may learn it’s just what you want to do… Regardless, you will learn something. I guarantee they will help you make other connections with colleagues that would be happy to discuss their role with you. Connect via LinkedIn. Let the networking begin!
More in our next post…
A core teaching of Adlerian psychology (from Alfred Adler, 1870-1937) emphasizes that we are all "social equals" and deserve respect. This does not mean we are identical, but rather that despite our differences, we share a common humanity and dignity. Deep down, we are more alike than we might think.
I once had a graduate student who consistently arrived late to class. When I asked him about it, he explained, "Oh, Mr. O'Connor, I get stuck talking to a homeless guy down the street." My immediate response, which I now regret, was, "You talk to homeless people?" His reply has stayed with me: "You know, I think you and I are maybe one life event away from being in his shoes." This made me realize the importance of seeing people for who they are, beyond their circumstances. Indeed, we are all more similar than we imagine.
A colleague, Char Wenc, once led a class for physician leaders where she asked them to pair up and take turns saying, "I'll bet we have ____ in common" or "I like ____, how about you?" Within minutes, most pairs discovered they had at least seven things in common, often more. We can find deep connections if we just take the time to ask, listen, and engage.
Following on from our previous post:
We all live in our own reality. We really did look in the mirror today and said, “Yes!” Then out on the street we do wonder if some of these folks had a mirror! Consider of course your manager’s feedback, but also as we’ve recommended in the past don’t overlook your neighbor’s wisdom, how are things done where they work, how do they respond?
Maybe the next role requires you to be involved with strategy development. Talk with your manager to see how you can get involved in the development of the MSL strategy for the upcoming year. Your perspective as a current MSL will provide value in the process and allow you to better understand the departments process for building strategy including aligning with the company’s goals, cross-functional team alignment, prioritization, and budgeting. I suspect your manager would appreciate your support!
Imagine yourself in an interview, outlining how you developed your PDP in alignment with the required competencies for the role, and sharing examples of how you executed your plan. You’ll certainly impress the hiring manager with your thoughtful and informed approach.
It’s important to acknowledge that many people thrive in their current role and are not interested in changing career paths. That is OK (great, actually, as your manager can count on you and your experience as an anchor for the team) and will allow you to focus your development in other areas, including stretching yourself in your current role. Head back to the previous tip and identify those areas!
Next time you're giving a presentation, write your introduction for someone else to read—keep it short! And don't forget to include a fun fact about yourself at the end to make the audience smile. It’s a great way to set the tone and connect with your listeners right from the start! Watch this video to learn more...