Adjust Your Accent, Swim With The Dolphins!
If you can't articulate your ideas, you won't reach your true potential.
High performance professionals know that efficient and effective communication skills are integral to their personal, and their company's, success.
In our fast-paced work environments, we all need to be able to run with the pack, swim with the dolphins, and dance to the beat of the global drum. If you believe that your heavily accented speech is effecting your ability to land that job that you desire or be a member of a high performance team or project, there's hope on the horizon.
First, though, here are some myths that heavily accented professionals - and their recruiters and employers - may need to address:
MYTH 1: My Accent Doesn't (or Shouldn't) Matter
It's a myth that having an incomprehensible accent doesn't matter. More than ever, companies require employees to work within environments, such as Agile development methodologies, where professionals are expected to think and speak on their feet and effective collaboration across the team is the key to success. Employers count on you to verbalize details and creative solutions with accuracy and speed, and in person. There's no time to run to the computer to write it all down. You need to be able to deliver the goods on time, without errors, and without miscommunications.
You increase your chances of getting hired if, rather than retreating to email, you utilize effective oral communication skills.
MYTH 2: Education and Experience Trump Oral Communication Skills
It is also a myth that your education and experience matter more than your oral communication skills. No matter how brilliant you are, no matter whether you completed your PhD in English, have written ten books, and have worked in top companies, if recruiters and managers believe that you won't be able to communicate effectively within your team, you won't be hired, assigned new tasks, or asked to stretch your impressive abilities.
In order to develop and share your true potential, you'll need to acquire an acceptable level of “comfortable intelligibility”.
MYTH 3: Recruiters Will Recommend Accent Training
A third myth is that recruiters and Human Resources managers will tell you exactly what you need to do to compete successfully for a job or a promotion. While they are legally permitted to make recommendations to job candidates, they are not at all obliged to. Some wish to avoid creating the possible perception that their companies are engaging in discriminatory hiring practices. While we know that such unfairness exists, it may also be fair to ask yourself if you would hire people who could not meet the communications requirements of the job.
The solution is to “take the bull by the horns” and request honest feedback and suggestions.
Dive In With The Dolphins
The good news is that more companies are now investing in specialized professional development courses. New recruits sometimes receive opportunities to improve their accents and oral presentation skills as part of their “onboarding” training package. Established professionals are offered customized, on-site and online courses that they can easily fit into their schedules.
Companies regard these specialized courses not only as valuable, win-win investments, but also as opportunities to honour their diversity and inclusion mandate.
While applicants should ask recruiters directly whether their accent is an impediment, established professionals should elicit feedback and discover whether their employer provides accent modification training.
You will still have an accent, only now you will experience the power and confidence that comes with clear, effective communication.
