Leverage your measurements

I have heard stories over and over again about people in their jobs wanting to ask their boss to do something, but they didn't know how. I think a big part of being a communications specialist is knowing how to talk to specific people. In the book Measure What Matters, it talks about how to leverage your measurement results to get what you want. In work and in life, this is so true. At work, your boss wants to know that what you want to do or what you are asking for is going to work. They want to know that they aren't just throwing money away to someone who has no idea what they are doing. Proving to them how your methods work by giving them hard numbers is always a great way to get them on your side. My brain has always worked this way. If I wanted something from my parents, I gave them hard facts or numbers why it was important that I get what I wanted. It didn't always work, but, on occasion, they got me what I needed. A big part of leveraging your results is also knowing how to present them. You need to know how to talk to people. If you sit down and talk to someone for about 10 minutes, you will get a pretty good idea of how to speak their language. Some people want facts. Some people speak with emotion. Knowing how to speak to people and use the tools you have is really important in the communications profession.