Hello! How are things at the very beginning of February? It is such a nice time in winter, right?
Well, for me it has been quite busy. So many e-mails, teleconferences, videoconferences, skype meetings for different projects which I am very enthusiastic and excited to do. And once more I have recognized how critical communication in regulatory affairs is. Don’t you agree? Of course good communication is beneficial in all the areas of life. In business, especially in Regulatory affairs, it is vital!
Here are 6 key points for communication skills in Regulatory Affairs:
- Clarity: It is a known fact that regulatory people have to work with many people at different departments at a time. So being clear is so important on what you are asking or requesting about. People cannot understand what you want when you speak or write about it indirectly or sometimes when you give so may details without giving the basic fact. So focusing on the main fact and expressing it clearly is mandatory in order to have a good communication. Using so many words is not a good way to clarify things. Keep it simple.
- Empathy: Understanding people, being kind and positive is always a plus when it comes to communicating. It is actually a sign of showing how much you care and respect your work. People who look down on other team mates, bossy on their peers, colleagues cannot be successful for long no matter how experienced or how specialized they are in their area. Because people neither like arrogance nor the “Me, me ,me “ voice. On the other hand, you do a much more efficient work when you are patient, kind, consider the other’s situation since they listen to you more willingly. You have to convince yourself and the others that you are connected and you are working for the same target, shoulder to shoulder.
- Analytical Thinking: I have written about this in my previous posts, as well. There are various situations in Regulatory Affairs. It is important how you approach them. All the cases are unique. As Albert Einstein once said “Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little, falls into lazy habits of thinking.” It is important to be strategic and understand the issue and the needs properly in order to take action. By taking action, you need to evaluate all the possible conditions, parameters and all the people you need to interact with and come up with a plan to solve the situation. You have to inform every team member properly at each stage and delegate or share with people on the steps of the solution, precisely.
- Listening: Being a good listener is important in order to understand what is asked and for clarity of the issues. I come across many colleagues trying to speak rather than listening. I believe they have a lot to share with the others. In fact when we listen more we can catch the details more efficiently.
- Keep Calm and do your work: There are many situations which are sometimes out of our control. Especially timing. The delays in the projects, some hierarchic decisions, errors etc. can make us angry sometimes. But even in those cases it is vital to stay calm in order to communicate properly for everybody’s sake.
- Be informative: Everybody likes people who share information for good. And there is a lot to learn and share here. So guide people on the articles, guidelines, regulation as much as you can in the best way. And be open to progress.
Please share your experiences and comments below. Have a wonderful week !