Communicators: 10 ways to get respect

Communicators who complain that they have no credibility should take advice from these colleagues, who do

Although this article originally ran in April 2008, the advice remains sound—ed.

The old saying goes, “Before you’re thirty you have the face you were born with. After thirty, you have the face you deserve.”

It’s the same with professional credibility.

Communicators don’t begin their careers, don’t start new jobs with a lot of advance respect. Everyone thinks they’re a communicator and, when challenged, you can’t exactly retort, “Hey, I’ve got a degree in communications, pal.”

Nevertheless, some communicators manage to earn amazing amounts of credibility in their organizations, and others earn none—and there are many shades of credibility in between.

Some of the variables are organizations and their executives, and their peculiar needs for communication. (Communicators are generally highly valued in industries and companies where employees are highly valued.)

But no doubt some communicators earn respect—and lack thereof—by their actions, day to day.