#11 Art of Strategic Communication - Job Interviews | Networking | Growth
In today's interconnected world, the ability to engage effectively in conversations can open doors to new opportunities, whether it's in a job interview, at a networking event, or in day-to-day interactions. Mastering the art of conversation is not just about speaking eloquently but also about strategically employing techniques that can turn simple dialogues into memorable, meaningful connections.
Today’s blog delves into various psychological tricks used to foster long-lasting relationships professionally and personally.
Understanding Key Psychological Effects in Communication
Before diving into real-world applications, let's define some critical psychological tricks that significantly enhance communication:
1. Social Identity Theory: Suggests that people classify themselves and others into various forms, enhancing solidarity and understanding within groups. (Link)
2. Self-Disclosure: Sharing personal information that is relevant and appropriate to foster trust and intimacy with another person. (Link)
3. Reciprocity Norm: The expectation that people will respond favorably to each other by returning benefits for benefits, fostering mutual respect and goodwill. (Link)
4. Emotional Contagion: The phenomenon of catching or sharing another person's emotions through interaction, which can greatly influence the mood and tone of a conversation. (Link)
5. Anchoring: The use of relevant information at the start of a conversation to set the tone and direction for the entire dialogue. (Link)
6. Information Bias: The tendency to seek information when it does not affect action; more information can make individuals feel more knowledgeable and comfortable. (Link)
7. Expertise Acknowledgment: Recognizing and acknowledging another’s expertise can lead to more balanced, informative exchanges. (Link)
8. Priming: Invoking a response to a stimulus by introducing another, related or associative stimulus—used in conversation to lead topics and reactions in particular directions. (Link)
Good communication skills are essential for career advancement, with nearly every job posting emphasizing the importance of strong communication abilities (Link1; Link2)
Moreover, workplace communication statistics highlight that poor communication can lead to professional failures, stress, and financial losses for businesses (Link3; Link4)
Now, let's explore how to invoke these psychological traits in your communication through 4 real-life conversations that I've had over the past 2 years.
Conversations and their breakdown
Conversation 1 (with Richard - random new person at a biotech networking event):
Aritra - Hello, nice to meet you, I am Aritra. I am an application scientist at Revvity, working on XYZ products.
Richard - Hello, nice to meet you. I am a field application scientist at Illumina.
Aritra - Oh that’s great. Thanks for organizing this event. Great panel of speakers. I am very excited to hear about Comprehensive Genome Profiling for patient care. It’s new to me and I am very curious to learn something different. Also, it’s a great intellectual distraction from the usual work !!! ha ha ha... :)"
Richard - yes yes. I know. :) we have scientists here and industry professionals. The aim is to stay connected more and learn about updated things within the community. That’s where collaboration starts on new things right?"
Aritra - Absolutely. Especially understanding the customer side pain points in translating research to patient care faster also helps us prioritize innovation goals in discrete directions. That’s critical to make high efficiency, affordable products.
Richard - Yes that's the very goal of this. Keep quality high and make it affordable for the masses.
BREAKDOWN
Aritra: "Hello, nice to meet you, I am Aritra. I am an application scientist at Revvity, working on NGS products."
Richard: "Hello, nice to meet you. I am a field application scientist at Illumina."
Social Identity Theory: Initial exchange establishes professional roles, setting a formal tone and common ground.
Aritra: "Oh that's great. Thanks for organizing this event. Great panel of speakers. I am very excited to hear about Comprehensive Genome Profiling for patient care. It's absolutely new to me and I am very curious to learn something different. Also, it's a great intellectual distraction from the usual work!!! ha ha ha... :)"
Richard: "Yes yes. I know. :) We have scientists here and industry professionals. The aim is to stay connected more and learn about updated things within the community. That’s where collaboration starts on new things right?"
Self-Disclosure: Aritra shares personal enthusiasm about the event topics, inviting Richard to engage more deeply.
Emotional Contagion: Aritra uses humor to lighten the mood, making the interaction more enjoyable.
Reciprocity Norm: Aritra's openness prompts Richard to share the event’s purpose, enhancing mutual understanding and collaborative spirit.
Aritra: "Absolutely. Especially understanding the customer side pain points in translating research to patient care faster also helps us prioritize innovation goals in discrete directions. That's critical to make high efficiency, affordable products."
Richard: "Yes that's the very goal of this. Keep quality high and make it affordable for the masses."
Anchoring: Aritra steers the conversation towards practical applications of their work, focusing on customer needs and product efficiency, which anchors the discussion in shared professional goals.
Conversation 2 (with Amanda, PhD and a biotech startup business developer):
Aritra - Hello, my name is Aritra Misra, I am postdoc at University of Copenhagen. Nice to meet you.
Amanda - Hello, I am a business developer at XYZ startup incubator working with biotech startups.
Aritra - Oh thats great. I have a curiosity-based question and i think you are the right person for this since you have an academic research background and now have transitioned towards the business side of biotech industry.
I recently read that if you compare Denmark and Sweden, the number of patents coming out form Sweden is much higher than Denmark, but the total biotech business coming out from Denmark is higher than Sweden? How does this happen? It seems like a disparity.
Amanda - That’s a great question. Its more about the strategic direct and high financial investment that we see in Denmark at a very early stage of biotech business for any companies. This pushes the product development faster and thus better chances of exit. This strategic investor involvement might be lacking in Sweden. Also, in Denmark, the patents stay with university, so researcher are more interested to buy them from the university and startup a company. But in Sweden, the patents stay with the researchers. So the incentives are different.
Aritra - ohhh.. that’s very insightful. Didn’t think about the business and intellectual property dynamics like that before. that’s great. But we do see now a days a lot of cell therapy companies coming up in Sweden.
How does the landscape look like in Denmark?
...And the conversation goes on.
BREAKDOWN
Aritra: "Hello, My name is Aritra Misra, I am a postdoc at University of Copenhagen. Nice to meet you."
Amanda: "Hello, I am a business developer at XYZ startup incubator working with biotech startups from here."
Social Identity Theory: Both parties introduce their professional backgrounds, establishing a context for the conversation.
Aritra: "Oh that's great. I have a curiosity-based question and I think you are the right person for this since you have an academic research background and now have transitioned towards the business side of the biotech industry..."
Expertise Acknowledgment: Aritra recognizes Amanda's unique background, setting her up as an expert who can provide valuable insights.
Aritra: "I recently read that if you compare Denmark and Sweden, the number of patents coming out from Sweden is much higher than Denmark, but the total biotech business coming out from Denmark is higher than Sweden? How does this happen? It seems like a disparity."
Amanda: "That's a great question. Actually, it's more about the strategic direction and high financial investment that we see in Denmark at a very early stage of biotech business from any companies..."
Information Bias: Aritra shows his knowledge and preparation by bringing up a detailed and insightful industry-specific query.
Priming: The discussion is primed for a deep dive into strategic differences between countries, focusing on innovation and market dynamics.
Conversation 3 (with Shefali from a D2C company over phone):
Aritra - Hello,
Shefali - Hello Mr. Misra, this is Shefali. It’s a good time to talk to you right?
Aritra - Hi Shefali. Yes, it’s a good time for sure.
Shefali - How are you doing today?
Aritra - I am trying to be good. But this summer season heat is the biggest problem!!! ha ha ha!!!
Shefali - Ha ha... yes that’s true...
BREAKDOWN
Aritra: "Hello,"
Shefali: "Hello Mr. Misra, This is Shefali. Is it a good time to talk to you right?"
Social Identity Theory: Formal greeting and verification of the appropriateness of the time for conversation sets a respectful and professional tone.
Aritra: "Hi Shefali. Yes, it's a good time for sure.
Shefali: How are you doing today?"
Aritra: "I am trying to be good. But this summer season heat is the biggest problem!!! ha ha ha!!!"
Shefali: "Ha ha... yes that's true..."
Reciprocity Norm: Aritra’s casual mention of the weather and adding humour invites Shefali to also share her experiences, making the conversation more relaxed and personal.
Emotional Contagion: The shared laughter over the weather situation creates a friendly, light-hearted atmosphere.
Conversation 4 (with Tony for a job interview):
Tony - Hello Aritra, how are you doing?
Aritra - Hello Tony, Nice to meet you. I am doing very great. Also, the weather outside is quite pleasant. So, its bonus!!! (Sometimes i have used - But the weather is gloomy today. Don’t know what just happened :( !!!)
Tony - Yes that’s true. It quite good / Yes, its quite dark. Before beginning the interview, would you like to drink something?
Aritra - Yes of course. I'll have a black coffee with very less sugar. I am trying to keep my health discipline on the right track.
Tony - Oh that’s great. What are you up to?
... and the conversation goes on.
BREAKDOWN
Tony: "Hello Aritra, How are you doing?"
Aritra: "Hello Tony, Nice to meet you. I am doing very great. Also the weather outside is quite pleasant. So it’s an added bonus!!!"
Priming: Aritra uses the pleasant weather as a positive primer, setting an optimistic tone for the interview.
Anchoring: Mentions of weather and personal mood anchor the initial interaction in positivity.
Tony: "Yes that's true. It's quite good. Before beginning the interview, would you like to drink something?"
Aritra: "Yes of course. I'll have a black coffee with very less sugar. I am trying to keep my health discipline on the right track."
Reciprocity Norm: Tony's offer and Aritra’s detailed response facilitate a caring and attentive dynamic, enhancing mutual respect.
Self-Disclosure: Sharing his coffee preference and mentioning health discipline reveals personal values and lifestyle choices, contributing to building a personal connection with Tony.
These analyses underscore how each conversation strategically utilizes psychological effects tailored to the specific social context, whether in professional networking, detailed industry discussions, casual customer service interactions, or formal job interviews.
Unique and common psychological traits invoked to start conversation in different situations.
Each conversation leverages unique psychological effects suited to its context—e.g., Expertise Acknowledgment in technical discussions, Information Bias when showing deep industry knowledge, and Priming in interviews to steer emotions and responses favorably.
Humanization and Long-Term Relationship Building
By invoking these psychological effects, conversations become more than exchanges of words—they transform into opportunities for connection. Each technique helps to humanize interactions, ensuring that conversations are not only remembered but also form the basis for ongoing relationships. This strategic approach to communication not only enhances personal interactions but also paves the way for professional growth and networking success.
These techniques, when applied thoughtfully, ensure that each conversation is an opportunity to build a network, impress in an interview, or deepen a relationship, significantly increasing the likelihood of professional and personal success.
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