Communication is the most essential skill for you to have at any stage in your career. Whether you’re looking to start your new role or currently working, this is a skill you can consistently improve on and we have the secret.
The great Lou Adler is the founder of the Adler group which helps companies find and hire talent. He’s been in the recruiting business for decades and has published books to solidify his position as a leader in the industry. Lou also coined the method “Say a few words” or SAFW when answering a question during an interview. If you’ve been brushing up on your interview skills lately, I’m sure you’ve come across the STAR method. I find SAFW to be much easier to remember and it unconsciously reminds me to keep answers brief and on topic.
Here’s how it works:
Start by making an opening (S)tatement, then you (A)mplify the message with some supporting details, provide a (F)ew specific details, then (W)rap up with a summary.
Here’s an example:
Question: Tell me about a recent accomplishment?
Statement: My most recent accomplishment was becoming AWS certified.
Amplify: At my current job, I started in a junior role in the cloud architecture team where I learned about cloud fundamentals and best practices from my teammates.
Few: After gaining more years of working experience and becoming certified, I was then promoted to a senior role leading a team of 3 to design applications and systems on AWS.
Wrap Up: As a result of my certification and bigger role, I feel well qualified to apply for this position.
What’s great about the SAFW method is that it can be applied to talking to a team member or manager. If you follow the SAFW method of communication, you’ll definitely be able to limit the number of unnecessary interactions. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as overcommunication. Before you communicate in the workplace next time here are a few things to remember:
Be mindful of the other person’s commitment & time
Remain concise and on topic
Address your reason for wanting to speak with them
State what is needed
Close with next steps
What Now?
Now you know how to put your best self first, what steps are going to take now when looking for your new job, internship, or starting your own business? Be on the lookout for our Career Branding workshop coming up to learn about the data behind having a good branding strategy. Book a session with our career coach to help with creating the best branding strategy.