Jon Iwata, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM, was named 2014 Distinguished Communicator of the Year by the College of Charleston’s Department of Communication.
In his 30 years at IBM, Iwata has successfully navigated a variety of internal and external communication obstacles. Here he shares his advice on becoming a confident, persuasive communicator and professional.
[RELATED: Department of Communication Names 2014 Distinguished Communicator]
1. Take innovative risks
Since starting at IBM in 1984, Iwata has seen the technology industry undergo tremendous change. Iwata embraces the world outside his comfort zone to stay on top of emerging trends and technologies.
John Iwata, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM
“Often people get stuck in their comfort zone,” Iwata said. “But you have to be willing to change the way you do things. We’re not always the first to adopt new technologies, but we make an effort to experiment with them to see if they have staying power. Then we decide whether to commit the company to them.”
2. Subscribe to the Danny Ocean philosophy
As you advance to leadership positions, Iwata recommends focusing on building a capable team of experts, then trusting their expertise.
“For those of you who have seen Ocean’s 11, you’ll know how he puts together a team,” Iwata said. “They are highly diverse characters, yet each is the best at some skill or capability. That way, your team can handle a broad range of challenges and tasks. But remember, you have to create an environment in which these very different people can work together and collaborate.”
3. Just do it
Iwata believes a clear, persuasive writing voice is an invaluable tool. “If you don’t feel confident in your writing, write all the time,” he said. “Write about what you ate for lunch, write about your dreams, write essays. Anything, everything.”
4. Start listening
To improve your verbal communication, Iwata says you should practice often and observe all the time.
“If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to a crowd or even one on one, you should practice public speaking but also pay attention to others,” he said. “If you notice someone who’s a particularly effective speaker, watch what they do and figure out if you can apply it to your own speaking style.”
5. Communication matters no matter what you major in
“You need to be able to clearly articulate your thoughts. Clear writing and clear thinking are skills that will always be valued – you need to be able to express your insights and ideas with a point of view that will make sense to other people.”
