Edelman’s Amira Barger on Why it’s Not Best to ‘Fake it Till You Make it’ as a Communications Pro
Edelman’s Amira Barger on why it’s not best to ‘fake it till you make it’ as a comms pro
Standing on a solid foundation is the best way to feel confident as a communicator.
The “fake it till you make it” strategy — where you pretend to know something until you’ve reached the point where you actually do — doesn’t serve communicators well in the long run. Learning new skills and gaining experience takes time, and if you fake your way through your career, you’re likely to waste a lot of that time.
Whether starting a new career, taking on a different role or doing something you’re not familiar with for the first time, each new experience will take some confidence to perform properly. But it’s also OK to admit you’re not totally sure of yourself and ask for help or more details.Taking the time to get training or practical experience can help communicators build the foundation needed for success in their careers. Standing on a solid foundation will help you feel more confident about your abilities.
Ragan caught up with Amira Barger, executive vice president on the global health sector team at Edelman and a senior DE&I counsel to clients, to learn more about her philosophy on not faking it till you make it.
Barger will take the stage at Ragan and PR Daily’s, Strategic Communications Conference being held in person at Microsoft headquarters in Seattle on October 19-20.
[RELATED: Join us Oct. 19-20 at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, WA for our Strategic Communications Conference]Ragan: What tips can you share with other professionals looking to communicate more effectively?
Amira Barger:
I believe in what I call the iceberg approach. What the client sees is held up by hours and years of preparation, research, and practice. Never walk into a room (or zoom call) without having put the work in first. Or the duck swimming in the lake, if you want another analogy. What we see is the duck calmly gliding across the water, while underneath its little legs are kicking like crazy.Continue reading here...
