The art of communication is the language of leadership. Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership
James C Humes, Author and former presidential speechwriter
Communication is, indeed, an art. The good news is, with greater self-awareness of your communication style, an understanding of storytelling frameworks, and development of your communication delivery techniques, you can become a more flexible and effective communicator.
Here are 9 ways you can power up your leadership communication.
- Clarify your intention
Begin with the end in mind by asking yourself, ‘what is the desired outcome of my communication?’ Is it to inform? educate? persuade? engage? inspire? advocate? entertain? A message delivered with intention will help you communicate your desired outcome without ambiguity.
2. Understand your audience
Whether you’re delivering presentation, writing a blog or pitching an idea, focusing on the needs and motivational drivers of the audience will enhance the receptivity of your message. Here’s some questions to help you get to know your audience better:
- What are their values and beliefs about the topic?
- What do they know about the topic?
- What don’t they know about the topic?
- What are their present attitudes towards the topic?
- What is the level of impact of the topic on the audience?
- What are their aspirations in relation to the topic?
- What is their common language?
- 3. Listen with a relaxed mind
Oftentimes we think we’re listening to the other person, but we’re simply waiting for our chance to speak. Apart from being curious, asking clarifying questions, summarising and being silent, when necessary, one of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to ‘listen with a relaxed mind’. That way you can stay in the present moment, without agenda, and be open to the other person’s perspective.
4. Communicate authentically
Long-term, productive relationships are built on trust and at the core of trust, is authenticity. This means bringing our whole selves to a conversation – our beliefs, values and feelings – and communicating openly, honestly and directly. It means speaking our truth in a way that’s respectful to both ourselves and the other person.
5. Use Storytelling frameworks
Our brains are wired for story; it’s how our culture and traditions have been passed through the generations. Leaders who use story frameworks, such as narrative, metaphors, anecdotes and case studies, help people understand context and make sense of events by connecting the past, present and future.
6. Be congruent with verbal and non-verbal language
For communication to be effective, there must be alignment between what you say, how you say it and your body language. If your language, tone of voice and body language match, your message is more likely to be received as you intended. If, however, there is a mismatch; for instance, your language and tone of voice is positive but your body language is closed, people are likely to be confused or skeptical about the intent of the message and turn off.
7. Be flexible to preferred sensory modalities
We experience the world through our senses – vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch – and this can influence our preferred language type. For example, visually-oriented people will use words associated with seeing (I see what you mean), auditory-oriented people will use words associated with hearing (I hear what you say) and kinaesthetically-oriented people will use words associated with touch ( I get the drift). When speaking with someone, adapt your language to appeal to their sensory preference and your message will be more receptive to them.
8. Use ‘command’ tonality
I first learned about the power of command tonality during my teacher training many years ago. It involves putting a downward inflection at the end of a statement, such that the tone of voice lowers. Questioning tonality, on the other hand, has an upward inflection at the end of a statement as though a question is being asked. Avoid questioning tonality because it sounds like you’re unconfident or uncertain about your message.
9. Close the communication loop
Every phone call you don’t return, every email you don’t respond to, every update you don’t give is sending a negative message. The person expecting the phone call or email is probably wondering why there’s a lack of communication: Are they too busy? Am I not important enough? Have I done something wrong? When there’s a communication vacuum, or and information gap, the void will be filled with assumptions and judgements.
Try these nine communication tips – you’ll not only connect more deeply with your audience but you’ll also enhance your reputation.
©Ros Weadman 2024
