Back from a creative break

As regular readers of this newsletter may recall, I took a bit of a hiatus from my Communications Conditioning practice this summer. I spent much of August and all of September directing and producing my play, Becoming Calvin. It was good to stretch those artistic muscles again, and to develop new managerial ones! The production went very well, and I am currently taking the next steps, both for future production of this play and for writing the next one in the cycle.

So, as we march closer to the election, I realize I have not been as heavily invested in following the campaigns as in years past. Here in the swing state of Virginia we have been inundated by ads, so I fear I may have become that "tuned-out" voter pollsters say are becoming more numerous each cycle.

But not wholly unaware

And yet, I have found this to be an instructive campaign. Even someone who had been whiling away the time on a secluded beach could not have missed this summer's major communications gaffes. And they have been appalling. As I tell my clients, no one in a leadership position can EVER assume any speech, Q & A, interview, or photo op is "off the record." To see people campaigning for office at the highest level explaining away damaging remarks as "off the cuff" and "not for public consumption" floors me! I am not saying as a speaker you should treat your listeners as potential spies or enemies, though I have worked with people who do this. This is not a good idea: you can end up seeming overly defensive, thus alienating potential allies. But you always need to be aware that what you say will be heard by people who cannot read your mind. If you are not clear, they may, after the fact, take your words out of context. Don't blame your audience if you have not contextualized your message well enough. If you are muddled in your messaging, it is highly likely they will not understand what you mean.

Try this easy fix

Often speakers get in trouble when they assume every single listener shares their point of view, and so they "shorthand" their message into something that might sound zippy, but is, in fact, over-simplified and misleading. This is why it is always important to get someone else who has a slightly different perspective to listen to your speech or vet your talking points. Or, if that is impractical, ask yourself: If I were to step back and hear someone else saying this, would it make sense? If I were to try to refute this, would it be easy?

Of course such analysis takes time. This is another excellent reason to prepare in advance. The simple truth is: the higher the stakes and the larger the forum, the more important it is to prepare, prepare, prepare.

It's not rocket science -- though perhaps we should all exercise more scientific detachment as we scrutinize our speeches and interview answers. When we fall in love with the sound of our own voices, or become "wedded" to a catchy turn of phrase, we can readily fall into the trap of being misunderstood by anyone who is not us. Too big a risk to run, in my opinion.

Tips you can use!

Wake up your mouth
Tongue twisters are good for getting those sluggish muscles working, especially for an early morning meeting. "Toy boat," anyone?

Get some sleep
Being well-rested not only gives you more energy to be a better speaker, it gives you greater focus so you can be a better listener, as well.

Sing in the shower
Something we all (secretly) like to do that is actually good for us! Open up those resonators and make some sound. The echo chamber of the tile prevents you from over-singing and straining your voice - so enjoy!