The Key to Powerful Communication
There are two active states of communication: speaking and listening. When I think of speaking, I don’t just mean audible speech, I also mean the way in which a person or group presents itself to their audiences (potential "listeners").
Presentations, written memos, emails, tweets, media interviews, ads, and meetings are all the venues in which a person or group gives voice. Determining what that voice should be requires careful consideration and constant refinement.
Voice is not only what you say, it is how you say it – tone, the strength of the message, length, format, consistency. A lot of my coaching work is dedicated to helping executives and emerging leaders find their voice.
The process for doing that is deceptively simple: to whom are we talking (audience), what do they believe (current state), how do they like to receive information (vehicles), what do we want them to know (our messages), what do we want them to do with the information we give them (future state) and how do we measure our success?
As with most processes, the devil is in the details. It has been my privilege as a professional communicator and as a coach to help people and organizations find their voice and work with other professionals who have helped to amplify and reinforce those voices. Whether it’s a presentation coach, a gifted writer, a graphic designer, or a speech coach, each professional brings their expertise to ensure the voice is heard.
I received the ultimate compliment from one of my former bosses. He said, "Thank you for being my voice." In his view, because I helped him find his voice, he was able to succeed as an executive. The power of his message and the use of his voice – in all its iterations – helped him do that.