QUESTION OF THE DAY
HOW MUCH IMPACT DOES YOUR VERBAL COMMUNICATION HAVE?
ONLY 7%
Nonverbal communication accounts for 93% of our communication impact.
Only seven percent of the words we say are absorbed by those we are communicating with. The rest is all down to body language, tone, and inflections. That's an incredible 93 percent left to nonverbal communication. In stressful, tense situations, it doesn't matter what you say; it's how you say it. Today with shelter in place and remote work, we are having to adopt new tools and create new habits to help get our message across and collaborate effectively and make up for the 93% that is nonverbal in other ways. People don't always remember what you say, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. Making people feel positive is one of the critical skills that change leaders need to master to be successful.
Looking at the graphic above - how do you communicate? How does your message come through?
Now many of us are working remotely, it is even more important than ever to try to make sure you adjust to the new normal and communicate well. Tailor your body language and gestures for every individual, and seek personal and live engagements (or live online engagements). Turn your video on when you are in meetings, and if you have something to say to someone that will be a long email, pick up the phone, or schedule a video catch-up. You will get a much more effective outcome.
With the rise of e-mail and social media proliferation, we have started to overuse text (verbal communication), expecting it to have the same effect as active engagement, but it doesn't work that way. Remember to be concise, polite, and respectful - it can be easy for the receiver to misjudge the tone or misinterpret the message. Add a graphic if you can as it helps with clarifying things - a picture paints a thousand words!
In the age of international and cross-cultural teams, where the spoken language is not always the native tongue of every team member, we often fail to realize how our words could be misinterpreted. Be aware and don’t be afraid to seek clarification.
The fact that we don't often see or even hear the real-time reaction and feedback of our audiences takes away our ability to recognize and instantly correct the impact of our message. As we are having to limit physical face-to-face communications, we need to make sure we don’t just rely on email, and voice messages. Use video where you can - there is no substitute for face-to-face communication.
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT HOW IT IS RECEIVED
Our Solution helps improve communication by highlighting factual information and reduces the chances of misunderstanding. By wrapping facts in a message delivered in
Success is never solely down to creative ideas or unique products or services. The difference between success and failure is actually down to the fundamentals of how you operationalize your business. Check our guide to the best operational and transformation practices, that people love.
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