‘We just don’t talk anymore’ confirms Bloxham who is passionate about communication with impact. Research shows that we no longer walk along corridors or venture to the next floor to talk to one another. 

 Tools of technology are vital, though can be the inhibitors that block message translation and comprehension, resulting in confusion – and – in some cases, reactionary behaviour.

Zeldin Gets People to Talk

A recent ‘social’ event was staged by Theodore Zeldin (who studies human interaction and author of ‘Conversation’ How Talk Can Change Your Life), coaching teenagers and twenty somethings to come together for conversation.  The results showed uncomfortable body language, inability to develop rapport with one another and struggling for words.     The question arises that the language of text, email, twitter creates such abbreviation, the fuller story.

It’s easy to forget the core elements of face to face communication.    Words, tone of voice and body language combine to convey effective messages. Known as the 3V’s, verbal, vocal, visual, we readily cast them aside in our daily lives and resort to thinking, words only matter.  Wrong!

For the analysts requiring ‘source’ it was Professor Albert Mehrabian, an American communications expert, who conducted extensive research to show that words represent just 7% of message impact, tone is 38% and body language comes tops with 55% for face to face credibility and the approach must be holistic.

First Impressions?

Ever been on the receiving end of an introduction, where the person mumbles their name, looks over your shoulder or away and sounds disinterested?    It’s surprising how little effort is made in that all important interaction and first impression when what we say, how we say it and how we look and behave determines ‘that new job’, ‘new colleague’, ‘new team member’, ‘new player’, ‘new referee’.  We’re too busy to consider the basics. 

Making a Presentation?

We go straight to the lap top, spend unrealistic time crafting slides that tune the audience out at the ‘tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em’ stage, neglect eye contact as we’re too busy dipping and diving with the mouse and sounding scripted as we attempt to translate written word to spoken?   Sound familiar?

That’s before the technology ‘falls over’ leaving the presenter looking a visual wreck, minus a contingency plan, rather than a composed, competent performer.

 So How Do We Talk?

Storytelling is how we learned to talk.   Messages with a positive opening, adventure in the middle and a happy ending.   Nothing is more compelling than hearing, seeing and feeling a story face to face; we don’t tune out; we want to hear more! So let’s go back to basics when we communicate.