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Three Ways to Communicate Better at Work
Journalist and broadcaster Stephen Carroll offers insights on how professionals can convey their ideas more clearly and effectively.
- June 27, 2019
- CBR - Strategy
The number of different modes available for professionals to communicate only grows with time. And yet, when it comes to delivering a spoken message, whether to a group or to an individual, a core set of concepts applies across contexts: understand what’s most important to get across, anticipate the factors that might interfere with your message, consider the effects of your environment, and prepare with all these things in mind. To help apply these concepts to various business situations, from giving a presentation to participating in a videoconference, we asked France 24 business editor Stephen Carroll for his advice on how to convey ideas and information in an effective, professional manner. Here's what he had to say.
1. Preparing
Giving a great presentation doesn’t start with slide 1. It starts with your shoes. And with your clothes, your posture, your notes, and your body language. Giving forethought to these and other small details can make you feel more comfortable once your presentation actually begins and help ensure that nothing interferes with the message you’re sending.
(light, upbeat music)
Stephen Carroll: No matter what field you work in, you need to be able to present yourself and your ideas clearly, whether it’s in a meeting, at an event, or in an interview. Even if you do this all the time, you do still have to prepare, and here are some of the things that I like to think about.
Do spend some time deciding what you’re going to wear. It’ll help you to feel confident. But it’s also important that how you look doesn’t distract from what you have to say. I like to wear black colors. I think it’s the simplest choice and it works against a variety of backgrounds.
Do try to find out if you’ll be sitting or standing because that can influence choices about things like shoes. Do think about your posture, whether you’re sitting or standing. I naturally tend to slump, particularly when I’m sitting down, and I always have to remind myself to sit up straight.
What are you going to do with your hands? If you’re someone like me who speaks a lot with your hands, develop a neutral default position with your hands together. That’ll stop it becoming too distracting while you’re speaking.
If you’re bringing notes, condense them into a series of bullet points. That avoids you shuffling paper or flicking through an iPad screen looking for a piece of information. If you’ve done that, you’ll probably find that you don’t need your notes, but it can be comforting to have them there. I like to write down and highlight any figures that I might want to use because that’s the sort of information you want to have at your fingertips.
If you’re using slides, remember that people can read the information on the slide at the same time as listening to what you have to say, so try to adapt your script so that you’re complementing the information that you’re giving on the slides and that leaves you more space to be able to highlight any key points.
I hope you find these tips helpful.
Good luck.
2. What’s the point?
What would you tell your audience members if you only had 30 seconds of their attention? You need to start by identifying that kernel of information and building around it, to ensure the most essential information is delivered—slowly, and in plain, accessible language.
(light, upbeat music)
Stephen Carroll: One of the essential parts of my job is getting across the important details in a short amount of time. These are some tips that you might find useful:
Think about if you only had 30 seconds to speak to your audience: What would you want to tell them? That becomes the essential nut or kernel of your message that you can build on afterward. But that’s the point that you want to make up front, in case you only have one chance to speak.
When you’re developing that message, think about your audience and how much they know about the subject you’re speaking about. Try to avoid using jargon and stick to everyday language as much as possible. It’s the most effective way of communicating.
Think about how you might explain your idea to your grandmother. That’s also a useful tool when it comes to pacing yourself. If you’re like me and you have a natural tendency to speak quickly, it’s something you have to be very careful of. We all tend to do it when we’re nervous, or if you have to wait for a long time to speak. But you want to slow down so people can hear what it is that you have to say. Think about, again, how you’d speak to your grandmother.
If you lose your train of thought or make a mistake, don’t worry about it. It happens all the time. Take a breath, correct your error if you’ve made one, and move on. Most people probably haven’t noticed, and if you make a big deal out of it, you’re just going to draw attention to the stumble.
And finally, when you’ve made your point, don’t be afraid to stop talking. Many of us make our biggest mistakes when we go off script or try to fill time. You’ve made your point, now stop.
I hope you find these tips useful.
And remember to slow down.
3. Remote control
Video conferencing technology can be an enormous convenience, but also enormously complicated. Even in the absence of technical glitches, speaking with someone through a screen can create odd quirks of etiquette or unforeseen distractions that dilute the communicative power of the meeting. You can plan for these things: take the time to pick the right room, get the lighting right, and put your camera at eye level. Once the meeting has started, make “eye contact” with the camera, and speak with confidence, even if connection lags may require you to repeat yourself later.
(light, upbeat music)
Stephen Carroll: Video conferencing and video calls are part of all of our lives now, so here are some ideas to make sure that the technology doesn’t get in the way of what you have to say:
Spend a little time setting up what will be your studio. Pick a room that’s quiet and where there isn’t too much of an echo. Lighting is really important. Switch on all the lights in the room, face daylight, and if possible, get a lamp that shines directly in your face.
Your face is a huge tool for communication, and you want the people you’re speaking to to be able to see you. Try to put the camera at a level with your eyes, even if you have to pile books under your laptop to do it. Nobody wants to see up your nose during a job interview.
During your call, look at the camera. All of us naturally tend to look at ourselves or look down when we’re on a Skype call, but it looks like you’re not paying attention to who you’re speaking to. It’s just like eye contact in a face-to-face meeting and it’s as important when you’re speaking as when you’re listening.
One of the biggest downsides of video calling is the delay. Even a couple of seconds can seem like an eternity. As a general rule, try not to talk over anyone else, but if you have to interrupt, think about using maybe a nonverbal signal like your hands to show that you have something to say.
If you have to jump in, do it confidently. Don’t stop so you end up with that awkward, “No, you go first.” “You go first,” moment. Start making your point and keep going. You can repeat yourself if you need to. And that goes as well if people try to interrupt you. Finish your sentence, and people can ask you to repeat yourself if they haven’t heard you.
I hope these tips are useful.
And remember, look at the camera.
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