To Speak or Not to Speak
To Speak or Not to Speak. Is that a question?
A successful volley in tennis or ping-pong provides great pleasure to the players. In a successful volley no one player is trying to outplay, outmaneuver or outsmart the other player. Each is receptive to the other. A successful volley is about mutual respect and collaboration.
Think of effective communication on a personal level or an organizational level as a successful volley between the participants. Take away the rackets or the paddles and replace them with mouths, eyes, ears and bodies. Each person with an open mind successfully engaging each other — listening and speaking clearly and respectfully, understanding how different cultures and backgrounds affect what is said and heard — is how relationships are developed and sustained.
When we speak we want to be understood and build an emotional connection with others. When we speak we want to know that our point of view has been understood. When we speak we want to know that the other party or parties are fine with the exchange.
Good communication comes from mutual exchange
Face-to-face conversations or communication isn’t just about voice. It’s about the synchronization of mind, voice, body and heart (passion). Participants in any conversation consciously and subconsciously are affected by body language, facial expression and vocal tone.
The exponential growth of the digital world has thumbs and ‘Siri’ exponentially minimizing real-time face-to-face, interactive conversations.
The next time you communicate on a personal or organizational level with others, afterwards, ask yourself if it was a volley.
As a coach, trainer and consultant, Larry Blumsack partners with people and organizations on the move and those already there to accelerate their communication, presentation and speaking skills to be on par with their ambition. Through one-on-one coaching and group training Larry helps leaders and aspiring leaders elevate their presence and communication skills to influence more people, sell more products-services-ideas and inspire others more successfully than they ever imagined.
Larry is the bestselling author of Face-to-Face is The Ultimate Social Media and founder of Zoka Institute and Zoka Training®. Zoka Training® — Mind/Voice/Body/Mindfulness in sync — is the result of Larry’s 45 years as a coach, acting teacher, actor, voice-over artist, theater and TV director/producer, radio & TV commentator and show host, speaker, trainer, serial entrepreneur, and syndicated columnist. Larry was a founding member of the theater department at Northeastern University.
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