Setting the tone for transformation Part 2

In this second part of this theme around the power of Word as a key priming stage for humanising transformation and a big part of modern mindset – last week, I talked about the Wheel of Expression.

This week I want to talk about tonality. When we think about tone of voice there are multiple things that come up for us all. And, a nice short one too!

In our world of transformation, there is a literal and figurative use of tonality when it comes to voice.

I also would like to just do a quick shout-out to Bill Bannear and his framework for the 4 voices of innovation which are linked to the topic albeit not directly.

Tonality

When we think about tonality in words, language, narrative, and stories we tend to think about the literal meaning of the word, so that’s where I’ll start.

Tonality can be broken into 4 main categories:

1. Pitch – High/Low
2. Volume – Loud/Quite
3. Pace – Fast/Slow
4. Timbre – Attitude you bring (Quality)

We can recognise these in the spoken word quite easily, we can recognise them also in the written word, where tone can refer to an author’s?use of words?as well as style?that helps communicate their attitude towards a topic. The?author sets a tone?and what the?reader feels?is known as the?mood. When we are aware, we can also use them when observing our internal talk – think about something you are concerned about that’s occupying your brain – do you get a sense that it’s loud (always there), high pitch (making you anxious), are your thoughts running around in your head…it’s great to play with this to get to know our triggers and our strengths, especially when working in the world of complexity, change and innovation.

Taking a moment to observe tonality in our own communication and that of others can help us better communicate our intention, provide greater clarity and meaning and thus foster higher levels of engagement.

The literal application and considerations of tonality are quite straightforward in concept, but not so much in practice. The key to leveraging the real power of tonality in our words, language, narrative, and stories is consistency. The more habitual we become about our use of words and tonality the more likely we will be to send out consistent and coherent messages to the humans around us.

But what about Tonality when used figuratively??This is what really interests me now. The tone is set by the key voices of transformation, in particular the leaders.

Let’s unpack this…

An established phrase in the accounting world (note that the numbers of traditional businesses have historically been the drivers of many a change or transformation) is “tone at the top”.

In this instance what we are referring to is so much more than the literal tone of voice, but also the tone of action – the tone leaders set holistically in what they do and say and how they do and say it.

Why is this important and moreover, why is the particularly important to us as part of the priming stage of transformation?

It’s quite simple really. Culture shifts by looking up. The tone our leaders set consciously or unconsciously trickles down – creates subtle rules that can either foster an experimental attitude around change or completely kill it. There is still a propensity for employees to watch and monitor their leader's actions and behaviours because this is where we see both truths and where we gain trust in change.

What I am describing here is of course the power of followership. I caveat – this is not followership as one would imagine a flock of sheep following each other. This is followership in terms of instilling trust in an individual to empower them such that they can follow their true path, follow their instinct, and feel they have both the permission and the protection to try and experiment.

Tonality, I don’t think I will ever brush this word away again, without considering its impact both literally and figuratively.

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