You're the voice, try and understand it

I love listening to Audiobooks, but I always prefer listening to them when the author of the book decides to also be the narrator. Between the words they read, you can feel their ‘highs & lows’, their passion, the journey they have been on and their investment in their particular art or craft. The author’s attachment to her words and the hours of blood, sweat and tears that got her to that point flow throughout the performance. It makes the experience of listening to the book so much more engaging and authentic, not to mention letting the message sink in so much deeper.

The same goes for Public Speakers who tap into their heart, not their head when they take the stage. Instead of memorising what they want to say word for word, or delivering a script that someone else may possibly have written, they instead choose a direction and journey for their presentation, trusting that their experience and belief in their subject matter will provide the words and required energy to inspire and move others during their performance.

But it’s not just those presenting to a large audience that have this opportunity. We are all sharing our words multiple times each day with the goal of helping, inspiring other to act, educating or transferring our knowledge and experience.

Your authenticity and unique version of passion are what set you apart. And communicating your ideas, thoughts and messages from the heart makes a massive difference to those who sit on the receiving end.

The challenge when it comes to communication is that it is easy to gravitate towards the easy path… to ‘genericise’ what we’re doing, to opt for the ‘formula’, the ‘accepted standard of communicating’ or the ‘cookie cutter’ to get our point across. It might feel safer to do it this way, but we lose the most important aspect of what we are trying to do; that is, to leave a small piece of ourselves with the person on the receiving end. We are robbing them of the experience of absorbing a message that only you could deliver.

Sure “should you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly” conveys a message, but it loses the essence of the most valued form of communication; honesty and authenticity.

Using cookie cutters at times is fine, but make sure they are your shape, not the shape that has been handed to you.

As humans, it is innate for us to want to connect to others. Perhaps we should also consider how our words may be connecting, or inadvertently disconnecting us from each other.

__________________________________________________

Who the heck is Michael Back?

I won my first award at Primary School for ’always being interested’.

At the time of winning that award in Mrs Hobson’s Kindergarten Class, I had wished it was for being the fastest runner or the coolest classmate. However over time, it has become a tag that I have not only embraced, but that suits me down to the ground. I have always been curious about the world around me, avidly interested in learning and trying new things and finding better ways to understand and connect with others at a deep level.

Now in my role as a Social Business Coach at The Social Adviser, I am fortunate to be able to spend my days helping people and businesses change the way they communicate with the world, giving them the clarity and capability to travel on their own path of adventure and discovery.