Like our breathing, our voices are
just there. Any time we want to speak,
we do so without effort or preparation.
Because of its ready availability, our voice is something that we take
for granted and rarely pause to think about.
Yet how we sound is equally important in building executive presence in our
organisation and externally as our visual presentation. As we become more
conscious of the power of our vocal image and how to manage it, we can have an
impact on and manage how we are perceived within the team and by the senior
decision-makers in our organisation. In
this article we will look specifically at challenge for people who have a
naturally quiet voice and some easy techniques to be better heard in meetings
and other workplace settings.
Have you ever heard your own voice played
back in an audio recording or on a video?
What was your first reaction? Was
it something like, “Oh, what a
surprise! Is that really how I sound?” When we speak, we actually “hear” our voice
internally via our vocal chords to our middle ear and not through our
ears. So we do not hear ourselves as
others do unless we listen to a recording of our voice. When we do hear our voice through our ears,
it can seem as if we are hearing someone else’s voice rather than our own.
Certainly if one’s natural voice is
so quiet and low that colleagues around a meeting table must strain to hear
what we are saying or cannot make out part or all of what we are saying, this will
be damaging our vocal image. The clues will
be there. For example, if others
frequently ask you to repeat what you said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you just said,” or “I can’t hear you; can you speak a bit
louder please?” Also look out for
non-verbal signals such as people around the table looking a bit puzzled or
frowning after you speak. More than
likely, they couldn’t hear you and their feelings of frustration and mild
irritation are playing out through their facial expressions. Think about when you want to hear someone’s
words, and you can’t– for whatever reason –how do you react? Do you feel somewhat cut off and even
unsettled? After asking the
quiet-speaking team member to repeat their words a couple of times, and you
still can’t hear her/him, you will stop asking.
And inevitably you will stop listening.
Here are three People Results’
techniques that are easy to implement and useful for all, particularly the
person with the quiet, soft voice:
- What is your usual posture as you sit at the meeting table? Do you slump in the chair or crunch your body over the table? These body positions restrict your air passages and diaphragm which in turn reduces the amount of air you have available when you speak. Sit upright and feel your spine stretch out. You will immediately feel more buoyant, alert and authoritative. Consciously maintain this posture throughout the meeting.
- Proper breathing is the foundation of a healthy voice. Raise your awareness of your own breathing and as you prepare to speak, breathe deeply in and out, taking a good amount of air into your diaphragm and lungs. (An important aside, getting more oxygen into the blood stream by breathing more deeply also pumps more oxygen into our brains and helps us thinker quicker and smarter.) Our voices are actually supported and carried on cushions of air from our breathing. Think of your voice as having to be pumped up with air like the tyres on a bicycle you are about to ride.
- As you speak, deliberately project your voice forward and out to meet the person who is positioned at the furthest point from you in the room. You will notice how actors on stage are able to project their voices out across the stage and at times right out to the audience. The distance you need to project your voice depends on the situation, i.e. how close or far you are from the person at the most distant point in the room.
Summary
Vocal image is one of three
core components of a positive and confident executive presence: how we Look, how we Act, and our Words. This conclusion has been reinforced by the
experiences that some participants in the People Results’ Executive Presence workshops have
discussed. Equally qualified and as
technically proficient as their colleagues, they talk about how they are often
“drowned out” in meetings by the more dominant voices of their colleagues. They struggle to get their voices heard even
to the point that colleagues have taken ownership and talked knowledgeably
about the work or ideas that the participant has been responsible for. Managers and colleagues come to the
conclusion that their quiet colleague is shy and timid and prefers to sit
listening in meetings rather than contributing.
To be viewed as a valued contributor,
it is critical to be both seen and heard and therefore to develop a clear and
credible vocal image.
People Results is delighted to
announce our new Talent Development Program – WomenSpeak –
that assists women to connect with their most powerful voice by modifying and
enhancing their natural voices:
Registration is open for the WomenSpeak Half-Day Workshop on Thursday, 19th April, 2012 in Brisbane. If women colleagues in your organisation and
network may be interested in attending, please forward the details on to
them. Thank you.
Looking forward to continuing this conversation on vocal image and inviting you to add your thoughts and experiences.
Lynne Lloyd
People Results
Telephone: 07 3310 1003/ 0421 998749
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