Asking for permission and creating an agreement with the listener establishes respect and obligation in communication.
Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging an audience and delivering an impactful message.
Deep dives
Speaking with Authority
One key aspect of speaking with authority is to ask for permission and create an agreement or contract with the listener. By asking if they have a few minutes to listen and receiving their commitment, you establish a level of respect and obligation to be heard. Another strategy is to ask for permission in a group setting, seeking agreement from everyone before sharing your thoughts. This ensures that you have a channel of communication that has been explicitly opened. However, it's essential to balance honesty with love and empathy. While honesty is important, it should be tempered with kindness and consideration for the other person's feelings. This means recognizing the difference between opinions and facts, and being mindful of what is necessary to say and what can be kept to oneself.
The Power of Storytelling and Engaging Content
Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging an audience and delivering a message. By sharing personal stories or captivating narratives, speakers can capture the attention and curiosity of the listeners. Stories with elements such as protagonists, challenges, and unexpected resolutions can create an emotional and memorable experience for the audience. Utilizing storytelling techniques in presentations, pitches, or content creation can help make the message more engrossing and impactful.
The Importance of Conscious Listening
Conscious listening is essential for promoting understanding and coexistence in the world. By actively and openly listening to others, even those with differing opinions, we can foster empathy, respect, and appreciation for diverse perspectives. Conscious listening allows us to challenge our own beliefs, grow intellectually, and find common ground amidst disagreements. It can help break the cycle of polarization and contribute to more peaceful and constructive dialogues.
The Impact of Sound on Feelings, Cognition, and Behavior
Sound has a profound influence on our bodies, emotions, thoughts, and actions. It can affect heart rate, breathing, hormone secretion, and brain waves, prompting physiological and emotional responses. The design of a sonic experience can shape cognitive abilities, such as concentration and productivity. Sound also influences behavior, as demonstrated by studies showing the impact of music on wine sales or sonic logos on brand recognition. Understanding the power of sound and actively shaping the soundscape in our environments can lead to more positive and mindful experiences.
Julian Treasure is a prolific author who is the world-leading expert on how to make yourself heard and be an engaged and empathetic listener. One of the most popular Ted speakers of all time, his talk ‘How to Speak So People Want to Listen’ has been viewed over 50 million times.
When Julian speaks, people listen. And what we learned from Julian is that listening and speaking isn’t a simple case of give and take, one person speaking and another one listening. Instead, it’s a circle, the way one person talks effect the way the other person listens, and vice versa.
We also learn the ‘leeches’, or common mistakes, that hold people back from effective and clear communicating. Do you think you’re a good listener and speaker? If you sub-consciously answered yes, there might be a crucial skill that you’re missing…