No More Boring Chats: How Adding One Word to Your Communication Boosts Your Impact
What if one word could revolutionize the way you communicate in your personal and professional communities?
I mean it. That upcoming presentation. A job interview. Salary negotiations. A first date. One word separates you from success.
Remember the last time you saw a really bad movie? Television show? Maybe a play? Why was it bad? Maybe the characters were underdeveloped, uninteresting, or lacked motivation. What is it they really wanted and was it even important?
Lack of intention is the death of great acting, and the death of great communication. Without deliberate choices and actions in how you present yourself and communicate, your performance will always be bland, lifeless, and void of humanity. It’s like the work presentation you squirm through because, “what’s the point?” It’s that guy at the networking event droning on and on with no end in sight. Don’t be that guy. Don’t be that presenter. Don’t be that first date. Here are three things you can do today to bring intention to your communication and ensure you’re not the boring chat at the next networking event.
Make Intentional Choices: Just like actors make deliberate, observable choices to portray their characters, you need to consciously decide how you want to present yourself and communicate. Be mindful of how your words, tone, and body language coordinate with the message you want to convey. This involves knowing what you want to achieve and then preparing and practicing your communication to ensure alignment between that intention and your preferred audience impact.
Create a Consistent Persona: Develop a consistent way of presenting yourself that reflects your values, goals, and—that’s right—your intention. Show up the same way in different settings—whether you’re interacting with yourself, one person, or a larger group. Sure, the magnitude of your performance may need to fluctuate to meet the demands of audience size, but at the core, it’s unapologetic, intentional you. The consistency of your ideal persona helps build trust and credibility.
Act as the Person You Want to Become: As James Clear suggests, intentionally act like the person you aspire to be. By taking actions that harmonize with this persona, you reinforce positive behaviors and gradually transform your self-perception. This change in how you relate to yourself will naturally influence how others perceive you.
You can practice all three of these skills by identifying three adjectives that define how you want your ideal audience to see, feel, hear, and experience you. Not sure which three to choose? Ask a friend. Or a family member. Put it out to your social media community. Once you have three, consider the observable actions of those three adjectives. Put them up on stage. What would a confident, passionate, empathetic version of you look like, sound like, feel like to an audience? How would that audience know through your verbal and non-verbal communication that you are the embodiment of those three adjectives?
Being intentional in communication and personal development is crucial for achieving personal and professional growth, building healthy, successful relationships, and creating a positive impact on yourself and others. By making intentional choices, creating a consistent persona, and acting as the person you want to become, you can intentionally take control of your actions and narratives to shape the life you want to lead.