Meaningful communication
How to bring some magic into the ‘professional’ world
By Elsa Rousson
Hi! My name is Elsa, I am a French student finishing my master’s degree in ‘International management, Communication and Event-planning’ and I am on a mission …
As an intern with Purpose + Motion (P+M), I want to explore their world, understand their complexities, challenges, and resources. I want to use my skills to help them in the best way possible.
My curiosity towards P+M comes from their use of tools and techniques, including embodiment. The Biodanza sessions, facilitated by Pablo (one of P+M co-founders) that I discovered on Facebook, made me very curious and excited. Looking deeper, I found out that Pablo is a transformation coach and consultant for companies, NGOs and individuals. Together with Mike and Alex (the other two partners at P+M) they support people to know more about their inner world, so that they are better prepared to contribute to change the world around them.
Pablo said to me once that he wants to “bring magic to the ‘professional’ world, and structure to the ‘alternative’ world”, as a representation of his entrepreneurial mindset together with his spiritual background. I absolutely love this idea, and it simmered in my mind since then.
I could not help but wonder how, as a communicator, it is possible to reach and impact the ‘professional world’, when talking about ‘self-awareness techniques’. For the more down-to-earth people amongst us, those practices can seem too alternative or magical to be implemented in the working world — where productivity and money are still often the main indicators of success.
However, in the last decade, and the context of increasing burnouts and depressions, companies started little by little to implement concrete actions for their employees’ mental health. Yoga, meditation, or introspection practices are now relatively common or at least heard, and yet, their place in the working world still seems to be somewhat rejected, despite their proven benefits for health.
As this field of ‘inner work’ seemed to be so special, I was convinced there was something different, a ‘magic trick’ that could allow anyone to get impacted by my communication as a professional, I wanted to unravel that mystery…
So, I took my scratch book and my curiosity, and I read plenty of scientific articles about communication theories, spirituality at work and mental health. I also went out to meet inner work professionals (emotional intelligence coaches, hypnotherapists, yoga teachers, resilience coaches, knowledge management consultants and career transition advisors) who helped me in my learning journey.
I asked them about the ‘secret’ in their communication to reach, impact and keep their audience. Yet, they often answered me: “Actually, I am struggling with that, so if you have any tips, feel free to share!”
Interesting…! It seems they were also just trying things out, following their intuition or taking some communication classes to increase their notoriety on the web.
They did, however, share some useful techniques. To my surprise, they are techniques that can be impactful in pretty much every context. So, I am happy to share them with you in this article:
Storytelling
The art of making people live an experience through words.
When you read feedback, quotes or listen to someone’s story, don’t you put yourself into the shoes of the author? I do. It’s a beautiful and almost poetic way to make your audience know more about what they can feel when choosing your offer.
In my master’s degree, I have learned some specific storytelling techniques:
o Use the 5 senses (hearing, smell, touch, sight and taste),
o Use the first person (I),
o Use the present tense,
o Use positive construction of the sentences.
Storytelling techniques can be used both online, through web content, social networks, blogs, e-mails, and offline channels such as flyers, brochures, press releases, articles, etc. In oral communication, it can be a tremendous asset for sales pitches, from executives, with influencers, on the phone or face-to-face. In internal communication, storytelling can be used in team management, processes, job descriptions, etc… It is just a matter of training that skill.
Humor
Humor sells. Studies show that adding a humorous phrase to a sales pitch encourages customers to pay 20% more.
Humor attracts attention, it wakes up the audience. In a serious, strict and standardized world, humor breaks codes, creates surprise, and stimulates our entire brain. It’s a great tool for making a message stand out from the crowd, by presenting a point of view in an original and unexpected way.
Humor also facilitates memorization. It directly affects our three ‘brains’: the brain is surprised, the heart throbs with laughter at the unexpected, and the stomach is filled with emotion. This combination makes the humorous moment physically memorable.
Humor creates closeness and engagement. When strangers share a laugh together before a conversation, they’re much more likely to share more personal information, so a sense of closeness is created. Research shows that leaders with a good sense of humor are perceived as 27% more motivating. Their teams are more cohesive and creative.
However, care must be taken to ensure that humor is part of the organizational culture and personality of the individuals using it. Humor that isn’t natural and authentic will quickly be perceived as a heavy-handed technique, repelling those who don’t share it. It’s also important to be aware of the need to avoid misplaced or inappropriate humor that attacks and disrespects the audience.
To counter this risk, ask yourself: “How will this make my audience feel?” Make sure you never mock or criticize the other person, preferring self-deprecation instead. It’s essential to bear in mind the degree of closeness you share with the other person before attempting a joke, especially if it’s a little daring.
Gamification
Using creativity in the service of play to get messages across can allow to create memorable experiences for the mind and body.
The most impactful messages are always the simplest. Thus, the use of game mechanisms outside their original context can make a task that is considered rather repetitive or boring, actually fun, and so encourage participants to continue and reinforce their behaviors over time.
The processes of action, interaction, understanding and integration will be all the faster and more meaningful with playfulness.
Gamification can take the form of a quiz, a personality test, or an online game, where the “work” required becomes a source of pleasure, fun and creativity. The easier and more fun the process, the more likely people will participate.
Proofs
Communicating on your own tools and techniques and explaining the benefits of them, allows the audience to understand your way of working, know what to expect from your offering and services and see if it suits their needs.
Adding a little scientific proof of your practices here and there, can even attract and convince the more down-to-earth of us in the professional and more ‘serious’ world.
If on top of it you share insights around your background, your experience as a consultant or coach, the people you talk to (online and offline) will have the impression of knowing a bit more about you as a person and as a professional. It even gives some more credibility to your skills and expertise.
Feedback (such as quotes from people you have worked with) and partnerships (this could be highlighting the partners you trust and collaborate with or them talking about you) increase your notoriety through the expansion of your network, and through the trust those partners gave you. I recommend making sure to create a win-win situation, so the relationship is balanced and sustainable.
So, is there a ‘magic trick’ in the end?
These four communication tips I just shared are not really ‘magical’, but they can be used as a link between the professional and the alternative world (and pretty much any world to be honest).
This research made me realize that ‘traditional’ communication techniques can be used in any field, but there is still a main aspect that can differentiate you from the competitors…
Authenticity!
The value of your communication lives in the humanity you share. If you embody your true self in every aspect of your communication, souls will connect. The vulnerability you create through being authentic (true to yourself) is what creates deep connections, sustainable and trustworthy relationships, in both a professional and personal context.
How am I expressing and exploring my authenticity?
These past few months, I have been exploring my authenticity through Biodanza (learn more here). During the sessions, I have cried, laughed, felt stress, fear and so many other things. I moved my body, let go many limiting thoughts, followed the rhythm of my inner world, and got more self-confident.
Now, when I share my experience (aka communicate) with people I’ve just met in Berlin, the same scheme occurs all the time: The more I give them emotional details using the techniques I shared before, the more connected they feel. And the following Tuesday night, I am gladly surprised to see those people joining the Biodanza session!
Emotions are what we all have in common and can connect with on a deeper level. To activate them and open the pandora box of communication, your very own authenticity is the secret! ;)
If this article was useful (or not), I am happy if you can drop me a note below with some of your experiences or visit me on my LinkedIn profile.
