“You came across so authentic.”
This was George’s immediate feedback after Zenji’s presentation. Everyone agreed and showered Zenji with compliments.
It was Day 2 of a virtual Causative Communication workshop. Zenji, a Vice President in a large high-tech company, was practicing talking to a large group of employees for his upcoming All-Hands. He was responding to the results of an employee survey that showed employees were extremely anxious about their future as the company was being completely re-organized at the top.
The comment that Zenji was authentic reflected a sudden and dramatic shift in what his audience experienced when he spoke. Zenji had definitely changed and so did the impact he has on others.
The biggest change was after he put his full attention on the audience. This is a real skill. Most people have a lot of attention on themselves, what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling, what they want, what they’re going to say, etc. etc. etc. etc. It’s a deeply trained-in self-consciousness that makes the most important question in their mind when they’re giving a presentation the absolutely wrong question and that is, “How am I coming across?”
They have an insufficient amount of attention on the other person and, as a result, insufficient awareness of the other person. Because of this, they don’t really connect with others. This is true whether they’re talking to one or many.
You have to make a strong human connection with the other person or with your audience in order for communication to work. Without it, you’re just talking to the air.
It’s a common mistake - I’m always coaching people on this point.
Here’s what most people don’t know: you create a really strong connection with another when you put your attention fully on the other person. When you become acutely aware of them. Again, this is true whether it’s one or many.
This is a real challenge when you’re virtual and you can’t see them and you have to do it through the camera. It’s worthwhile to master because when you master this skill, there’s no one you can’t connect with. One or many.
It’s also a real skill to look at the camera and see beyond the camera. You want full awareness of the actual people who are listening, even though they are invisible to you and you can’t see them. To know that they ARE there and be FULLY aware of them as you speak.
The audience picks up IMMEDIATELY that you are aware of them and they tune in to YOU like never before. Mastering this one skill starts to make your communication powerful beyond belief.
You UNSELFCONSCIOUSLY start to look into the camera with an intensity that is rare in the world and is never seen in corporations where people have been trained to be self-conscious and detached. It’s impossible to be impactful when you’re either of those.
When you get it right, you create an intensity that is NOT artificial. It’s not forceful or full of effort. It’s not an intensity of attention. It’s an intensity of perception and awareness. This is a very high-level concept few people understand, much less master. But you are most definitely capable of it.
Zenji looked into the camera with an intensity of awareness that there were real human beings on the other side of it. He could FEEL them there. He felt tremendous affinity for them and communicated in simple terms, using simple words, but with powerful intention.
This combination of attention, affinity and intention blew everyone away.
All of them were saying, “Wow! You come across so authentic!”
The irony of ironies is that Zenji is and always was authentic!!!! I most certainly did not make him more authentic!
But he had been coming across as “corporate”. Detached. And that made him look insincere. I can’t stress this enough. This afflicts many VP’s and leaders at the top. They stop looking REAL to their audiences. They look bland and detached. Corporate.
Learning these skills brought out the authenticity that was already within Zenji. It brought it to the surface and gave it powerful expression, powerful enough to create an impression - through a camera - on thousands of people.
They looked at Zenji. They listened to him. Zenji looked solid. Zenji was real. Zenji was authentic. The impact on his audience was dramatic.
They believed their leader. The employee survey after the presentation showed 80% of them were now on board with the new re-organization. He freed them of anxiety. Because they now believed in what Zenji was telling them, they were now willing to pour themselves into making the new 2024 vision happen.
Employees went from being concerned, anxious, and demotivated to inspired, optimistic and enthusiastic participants in the change.
Quite an amazing outcome for just one presentation.
That’s the power of real communication.
All the talking in the world does not add up to communication if it’s not done right. And there are very precise ways of doing it right.
I predict nothing but success for Zenji and his team. A team that has a real leader who can truly communicate can do nothing but succeed.
Be the cause!