Always Hardtalk:

Or, Why Successful Spoken

Communications Can’t Be a Soft Skill

Always Hardtalk:

Or, Why Successful Spoken

Communications Can’t Be a Soft Skill

Richard CooperRichard CooperInternational Training ConsultantsInternational Training ConsultantsRichard CooperRichard CooperInternational Training ConsultantsInternational Training Consultants

All models are wrong; some models are useful.

— E P Box

All models are wrong; some models are useful.

— E P Box

Indian Association of Investment Professionals India

Mumbai, September 13, 2011

The meaning of your messageThe meaning of your message

Is the message they understand.Is the message they understand.

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Leadership

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Listening

Two types

Listening to prepare an answer

Listening to understand the question

Time to think.

Even a third type

Not listening at all

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So how flat is the world?

I would rather be a humanist with all his faults, than a fanatic with all his virtues.—E M Forster

The focus of management attention will be on the areas

of the business, from innovation to customer service,

where personal chemistry or creative insight matter

more than rules and processes.

To be successful, companies have to invest in workers

and technologies that can drive collaboration

and interactions inside and outside the company across

the entire value chain of customers, partners and suppliers.

Source Foresight 2020: Economic, industry and corporate trends, The Economist

Intelligence Unit, March 2006

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The Five Dysfunctions(of a presentation, talk, phoneconf…)

No clear purpose

No clear structure

No clear benefit

Too much detail

Too long

NOT TO MENTIONTHE ENVIRONMENTAL DYSFUNCTIONS

Time-CRUNCH

Multi multi multi-tasking

Distract…

STRESSSSS

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The Power of preparation: 1

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NOTE Aired on BBC World News. The journalist, Zeinab Badawi, was born in the Sudan.

The Power of preparation: 2

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NOTE Aired on NBC. The journalist is Tim Russert.

Giving reasons

SITUATIONYou arrive 40 minutes late for lunch with an old friend(that is, if he or she is still waiting).

What do you say?

And what are you doingas you give your reasons?

You are renegotiating your relationship.

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Giving reasons Giving reasons

Conventions Conventions Conventionally accepted reasons for bad news, Conventionally accepted reasons for bad news, good news, or any situation: my train was late, he’s such a lucky good news, or any situation: my train was late, he’s such a lucky guy, the coffee is cold, Bombay traffic…guy, the coffee is cold, Bombay traffic…

Technical accounts Technical accounts How an engineer, How an engineer, doctor, pilot or fire expert doctor, pilot or fire expert might describe 9/11might describe 9/11……

Codes Codes Governing actions such as legal Governing actions such as legal judgments, formal business practice, judgments, formal business practice, awarding medals, billing practices…awarding medals, billing practices…

Stories Stories Explanatory narratives incorporating cause-effect accounts Explanatory narratives incorporating cause-effect accounts of unfamiliar phenomena or exceptional events such as 9/11, of unfamiliar phenomena or exceptional events such as 9/11, the betrayal of a friend, winning something, a chance meeting, the betrayal of a friend, winning something, a chance meeting, changing a booking… changing a booking…

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How we give reasons

All four kinds of reasons-giving commonly do relational work.

Conventions Codes

Technical accountsStories

Formulas

Cause and effect accounts

Popular Specialized

Source: Charles Tilly, Why? Yale: 2006

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Superior story?

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Punctuate this

A woman without her man is nothing

A woman: without her, man is nothing.

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Emphasis

Try giving this sentence as many meanings

as possible via only the stress you give

to each word:

II nevernever said said sheshe bitbit mymy dogdog

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Is fun trivial?

Is fun trivialIs fun trivial

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Richard CooperRichard Cooper

International Training ConsultantsInternational Training Consultants

Saint Gervais les Bains, FranceSaint Gervais les Bains, France

bandrabandstand@mac.com bandrabandstand@mac.com

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.infinite hope.—Martin Luther King, Jr.—Martin Luther King, Jr.

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