It feels like we could all use a refresher course on how we communicate, specially as we continue to adapt to video calls during the Covid-19 pandemic. At Day 3 of the iGaming NEXT ONLINE: Adventure of Change conference, Keynote speaker Alexander Grabner-Jarlung, TED Speaking Coach, Director, Partner Consultant & PowerPoint Specialist offered exactly that, talking about how we can ‘Optimize communication in your workplace.’
The pitfalls of communicating in the workplace are clear to anyone who’s experienced them. “Going into a meeting, we knew that there was going to be a bad PowerPoint, that the meeting structure would be bad, and you didn’t really understand why you were attending that meeting,” said Grabner-Jarlung.
The speaking coach promised he would offer a few important tips on how to make meetings more valuable, and get your point across more successfully. “You will always be the prime of every meeting. You will be fully responsible for the rest of your life of the outcome of every single meeting,” he said. “You are the one that will make that optimization.”
The problem with so many meetings is that they just don’t offer a clear reason for why we should care. 27% of respondents to a survey, Grabner-Jarlung noted, have fallen asleep during a video call. That’s because our brains are designed to filter out useless information, and if we aren’t properly introduced to why we should care about something, we simply won’t.
“We need to stop what we’re doing right now,” he said. “We need to stop having the boring calls, we need to stop the boring video conference, we need to stop the boring physical one to ones. We need to become smarter.”
The key is to be smarter about how we present information. A meeting invite, and the substance of the meeting, needs to trim all the fat, and simply provide everyone why they need to care, and what their goal should be.
Understanding the why of a meeting is important not only for the attendeeds, but yourself as the host as well. Studies have proven, Grabner-Jarlung noted, that the better you understand why you need to communicate something, the more you’ll use nonverbal communication to emphasize your points. That gets your point across more effectively, and helps others understand your why and come along with you.
He also offered some tips on public speaking, which is just as much as problem as ever on Zoom calls in front of a dozen other people. He suggested maintaining eye contact with the camera, which helps build Oxytocin levels in the brains of our gusts, building social bonding with them and getting them to come along with our points. He also suggested that, to avoid filler sounds like “uhh,” we practice replacement fillers that portray a different sense of confidence, like intentional quiet inhales.
We’ve got lots of great recaps of iGaming NEXT ONLINE for you to read if you’ve missed the event. You should also make sure to subscribe to the CalvinAyre.com YouTube channel as our Becky Liggero Fontana has conducted several interviews at the event, and you can expect to see them, along with lots of other great videos, on our channel in the upcoming days.
