Connecting Credibly – Part II of II

Yesterday’s workshop was fun. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Here are my nuggets from it.

1. Stories are powerful. They give you something to feel and experience. Stories don’t have to stretch too long, either. The key is to tie in the point you are trying to make. Also, tell your stories, and let them leave an imprint on people’s hearts. Avoid explaining them. It’s emotions that help you connect to people’s hearts, and not the logic.
2. Do your due diligence in conducting the research. Make sure your sources are credible. Cite them when you use them. That helps build credibility.
3. In communication, one of the most critical dialogues is the one you have with yourself. Train to get yourself in the flow of moments while communicating. Self-doubt, worry can sap the energy very fast.
4. Thinking on your feet, being able to react to situations is so critical. The table topics at toastmasters, or training in Improv can be handy tools in developing this.  Gene captured it so well, “Fail with confidence.” For that, cultivating communication skills in the right support system is so vital.
5. Tari expanded on her comment about passion so well at the workshop. Passion can be that overriding force to drive yourself and pull others into it. Bring it on. Let it out.
6. How you say, it is way more potent than what you say.
7. Communication is about a relationship with your audience. Be aware of your own emotions while communicating.
8. Steve articulated his thought and observation so well, “You discover your style of presenting. Everyone does it differently, and yet it can be effective. So, it’s a matter of discovering your style.”

Conversation started a debate for me, “Does quality of what you have to say matter?”

While wrapping it all up, the light flashed in my head… and this is my take on it … What I have to say does matter. Quality and depth of ideas do matter. Fire from inside is ignited from depth of ideas. Clearer and stronger they are, the more the passion and energy comes through when I am presenting. When I believe in what I have to say, when I am comfortable in it myself … my passion comes through.

It reminded me of the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What you are, speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

NOTE: The questions we debated, and conversation leading up to the workshop are in the first part of this two-part series: Connecting Credibly – Part I of II

What makes you credible in communication? What are your takeaways on it?