Trying to figure out the best way to talk to your boss, pitch a proposal, give a presentation, or do anything else that involves you communicating at work? Get a free master class from the great communicators around us. Look around your office and notice those who always seem to get their way, say the right thing, and are well respected.
You can also find “communication masters” who you don’t know personally. They could be people you read or hear about. One example I was struck by recently is Neil deGrasse Tyson, famed astrophysicist and science communicator. You can see the “master” in action in a conversation he had with Katy Perry.
Read on for details and and a free download that will help you prepare to be a master of communication at work.
Tune into those Receptors
Neil deGrasse Tyson gets at the heart of what it means to effectively communicate your message in an interview with Quartz. He reminds us that the key to communicating with your audience is to understand them and frame your information in a way that will be meaningful to them. In an explanation that isn’t surprising for a scientist, he says that he shapes, “the content in a way that can best be received by the receptors of that audience.” This can’t just be a surface understanding. To really connect with the audience you need to understand what has shaped their worldview. He says:“… if you want to get all the way there, that means [understanding] what are the receptors in a 12-year-old versus a 20-year-old versus a 50- or 80-year old. If the person grew up in a city versus the suburbs or in the countryside, if they’re foreign, if they grew up wealthy, struggling—all of this will feed the demographics of your audience.”We’ve all heard it before. Know your audience! But, how does that work in everyday conversations? How can you do this when you are talking with your boss, coworker, or clients?