Contributing essay by Geoffrey Hitch - Associate Professor of Acting & Business Communications at Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business.
"When a business person has difficulty communicating his or her information, it is rarely the information itself that is the problem. More commonly the problem is that he doesn’t realize that he is The Messenger of a Message. Usually, he demotes himself to being only “a speaker” -- too often intimidated by the audience or the situation. Despite his solid research & preparation, he sees his audience as a powerful panel of judges -- all smarter than him. This often results in him not knowing where he is, to whom he is really speaking, or why he is there. As a result, his information is not effectively communicated. This does not have to be the case. The speaker could choose instead to be The Messenger with an important Message with which he will Influence his Target. In other words, he could choose to be in charge of the why he is there. Business is less successful when it is without focus, when it is boring or grey, & as a result Life is less rich for everyone involved. Business communications are only tepid & deadly if they are resigned to be so. I want to suggest that since we’re all going to be dead a long time, why not find all the joy & color in Life that we can – including in business. Life is too short to settle for less. And -- in the short term – why not be the most interesting, personable, fun, compelling & accessible option among the many options from which your client can choose? By utilizing the tools of Acting, the Messenger actually can define himself, define his Target, & define how he is going to Influence that Target. The Messenger can define himself – within the parameters of the truth -- as a researched, prepared, confident Messenger who is passionate about his Message, his ideas, his product, his company. He can define his Target or Listener as people who would benefit from what he has to share. And he can determine how he is going to influence them: to Establish, Reinforce or Change his Listener’s response -- for everyone’s benefit. With the tools of Acting, the Messenger is empowered & is in charge of the room." -
Contributing essay by Geoffrey Hitch - Associate Professor of Acting & Business Communications at Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business.
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About Ben
Ben Gonio is a university educator, public speaking coach, and professional film & stage actor with a flair for creative innovation. He is the founder of Narrativus, a licensed consulting business providing engaging and highly interactive presentation coaching services to executives and professionals alike, particularly in but not limited to the technology startup space. Other services include designing and conducting interactive workshops for professional development using the mechanics of acting. He also conducts theatre improvisation workshops and how it relates to effective communication, team building, and leadership skills that ultimately results in positive team dynamics. Archives
May 2019
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