University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Hear And Now
Book

Hear And Now

How Women Get Heard More at Work and Why it Matters

Chris Davidson
Active Presence Limited, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Most women in business feel that their voices carry less weight than their male colleagues’ deeper tones. Corporate speaker and women’s rights advocate Chris Davidson confirms the reality of this vocal obstacle: It’s as much physical as cultural. Resolving the physical obstacle means exercising your vocal muscles to achieve your most resonant voice. Overcoming the cultural obstacle involves learning to appreciate the collaborative “female” model of communication. With this model, you illustrate important points with relevant, personal stories that form memorable emotional connections with your audience. Davidson details each step on your path to giving powerful, accessible presentations, and explains how to use your presentation skills to convey your message effectively in every form of corporate communication. Though Davidson wrote this user-friendly manual for women, getAbstract finds that it could help anyone in the corporate world who wants a strong voice and a confident demeanor, including businessmen who don’t project as well as they’d like.

Summary

Feeling Nervous Is Physical

Your body is hardwired to trip a physical stress response to alert you to danger. For humanity’s prehistoric ancestors, the stress hormone adrenaline functioned as a fight-or-flight boost for avoiding or conquering potential predators. When something alarming triggers it, adrenaline sends extra blood to your leg and arm muscles, making them tremble in anticipation. Your breathing turns quick and shallow, and your voice shakes.

The stress response still serves a necessary function if you face physical danger. Sometimes, though, adrenalin works overtime. When you deal with the discomfort of offering input at a meeting or face the unknown at a presentation, unwanted adrenalin kicks in. Your legs and voice shake. Then, adrenaline can change from a life preserver to a deal breaker.

You create your voice, in part, by pushing air from your lungs. Stress, with its side effect of rapid breathing, inhibits that strong, constant airflow. Your normal voice, already shaky, may become high and breathy. Worse, your audience can sense your discomfort and may even reflect it. You become more acutely aware of your nervousness, thus increasing your body...

About the Author

Award-winning author and public speaker Chris Davidson is a corporate communications consultant. He founded his company, Active Presence, in 2002.

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