Communication skills are vital to those who lead and the language of leadership is different than everyday speech, on experts says.
According to management consultant Brian Evje of Slalom Consulting, leaders can maximize their effectiveness by minimizing these common speaking flaws. Here are his tips:
Know the purpose.
One of your jobs as a manager is to understand the direction and purpose of the organization. Speak with that in mind.
Praise without exception.
If you say, “You did a great job … but,” you are really saying the job wasn’t so good. If you are praising someone, never use the word ‘but.’
Skip the superlatives.
If you often say something is awesome, amazing, or incredible, everything sounds the same and loses meaning. Instead, say what you particularly liked about it.
Stop sounding like a Valley Girl.
When you raise the tone of voice at the end of a sentence, it sounds as if you are constantly asking a question. That mode of speech is often just a habit.
It’s fine for David Feherty on the Golf channel, but he’s not a leader.
Be specific.
In this lazy language, you might say, “It’s sort of up to this team,” or, “It’s a kind of tough situation.” Speak with courage. If it’s up to the team, say so.
Quoted on Inc.com, Evje says leaders should speak deliberately, using concrete terms and accurate language