Your tone of voice says a lot. It indicates your friendliness, confidence, and how authentic you are. People will choose whether they want to do business with you based on the way you sound. There are both positive, uplifting tones that we can feel encouraged by and there are other tones of voice that can demoralize and demotivate. Sometimes, people don’t recognize that their vocal tone is so disheartening. Even if they do, they aren’t sure what it is about their tone that makes them sound that way. Below are three vocal tones that should be avoided in the workplace and an explanation of what is happening through speech, language and voice characteristics.
I walked into LA Fitness the other day to do my daily exercise and noticed an Assessment Tool for members. Through a series of little tests, you could find out your Strength, Endurance and Stability for men and women based on your age. In other words, at my age I should be able to do 29 or more push-ups to achieve the “Excellent” status. (I’m happy to report, that I can do it!)
It made me think of some quick tests you can do to measure your own respiratory and laryngeal control. It is called the MPT (for Maximum Phonation Time) and it measures the efficiency of your respiratory system and your ability to maintain vocal cord closure. There are two tasks you can do to measure. You will need a stopwatch or a clock with a second hand.
The other day while walking downtown Pittsburgh to one of my clients, the air was thick and smelled…well, let’s just say, interesting. Because it was foggy, the air was thicker and trapping pungent smells. Did you know that the air state affects our nasopharynx (nasal cavity and soft palate), sinuses and respiratory system, and has an effect on our speech and voice as well? Some environmental exposures include pollen, fog, dust and chemicals like pesticides. In California, there have been studies done that link these environmental factors to increased voice problems and respiratory stress.
Imagine the devastating effects of waking up on the day of your big presentation and finding that your voice sounds scratchy, hoarse and weak. Worse yet, it has disappeared completely! Nearly all of us rely on a well-functioning voice at work every day. If we were to lose our voice on any given day, the results could be disastrous.
Lacking vocal expressiveness is a common problem and sounding monotone won’t captivate your audience. Here is a solution to help you become more vocally expressive:
What’s a loving voice? We all know what an irritated, impatient voice sounds like. No, that’s not love at all. When we hear this tone, the voice is very animated, the rate is fast and the rhythm is short and staccato; perhaps the volume has increased, too. (Think Lisa Simpson.) It’s so identifiable, isn’t it? And it’s not a good feeling to be on the receiving end of it.
If irritation and impatience are easy to spot in someone’s voice based on a few characteristics of speech, language and voice, what characteristics are present when you hear a friendly, warm and loving voice? Is it just the opposite of the impatient voice? Well, let’s take a look…..
Sarcasm in the workplace exists at every level of management. Americans sometimes make comments that aren’t sincere or are meant to be a little degrading. In order to be sarcastic, we adjust our vocal tone and often times, our facial expression.Try saying, “great” sarcastically. What do you do vocally to make it sound sarcastic?
I wrote a blog a while back entitled “Posture Yourself for Success” It is about the positive aspects of good posture on your voice. I decided to look around for other articles on posture and here are a few to help you with achieving great posture:
Do you tuck your tummy in a bit to make it look tighter? Does your voice shake before you speak to a group? Do you slouch in your chair at your desk? Do you carry a lot of tension in your shoulders, neck and jaw? You are not alone–a lot of us develop bad habits! And if you do, you probably aren’t using proper breath support which is essential for reaching your full voice potential and having a well-functioning and relaxed sounding voice. As you move towards more in-person meetings and conferences, this is a great time to focus on breathing properly so your voice is clear, loud and effective.
Does your voice as lack depth and luster? Do you feel tightness in your throat? Do you repeat yourself frequently because people can’t hear you? You might have a breathing problem.
Imagine the devastating effects of waking up on the day of your big presentation and finding that your voice sounds scratchy, hoarse and weak. Worse yet, it has disappeared completely! Nearly all of us rely on a well-functioning voice at work every day. If we were to lose our voice on any given day, the results could be disastrous.
You are not alone–a lot of us develop bad habits! And if you do, you probably aren’t using proper breath support which is essential for reaching your full voice potential and having a well-functioning and relaxed sounding voice. As you move towards more in-person meetings and conferences, this is a great time to focus on breathing properly so your voice is clear, loud and effective.
Do you feel tightness in your throat? Do you repeat yourself frequently because people can’t hear you? You might have a breathing problem.