Ron, a middle manager at an automotive parts company, had the chance to make a good impression on top executives by giving a presentation at a company wide meeting. Though he was naturally a gregarious person, he felt he should adopt a more formal persona.

He carefully scripted the whole presentation, even practicing where and when he would gesture with his hands. The big day came. In his attempt to follow the script, he neglected to make eye contact with his audience. Struggling to remember when to move his hands, he used gestures that didn’t match his words. In the end, he came off as wooden and off-base. He seemed inauthentic and did not elicit his listeners’ attention and agreement.

Clara, who spoke after Ron, took a different approach. Clara was comfortable with herself and did not feel the need to present a different persona to her audience. She studied her facts until she could quote the major ideas from memory. Without notes, she spoke openly to her audience and held their attention. She knew as she finished that she had successfully connected with her listeners. Later, the head of her division praised her for being sincere and authentic.

What Does It Mean To Be Authentic?

The dictionary defines authenticity as being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. The word also describes something that is worthy of belief because it is genuine or true. By contrast, inauthenticity seems fake. Unfortunately, even a sincere speaker like Ron can project an inauthentic image if they are uncomfortable onstage.

Being authentic does not mean winging it or saying whatever is on your mind. It requires thought and preparation. Communications coach Nick Morgan writes in a Harvard Business Review article that since neither casual spontaneity nor traditional rehearsal leads to compelling communication, “You have to tap into the basic impulses underlying your speech. These should include four powerful aims: to be open, to connect, to be passionate, and to listen. Each of these aims informs nearly all successful presentations.”

The intention to openly connect to your audience and listen to their reactions guides authentic speaking. You can develop these foundations with the following elements of authenticity.

Know yourself.

Self-awareness is the underpinning of authenticity. After all, if you don’t know who you are and how you feel, how can you be your authentic self? Developing self-knowledge begins with having the courage to see yourself as you really are, including your imperfections, doubts, and fears.

You don’t need to blurt out your every anxiety when you speak, but by grounding yourself in the reality of who you are, you will make other people more comfortable. Judyth Jernudd, keynote speaker and founder of the Jernudd Company, a speaking and media coaching company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, reflects on her early career as a news anchor. “The producers told me, ‘We want you to be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else.’ That was the best advice I ever had,” she says.

Know your audience.

To build your credibility, consider your audience members’ backgrounds, language patterns, and cultural mores. Customize the images and metaphors you use.

Frank Furness is the past president of the Professional Speakers Association of Europe and has worked in 69 countries. He says, “Your stories have to match the culture and you have to be aware of cultural sensitivities and maybe change some of your slides and presentation. Examples must also match the culture. If I speak in India and mention sports, I will speak about cricket, not American football. In Europe, I might speak about football (or soccer) and not basketball, as the audience needs to relate to what happens in their country.”

Your audience members need to feel that they have something in common with you. Building on pertinent cultural details helps achieve this goal.

Know your material.

It’s impossible to come across authentically when you are stumbling over facts or key elements of your message. Rehearse until you know your material cold. Review your notes repeatedly. Memorize vital details and statistics.

When you speak, your listeners expect you to tell them something they have not heard before. That means you need to be original. Furness adds, “The most important thing is to be genuine and use your own stories and material. Never copy anyone else.”

Paradoxically, it takes planning and effort to build an authentic presence. Here are three ways to build your authenticity.

1 Match your gestures and tone to your content.

Morgan, the communications coach, writes, “People’s natural and unstudied gestures are often indicators of what they will think and say next.” If we try to control our gestures, our words and motions might get out of sync and confuse our listeners.

Using rapid movements, “studied” gestures, nervous tics, and other physical tells can detract from your image of authenticity. Allow your hands to move naturally in sync with your words; don’t try to artificially connect certain words to specific movements.

“While it’s helpful to learn from those more experienced than you, imitating another person’s speaking style or gestures may come off as inauthentic and fake.”
—Lauren Kerwin, Ph.D.

“Sometimes new speakers watch videos of successful public speakers and try to imitate their style and/or mannerisms,” explains Lauren Kerwin, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as a psychologist and a coach to business leaders. “While it’s helpful to learn from those more experienced than you, imitating another person’s speaking style or gestures may come off as inauthentic and fake.”

2 Be vulnerable, but don’t overshare.

Allowing yourself to show your humanity is a good thing. Blurting out overly personal information is not recommended. As Jernudd says, “Delivering a speech is not therapy.” Do not share overly personal information unless you are confident that doing so will not make anyone uncomfortable.

Sometimes, individuals think that being authentic means spouting out whatever is on their mind. They might say, “I’m just being honest and authentic by sharing my truth.” Saying whatever comes to mind is not being authentic. Authenticity includes emotional intelligence, which dictates that we should only share our thoughts when our audience is able to hear and understand them. For example, if you strongly disagree with something another speaker says, you can respectfully state your alternative view without sharing a negative opinion of the other person.

3 Don’t speak from a script.

Authenticity implies naturalness. Reading from a script is the opposite of natural. It is forced and often stilted. Moreover, it takes you away from connecting with your audience by limiting you to standing at a lectern and keeping your eyes on the script instead of your listeners.

As you speak, you should be scanning the audience—are they listening to and looking at you? Are they leaning forward to hear you or slumped back, waiting for you to finish? If you are reading from a script, you are likely to miss indicators about whether you are getting through to your audience.

Prepare carefully. Jot down your key points on a note card that you leave on the lectern in case you need to stroll by and look at them. Then let your language flow.

Cultivating self-awareness in your daily life is the best way to develop an authentic presence as a speaker. Be honest with yourself. Be truthful with others within the bounds of sensitivity. Walk through the world with integrity. You are the only you to ever exist: Let your true nature shine through when you speak, and you will always be authentic.

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The post Cultivating Authenticity as a Speaker appeared first on Worktalk.

A tech executive recently confessed on LinkedIn that he bites his nails during Zoom meetings. He’s been biting his nails all his life, he said, and wanted to share his vulnerabilities. He was acting on the notion that “bring your whole self to work” is a praiseworthy principle. The response was mixed. Some people applauded him for his openness, especially fellow nail-biters, others not so much. Either they succumbed to the ick factor, thought the whole thing was gross, or considered his revelation too much information. The executive’s admission raises an important question, “How much of our authentic selves should we bring to professional lives?” and “What is appropriate to share?”

The authenticity paradox in the workplace revolves around the tension between being genuine and maintaining professionalism. Finding a balance where you can be your true self without overstepping boundaries or making others uncomfortable is crucial. While seasoned professionals often develop a sense of what’s appropriate through experience, younger professionals may need specific guidance to navigate this delicate balance effectively.

Research indicates that individuals with high emotional intelligence tend to express themselves authentically while also being mindful of social cues. Authenticity, in this context, involves being truthful while considering the impact of your words and actions on others. It’s not just about expressing yourself but doing so in a manner that aligns with the norms and expectations of the professional environment.

1. Integrity and Values

Act in alignment with your integrity and values. Authenticity stems from a consistency between your beliefs and actions. Rather than broadcasting every feeling or opinion, demonstrate your values through your conduct. You will earn respect in the process.

2. Respectful Communication

Treat others with respect, acknowledging their perspectives even in disagreement. This demonstrates your authenticity by recognizing shared humanity and fostering positive interactions.

3. Relevance in Sharing

When sharing personal information, ensure its relevance to the situation. While a brief personal anecdote can humanize interactions, avoid oversharing or derailing discussions from business objectives.

4. Mindful Vulnerability

Show vulnerability strategically to humanize interactions. Briefly sharing relevant personal experiences can build connections but remember to maintain professionalism and stay focused on work-related matters.

5. Emotional Regulation

Manage your emotional responses and communication style professionally. Avoid impulsive reactions that may come across as aggressive or unprofessional. Instead, address concerns calmly and offer constructive feedback or solutions.

6. Contextual Awareness

Stay mindful of the work environment and cultural norms. Adapt your communication style and level of personal sharing based on the context to ensure it aligns with professional expectations.

By embracing these strategies, you can navigate the authenticity paradox effectively. It’s about being genuine while also respecting boundaries and maintaining professionalism. Your authentic self can shine through in a manner that contributes positively to work dynamics and relationships without compromising on appropriateness or effectiveness. Remember, authenticity doesn’t mean sharing everything–it’s about being true to yourself while considering the impact on others in the workplace.

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The post 6 Ways to Manage the Authenticity Paradox appeared first on Worktalk.

Imagine you’re a middle manager at an automotive parts company. You have the chance to make a good impression on top executives by giving a presentation at a company-wide meeting. Although you’re naturally a gregarious person, you feel you should adopt a more formal image. You carefully script the whole presentation, even practicing where and when to gesture with your hands. The big day comes, and in your attempt to follow the script, you neglect to make eye contact with your audience. Struggling to remember when to move your hands, your words and gestures don’t line up. Your natural friendliness does not shine through. In the end, you come off as wooden and off-base. You seemed inauthentic and did not elicit your listeners’ attention and agreement.

After, another speaker takes a different approach. They’re comfortable and don’t feel the need to present a different persona to their audience. They studied the facts until they could quote the major ideas from memory. They reflected on the aspects of their presentation that would resonate most with top management. They spoke without notes, in a conversational tone, and made frequent eye contact with audience members. When finished, they knew they had connected successfully with listeners. Later, the head of the division praised them for being sincere and authentic.

Authenticity is a much-vaunted quality in business communication. In an era of bombast and fake news, audiences crave sincerity. Unfortunately, even an earnest speaker can project an inauthentic image if they are uncomfortable in their skin.

Being authentic does not mean winging it or saying whatever is on your mind. It requires thought and preparation. Communications coach Nick Morgan writes in a Harvard Business Review article that since neither casual spontaneity nor traditional rehearsal leads to compelling communication, “You have to tap into the basic impulses underlying your speech. These should include four powerful aims: to be open, to connect, to be passionate, and to listen. Each of these aims informs nearly all successful presentations.”

The intention to connect to your audience and listen to their reactions guides authentic speaking. But how can you develop these foundations of authenticity? Here are some suggestions.

Match your gestures and tone to your content.

As Morgan writes in the Harvard Business Review, “People’s natural and unstudied gestures are often indicators of what they will think and say next.” If we try to control our gestures, our words and motions might get out of sync and confuse our listeners. Rapid movements, studied gestures, nervous tics, and other physical tells detract from your image of authenticity.

Be vulnerable but don’t over-share.

Allowing yourself to show your humanity is a good thing. Blurting out personal information is not cool. As presentation skills expert Judyth Jernudd says, “Delivering a speech is not therapy.” Share personal information only if you are confident that doing so will not make anyone uncomfortable. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that sharing offensive content is a sign of authenticity; on the contrary, that kind of honesty shows a lack of judgment.

Sometimes speakers wonder if they should confess to their audience that they are nervous about giving the presentation. Jernudd suggests that speakers keep these feelings to themselves. If you wish, you can share with the audience when you have successfully completed the speech that you were nervous about it, but why bring it up at all?

Don’t speak from a script.

Authenticity implies naturalness. Reading from a script is the opposite of natural: It is forced and often stilted. Moreover, it takes you away from connecting with your audience by limiting you to standing at a podium and keeping your eyes on the script instead of your listeners. Even if you have access to a teleprompter, you will be more fluid and flexible if you stay tuned in to your audience, know your material cold, and speak from a notecard of high-level points rather than adhering to a script.

As British playwright Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” You are the only you to ever exist: Let your true nature shine through when you speak, and you will always seem authentic.

The post 3 Ways to Cultivate Authenticity as a Public Speaker appeared first on Worktalk.