Evaluate your paraverbal communication

Paraverbal communication encompasses intonation, cadence, volume, and pace.  It is how you say what you say minus the words. We all have a tone that we use, or a speed in which we talk. For example, when we are stressed our voice may become higher and faster.  

Intonation is the pitch of our voice. Some people's natural pitch is high and some is low. However, when we communicate in a nervous fashion the pitch changes to show we are uncomfortable and if we are mad it may get higher. It is important to practice certain dialogue if you know that you are going to have a heated discussion in order to work on having an even pitch.

When we feel calm, we may talk in a softer cadence and slower.  We can help better communicate with others when we are aware of how our tone sounds and what we are communicating. If it is a stressful situation people around us will benefit from us using a calm and collected tone of voice, versus a high stress tone.

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.