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      KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
     ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF BUSINESS
                 Volume 55, October 2005
    Publisher: © Key Associates, 2005
              ISSN # 1545-8873
           http://www.mkkey.com

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This Issue: On "The World of Words"

This is a monthly electronic magazine for anyone
who wants to be a better leader, coach, facilitator,
or simply, to tune up their people skills. It is a
complimentary publication, devoted to the next
evolution of Quality Thinking.

View Earlier Issues --See our new website (http://www.mkkey.com)

Contents:

What's Hot in Leadership
Maintaining Yourself as a Leader
Frequently Asked Questions from Leaders
Educational Opportunities
Useful Websites
Articles/Publications

"One always speaks badly when one has nothing to say. "
-- Voltaire

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about
things that matter."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel."
-- Maya Angelou

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truly endless."
--Mother Teresa

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WHAT'S HOT IN LEADERSHIP
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POLISHING THE ART OF CONVERSATIONAL
SPEAKING.

USING A VERBAL STYLE AND VOICE
THAT FLATTERS YOUR ORGANIZATION.

SPEAKING TRUTH WITH PASSION AND
COMPASSION.

SPEAKING TO THE LISTENING OF YOUR
FOLLOWERS.

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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
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You are THE VOICE of the company, as is true
for all your associates.   Since 85-93% of all
communication is non-verbal, people are watching
how you deliver messages. Do they hear conviction?
Passion? Commitment? What are your hands saying?
Your posture? Where are your eyes directed?
What words do you choose to express yourself?

Every leader needs feedback on their communication
impact. Audiotape is good; video is powerful. But
human perception is key. Ask for specific, behavioral
feedback from someone whose truth you can trust.
Request comments on the power of the words you choose,
the rate at which you speak, diction (choice of words),
the volume, rhythm and tonal quality of your voice,
vocal variety, enunciation, articulation, and word
clutter (ums, uhs, ahs). The meaning of a communication
is in the response it elicits.

Read widely and converse with intellectual superiors to
expand your vocabulary and learn new word choices.
Then practice, practice, practice.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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"I have organization-wide memos and emails I
must write. How do I perfect my word choice?"

A CEO I met in a Catholic hospital pilot-tested
her communications. She sent them to a small
group of trusted colleagues, who tweaked, word-
smithed, and provided feedback on the impact.
A few rounds of this should groom the communiqué
and make sure you are speaking to the listening
of your audience.

Write the way you speak, make it personal.
Write with abandon, then edit later. Use words
of power:

Leboeuf (1985) talks about the most important
words in our language:

5 most important words: "You did a good job."
4 most important words: "What is your opinion?"
3 most important words: "Let's work together."
2 most important words: "Thank you."
Single most important word: "We."

"Is it possible to learn inspirational speaking and
writing?

Study the word choice of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
"I Have a Dream" speech. Read Jackie Kennedy
Onassis's letters. Listen to Barack Obama's
Democratic National Convention speech.

However, copying is not the best choice for learning. Look
to the root of your own passion for the source of genuine,
heart-felt communication. Speaking authentically,
non-judgmentally, and spontaneously suggests openness
and creativity.

Paint with word pictures.
Draw on your convictions. Passion will arise from
personal truth.
Use language that is inclusive. "We."
Be brief.
Be simple. Use stories that speak to the child in us.
Motion attracts the eye. Use your facial
expression and gestures to enhance the delivery.

Inspiring means literally "to breathe life into." This
can only come from heart-felt communication.

"Jargon is tiring, don't you think?"

Jargon is overworked, although it reinforces
culture, in a code-like way. For example,
Dashboard Indicators, Dialoguing, Directive,
Incenting, Initiative, Media Opportunity.
Like clichés and slang, they suggest a lack
of original thinking. Use them sparingly and
try to say what you really mean. Hopefully
others will know you are in "the club."

"Need I speak to everyone I see?"

Here is an interesting practice--the 5/10 rule.
If you pass someone in the 10 foot range,
acknowledge them. A smile or nod will do.
If they are closer, within 5 feet, a word of greeting
is called for--"Hello! How are you? (etc.)."

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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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CRM Films, "Power of Words."
http://www.crmlearning.com/power-of-words-meeting-opener-program

Top 100 speeches in American Rhetoric
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/newtop100speeches.htm

Drills on word choice--fix your writing
http://www.writingfix.com/6Traits/WordChoice.htm

Tips from the premier public speaking organization
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.htm

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OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES
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Former Key-zines related to the topic:
Volume 3, June 2001- Coaching
Volume 20, November 2002 - Speaking from the Heart
Volume 24, March 2003 - The Leader as Storyteller
Volume 37, April 2004 - Dialogue: Thinking Together
Volume 46, January 2005 - Having Difficult Conversations
Volume 53, August 2005 - Relationship Building