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When Communication Is Silent đ€«
At first glance this post could be about listening, but itâs not.
When it comes to âunderratedâ soft skills, reading the room is near the top.
Along the lines of self-awareness, this form of emotional intelligence will determine the connection and trust level of the team you lead.
So leaders, listen upâŠ
Reading the room entails a lot, but Iâll discuss 3 practical ways to improve your abilities:
1. Non-Verbal Communication
93% of communication is non-verbal: body language, tone & inflection.
When leaders are âmissingâ the cues of their people, this is exactly whatâs going on.
Active listening isnât just hearing whatâs being said (words only account for 7%).
Itâs understanding whatâs being spoken - the meaning behind the message.
By âreading the room,â youâre taking in all the body movements and âhowâ people are responding to whatâs being said.
Tip: the next time youâre working with a group, make sure to take in whatâs being said and also whatâs NOT being said (aka nonverbal cues).
2. Group Energy/Rhythm
Ever feel the energy of the room dip?
Can you tell your message isnât connecting, so you decide to pivot?
If so, you understand how reading the energy level in the room can change your delivery.
But if this sounds foreign to you, most likely youâre not evaluating the group dynamics at play.
Think of the people in the room as a puzzle.
Each person is different, but has a place where they âfit.â
Great leaders assess the mood around them and adapt.
Itâs not being a chameleon, instead itâs about being flexible towards what actually works.
When you accurately assess the energy in the room, you become more of a thermostat (catalyst) vs. a thermometer (purely reacts).
3. Adjusting Your Communication Style
Think of this as applying the previous two points together.
Empathetically integrating the thoughts and feelings of others provides context for moving forward together.
As mentioned before, adjusting your style isnât being inauthentic.
Itâs gathering the social information together in the room and delivering a message that sticks.
We all have a primary or preferred way of communicating, but smart leaders know based on the scenario different methods can be more effective in the moment.
This requires managing your ego, also known as humility, to serve the team you lead.
The best leaders in any industry pass tests they never prepare for.
Translation: âreading the roomâ is more about street smarts vs. book smarts.
Composed by quickly assessing the situation and being flexible enough to scrap Plan A because Plan B works better.
At the end of the day âreading the roomâ is like being a detective of sorts in social situations. đ
Not all communication is visible or verbal, so in order to be an effective leader you need to gather, assess and adapt your leadership style on the fly.
Reading the room is a soft skill that often gets overlooked, but if you truly want to stand out as a leader you need to master this.
Great leaders are hungry to learn in order to grow.
So if you need help in this area, reach out or reply and letâs talk.
God Bless,
If you found this helpful and youâre looking to improve your soft skills as a leader, here are ways to work with me directly:
đŁ Hire me to speak at your company or next event (watch my speaking reel here)
đ€ Invite me to lead an interactive training workshop, remotely or in-person (depending on location)
đ€ Start 1:1 coaching with me as a new manager, current leader or executive (I once managed 30 people 1:1 weeklyâïž)
Also, you can help me out by forwarding this to friends whom would benefit from it! Thank you!