Slow down and build credibility
“If you must be in a hurry, then let it be according to the old adage, and hasten slowly.”
With those words Saint Vincent de Paul was offering wisdom on living a good life, and he also offers an insight for today’s workplace: doing things too quickly -- and that would include rushing through your remarks in meetings or presentations -- might actually undermine your credibility. So slow down a bit when you are speaking in public.
Speaking quickly is not an inherently bad thing: individuals and entire cultures have their preferences for speed and rhythm of speech, and that is a good thing. But in certain circumstances speaking too quickly will convey nervousness and make it difficult for others to understand us. This can reduce your effectiveness and erode your professional image.
Beyond that, rushing in a presentation or meeting may deprive listeners of the opportunity to think, absorb your ideas, ‘catch up’ with the thread of the discussion, or even ask important questions. This can be especially true if we are working in a multilingual setting, where people appreciate a slightly slower pace of speech to allow time to process what is being said.
There are also speed-related challenges associated with virtual communication, since we are typically losing the nuances of inflection, facial expression and body language that would help us if we were actually sitting in the same room with someone. Speaking quickly makes virtual communication that much more challenging.
So speaking quickly is not always a good thing, and at times it creates problems: it may seem like a timesaver to zip through a meeting or a presentation, but if the result is confusion or misunderstandings we have not done ourselves any favors.
So the tip is to pay attention to your pace of speech and be willing to slow down a bit if need be. Watch your audience and their reactions. ‘Slow and clear’ is almost always better than ‘fast and confusing’.
How can you slow down when you have a lot to say? Prioritise, and be willing to say less. Focus on clarity and quality, not on volume and your personal ‘airtime’. Sometimes less is more, and slowing down can help you say less and say it better.
Click on the link below to learn more about how rushing may actually be undermining your professional credibility.
Mark Brown is a leadership educator and author based in Lisbon, Portugal. He likes to swim and play the piano, but not at the same time.
Contact Mark at www.time4clarity.com.
