It was in early 2011 when I had my first opportunity to stand up and speak to an audience. I still remember the room, the people and the presentation. I was in my head and thinking about every single word I was speaking, and my greatest focus was on communicating as much information as I possibly could. This is not always a bad approach, however, what I have learnt since then is that it’s not about what I want to communicate, it’s about what the audience needs to hear. It’s about presenting in a way that everyone can receive the information.
Not surprisingly, this is one of my favourite topics to speak on, and through recognising unique communication styles, I have learnt that there are also unique listening styles.
I knew in 2011 that there were different communication styles. What I know now is that everyone also has a unique listening style.