Vocal Micro Signals

So what does this sentence actually mean?

"We need to fix this problem by Friday."

Scenario A (High pitch, fast tempo, breathy vocal quality, audible breaths as if their breathing is elevated)

Panic and anxiety, possibly a lack of belief that it is achievable.

Scenario B (Flat pitch, clipped words, falling intonation)

Anger or blame.

Scenario C (Moderate pitch, resonant voice, steady pacing)

Calmness, confidence, stating a matter of fact.

Scenario D (Moderate pitch, resonant voice, steady pacing, then pause and emphasise Friday with a lower pitch)

Sarcasm, request for an insider alliance.

There are more examples of where delivery and pitch affect the meaning of what someone will hear and understand.

For non-English native speakers, it can be extremely difficult to pick up on the use of pitch and its underlying implication to meaning. A lot of times, native speakers actually hear the emotions from scenario B where actually the speaker is not angry or blaming anyone.

If you have learnt English in a bubble (not through native speakers, by using textbooks, applications, etc.), these nuances are actually amplified.

At deCogan, we focus on coaching to meet the objective of success rather than just a single part of communication.

Moving Past the Dictionary

#ExecutiveCommunication #LeadershipCommunication #BusinessEnglish #CrossCulturalCommunication #ExecutiveCoaching