Effective communication at the workplace: How to be articulate and confident

Remain professional and get your point across during presentations/speeches, says Simone Heng

Text: Hoi Han L

Image credit: Simone Heng

Speaking with confidence at work can be tough, especially when you first step foot into a new working environment. If you’ve ever felt a little het up at the thought of presenting to new colleagues and bosses, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Anxiety can stem from our own worries of being judged by others to the pressure of performance.

In the words of Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Psychological research has revealed that our subconscious is directly affected by what it hears, so if you want to be remembered, create more connections and opportunities, or have greater influence over your audience, project confidence and conviction each time you open your mouth.

This is easier said than done, but eloquence is a skill that can be learnt, practiced and mastered. Simone Heng, international speaker and human connection specialist, gives us the low down on speaking like a pro.

Speak spontaneously

According to Simone, it is perfectly normal, especially in Singapore, to be uncomfortable and unfamiliar with speaking without practice and preparation since rote learning is used to shape our education system. Moreover, obedience, as a lauded Asian trait, has curtailed our tendency to voice differing opinions which has inevitably lowered our confidence when made to speak spontaneously. However, Simone says that there are just four easy steps to follow:

1. Prime yourself
   Prime your mind that you may be asked to speak. Priming yourself helps to break down the mental fear of uncertainty; it is preparation to a certain degree.

2. Introduce yourself
   Don’t assume that everyone in the room knows who you are. Introducing yourself and your role plays upon ethos, strengthening your credibility and the audience’s desire to listen to what you have to say.

3. Two key points
   Elaborate on two major points describing your current project or job scope. Providing information on what you’ve been doing showcases your competency.

4. Code of action
   “If you have further questions, feel free to follow up with me on …” Give your co-workers the assurance of being contactable. This creates openness and openness leads to human connection.

 Maintain good social relations

You’re never going to get along with everyone. Yet, maintaining human connections in your workplace reaps benefits not just for yourself, but for others as well. Simone suggests three ways to keep a healthy and positive working relationship with your co-workers:

• Stop measuring the distance
  We are often more alike than we think ourselves to be. Seeing the commonalities and not the differences, will help you create positive connections with others.

• Find common ground
  Singling out a topic of commonality with people you might not get along with helps keep a certain level of necessary diplomacy and politeness.

• Avoid cliques
  Be professional and retain as much as an even playing with everyone.

Code switch

As a global melting pot, workplaces in Singapore are increasingly populated with people of diverse cultures and ages. While we all know that it’s important to be respectful of such differences, it can be tricky to say the right thing sometimes. So how can you navigate this?

While generational gaps can be quite the barrier, there are ways to ameliorate it. According to Simone, “People of different generations often have very different motivations, and this is reflected in our differing behaviours, such as the language we use to solve disputes and problems.” Hence, understanding the underlying motivators for people of other ages can reduce misunderstandings and build better relationships. However, it is key that both parties’ compromise.

• Learn the codes of culture
  Be aware of what the approved codes for acting are in your host country and workplace. Understand that the way of delivering criticisms is often not personal but culture induced.

• Cultural intelligence
  Equipping yourself with cultural intelligence is vital to creating connections, particularly in cosmopolitan countries like Singapore with globalised communities.

• Consume local media
  While films and books are not real life, all art is created because of culture. Get a taste of local culture on demand and for free when you digest more local media.

Image Credit: Simone Heng

Killer presentations

Everyone wants to be able to give killer presentations. Not only does it showcase your prowess, it could also increase your workplace credibility. According to Simone, public speaking is one of the number one way for women to be taken seriously at the workplace.

But while you are likely to already have a personal framework of rules you abide by when giving speeches, Simone states that there is a common misconception when it comes to presenting. “Your slides come in almost last!” she says. She believes that overreliance on slides is the biggest blind spot for people who speak in corporations. So, if you want to speak naturally and convincingly, begin by not treating your slides as tele-prompters.

Virtual presentations

The outbreak of Covid-19 has brought virtual meetings on Zoom to the forefront of social interactions. When it comes to speaking to your colleagues and bosses through a virtual screen, Simone emphasises that it is integral that we do not lose our humanness:

• Be familiar with your content
  Just because you’re conducting a presentation online doesn’t mean you can read off a word document. Remember that it is still a presentation and you should know your content well enough to speak as if its conversational.

• Humanise yourself
  Eye contact and gesticulation are still important when you are speaking to an audience virtually. Facial expressions and gestures create emotions and emotions generate human connections that are vital for audience engagement.

About Simone Heng

Having been born in Singapore, raised in Australia, schooled in Switzerland and worked in the United Arab Emirates, Simone has had a globalised and multicultural living experience. A former international broadcaster for reputable media outlets CNBC, CNN, HBO Asia, and Virgin Radio Dubai, Simone now speaks to global organisations, such as Google, Ted X, The United Nations, Salesforce and many others, on the connection techniques that authentically bring us together. In 2020, Simone created the CourageousSpeaking.com community, an online membership centred on presentation skills, which aims to empower people all around Asia to connect with their authentic voice.

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