Communication by Voice and Action (1969)

And so I said to him, I said, "You can't possibly understand the problem until you you've actually experienced it yourself." It's just one of those things that that you have >> Man is a social animal, always more or less in proximity one to another. He has ideas and attitudes. And willingly or unwillingly, he communicates something. Your disagreement though isn't over what these needs are, but rather over how they satisfied. I agree. And how far the society should go in that. same situation in our office. And well, it it wasn't really quite so bad, but uh all of us got somehow involved. too involved. Well, I don't know quite exactly how to put it. Man is a social animal. And he communicates. Why? Because he wants to be understood, and he wants to understand. Sometimes he communicates actively. Sometimes silently. Sometimes unintentionally even. But as long as he is seen, he sends out messages. The act of communication is a two-way street between the speaker and the listener. The actor and the interpreter. Mark Johnson for instance at this moment is communicating. Four persons see him do it. Each interprets. He's tired. He's bored. He has to go meet someone. It's late. He has to go. It's time for me to take my pill. And always the speaker or actor leaves some kind of impression on the audience. John Gordon is about to speak to high school students. While he sits, the audience forms a visual impression. His dress, his physical deportment, how he looks when he walks to the lectern. >> [applause] >> When I was a bit younger, my father, probably like all other fathers past and future, gave me some advice. "Johnny," he said, "don't drink, don't smoke, and don't squander your money." Like every other son past and future, I followed almost all of it. John Gordon at this moment is very much the center of attention. He knows he has something to say. He wants to say it. And he wants to be understood. Most often the best advice we can get is the advice we give ourselves because well, we know ourselves. Okay, George, lights. Well, here's the crux of the matter. The communicative spirit. John Gordon wants to communicate. He wants to be understood. So he expresses not only his ideas, but in the way he delivers it, his attitude about it. The what and the how can't be separated. Because the how something is said reinforces the meaning, the attitude, the whole point of view of the speech. Let's take a simple sentence such as "I like it." Joanne, your version of an animated "I like it." I like it. Good. Doubtful. I like it. Irritated. I like it. Angry. I like it. As a matter of fact, Bob, I like it. Amused. I like it. Right. We say something, and how we say it, how we deliver it, indicates the mood, the attitude. This is particularly true in formal communication where there's just no time for this "What I really meant to say" backtracking technique. We say it, and how we say it either carries it or not. To appear indifferent, to be totally uncommitted to the message we're trying to bring across, doesn't make for a good speech. But when we allow our delivery to express something of ourselves, something of our own personalities, then all things being equal, we will reach our audience. And the what we have to say becomes meaningful. Let's watch another speech making situation. George. Good afternoon. As you know, the fact The audience consists of people the speaker knows. It is an informal group of friends, acquaintances, fellow club members. Without further ado, I introduce to you Mr. Jim Mason. >> [applause] >> My topic for tonight is Oh, thank you. Uh I I was asked to speak here to I was asked to speak to you tonight. And my topic is the swimming pool in Glensville. Do we need a swimming pool in Glensville? We on the committee have done a lot of uh investigating on this matter. >> [clears throat] >> As you know, the summers here are hot. The summers here are hot and uncomfortable. The audience too may get hot and uncomfortable. There is communication to be sure, but it does not please. Why? Because the speaker's delivery lacks energy and vitality. It does not allow his meaning to penetrate. He says words, but he doesn't give vent to his personality, and his own attitude about his topic. So he gives the impression of being uninterested. And uninteresting. who who didn't show up Monday and Tuesday because of July 4th weekend. Okay, George, lights. So, we communicate by voice and by action. And it's possible to set up certain guidelines for each. But let's talk about voice for a moment. Certainly we we must be heard. We must be understood. We must be pleasing. There's no point in even speaking if we're not heard. One must be instantly intelligible. Sloppy, indistinct diction can be annoying. And it can lead the audience to feel that the speaker is a fuzzy, unclear thinker. And he must allow his voice to indicate something of himself, his own mood, his own attitude. It must be animated, flexible, and colorful enough so that the audience feels the speaker really cares about what he's saying. Let's listen to John Gordon once more. George. It wasn't so very many years ago that I sat in the same seats that you're sitting in right now, griping about exams and instructors and courses, and convinced that getting an education was not all that it's cracked up to be. And to a certain extent, you're right, you know. Those good old school days that everybody looks back on with so much fondness, well, they're not really so good at all. They're They're hard, frustrating, often highly competitive, sometimes really frightening. And yet John Gordon has a desire to communicate something to his audience. In his delivery, he uses his voice of course, and his body. right now thinking about going on to college. And indeed so. "Let go of my hands," an Italian once said, "I want to talk." We have a body, feet, hands, shoulders, head, eyes, and they all have something to say. Ron, stand up for a minute, will you please? Demonstrate good posture. Good. Thank you. A funny thing about the word posture. Say it, and the reaction of most people is to stand at attention. Well, that's great for cadets, but it's not very good for dancing, eating, playing, or making a good speech. Let's look at a speaker who is too afraid to allow himself bodily movement. To illustrate the effectiveness of swimming pools in other cities and towns, we have gathered some tense posture or a sagging, drooping one affects our delivery because when the body is rigid, often so is the mind. And when the body is too relaxed, the delivery becomes too casual. Uh I I guess you can't see. I mean They're they're small. Yeah. This I don't mean the figures. What we mean by good posture is an attitude of bodily alertness, bodily freedom which allows body and mind to operate as a unified whole rather than as separate entities disconnected one from the other. Sensitive facial expressions, especially the eyes give an extra dimension of meaning to what we're saying. They reflect our thoughts, attitudes, emotions as well as our personalities and character. And of course, the effective use of gestures. Head, [snorts] shoulders, hands. You here and now are facing a challenge because this is a young world. You're fast moving into a majority position. More than any group of young people before you, you're you're engaged, you're aware, you're perceptive. And this is good. Because you will be given responsibilities of a far greater magnitude and at a much earlier age than any generation of young people before you. It's possible to communicate by voice or by action. But effective communication, where we really want to understand and be understood can best be achieved when voice and action complement one another. Because attitude and content go hand in hand. Off stage, of course, we communicate with our bodies and our voices quite unconsciously. Let's watch Jim Mason as he communicates in this situation. What the heck are you doing? Why don't you watch where you're going? >> Listen, I was going 25 mph just like the speed limit says. What are you doing stopping right here in the middle of the street? Yeah, right. Except it doesn't happen to be open SEASON ON PEDESTRIANS. >> OH, WHAT PEDESTRIANS? >> SHE'S RIGHT OVER THERE. >> YES, man is a social animal with ideas and attitudes. And willingly or unwillingly, he sends out cues and signals >> [music] >> communicating something. Effective communication is to send [music] out those cues and signals which most accurately reflect what we think and feel. But we understand and are understood by what we say [music] and do and how we say and do it. Content and attitude voice and action. >> [music]