What are the first thoughts that cross your mind when you wake up in the morning?
- Oh great, another miserable cold day.
- These kids are driving me crazy.
- I have to meet with my boss today.
- I hate my job.
- This house is such a mess.
- I have so much to study before my final.
- I am so tired.
- Need coffee! Now.
In a personal context, these thoughts and words are setting the tone for your day leading to a lethargic, unproductive level of enthusiasm in your body.
Within our Mastering Communication workshops, we devote an entire segment to setting the tone in both personal and business contexts. Setting the tone for your day will also be reflected in how you set the tone in a business meeting.
In a personal context, we employ the ‘E’ vocabulary.
- Easy
- Excellence
- Elegance
- Empowering
- Engage
- Energy
- Enjoy
- Effective
- Efficient
You are the facilitator of your day; you’re leading your day with powerful, positive vocabulary that’ll make your day easier in every aspect.
Now let’s look at it from a business perspective – Being the facilitator of a meeting, how do you set the tone to ensure you start strong, delivering your message and ideas in the most effective way possible?
The answer, there are 3 essential elements to an exceptional meeting:
- The makeup of the meeting
- The quality of the meeting
- The output of the meeting
And how do you ensure you positively affect these important elements…. by setting the tone.
The key is in knowing that you, as the leader, must set the tone in the meeting and most importantly the way you carry yourself.
- The House ‘Rules’ – Set the precedent from the beginning including start and finish times, what can and cannot be brought into the room
- Level Of Engagement – By engaging with each and every person, you are also setting the expectation that everyone must contribute
- The Tonality – Present with the highest level of respect and regard to each person and their involvement
- Lead With Posture – Observe the way you are sitting or standing: embrace a power position that elevates you, the attendees and the quality of the meeting
By setting the tone successfully in a business or personal context, you will facilitate a deeper level of commitment to the experience that you are about to undergo.
The Colin James Method® Facilitators train corporate executives to improve their leadership skills with a proven methodology. Our highly trained Facilitators and Coaches are recognised for their experience in their fields and have worked with many individuals and organisations around the world to master the art of communication.
