I like Billy Shakespeare. No, I am not a passage quoting, eloquent gentleman who likes wearing tailcoats and top hats (I have given it a thought, but the wind in Texas makes it a challenge). I like to believe he is the Yoda of Articulation. “Et tu, brute?”, left an imprint in the vastness of literature which stands tall in the cacophony of quotes, sentences and all other alphabet devices. Why? It is articulate. Period.
Message conveyed, clear, concise, contextual, and purposeful and yes, did I mention message conveyed.
So why is articulation important? A Harvard business review article pointed out that one weekly executive meeting ate up 300,000 hours in a YEAR. So we need to Speak, Speak clear and FAST. Time is money, and that is not a wall hanging, it is an experiential reality.
One of the niftiest tricks in everybody ‘s play book is we can make the alphabet soup taste really good, with as few number of ingredients as possible. That is basically a chef’s definition of articulation.
It is important that at any point in time and any conversation we have there is only one objective, to convey our thoughts in the clearest possible manner and more often that not, it is lost in translation. This is the translation of thoughts to words, which takes practice and often is a learning curve, which lasts from cradle to grave. Hence lesson one is simple; always keep learning how to be articulate (Unless we reach a point where it all looks like Morse code, I like poetry and prose, words are beautiful then!)
So how do we put it in practice? To start with I have learnt that taking notes before speaking helps. It is the easiest practice to start with since we know that we speak faster than we can write (Except for those writing virtuosos!). We naturally start paraphrasing to keep the message but in fewer words. As we go over it, we start articulating, naturally. Another lesson is to listen. So what does listening have to do with speaking? An articulate answer;
everything.
Many a times our conversations last longer and become verbose simply because of jumping the gun. When we have all the information, we tend to have clarity in our thoughts. Another nifty trick is to make use of post-its. Limited space – limited text, inherent articulation. In almost every profession the need for meeting, provide an opportunity. It could be a collaborative success, or a sinkhole for valuable time. To be articulate in meetings, the key-word (through some experiential learning) is preparation. And more preparation and more preparation.
A wise man once told me; if a meeting takes more time than you can stand without getting restless, end the meeting.
I have had my own little challenge with articulation. As an admirer of literature and a keen ear for oratory I have had quite a love affair with words and the alphabet soup. However this sits at the opposite end of being in frequent meetings and discussions with people who more often than not have their day run on a calendar. Hence my fascination with the art of articulation, and it has been a revelation as the words reveal their mysteries. So sometimes with our words too, less is more!
[Originally published as a LinkedIN blog post in September 2015]
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