Hello KSKOers
I’ve learnt a lot about speaking from my podcast. Listening back and editing focuses the attention on both what is being said and how. I’ve discovered that there are people who are good speakers, who can make an answer flow. There are also people who cannot. There are calm, loquacious, serenaders and repetitive, comfort-phrase clutchers. There are orators and ‘nor-ators’. Let’s explore the filler words to ditch to sharpen your delivery and elevate your leadership voice.
Looking forward to joining you on your learning journey
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What you say and how you say it has a huge impact on your reputation and how you’re received and perceived by others. Recognition of your impact is the second layer of my definition of self-aware leadership. It’s hugely important to recognise that the way you speak influences how others receive and perceive you. Once you recognise it, you can make choices about what you want to change and improve. With recognition, you can take back ownership of creating your leadership reputation through your leadership voice.
My podcast editing software is a clever piece of kit. It can automatically remove filler words and shorten the length of silence-filled gaps on command.
“Be gone! you pesky ‘um’s’ and ‘ah’s’!”
It’s great for polishing up a podcast ready for release. So what filler words are most commonly polished out and tidied up?
1. Um
‘Um’ is definitely the most frequently used filler word. Or maybe I should call it the sound of ‘thought’. As an editor, ‘um’ causes me least angst, because my software will auto-remove it in three simple clicks!!
There’s a story recounted by Kim Scott in ‘Radical Candor’. Her manager gave her feedback after a presentation. Kim really wasn’t getting it and eventually her manager had to be quite blunt and told her that saying ‘um’ so much made her sound stupid. Harsh but true!
Um vocalises your thought processes and suggests to the listener that you’re thinking on your feet. As a leader you need to decide if you want people to know you’re making it up as you go along or whether you have a considered answer ready to go. My advice?
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