How to Communicate with Passion in the Workplace

Hi there, I'm Missy G. Thanks for tuning in. Today I want to talk to you about how to communicate with passion in a way that's effective and gets people to support your ideas without turning them off. Think about the following scenarios. Think about if you're at work and you're trying to propose a new system or product or program or any other idea that you fully believe in. You've been researching it for weeks or months or even over a year and it's now time to get other people on board. Or think about having a discussion with one of your teammates or subordinate and you're trying to improve their performance and motivate them and let them know that you fully believe that they can be doing a better job. Or what if there's a new employee at the office and you're talking to them trying to figure out some ways that you guys have mutual interests and create a connection with that person. So you start talking about your passions and your interests and to see if they like anything that's similar. These are all examples of ways to invoke passion in the workplace and they're all great. They all happen all the time. But how could that go wrong? How could your passion come across in a way that isn't professional? First, sometimes if you're overly passionate, you could alienate or overwhelm the listener. Sometimes it can turn into a lecture and not a conversation. Or you can come across as condescending or presumptuous. Because it's a passion of yours, you're sure everyone else wants to hear all about it and you tell them every single little detail, even if it's common knowledge. On the flip side, sometimes when you're passionate about a topic, you skip all the details and just rush to the main point, assuming that others know exactly what you're talking about. This can be really confusing for those that are unfamiliar with your topic. It's not necessarily offensive like the first two examples, but it can still cause miscommunication and you might not sell them on your points. Another way that passion can go wrong in the workplace is your body language. For example, my husband is very passionate about investing in finance. When he gets talking about these topics at work or at home or with friends, he gets excited. And when he gets excited, he gets a little bit boisterous, his body language opens up, he gets taller, his voice gets louder and deeper, and he projects a lot more. That's fine, you know, it's clear that his passion is coming through. However, my husband is 6'3 and has a deep voice to begin with, and so when he gets larger and louder, or if someone's in the smaller frame, it can be very intimidating to them. So what he has to do during these situations is slow down. He has to pause, take a breath, invite questions or comments or opinions, and that gets him to settle back down and make sure that he's not intimidating the person that he's talking to. So what are some other ways that you can communicate with passion? Being robotic isn't ideal. Emotion is part of human nature and it's a part of the workplace as well. But if you want people to actively listen to you, you should follow these three tips. First, be objective. I know that's hard to do when you're passionate about something, but not everyone shares your passion. So go into a conversation probably knowing that. Second, plan your communication. When you're communicating on a work-related topic, on something that you're passionate about, you should probably assume that no one else is as passionate about it as you are. So think about your main points. Think about exactly what you want to say when you come across. What are the takeaways that you want your colleagues to really remember? Build your case for the nonbeliever and try to convince them that they should be interested and support your topic just as well. And finally, control your body language. Emotion is great, but not when it comes across as intimidating. So talk to friends and family members and just ask them, you know, how approachable are you when you're passionate about something? Is it, do you need to control your voice or keep your gestures closer? You know, do you come across as intimidating to anyone? Well, I hope these tips helped you today and I appreciate you tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe and check out our website at PhineasGTS.com to learn more about how to awaken your financial genius.