the mehrabian theory

Did you know that according to Alfred Mehrabian's research, 7 percent of meaning is communicated through spoken word, 38 percent through tone of voice, and 55 percent through body language.  By the way, for history buffs,  Mehrabian was Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Although he originally trained as an engineer, he is best known for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages.

Why does this matter and why am I writing about this?  

Well, I have a hunch more people know about this in the age of Zoom.  I actually learned about it since I've been in Toastmasters Leadership Program for the past 12 years.  This came up as I was having a conversation today with a colleague about facilitation and the fact it can be even more challenging when you're facilitating on Zoom.  

But I invite you to think about it next time you're on a call -whether it's on Zoom or the Phone (OMG - does anybody use those anymore???).  If you're on a call, are you conscious of your tone?  Are you intentional about the inflection of your voice?  And obviously with Zoom, all of this is even more pronounced.  I often talk to leaders about the way the show up - both physically and mentally - for meetings.  This comes to the forefront when often all people can see is your face and part of your body.  

Just a little food for thought before the weekend.  Have a great one!