Mar 21, 2022
Can you apply the techniques and practices of professional singing to be a better workplace professional? (The short answer? Yes!) In today’s episode of IntHerrupt, Linda is joined by board-certified musical therapist and vocal coach Lisa Townsend to teach us how to combat worry in the workplace.
Feeling confident in the face of worry:
- First, check with yourself. If you know how you feel, you can find the flow of conversation.
- Know your audience and read the room. If you’re aware of how to present and act, you can help overcome feelings of uneasiness.
- Authenticity and vulnerability are everything. People can tell when you're saying what they want to hear versus what you believe.
- Maintain a steady speech rhythm, take intentional pauses, and show you’re actively listening to a conversation.
- In every line of text or singing or speech, practice is the opportunity to be again. Pausing allows time for processing and vulnerability that people should take to display confidence.
Confidence combats negativity:
- When we have the confidence to speak up about something when it happens, that opens us up to mending problems sooner. If we catch the problem quickly, there’s less time to fall into a negative mindset.
- Negative communication is (in part) due to people letting behaviors slide and developing negative feelings towards another.
- Direct communication doesn’t have to be negative. For example, directly expressing your likes and dislikes to another lets them avoid including it in conversation.
Lisa’s tips to combat negativity and find confidence:
- Ask yourself, “Is this an appropriate time?” You’ll feel more confident in the conversation when giving full attention to it. Make sure the time is right, and your presence is right.
- Take intentional pauses and respond only once you’ve thought through the conversation.
- Permit yourself to table a conversation to process it. Ask if something can be revisited in the future or if the audience needs a decision at that moment.
How do you use music?
- She works with entrepreneurs who are becoming bolder with their voices but have hangups. (For example, they might be self-conscious about their volume or pitch.)
- She does creative voice work that isn’t about learning lyrics but rather about lyrical phrasing, full-body support, breathwork, and learning to anchor.
- Applying these vocal techniques to a speaking voice increases confidence and our ability to express empathy towards another.
A final takeaway from today’s episode? Many things are happening in the world, but the only thing that we can control is our own reactions. Connect with Lisa by visiting her website (lisatownsendmusic.com) to see more of her work!
Do you have stories to tell? Connect with Linda to share them.
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