Have you seen Martin Scorsese’s picture, Public Speaking? He profiles his good friend, famous essayist Fran Leibowitz.
Fran does a lot of lecture dates, and at one college, someone asked her what people should write about. My first thought was, Here we go—she’s going to say essays are the best. But her answer surprised me. Fran told the guy that she didn’t care what people wrote about. Her only criteria was that they do so in their own voice.
The idea of being yourself sounds straightforward. However, telling someone to find their voice can seem like a What without a How. I mean, where do you start? It’s challenging to be consistently authentic, especially in the era of AI. So, in the October series, Showcase Your Authentic Voice at Work, we’ll discuss how you can combine being genuine with excellent communication skills. (Skills that do double duty? I’m in—chef’s kiss!)
You can find your voice by using soft skill How tactics. For instance, exercise qualities like having a creative, adaptable approach, demonstrating great judgment, and exercising compassion for the listener. Using those tactics will help you become a communicator who is impactful and true to themselves.
Let’s meet someone who realized her authentic voice had been waiting all along.
Comedian Lisa Beasley started seeing a communication theme as she freelanced: Managers who spent 1:1s speed talking. Lisa couldn’t get a word in edgewise as her manager of the week waffled between being overly friendly and passive aggressive. What did all these actions add up to? Insincerity.
Beasley heard so much word salad that she created the character Corporate Erin. You’ll find Corporate Erin babbling away on TikTok, alternately demanding deliverables and then making cringe attempts at jokes. Commentators have called the Shorts spot on.
Erin Kenney initially joined in, but the videos slowly started to hit differently. She remembered her wake-up call and stated, “My entire 20s was dedicated to ‘I want to be like a Corporate Erin,’ basically. I want to move up in my company, and I’ll do whatever I can to do that. That meant going to every single happy hour and staying late and logging back on and volunteering for things that I just did not want to do.”
Do you know Corporate Erins, who asserts random opinions at every opportunity? Or perhaps you’ve worked with the Blurty McBlurt, “I have to say something” person, taking meetings down a rabbit hole with multiple off-topic comments. Or you may know a Rambly McRamble—the person wanting you to hang out while they think out loud and finally get to the point. In an instant, it’s clear why personalities with The Corporate Accent end up either as a meme or comedy clip on TikTok!
As an alternative, become a powerful communicator by selecting a few meaningful keywords you can keep top of mind. For instance, you could set a goal to be “sincere,” “compelling,” or “memorable.” You don’t have to become an entertainer or create a persona. But in today’s loud, complicated world, it’s essential to recognize you’re competing with and trying to cut through a lot of noise.
Now, let’s put the keywords to work. Replay a critical conversation or email. Then noodle on these questions to discover or reconnect with your true self:
Mimicking tired corporate speak won’t help you stand out in a crowd. So, sharpen your integrity and communication skills by being genuine, and that applies whether you’re in a meeting, presentation, or hallway conversation. Elevate your career and relationships by finding and expressing your authentic voice.