Taking #NewYearNewYou to the next level

A new year is underway and a fresh level of ambition is coursing through our veins. With goals to focus on in our work and personal lives, it’s worth giving some thought to how we can maximise our connections to get where we want to go in 2017. Who do you want to influence this year, and how are you planning to do it?

Whether your goal is to rally someone to come along for a crazy ride, or to influence somebody to see things differently, it’s important that your message is being received as you intend it to be. My answer? Practise your communication skills.

From the world of the actor, here are three top tips to bettering your communication skills:

�Be present � An actor’s focus is their life-source. We have all been in those conversations when you feel like the other person isn’t listening. Every conversation is precious and deserves our undivided attention. It is easier said than done, we love to ‘multitask’, but we’re working against ourselves if we are physically in one place and mentally in another. Before an important communication, take a moment to check in with yourself, centre your breathing, adjust your alignment to feel your true height (a sneaky spine curl can work wonders to release tension and refocus).

�It’s less about you than you think � An actor’s responsibility is to create change in others, and they do that by thinking of “the other”. Instead of focusing on “what do I want to get out of this”, try flipping the script and concentrating on their objective: “what does your audience want to get out of this”. How to motivate them will then become much clearer.

�Speak up! � Actors need their voices to be heard! So many brilliant thoughts and ideas go unheard or misinterpreted because we don’t use our voices to their full potential. We all have this unique and wonderful instrument, but we are rarely taught how to use it. Harness the power of your voice to instantly increase confidence, clarity, and your ability to influence people in all areas of your lifepresentation

Whatever you do this year, put communication training at the heart of your goals. To experience the way NIDA teaches acting techniques and transformation for communication skills, come join us on a NIDA Corporate course.