How conscious are you of your tone in communication? How about your body language? In my experience, people are often more aware of one than the other. This can result in a mismatch. Perhaps your tone is even and steady, but your body language may be telling a story of frustration, excitement, or something completely contrary to what your tone says. The next time you’re in a meeting, sitting down with your children for dinner, going on a date with your significant other, or having a conversation with a best friend or colleague, pay close attention to the message your tone delivers and whether it coincides with the message your body language is delivering. You’ll likely find an opportunity to get your tone and body language in more alignment.
Achieving alignment in your tone and body is not as hard as you think. Like most other things, it simply requires you to pay attention to it. It will start with becoming aware of what it is. Once you’re aware of what it is, you can decide what changes and modifications to make. As you make modifications and continue to be aware, you’ll be able to see the difference in how your communication is received. Communication, after all, is all about how it’s received and not how you intended. Matching your tone to your body language will be a significant step in increasing the effectiveness of your communication in every aspect of your life.