You\u00a0know that there are things you can adapt<\/a> so your content will appeal to various groups.\u00a0 You can adapt your facial expressions, your tone, and your words.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you make these adaptations, there is an important concept to keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congruence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congruence involves agreement, harmony, and compatibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When making Big Presentations in Small Rooms, you want all elements of communication pulling in the same direction.\u00a0 You want congruence in presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an earlier blog we learned about adapting facial expressions, tone, and words.\u00a0 For this blog, let\u2019s recognize that facial expressions belong to a larger category of body language.\u00a0 Congruent communication allows the audience to experience a strong pull in the same direction\u2014all elements working together to lead them toward the goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine you are in a game of tug-of-war. The opposition represents all of the things working against your message.\u00a0 Your team includes body language, tone, and words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the opposing team is all pulling straight back in the same direction, it has maximum power.\u00a0 If your team members (body language, tone, and words) are pulling in different directions, it will not have maximum power. And will be more likely to lose. Congruence offers your best chance of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do not have congruence, you must face another competition, a competition between body language, tone, and words.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an often-misunderstand and misapplied body of research, Dr. Albert Mehrabian<\/a> of UCLA focused on this competition (he was not<\/em> focused on communications in general).\u00a0 He wanted to know which element would win! Imagine a three-way tug of war. Body language, tone, and words are pulling in different directions. Which one do we place our bets on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If words do not match body language, which do you believe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If words do not match tone, which do you trust more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If body language does not match tone, which do you go with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where would you place your bets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s see what these would look like in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scenario 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you arrive to set up for your big presentation, another group is dispersing from the meeting room. One employee looks at another and says with an angry glare \u201cOh. Great job. That was brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If words do not match body language, which do you believe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scenario 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you arrive to set up for your big presentation, a familiar co-worker is leaving the previous meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow did the meeting go?\u201d you ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh. It was fine.\u201d She says with a quiet and trembling voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If words to not match tone, which do you trust more?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scenario 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Following up on the previous interaction, you seek out another coworker who was in that meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow did the meeting go?\u201d you ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was great. It went real well\u201d He responds with a cheerful voice that doesn\u2019t match the slump-shouldered posture and tearful eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If body language does not match tone, which do you go with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who Wins the Competitions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Dr. Mehrabian\u2019s research, he discovered that people weigh<\/a> the competing elements as followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The words carry the least amount of weight. In times of discongruence, they account for 7% of the weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tone is in second place with 38%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Body Language is most powerful carrying the remaining 55%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did this match your intuitions? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you believe the body language (angry glare) over the words (Great job.)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you go with the tone (quiet and trembling) over the words (Oh. Fine.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you trust the body language (the posture and tears) over the tone (cheerful)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interesting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here is another powerful thought. The incongruence creates distractions from the message. When there is incongruence, the audience is forced to make additional decisions and combat additional distractions. The decisions and distractions further weaken the pull of the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We defined the winners when there is incongruence. But we must acknowledge a big potential loser: The Presenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember the tug of war? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congruence in presentations means that your elements are all pulling in the same direction.\u00a0 You are maximizing the power of your words, tone, and body language so that they are in agreement.\u00a0 They sing in harmony.\u00a0 They are compatible.\u00a0 They are all working for you.\u00a0 They are pulling together to connect your audience to your content, to lead them toward the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want more articles, browse the blog<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to read more? Get the book<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to hear more? Check out the podcast<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nCongruence in Presentations is Like Tug-of-War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Congruence](\"https:\/\/bigpresentations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-16-Congruence-in-Communication-tug-o-war.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Competitions Weaken Congruence in Presentations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Rowers](\"https:\/\/bigpresentations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-16-Congruence-in-Communication-rowing.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Anti-Examples of Congruence in Communication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Facial](\"https:\/\/bigpresentations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-16-Congruence-in-Communication-depressed.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Winning with Congruence in Presentations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n