Boom to quietude

Make a change and remember how

Five pairs of tiny feet clattered down the stairs. Concerned faces, abrupt stops, then audible sounds of relief. The kids were confused, “What?”. No bloodshed. No fisticuffs. No dislocated arms. They thought that the adults had broken into a fight. And here we were. The grown up cousins! Having the time of our life: laughing, joking, reminiscing.

I have always known I have a loud voice. I do not mind this aspect of my personality. And my friends do not seem to care. What I had no clue about was the effect my voice may have on my co-workers. It can actually intimidate certain individuals.

What made me figure it out? A couple of times, when I noticed a shift in the conversation dynamic, I explored the cause with a willing participant. The common thread was my loud voice when I was excited about a topic. It made them go quieter in turn.

Understanding the impact made me decide to do something about it. So, I got a simple decibel measurement tool.

I kept it with me during zoom meetings. I noted the maximum level of my voice. Then worked on gradually lowering the volume down. I had my family and co-workers give me feedback on my performance.

Success? With family and friends, when I am excited and happy, I may revert back 😀. However, in the work setting, I have definitely made strides in lowering the volume. As a result, certain conversations are smoother and more meaningful.

Noticing the communication issue and knowing the resulting impact made me want to change. Seeing the positive results of my attempt keeps the momentum going. Even if the change is slow, it is happening. I came up with the 4 N’s for remembering the steps of change: Notice, kNow the impact, Nurture the change, and eNdeavor to keep going. In the words of James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits”,

If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-secen times better by the time you are done.

Here is a quick link to Mamta’s musings. I am a Life Coach. A people and quality lead, who is inspired by everyone’s uniqueness.