Communication trends

Guest contribution by | 16.05.2019

A conversation with Tatjana Lackner, six times bestselling author, about trends in communication, about the advantages of nudging, advance justifications and changed communication behaviour in management, about monotonous podcasts and modern beliefs.

Nudging instead of babbling

Tatjana, what are the latest trends in communication?

Tatjana Lackner: “Nudging” works better than ” babbling” (laughs). It is clear that urinals with spiders or balls that can be moved thanks to the masculine radiance guarantee more accuracy and thus the desired purity. No warning letter in the world with standing sentences like “Please keep this toilet clean … blabla” has managed this before. For some it is a matter of harmless pushing and “setting positive incentives”. Critics, on the other hand, warn against exploiting the weaknesses of fellow human beings, manipulating them and conditioning them in a calculating way. Others, again, consider Nudge simply nonsense. Seen from a light perspective, commandments, bans or even penalties do not necessarily mean that citizens drive slower, dispose of their rubbish properly or leave toilets clean.

Can nudging also be used, for example, by the state and in public spaces?

Tatjana: If the state wants to gently correct its sheep, then nudging methods are used. For example with sympathetic smileys that smile as soon as you drive slower through the residential area. Incentives instead of punishments are also an issue here. But the range of psycho tricks goes too far for some. In Minnesota, for example, defaulting taxpayers received a letter informing them that 90% of their fellow citizens had already paid their taxes. See there, the payment moral became better by the gentle group pressure. The question that many ask themselves is: Is the state allowed to interfere with us in this way? Are incentives cheaper than penalties? Or is it aimed at the human dignity of the individual? Should we also “nudge” in modern customer conversations?

Communication in management

The profiling of executives is one of your particular strengths. Is the communication behaviour in management changing?

Tatjana: I am currently experiencing more and more frequently that people like to justify themselves in advance for statements or a set action. “You know, right before I introduce you to my new team, I’d like to explain to you why I chose these employees …” or “Just so you understand why I can’t do anything about the price …”. Behind justifications is the desire to be “liked” and at the same time to secure an acquittal as a private individual who had to act contrary to his convictions in day-to-day business.

Is there perhaps also a “new” openness behind it?

In some cases it is advisable to tell the interviewee the plan truth from the start. This will lower your hopes and expectations. It is also important to always convey the effort and the cooperative basic tone. In the leadership of employees, on the other hand, advance justifications always seem as if the manager is not assuming any responsibility and is shifting the burden onto the apparatus or the organization. or “Sorry, but the board has said, …” or “It is important to me that you understand me and recognize why I could not act differently. I had to send someone to the client who knew … “. Here a manager advertises the absolution of his employee and that, when used inflationary, doesn’t seem very charismatic.

The monotonous podcast

What changes are you experiencing in the course of digitisation?

Tatjana:After Facebook is weakening in advertising technology and Instagram is developing more and more into a women’s medium, which is primarily concerned with topics such as..: Health & Food, Beauty & Make-up, Sports & Diets, Clothing & Accessories, many other are looking for differnt niches.

Podcasts are still on the rise. But many things that knock on the eardrum sound creepy and “podhässlich”. Some, for example, speak in a completely inarticulate and dispassionate manner and ask themselves: Why did he go among the podcasters? Local colour, ambiguity and monotony demand a great deal from listeners in order to translate the content. Another noodles and sloops on a sound into a moderately good microphone. The next podcaster may have audibly better equipment, but her sedate manner and the massaged in amount of calendar sayings are not equally pleasant for every listener.

And what helps?

Tatjana:First of all you should think about an avatar for your podcast. How old is my fictitious target audience? What should it be called and what does it do? The more accurate you make this avatar analysis, the more concrete the dramaturgy of the podcast will be later. Then you take care of the basic journalistic rules of writing and draw up an editorial plan. Three to four hours of speaking technique or voice work definitely pay off.

In the “Schule des Sprechens” (School of Speaking) we are currently accompanying, for example, some YouTuber and podcasters who speak texts with us from the other end of the world. Thanks to WhatsApp, Facetime, Zoom and Co this is free of charge and our speech training lessons are charged the same way as conventional lessons. Especially at the beginning, valuable tips for text resolution make a difference. After all, nobody should sound read. Anyone who speaks freely from the very beginning will soon experience the trouble of filling words with words. The “ähs”, “so to speak” and “you know'” sneak in quickly. This is especially dangerous with podcasts, because everyone can listen to these linguistic bumps over and over again. You can even find comedy repeaters of bad podcast sequences on the net.

urrent doctrines

Are there any current beliefs that you notice socially?

Tatjana: Yes, there are. I meet many people who already categorically reject social media in their young forties and at the same time wonder how other seminar participants know so much about current social developments. Of course it is not necessary for everyone to manage a Facebook profile and unfortunately some parents consider “from 13” only a non-binding recommendation. I’m sure an older lady would do better if her grandson took her for a walk in person, rather than just linking a photo of lunch at the senior residence to Instagram.

In most cases the analogue colleagues reject Facebook & Co, because they don’t want to learn anything new technically and at the same time have a diffuse fear of wrong handling and public exposure. They are only concerned superficially with the loss of time or the fact that “everyone is just looking at their mobile phone”. After all, they wouldn’t have to.

They have no idea how much they could benefit in other areas of modern life thanks to their acquired basic technical understanding. They want to mail and use WhatsApp, but they don’t want to acquire any other knowledge. They often fall into the trap of mobile phone quacks, pseudo-hackers and small fraudsters who make good change with the educationally resistant granny next door.

Loneliness in old age does not become better through digitization, but it is more bearable for many pensioners who exchange information with others online. Leisure activities and holidays can be administered digitally more easily and recommendations by peers help throughout life. Learning into old age implies technical education and digital communication.

Thank you for your impressions. We are looking forward to the next time.

Tatjana: I’d love to.

 

Notes:

Business Rhetorik to go - Blog - t2informatik

Business-Rhetorik to go: Sprechen 4.0 is the title of the current book by Mrs. Lackner, which you can order here.

Information on Tatjana Lackner can be found at www.sprechen.com. She regularly publishes interesting facts about communication (in German) at www.sprechen.com/blog.

Tatjana Lackner has published additional articles here in the t2informatik Blog:

t2informatik Blog: Generation Talk

Generation Talk

t2informatik Blog: Emojis in communication

Emojis in communication

t2informatik Blog: Communication in small and large companies

Communication in small and large companies

Tatjana Lackner
Tatjana Lackner

Tatjana Lackner is one of the leading communication & behavior profilers. Her eye captures people. Her ear hears personal details from every voice. She recognizes the smallest aspects of behavior. The “Trainer of the Year” (Magazin Training) is a politician coach, 6-time bestselling author, 2-time mother and already a young grandmother. Tatjana Lackner is by her effective Coachings Top Trainerin of German-language radio and television moderators, of many high-level personnel, managers, politicians and successful enterprises at home and abroad. She recognizes the potential learning fields of her clients in a flash. She formulates her trainer feedback in a precise, accurate and noticeably honest way. Tatjana Lackner’s trainings, seminars and events guarantee a high fun factor.