A traffic cop who gives tickets delivers one of the most unwanted messages. Most recipients are not pleased to be pulled over and receive this news.
There is a police officer in Los Angeles who not only has zero complaints against him, he actually has accolades in his files for his performance.
How can the bearer of negative news accomplish this? It is through his body language, attitude and the words he speaks.
Studies reveal that our communication mix is made up of:
7{160c7819af59c11da6532971d4da6329afa70521e09652cedd42dbad61fa4f29} words 38{160c7819af59c11da6532971d4da6329afa70521e09652cedd42dbad61fa4f29} tone of voice 55{160c7819af59c11da6532971d4da6329afa70521e09652cedd42dbad61fa4f29} body language.
This officer smiles when he interacts with others. In fact, people who are pulled over say it is disarming and hard to be mad at him. The officer does not look down on others, even though he has authority. He relates to the recipient with empathy and reassurance.
The combination of relating with authority creates a remarkable win/win despite the situation.
The next time you are communicating either positive or negative news, consider how you are delivering your message based on the communication mix.
Would your receiver give you a citation or an accolade?