How can I avoid using too much modal such as (ah...ehh...)
I am using this way too often during my interviewers but I couldn't realize when I say it.
How did you tackle this?
How can I avoid using too much modal such as (ah...ehh...)
I am using this way too often during my interviewers but I couldn't realize when I say it.
How did you tackle this?
Hi there,
You need to slow down and pause!
Take time to let your brain process what you'd like to say. We normally talk a lot faster than we think we are when we're nervous!
Learn to wait until you know what to say, and speak more deliberately.
Good luck!
This could be habitual or technical. Since we cannot diagnose the reason over Q&A - lets look at the potential solutions - and then you can go about figuring out what works best for you:
Hey there,
Record yourself while solving cases and you will realise that you you do this mostly when you try to speak while you think or sometimes to avoid any awkward moments of silence or to acknowledge what's said by the interviewer.
The gaps fillers (um, ah etc) are totally fine and are essential part of human communications. Just catch yourself and cut it down a bit if you think you are over doing it. Try and avoid this when the other person is speaking. Nod your head or use the occasional "hmm" to acknowledge what's been said.
Speaking while you think is always hard, so sometimes its best to just ask for 30 seconds to gather your thoughts and the play back after. Again, you need to balance this and go with the flow as you wont be able to ask for a time out on every thinking-speaking occasion.
Hey there,
Please note that to a certain degree this is normal but sometimes it can be a bit too much, which would negatively impact the effectiveness of their communication.
I always recommend my coachees, who do this, to conduct drills (e.g., structuring) and even practice the communication that goes along with it.
While doing that, they should record themselves and it's often a big aha-moment for them. From there on they become more mindful and it shows that in subsequent recordings and sessions the filler words become less and less.
Try it out and see for yourself!
Cheers,
Florian
Hello,
This comes with practice!
First of all, everyone uses these modal phrases to some extent, so I would only worry if you feel like you are really using them a lot. If that is the case, then I would do some mock case interviews, and focus (among other things) on this issue. Slow down your delivery, take more pauses, and whenever you feel yourself about to use a modal, just take a pause instead. Pauses feel much more awkward for the candidate than they do for the interviewer, so it takes time to get comfortable with them.
Hi there,
This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:
In case you want a more detailed discussion on what might be other factors to improve regarding your language, facial expression or gestures, please feel free to contact me directly.
I hope this helps,
Hagen
This is what I learned from multiple sessions with communication experts (the ones that consulting firms use in their worldwide trainings when you are at a manager level), and is the kind of advice I incorporate in my coaching sessions when necessary.
The reason you are using “fillers” is because you are talking faster than you think. So you need to speak slower. When you speak slower you use less fillers because your brain and your voice are aligned.
Now that leads to another potential issue. If you slow down, you may seem like lacking energy. But there's also a “cure” for that. You need to speak a louder (just a bit, don't overdo it).
So if you speak slower and a bit louder you will sound confident and energetic and with less “uh”s! ;)
(edited)
Hi!
Let your case partners know about this area of improvement and prompt you when this happens. Slow down and pause during the case resolution - it might also be beneficial.
Best,
Anto
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