When you speak, do people want to hear more? Are they inspired and fired up to act on what you said or do they feel discouraged, disillusioned and manipulated? How you say what you say matters.

A story is told of a church member who invited a friend for a second time to his church. As they drove home after the service the friend commented that he had noticed the church had a new pastor. Out of curiosity, he asked, “What happened to the pastor who preached the last time I was here?”

His host replied that the church had fired the previous pastor. His friend asked him why? The churchman said it was because that pastor used to preach and tell his congregation they would go to Hell when they die.

His friend asked, “Is the church going to fire the new one because he also preached about going to Hell today?”

The church man said, “No.”

His bewildered friend asked whether it was fair to fire one pastor and hire another with the same message. The parishioner told him that when the former pastor preached, he seemed happy that his congregation was going to Hell after they died. But the new pastor, seemed heartbroken that his flock would go to Hell.

The words of a caring speaker and how they are delivered are the crucible for motivation, focused efforts sustainable team spirit and productivity. They either bring hope or discouragement. They inspire people to do whatever is humanly possible to accomplish their goals and those of their organization or discourage people from living up to their potential.

1.	People must feel or perceive that their speaker is honest about their concerns. When a leader can relate to those he/she expects to act at a personal level (from personal experience or expectations), that touches the heart, thus prompting creativity and actions that turn goals into reality.
2.	Great speaker communicate not to create panic or fear. Fear can indeed motivate immediate action, but true speakers want people to reach new heights in their endeavors at all times.
3.	The message of hope is the most effective tool a speaker can use to boost creativity, commitment and perseverance.
4.	When people know and believe that their speaker genuinely values the efforts they are making, they become more devoted to their life and professional endeavors.
5.	Words and delivery style that inspire positive action ensure continuous success as opposed to the incidental successes brought by manipulative actions.

The good news is that the art of inspirational communication is a learned skill.

By Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku, motivational speaker, Boise State adjunct professor and author of Overcoming Buffaloes at Work & in Life is an expert who works with organizations to increase productivity through leadership and employee development programs. Contact him at www.overcomingbuffaloes.com or (208) 376-8724.