All language subtitles for MasterClass LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling - 10 Make Your Communication More Impactful

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I think it's
important to remember

that there's a difference
between conversation

and communication.

We can talk just to
hear ourselves talk

or to fill up the void.

A lot of us have a
discomfort with silence,

and we talk so that we don't
have to suffer the silence.

But conversing and communicating
are really not the same thing

because communicating
indicates, again, an intention

to have an exchange.

Conversing is-- for
me, it's just sort

of like tossing the salad, just
throwing it up and mixing it

up.

But communicating--
it's more precise.

It's more intentional.

And it's more directed.

The best way to get
better at it is just

to bring that awareness
to the moment.

Am I interested in
just conversing here?

Or am I really trying
to communicate?

Is there-- is there
a deeper purpose?

Is there-- is there a reason I
am engaging with this person?

What can I bring to the moment?

What can I give?

And what can I
receive as a result?

It's that effort to be aware,
to be conscious of the reasons

that we're communicating
and the manner in which

we're communicating, right?

Rhythm, tone, expression, all
of those things come into play.

But at the beginning, the
middle, and the end of the day,

it really is about, what
is my intention for being

engaged in this moment?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

For years on "Star Trek--

The Next Generation,"
my eyes were covered.

And what I had to do was develop
a new way of communicating

that did not involve my eyes.

So what that looked
like for me--

I allowed for my energy
to be front and center,

whereas before I relied on the
expressive nature of my eyes.

And what I discovered was I
had to communicate everything

that my eyes would have said in
body posture and energy level,

right?

And Geordi was a
really engaged--

he's a really
engaged human being.

And so all of Geordi's movement,
even when standing still,

was open and receptive.

These are the things that we
kind of learn unconsciously

as we grow up as human beings--

that it's possible
to communicate

without saying anything.

The idea that my body is
telling a story along with me

and that--

and that I want to
be aware of what

my body is saying as a
part of this communication.

We oftentimes get so focused
on the delivery, on the words,

right, that we miss out on
how much communicating we're

doing unconsciously.

The idea that when you sit with
your arms crossed that there's

a part of you that
you're actually

closing off to the
conversation-- now,

it may sound silly.

But it's actually
true that when you

sit in a posture that
is open and receptive,

you tend to be more
open and receptive.

Of the many ways
that we communicate

with one another
nonverbally, I think

that there are a couple of areas
that is important to focus on.

The power of one's eyes as
a nonverbal communicator

is really important
to be aware of.

They say that the eyes are the
window into the soul, right?

And what that means
to me is that there

is an empathy, an automatic
empathy that is possible

when we look into
one another's eyes,

when we are able to,
without guile or artifice,

just simply connect
with the eyes.

Another one is attitude.

Your body posture
is really important,

knowing that what I'm
communicating through my body

is as important, as much of a
part of the story as the words

that I use.

And then, of course,
tonality, the tone that

we use when we're speaking--

that has a great and
tremendous impact

on how our communications
are received.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

One of the ways to be a
very effective communicator

is to learn how to establish
rapport with your audience.

Rapport is simply
a way to express

a sympathy between entities.

OK?

There's the Spanish word,
the Latin word, [SPANISH],,

meaning "alike."

Things that are alike
tend to like each other.

So there is a technique
called mirroring

wherein you can be observant
about the body posture

and attitude of your
partner in communicating.

And let's say you're trying
to communicate with somebody

who has their legs crossed.

It is possible to subtly
adopt that body attitude,

thereby establishing rapport.

And then if you
get good at that,

it is possible to take
that to the next level.

And you begin to-- after
mirroring and locking

that in, you begin to lead.

And you can actually experience
that person unconsciously.

Because so much of
our communicating

is done on unconscious
levels, you

will actually
experience that person

begin to mirror your body
posture and attitude.

You know, when you're engaged
in a dynamic conversation, maybe

an argument with somebody, when
you vary, modulate your tone,

it has an impact on the
person you're arguing with.

You can escalate one
another to high heaven.

Or you can actually help
bring someone's energy

down by adopting the
energy you would like

to be in the presence thereof.

That's the magical
nature of what

it is we do as human beings.

We have the ability to
impact and influence

one another on so many levels.

And it's all storytelling.

These are all elements that the
masters of the game all use.

Right?

It's about establishing an
empathy, an energy of [SPANISH]

with your audience, letting them
know that it is safe for them

to open up to the moment.

That's really what it's about.

That kind of emphasis
is really important

because when you lean in,
when you show interest

and give attention
to another person,

there is an autonomic response.

Endorphins flow.

There is a physiological
change that

happens when we feel like we
are being paid attention to.

And that's such a human thing.

We all crave to be seen.

We all crave to be recognized
by our fellow human beings.

And when we are,
we feel like we're

in the right place
at the right time.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

A really key part of
being a good participant

in communication, long-form
communication, more than text

or just hi and
bye, is listening.

What we need to bear in
mind when we're listening

is that it's important to put
our own agenda momentarily

aside.

We are so egocentrically based
in this culture in our society

that we tend to walk around in
life believing that that which

we have to say is the most
important thing in any given

interaction or communication.

Not necessarily true.

Our ability to put aside just
for a moment that which we feel

is important to say in
favor of establishing

that trust with your
communicative partner

and giving them the experience
of being listened to--

this kind of
communication, especially

long-form communication,
it doesn't happen instantly

or instantaneously.

It's not going to
always be there

at the top of the conversation.

You kind of have to hunt
and peck your way through.

And what that really requires
is showing up with a desire

to be interested in the person
that you're communicating with.

It's nothing more
complex than that.

It is the act of
being interested,

desiring of having an authentic
moment of communication

with another person, that really
determines the quality of how

we communicate.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I have this idea that it's
possible to use breath

as a portal.

When I'm doing my podcast
"LeVar Burton Reads,"

I begin each story by
inviting the audience

to take a deep breath.

And that ritual for me--
and I love ceremony.

I love ritual.

I think it's-- again, it's
one of the aspect of--

aspects of life that binds us
together, like storytelling.

I create that ritual
because for me, there

is that which comes
before the story,

and then there's the breath.

And then there's the
story so that we're really

walking through a door.

That breath, that moment of
there was something before

and there's
something else coming

after, those kinds of passages
are really important to humans.

We engage in them all the time.

We like order.

We thrive on process.

When we engage in these
kinds of activities,

they ground us in our humanity
because these are things

that we do quite naturally.

Being grounded in
our humanity is

as important to
how we communicate

and how effectively we
communicate as any other thing

we bring to this activity.