MAKE no mistake, there exists the power of life and death in your words; there is also success and failure in the tone of your voice.

You may recall a time in your life when someone said something to you and the tone in which they said it made you feel like crawling under a rock; and it was not what they said but the tone in which they said it. Now recall a time when someone else said something to you in a warm, sincere and pleasant tone, which made you think that you can conquer the world. The tone was transformational and created a breeding ground for success.

Open-ended, vocal tonality is very powerful and necessary in helping your staff achieve success and yield high productivity. There are four such tones that elicit this kind of response. They utilise the power of up-tempo sound and warmth so that the employee gets an uplifting experience from the voice itself. Through your tone alone, people can develop easy access to thoughtful values and vision-flow states when connecting with you.

The Art and Science of Coaching discusses the importance of using four powerful tones that open the door to our ability to tap into the deeper visual brain and sharpen our capacity to appreciate the inner values and capability of others.

The tone of the wizard

This is a very important tone for managers and supervisors or anyone who wants to see people succeed and do well. This tone is upbeat, up-tempo, engaging and value-based, all at the same time. It is robust and enthusiastic, a blend of both expectation and a request for competence. It is used with questions of strategies and resources that trigger and encourage enthusiastic visualisation and it generates appreciation of possibilities and future engagement. Let’s just suppose you were in a meeting and someone comes up with a brilliant idea for a marketing strategy for the company. Instead of saying, “Good idea”, you can use the tone of the wizard to elicit more brilliance by saying, “Now you are getting some ideas, what else?” or “You are getting me excited, keep describing the big picture for all of us to see”. You may also ask, “Did anyone ever tell you how creative you are when you allow yourself to flow?”

The tone of the true friend

Just imagine yourself in your supervisor’s office telling him/her about a mistake you made in a press release that was sent to the media half an hour ago. Most us are used to tones of reprimand and anger, which make us feel like the worse people in the world. But the tone of the true friend woos the employee towards self-appreciation in the face of difficulty. It facilitates forgiveness for mistakes and provides unconditional support. This tonal voice is warm and open, light and particularly tender. Consider the difference it would make if you heard the tone of the true friend from your supervisor: “Is it possible that you are being too hard on yourself for the mistake? Let’s see the best way we can remedy the situation before it is released. I have to remind myself that sometimes I mess up too. I appreciate the work you do for this company and encourage you to stay on top of your game”.

The tone of the visionary elder

This tone is like a bell, gently ringing in new possibilities and sounding clearly with the highest resonant tone in the available range of tones. This tone shows leadership in quiet thanksgiving and celebration. The focus here is championing the inner resources of the person that would move them one step closer to success. The visionary elder might say, “You are really learning, keep doing what you are doing” or “Your capabilities will go a far way, I like the way you are applying yourself”.

The tone of the warrior

This fourth tone has a different function from the first three, which is that of maintaining personal survival against the odds. It is about taking action and taking it now. The inner voice of this tone is both determined and procedural; it propels you into action in order to survive. It is direct, tactical, focused, and assertive. This tone is rather grim, tight and serious and can engender fear. However, it should only be used when quick action needs to be taken in cases of crisis and survival. We also need it when it is time to step beyond an old, unnecessary habit. When it is used this way, it has the energy of a high five, where you passionately support a person to go further. “You’re on track, go for it” and “Time to step up and show yourself you can do it” are just two examples of what can be said using the warrior tone.

The power of tones and the use of your voice as a manager, team leader, teacher, trainer, supervisor or anyone with designated authority cannot be underestimated. Tonality of voice is critical for communication with the emotional brain to elicit the desired result. Now that you have awareness of these tones, where might you be able to apply them in your life? What tones do you use when speaking to yourself or those in your charge?

The next time you give an instruction or make a comment to someone, pay attention to your tone; it might just be the tone that launches them into the path of success. Remember, it is not what is said but the tone in which it is said.

Henry Lewis is an executive coach and CEO/founder of Caribbean Coaching Center. He may be contacted at info@caribbeancoachingcenter.com.