Another great INSEAD webinar I attended talked about the Art of Communication and how we can project ourselves with our voices.

The ideas are not new, but the session served me well as a good reminder to be more conscious about using my voice. I also liked how the session described how different types of voices are generated in different parts of the body as it is visual and hence easy to remember.

The Head Voice 
The head voice is generated in the head/mouth area and is the voice we use when we ie bump into friends on the street and shout: "Heeeeeeeeey! Great to see you". It is a light, high(er)-pitched voice and we use it when we want to express delight and joy.

The Heart Voice
The heart voice is the voice we use when we see a sad kid and we kneel down and ask "Hey, are you okay?". It is a warm, empathetic voice and we use it when we want to express care and concern.

The Chest & Gut Voice 
This voice is generated from the center part of our body. It is the "My name is Bond, James Bond" voice and commands the most power and authority. It is deep and deliberate and we use it to position ourselves or give direction.

Why it matters?
Needless to say, as we climb up the career ladder, we need to be able to use our voice more effectively in various situations. Most among us struggle with the authorative chest & gut voice and hence it is good to practice it more consciously.

It is also true that deeper voices command more authority and are associated with leadership and may even earn you more money.

Some among us have also started to take singing lessons or got themselves voice coaches which I think are both fantastic ways to become more aware of our own voice and practice how we can project ourselves better.