How to Ditch Your Verbal Crutch

Effective communication for many of us means something different. For me, it commands that we guard our speech to ensure that our intended audience understands and interprets our message in its proper context. However, I have found it challenging to continuously listen to a messenger who uses any/all of the following repeatedly: "um", "ah", "you know", and "like". I'm used to relaxed verbiage in casual conversations, but I am hearing these verbal sentence fillers more often than not in the workplace. I hear them during meetings, I hear them in the midst of business explanations, and they show up as leaders speak during presentations. Let's pretend for a moment that I called you to share my excitement surrounding a pair of shoes that I'd seen in passing. Here goes: "Yesterday I was walking through the mall and I um saw this gorgeous pair of pumps on sale. They were at ah; you know the name of the anchor store in the mall with the best shoes ever??! When I saw them, I was like; they would look so good with my new jeans or my new black dress." Is it really that difficult to simply say the following instead, "I'm thinking about purchasing a new pair of versatile pumps from Nordstrom's that I fell in love with"? Same message, but I prefer to be the recipient of the second conversation in comparison to the first for several reasons. Verbal crutches extend the message, which takes up more time; they are also distracting, which can cause the audience to lose focus; and they can make the messenger seem as if he/she isn't knowledgeable or credible.

Ridding yourself of verbal crutches may take time, but it isn't impossible. I would suggest the following:

- Record yourself- Unless someone has mentioned this unconscious habit to you, you may not be aware that you use verbal crutches. Recording yourself over the course of a week in different settings will help you identify when, where, and how you're using these speech fillers. Are you using crutches because you're nervous or only when you lack knowledge of a particular subject?

- Use substitution- In those settings when you're using verbal crutches, you could probably use other words to convey your thoughts. Think of ways to communicate your messages in a more concise fashion. Please don't become the person who uses three sentences to tell someone that you've seen a pair of shoes that you'd like to purchase!

- Public speaking- You can take advantage of opportunities to speak in front of others. When you do, ask members of your audience for feedback. What did they learn from your message and was it challenging for them to be attentive? These are great questions to ask so that you can continue to eliminate useless filler words and still communicate effectively.

I personally am not a fan of speaking in front of others, but I know that I need to be comfortable doing so. I don't want to be viewed as someone who is less competent than I am, so I too have to embrace the saying "less is more" when it comes to communication. As for verbal crutches, there is no room for cluttered messages with insignificant words. Eliminating these crutches will make your communication more effective and you could possibly become more credible in the eyes of others.

More from this contributor:

Where is Your Career Taking You?

Are You Playing It Too Safe At Work?

Are You Ticking Off Your Boss?