We have all heard criticisms of executives or politicians who are all style and no substance, suggesting one is good (substance) and one is bad, or at least without value (style). Now Harvard professor Sandy Pentland and colleagues have proven that while content is critical in the long run, style or charisma is an important determing factor in measuring performance.
The study, which is discussed in the January-February, 2010 edition of Harvard Business Review (HBR) found that « honest signals » were powerful predictors of success. Pentland was able to predict the winners of a business competition (with 87 per cent accuracy) based only on the « signals » (gestures, expressions, tone) he observed of participants without seeing or hearing the presentations. In other words, positive and charismatic people succeed more often than those who may have great content but no style.
Pentland cites the Kennedy/Nixon debates where those who listened to the debate said Nixon won and those who watched said, overwhelmingly, that Kennedy won. It is human to make judgements based on much more than the content. We are hard-wired to go beyond the words to judge the credibility and believability of the messages by applying the elements of our intuition.
No one would argue that ideas and content don’t matter. As communications professionals we need be be aware, however, of how effective our spokespeople are in delivering content. Are they authentic? Do they believe what they are saying? Do they look uncomfortable? The best key messages in the world can fall flat if delivered by someone lacking in enthusiasm and passion. Sometimes this discomfort is sometimes caused by public relations staff or consultants drafting messages or speeches that while clever enough, are not based on input from the person who has to speak them.
So now it has been proven…style and substance both matter. As practitioners, we are responsible for developing strong and thoughtful content but we have to make sure it is delivered to be believed.
