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Gordon Brown not entirely confidentRELEASE DATE: 9th April 2003Gordon Brown was a man brimming with self-assurance in places when he delivered his budget speech today (9th April 2003). But at times there were behaviour patterns that are commonplace in people who lack confidence.
Indeed, even with a barrage of positive figures to give us, Gordon Brown made quite a nervous start. He fiddled with his papers and the dispatch box; he even shuffled from side to side. His voice was also at a slightly higher pitch, indicating his larynx was tightened by the impact of nervousness. However, this is entirely understandable - after all he knew that the nation was listening.
When he launched into his claims about the economic success of his strategy he was full of confidence. This was shown in his body language and his non verbal communication. He used many positive and emphatic gestures, he did not rely on his notes a great deal and his voice was full of passion, characterised by variation in pace and tone. This was even the case when giving us comparative bad news, such as the revised growth forecasts. Hence this indicates some rehearsal in an attempt to soften the blow; indeed the fact that his papers were dog-eared would indicate this was a speech that had undergone extensive rehearsal and re-reading.
Even so, when Gordon Brown started to give us the details of his forthcoming plans, he withdrew from this confident, practiced approach and became less bullish. Indeed, when he was discussing his plans for businesses he showed a significant lack of self assurance. He stuck rigidly to his notes, made several mistakes in his reading and his voice became flat and monotonous. These are the typical behaviour patterns of someone who is either lacking confidence in what they are saying, or they are just not interested in their subject.
In contrast, Mr Brown was displaying confident behaviour patterns when he introduced the child trust fund information and the material on new working practices. He smiled, he relied less on his notes and he used several gestures of emphasis.
Also, when Mr Brown was speaking with confidence, his pace slowed to normal conversational levels. When he was displaying less self-assurance his pace quickened and he often strung phrases together with no pauses. This is typical of someone who just wants to get the information delivered and out of the way.
Hence, Gordon Brown's speech was a clear mixture of two performances - highly confident in some areas and lacking interest in others. This speech shows he is clearly committed to making life better for many people, but his behaviour made it seem as though he does not really care very much for the business world.
ENDS
Note to editors: These are the view of Graham Jones, communications psychologist and Managing Director of The Presentation Business. You may use any parts of this release as direct quotations from Graham Jones.
Graham Jones B.Sc.(Hons), B.A.(Hons) (Psych), Adv. Dip. Ed., MITOL is a qualified psychologist and specialises in human communication.
If you wish to use a photo of Graham Jones you can download high resolution images from http://www.presentationbiz.co.uk/media/photos.htm
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Graham Jones is available to the media for comment
Graham Jones is available for comment and quoting in articles and on broadcasts. He is a regular contributor to a variety of media and can talk to you about any aspect of human communication.
Contact him on: 0118 336 9712 |
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