Workers who cannot speak effectively are costing UK businesses £8bn a year, according to figures released today.
Research published by speech training firm Simply Speaking on World Voice Day has revealed that almost a quarter of a billion pounds is lost through time off sick caused by voice problems, and the rest is lost during meetings where attendants switch off.
According to Simply Speaking, uninspiring speakers are therefore costing British businesses £7.8bn, based on the average manager spending an hour a week in meetings without paying attention.
Surprisingly, perhaps, a third of managers admitted that their thoughts often turned to sex when stuck in a dull meeting.
“Often workers are either boring their colleagues and clients into switching off and therefore wasting time, or damaging their voices because they use them badly (generally without knowing) and have to take time off sick,” said Helen Sewell, presentation expert at Simply Speaking.
The research found that, whereas one in three workers rely on speech to do their jobs, many are using their voices inappropriately, risking vocal cord damage.
However, Sewell argued that such problems can be easily prevented.
“It’s very easy for people to learn to speak effectively,” she said. “They just need some simple training to help them focus what they say and how to say it.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
