Chapter 6 of Maxwell's book was a relief. I love the chapter title: "Connecting is more skill than natural talent". What a relief. In particular, I have a tendency to confuse writing and speaking.
I have had to give two big presentations to the Provost and Deans in the last few months. I found that my first few drafts of the presentations were dry, boring, and overly dependent on details. It took me a lot of practice (and some key feedback in practice) to pare them down to just what was necessary and even to add a little humor (not exactly my forte).
One of the things I plan on studying over the next few months are the skills that make great speakers great. In particular, the use of storytelling and anecdotes to illustrate key points.
Great points here! I often bump up against the reality that my audience doesn't know me. By that I mean that it is easy for me to 'connect' with those who I am regularly exposed to, but when preparing to present or attend a discussion, I really have to put on a different 'thinking cap' if you will. I tend to use my sense of humor in those times, but I forget that it may not be applicable or well received. Humor is my nervous reaction...and recognizing it is the first step, right? :)(case in point)
ReplyDeleteTwo great posts. Tina you are spot on. I've found I will have sometimes 3-4 versions of a presentation to cover various audiences. I'll tell you some time my presentation to cabinet stories because there are some epic fails there. Great learning moments though!
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