Why ask questions? (like this one). Because they provoke the mind of your listener. Asking questions during a presentation forces the audience to mentally participate. We use the term ‘rhetorical question’ to mean that you don’t expect a reply. Even though the audience doesn’t answer, their minds are more active when they hear the question format. What’s…
The July 28 episode of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart had author Peter Tomsen talking about his 900 page(!) book “The Wars of Afghanistan”. Throughout, he summarized his key points using elements of Chunk Theory – for example, the numbering of points before explaining them. In response to one question, he said “there are two…
February 24th, 2011 was a significant day. Until then, much of the content found via a Google search was low quality fluff produced by ‘Content Farms’, purely to get higher rankings and expose users to ads. A high percentage of info junk means users waste time on rubbish sites, while good information is obscured. This pollution makes…
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off July 8 on the final flight of the shuttle program. A video of the launch here. Seeing a Space Shuttle in the news reminds me of the TWO Space Shuttle explosions (Challenger and Columbia) and the conclusion that poor communication via PowerPoint contributed to both disasters. Some of the blame for the Columbia disaster…
There is a big focus on public speaking rules. The ‘Dos and Don’ts’ – a list of things you should always do to be successful. And a (typically long) list of thing you should never do. The core idea behind the Rules approach to public speaking is that by simply following the rules you will be a great…
There is a big difference between a distorted message and true message. I recently went to a school sports day for 6 to 10 year olds. The teacher introducing the event made a short speech and finished with the message ‘It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun’. Unfortunately it’s a lie. It’s just not accurate. Every kid…
King George in the movie ‘The King’s Speech‘ was naturally left-handed, yet forced to use his right hand at a young age. His speech therapist, Australian Lionel Logue, explains that this is quite common in stutterers. The implication; forcing people out of their natural style can interfere with efficient mind-body coordination. Particularly in relation to communication. We…
Confusion creates fertile ground for anxiety, so it’s important to understand how public speaking nerves work. You might recognise parts of this conversation with a successful and confident senior manager. It’s similar to 100 or so conversations I’ve had about public speaking anxiety. Note the words in bold… CAM: What do you do? SM: I manage…
In the story ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, Goldilocks made sure everything was juuust right – what she ate (not too hot or too cold), the chairs she sat on and the bed she slept in (not too hard or too soft). So Goldilocks communication is where you provide just the right amount of information…
1. Lights Up Avoid turning the lights down during a presentation. If your visual support requires a darkened room, ensure it’s not long enough for them to take a nap! 2. ‘Be’ the visual… Use your arms and eyes and expression to show us the size of the fish you caught or how quickly your…