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Just back from my High School reunion — first time I’d seen most of those folks since we walked those many years ago. It was with mixed feelings that I attended, but I’m glad I did. One thing I found interesting with communication implications is that people entertained the small talk about the here and now [...] I’ve seen this several times, most recently today. A speaker in a public forum is taking questions. A hand is raised. The speaker keeps on speaking, or handles other questions, but one particular hand does not get acknowledged. The person asking tries once, twice, three times (but with less gusto each time). And then they [...] Watched an introduction today where the speaker being introduced was not only an accomplished author but had his own radio show. And the introducer got up and made mention of these points, but bungled them by not being prepared. First, he apparently made up the extent of the book’s reach with a comment “it’s sold [...] Keeping an audiences’ attention is a constant balance of showmanship, compelling content, efficient delivery, and a great audience. It is harder if a presentation is less interactive, since the audience does little except sit and listen. Saw a speaker today who had 7 points (what happened to three and a poem?), which is far more than [...] Today’s entry was submitted by a (the?) faithful reader (and no, it wasn’t mom). While shehe did not wish to be identified, I thought it was good enough for publication, and submit it for your edification and enjoyment (and don’t do this!). —– Attended a technical meeting tonight. The guy presenting did a decent job and I [...] Watched a speaker open a few days ago with the phrase, “Let me tell you about my life…“ Short of opening with, “I’d like to show some pictures from my vacation…” there are few things that could be more self-centered or more poorly received. An audience doesn’t much care about the speaker’s life, unless the [...] Probably the most common and annoying thing I witness is a speaker making references to how much time he has left to speak. It just isn’t something that needs to come up. If we’re running short on time, chances are good that we’re presenting content of value (and if not, the snoring should give us [...] Watched a butchery of handouts today. When handouts help make a point, give the listener a take-away or help keep them paying attention where they otherwise might be jotting stuff down, add things not covered in the talk, or provide context and organization to the topic, by all means use them. But here’s what I [...] |
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