Monday, February 23, 2009
Chapter 7 Designing Oral Presentations Summary
Chapter 7 Designing Oral Presentation Summary
Gina Taylor
As speakers we all know the importance of properly preparing our material far enough in advance so we may have sufficient time to rehearse and fine-tune our speeches. Unfortunately, this is not enough to assure that your speech or presentation is well received. Your speech preparation must also include gathering information about your audience and their needs. A well prepared speech given to the wrong audience can have the same effect as a poorly prepared speech given to the correct audience. They both can fail terribly.
It is critical that preparation efforts include some amount of audience analysis. The more you know and understand about your audience and their needs, the better you can prepare your speech to assure that you meet their needs. The introduction sets the tone of the entire speech. The introduction should be brief and to-the-point. As in any social situation, your audience makes strong assumptions about you during the first eight or ten seconds of your speech. For this reason, you need to start solidly and launch the topic clearly. Focus your efforts on
Gina Taylor
As speakers we all know the importance of properly preparing our material far enough in advance so we may have sufficient time to rehearse and fine-tune our speeches. Unfortunately, this is not enough to assure that your speech or presentation is well received. Your speech preparation must also include gathering information about your audience and their needs. A well prepared speech given to the wrong audience can have the same effect as a poorly prepared speech given to the correct audience. They both can fail terribly.
It is critical that preparation efforts include some amount of audience analysis. The more you know and understand about your audience and their needs, the better you can prepare your speech to assure that you meet their needs. The introduction sets the tone of the entire speech. The introduction should be brief and to-the-point. As in any social situation, your audience makes strong assumptions about you during the first eight or ten seconds of your speech. For this reason, you need to start solidly and launch the topic clearly. Focus your efforts on
Friday, February 20, 2009
Chapter 6 Designing Messages with Words Summary
Chapter 6 Designing Messages with Words
Gina Taylor
The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language.
At birth, most people have vocal cords, which produce sounds. As a child grows it learns how to form these sounds into words. Some words may be imitative of natural sounds, but others may come from expressions of emotion, such as laughter or crying. Words alone have no meaning. Only people can put meaning into words. As meaning is assigned to words, language develops, which leads to the development of speaking.
The actual origin of language is subject to considerable speculation. Some theorists believe it is an outgrowth of group activities such as working together or dancing. Others believe that language developed from basic sounds and gestures.
Over 3,000 languages and major dialects are spoken in the world today. The development of languages reflects class, gender, profession, age group, and other social factors. The huge variety of languages usually creates difficulties between different languages, but even within a single language there can be many problems in understanding.
Through speaking we try to eliminate this misunderstanding, but sometimes this is a very hard thing to do. Just as we assume that our messages are clearly received, so we assume that because something is important to us, it is important to others. As time has proven this is not at all true. Many problems can arise is speaking and the only way to solve these problems is through experience.
Speaking can be looked at in two major areas: interpersonal and public speaking. Since the majority of speaking is an interpersonal process, to communicate effectively we must not simply clean up our language, but learn to relate to people.
In interpersonal speaking, etiquette is very important. To be an effective communicator one must speak in a manner that is not offending to the receiver. Etiquette also plays an important role in an area that has developed in most all business settings: hierarchical communication. In business today, hierarchical communication is of utmost importance to all members involved.
The other major area of speaking is public speaking. From the origin of time, it has been obvious that some people are just better public speakers than others. Because of this, today a good speaker can earn a living by speaking to people in a public setting. Some of the major areas of public speaking are speaking to persuade, speaking to inform, and speaking to inspire or motivate.
Because speaking is such an indelible activity, we tend to do it without much thought. But, that casual approach can be a problem in business. Have you ever wished you could make a second, first impression because you said something that was out of character or embarrassing? I have! That comment that you didn’t think about before you said, has created an image in someone’s mind that can not be replaced even when you meant something totally different. When it comes to oral communication, your goal should be to take advantage of its positive characteristics while minimizing the dangers.
Speaking can be used as a tool to accomplish your objectives. But, first you must break the habit of talking spontaneously without planning what you’re going to say or how you’re going to say it. You must learn to manage the impression you create by consciously tailoring your remarks and delivery style to suit the situation.
Gina Taylor
The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language.
At birth, most people have vocal cords, which produce sounds. As a child grows it learns how to form these sounds into words. Some words may be imitative of natural sounds, but others may come from expressions of emotion, such as laughter or crying. Words alone have no meaning. Only people can put meaning into words. As meaning is assigned to words, language develops, which leads to the development of speaking.
The actual origin of language is subject to considerable speculation. Some theorists believe it is an outgrowth of group activities such as working together or dancing. Others believe that language developed from basic sounds and gestures.
Over 3,000 languages and major dialects are spoken in the world today. The development of languages reflects class, gender, profession, age group, and other social factors. The huge variety of languages usually creates difficulties between different languages, but even within a single language there can be many problems in understanding.
Through speaking we try to eliminate this misunderstanding, but sometimes this is a very hard thing to do. Just as we assume that our messages are clearly received, so we assume that because something is important to us, it is important to others. As time has proven this is not at all true. Many problems can arise is speaking and the only way to solve these problems is through experience.
Speaking can be looked at in two major areas: interpersonal and public speaking. Since the majority of speaking is an interpersonal process, to communicate effectively we must not simply clean up our language, but learn to relate to people.
In interpersonal speaking, etiquette is very important. To be an effective communicator one must speak in a manner that is not offending to the receiver. Etiquette also plays an important role in an area that has developed in most all business settings: hierarchical communication. In business today, hierarchical communication is of utmost importance to all members involved.
The other major area of speaking is public speaking. From the origin of time, it has been obvious that some people are just better public speakers than others. Because of this, today a good speaker can earn a living by speaking to people in a public setting. Some of the major areas of public speaking are speaking to persuade, speaking to inform, and speaking to inspire or motivate.
Because speaking is such an indelible activity, we tend to do it without much thought. But, that casual approach can be a problem in business. Have you ever wished you could make a second, first impression because you said something that was out of character or embarrassing? I have! That comment that you didn’t think about before you said, has created an image in someone’s mind that can not be replaced even when you meant something totally different. When it comes to oral communication, your goal should be to take advantage of its positive characteristics while minimizing the dangers.
Speaking can be used as a tool to accomplish your objectives. But, first you must break the habit of talking spontaneously without planning what you’re going to say or how you’re going to say it. You must learn to manage the impression you create by consciously tailoring your remarks and delivery style to suit the situation.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
CHAPTER 5 CREATING AND USING MEANINGS
Summary: Chapter 5 Creating and Using Meanings
Gina Taylor
Finding or creating meaning can be very helpful. It is not always easy, and may take some time and work, but it can be very helpful and comforting in a difficult situation.
It is difficult to isolate all of the factors that play into how people consume news and alter their opinions, but it's probably safe to say that an individual will watch a number of finished news segments or read a number of articles and form a set of preliminary set of beliefs.
These beliefs are reinforced or challenged after discussing the news with his/her friends or family, But people usually surround themselves around friends who agree with their value system or so there isn't usually a lot of assumptions or attitudes being challenged.
Perception is a three phase process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information. You can understand interpersonal situations better if you appreciate how you and another person construct perceptions. Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of environmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli. Through the perceptual process, we gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our survival. Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us; it allows us to act within our environment.
Organizational skills can help you cope with the world around you. They provide structure, create a semblance of order and reduce daily stress levels. The organizational skills you apply toward planning each day insure that you are at least somewhat productive and that you accomplish what you must. They direct the demands on your attention and give you some sense of control.
Meaning is created and interpreted by people. While meaning is an internal process, much of what we perceive things to mean comes from what we have learned from our experiences with family, with friends, and from our culture.
All meaning is interpreted. It's just a matter of the number of people who follow one specific meaning, or if it's just your own interpretation. This goes for any experience you can think of. Regardless of the 'preparation' for the experience, you won't understand it until you live through it. This is why parents try to prevent their kids from making the same mistakes, but from the kid's point of view, they won't understand it until they go through the experience. By having someone else interpret something for you, you rely on their conclusion. I never understood why in every religion, profession, only 'certain gifted smart' people can read certain passages/books and explain them... it's because they have more knowledge regarding the topic than us, so that's why they are 'allowed' to 'teach us' what it means. I’ve worked in sales and marketing for years and If someone were to ask me how I manage to book so much business, I use the same logic. I make an interpretation on whether this person actually wants to know the in's and out's of how I work, or they don't really care, and just ask for the sake of it. Once I make that decision, then I can explain the answer accordingly. It is this 'filter' exercise which everyone does to a certain extent that encourages us to rely on someone else's interpretation.
Consider ambiguity. Look at the phrase, "Time Flies Like An Arrow". This phrase can be interpreted different ways. It has different meanings. Are we saying: time travels quickly, like an arrow travels quickly? Or are we saying: a particular type of insect, called a "time fly", has affection for a particular arrow? So it appears to me that interpretation can sometimes yield multiple valid meanings, which is QUITE DIFFERENT from saying that there is no meaning at all.
Personal meaning isn't a matter of getting "the answer" to the question, "What is the meaning of life?" There can be no single answer because the meaning of life is not a concept or philosophy that applies to everyone in all ages. Rather, one develops a sense of meaning, or loses it, it is a subjective experience similar to and in some ways slightly related to the sense of self. The experience of one's own life as meaningful or meaningless is of course often related to various ideas, belief systems, symbolically significant relationships, and so forth, and for most people the feeling of life as meaningful typically emerges from participation in a variety of activities. Stories, values, memories, and other experiences may be woven together–loosely or tightly–into a kind of psychological "tapestry." Generally, two themes stand out--a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose.
Gina Taylor
Finding or creating meaning can be very helpful. It is not always easy, and may take some time and work, but it can be very helpful and comforting in a difficult situation.
It is difficult to isolate all of the factors that play into how people consume news and alter their opinions, but it's probably safe to say that an individual will watch a number of finished news segments or read a number of articles and form a set of preliminary set of beliefs.
These beliefs are reinforced or challenged after discussing the news with his/her friends or family, But people usually surround themselves around friends who agree with their value system or so there isn't usually a lot of assumptions or attitudes being challenged.
Perception is a three phase process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information. You can understand interpersonal situations better if you appreciate how you and another person construct perceptions. Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of environmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli. Through the perceptual process, we gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our survival. Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us; it allows us to act within our environment.
Organizational skills can help you cope with the world around you. They provide structure, create a semblance of order and reduce daily stress levels. The organizational skills you apply toward planning each day insure that you are at least somewhat productive and that you accomplish what you must. They direct the demands on your attention and give you some sense of control.
Meaning is created and interpreted by people. While meaning is an internal process, much of what we perceive things to mean comes from what we have learned from our experiences with family, with friends, and from our culture.
All meaning is interpreted. It's just a matter of the number of people who follow one specific meaning, or if it's just your own interpretation. This goes for any experience you can think of. Regardless of the 'preparation' for the experience, you won't understand it until you live through it. This is why parents try to prevent their kids from making the same mistakes, but from the kid's point of view, they won't understand it until they go through the experience. By having someone else interpret something for you, you rely on their conclusion. I never understood why in every religion, profession, only 'certain gifted smart' people can read certain passages/books and explain them... it's because they have more knowledge regarding the topic than us, so that's why they are 'allowed' to 'teach us' what it means. I’ve worked in sales and marketing for years and If someone were to ask me how I manage to book so much business, I use the same logic. I make an interpretation on whether this person actually wants to know the in's and out's of how I work, or they don't really care, and just ask for the sake of it. Once I make that decision, then I can explain the answer accordingly. It is this 'filter' exercise which everyone does to a certain extent that encourages us to rely on someone else's interpretation.
Consider ambiguity. Look at the phrase, "Time Flies Like An Arrow". This phrase can be interpreted different ways. It has different meanings. Are we saying: time travels quickly, like an arrow travels quickly? Or are we saying: a particular type of insect, called a "time fly", has affection for a particular arrow? So it appears to me that interpretation can sometimes yield multiple valid meanings, which is QUITE DIFFERENT from saying that there is no meaning at all.
Personal meaning isn't a matter of getting "the answer" to the question, "What is the meaning of life?" There can be no single answer because the meaning of life is not a concept or philosophy that applies to everyone in all ages. Rather, one develops a sense of meaning, or loses it, it is a subjective experience similar to and in some ways slightly related to the sense of self. The experience of one's own life as meaningful or meaningless is of course often related to various ideas, belief systems, symbolically significant relationships, and so forth, and for most people the feeling of life as meaningful typically emerges from participation in a variety of activities. Stories, values, memories, and other experiences may be woven together–loosely or tightly–into a kind of psychological "tapestry." Generally, two themes stand out--a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Listening: A Silent Hero (summary)
Summary: Chapter 4 A Silent Hero
Gina Taylor
The first skill that you can practice to be a good listener is to act like a good listener. We have spent a lot of our modern lives working at tuning out all of the information that is thrust at us. It therefore becomes important to change our physical body language from that of a deflector to that of a receiver, much like a satellite dish. Our faces contain most of the receptive equipment in our bodies, so it is only natural that we should tilt our faces towards the channel of information.
A second skill is to use the other bodily receptors besides your ears. You can be a better listener when you look at the other person. Your eyes pick up the non-verbal signals that all people send out when they are speaking. By looking at the speaker, your eyes will also complete the eye contact that speakers are trying to make. A speaker will work harder at sending out the information when they see a receptive audience in attendance. Your eyes help complete the communication circuit that must be established between speaker and listener.
When you have established eye and face contact with your speaker, you must then react to the speaker by sending out non-verbal signals. Your face must move and give the range of emotions that indicate whether you are following what the speaker has to say. By moving your face to the information, you can better concentrate on what the person is saying. Your face must become an active and contoured catcher of information.
It is extremely difficult to receive information when your mouth is moving information out at the same time. A good listener will stop talking and use receptive language instead. Use the I see . . . un hunh . . . oh really words and phrases that follow and encourage your speaker's train of thought. This forces you to react to the ideas presented, rather than the person. You can then move to asking questions, instead of giving your opinion on the information being presented. It is a true listening skill to use your mouth as a moving receptor of information rather than a broadcaster.
A final skill is to move your mind to concentrate on what the speaker is saying. You cannot fully hear their point of view or process information when you argue mentally or judge what they are saying before they have completed. An open mind is a mind that is receiving and listening to information.
If you really want to listen, you will act like a good listener. Good listeners are good catchers because they give their speakers a target and then move that target to capture the information that is being sent. When good listeners aren't understanding their speakers, they will send signals to the speaker about what they expect next, or how the speaker can change the speed of information delivery to suit the listener. Above all, a good listener involves all of their face to be an active moving listener.
Gina Taylor
The first skill that you can practice to be a good listener is to act like a good listener. We have spent a lot of our modern lives working at tuning out all of the information that is thrust at us. It therefore becomes important to change our physical body language from that of a deflector to that of a receiver, much like a satellite dish. Our faces contain most of the receptive equipment in our bodies, so it is only natural that we should tilt our faces towards the channel of information.
A second skill is to use the other bodily receptors besides your ears. You can be a better listener when you look at the other person. Your eyes pick up the non-verbal signals that all people send out when they are speaking. By looking at the speaker, your eyes will also complete the eye contact that speakers are trying to make. A speaker will work harder at sending out the information when they see a receptive audience in attendance. Your eyes help complete the communication circuit that must be established between speaker and listener.
When you have established eye and face contact with your speaker, you must then react to the speaker by sending out non-verbal signals. Your face must move and give the range of emotions that indicate whether you are following what the speaker has to say. By moving your face to the information, you can better concentrate on what the person is saying. Your face must become an active and contoured catcher of information.
It is extremely difficult to receive information when your mouth is moving information out at the same time. A good listener will stop talking and use receptive language instead. Use the I see . . . un hunh . . . oh really words and phrases that follow and encourage your speaker's train of thought. This forces you to react to the ideas presented, rather than the person. You can then move to asking questions, instead of giving your opinion on the information being presented. It is a true listening skill to use your mouth as a moving receptor of information rather than a broadcaster.
A final skill is to move your mind to concentrate on what the speaker is saying. You cannot fully hear their point of view or process information when you argue mentally or judge what they are saying before they have completed. An open mind is a mind that is receiving and listening to information.
If you really want to listen, you will act like a good listener. Good listeners are good catchers because they give their speakers a target and then move that target to capture the information that is being sent. When good listeners aren't understanding their speakers, they will send signals to the speaker about what they expect next, or how the speaker can change the speed of information delivery to suit the listener. Above all, a good listener involves all of their face to be an active moving listener.
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