Public Speaking

Another leadership post, yay! This lecture was really cool and probably one of my favorites so far!
Kurt Mortensen, a public speaking professor at BYU, taught us about presenting (informing) and persuading (influencing) as leaders.

He stated, "Everyone is going to persuade as a living...managers now regard speaking skills over writing skills." Leaders especially have to persuade in order to get people on the same page, and inspiring action.

Generally, I guess I never really realized how important public speaking is, and I think that we would all be surprised to see ourselves speak in front of a group. There are so many things that make public speaking a huge power skill, and I hope to shed some light on a few techniques.

Kurt talked about four things that would help us to better our public speaking: presence, presentation structure, persuasion, and place.

First, presence. So many things affect the way that people judge you when you speak. Realistically, they judge you by your appearance, demeanor, clothing color, smell, gestures, word choice, and more. Many obstructions like podiums, powerpoints, and notecards can hinder your presentation because they kill charisma, do not allow for gestures, and block you from the audience, so it is best to get rid of those or use them very sparingly.

Your mannerisms are important. You hands shouldn't be in your pocket. Folding your arms and holding your hands is bad too. Also be aware of overactive hands. You should, however, use your hands, but always come back to a neutral spot and only gesture from your hips to shoulders.

Also, pacing and swaying are big no-nos.

Vocal fillers (um, uh, like) should be used in moderation, if not at all. They can become distracting if used too much.

Vocal inflection can make your presentation come alive, and charisma can be learned. You can learn to speed up the way that you speak; it is better to speak faster than slower. It has been proven that the faster you speak, the more persuasive you are. You obviously shouldn't speed up when you are nervous and talk so fast that no one can hear, but faster than normal is typically more persuasive.

Second, Presentation structure.

You need to make it clear what is in it for the audience, and what they can get out of your presentation/what problem are you going to solve. Your presentation is not about you. Make your argument not how you like it but what your audience needs and expects.

You also need to make sure that you cater to your audience. Be aware that people learn in different ways. Some things resonate with different people and personalities.

So, use the TESS formula to persuade. Use Testimonials, Examples, Statistics, and Stories. Personally, messages hit home to me when statistics and stories are used.

Also, make sure that you have a call to action: what do you want them to do?

Oh and be careful about the words that you use.
Airlines are really good about that. Notice how they say that you need to use the life vests "in the event of a water landing." Water landing? event? Well that's an interesting way to think about a plane crashing into the ocean with the wings broken off.
The barf bags are also cleverly worded; they are to be used for "motion discomfort"... really now? I'm pretty sure its for upchuck.
And a plane is never broken. There are only delays due to "mechanical difficulties."

Additionally, there is a huge difference in using the words unborn child and fetus in court. Definitely makes a difference in your argument.

Finally, he made a few other notes. He said that visuals help credibility, but handouts can be distracting so pass those out at the end. Also humor can help credibility, and you can definitely borrow humor; it increases confidence and connectivity.

Anyways...
Three areas of public speaking that I could work on the most are probably humor, obstructions/standing/mannerisms, and catering my message to the audience.

First, I think that I could definitely be funnier and add more humor to my presentations and lessons. I think that I need a lot of improvement in my confidence and ability to connect to my audience in order to really have an influence on people. I think that a good way to learn this is to watch some funny speakers and comedians and listen/watch their technique. I also think that I could write in humor to my presentations and memorize it, then eventually I think that it will come naturally if I practice it a lot. Generally, I think that I'm not a one-liner kind of person and I am really afraid of being cheesy so I will have to overcome that fear in order to be humorous.

Second, I think that I need to remove obstructions and consciously try to tone down my mannerisms and presence. I never really realized how podiums, notecards, and tables really block the presenter from the audience, but I think that is so true. They really do kill your charisma because you can't use your hands to talk. Also I have a tendency to move my feet around and tap them, so I really need to calm that down and consciously think about planting my feet. I also have a problem with having over active hands. Mortensen talked about how all your movements need to have a purpose, and I think that I just move around a lot because I am nervous which is bad.

Third, I think that I can really embrace the TESS formula for my argument. I think that I usually structure my arguments around what things I like and what things help me to learn, but I need to realize that most people don't think like me. I think that I can cater to my audience better this way even though it takes more research and effort because it would require me to think about different personalities and perspectives. I think that I can be way more persuasive so I think that this would totally help.

So... Public Speaking is a really important power skill and you should definitely try to master it!

Leadership in the Community

Just some thoughts... It's a bit of a jumble, but I think that community leadership is important and much more broad than I once thought.

The other day in my Leadership Development class we talked about being a leader in you community.

Dean Kau started by defining community and leadership in order to help us see how we can engage in these roles.

He first talked about how a community means much more than your hometown. He defined it as "a sense of place or capital, and people who work together for a common cause." He said that it implies "uniting, sharing a common interest and well-being, and having a network of social relations and emotional bonds."

He then shared a quote about leadership that I really liked. It was by John Quincy Adams who stated, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

I love that definition because I think that it can really apply to whatever community that we choose to participate in.  

He also talked about taking action as leaders by quoting someone (I forgot who) that said "imperfect action always beats perfect inaction." So true though. A lot of the time people are afraid that they will mess up or that they don't have anything to contribute, but in reality there is so much that each of us can do to be a leader in the many communities in which we dwell.

Along the same lines, Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I think that especially now in the world it is important to stand up for the things that we believe in by trying to initiate change and let our voice be heard.

Anyways...

1. What are some communities that you can be a leader in? 

I can be a leader in my hall in the dorms by being on Floor Council. I can also be a leader in the BYU community by getting involved with service projects and another club on campus. I can be a leader in the Provo community by continuing to work with ACCESS. I can be a leader in my hometown, Brentwood, CA, by continuing to vote for policies and city officials. I can be a leader in my old high school, Heritage, by continuing to stay in touch with the leadership program there and feed them ideas of things that I am learning here or just cool stuff that BYU does that could help them out.

2. How can you become involved in a way that is reasonable considering your time?

I can make more of an effort participate in Floor Council by being friends with all my neighbors, looking out for their needs, and helping to plan programs for them. I can also be a better example by going to all the Floor Activities and participating in the Helaman Halls activities. I can also continue to be a part of the Y-Serve program ACCESS, which is like a big brother/sister program where I mentor an at-risk kid in the Provo/Orem area. My 'brother's' name is Christian and he is really fun to hangout with so I plan to continue that service for the rest of the school year at least. I think that it is cool to be able to make a difference even if it seems small because it is effecting one person, but hanging out with Christian has taught me so much and I really hope that he will take something from being friends with my friend Jeff and me. I think that I can definitely keep this up because it is only like 2 hours of my week, which really isn't that much.

3. You don’t need a title to lead. Great leaders are already doing so. Where else can you be a leader? 

I can be a leader in small ways in classes, at church, on campus, in my friend groups, and more. I can give answers and participate in class. I can volunteer to say the prayer or read scriptures in church. I can smile at people in the halls and look for ways to serve the people around me at school. I can build up my friends and try to brighten their days instead of joking around too much and wasting time. I can also encourage them to do service and go to Floor Meetings and other Helaman Halls activities even if they seem kinda lame. I can do many little things like that to try to inspire others to do the right thing too and be better, which is a good example of a leader. 

Ethical Leadership

Sadie Eliese Bledsoe's Code of Ethics

Personal: I will always be a friend to the shy and lonely, run to others in aid and comfort when they are in need,  be honest in every situation, do what is right when no one is watching, smile at everyone that I meet, and make decisions for the good of the most people. I will never be enemies with anyone, swear, or intentionally be unkind to someone.

Professional: I will always act with integrity at work, be honest with coworkers and clients, give my best efforts to every project, and make decisions that will benefit the most people, and try my best everyday to influence people for the better. I will never put my own needs and wants above those of others, lie, and favor my friends over others.

Educational: I will always try my best on all assignments, try to be a good team player, and accept deserved failure. I will never cheat on an assignment/paper/test, do homework on Sundays, plagiarize, or put my own interests/grades ahead of anyone else- be fair.