Lisa Rowan gave some great advice on how to speak confidently in public situations. She covered the essential bases, like advising us to speak loudly, clearly and slowly, to appreciate brevity and to site credible sources. What really stuck with me, however, was the unconventional tips she revealed. Knowing even just a few of these is what I believe to be essential to being not just a good speaker, but a stand-out speaker.1. Matching Your Multiple Personas
Of course, Rowan wasn't implying that each of us battles with dissociative identity disorder à la United States of Tara, but rather that each of us shows a different side of ourselves in different mediums. An interview with me, for example, would reveal different things than my facebook page. Rowan's point was that my facebook page shouldn't be a stark contrast to what I choose to say to my potential employer. I should be able to keep playful things about myself in my profile while retaining class and truthfulness. You never know who may stumble upon your page or your interview, so it's best to maintain consistency throughout all the ways in which you present yourself.
2. Know Your Community
Rowan works for TBD, a local news outlet that relies on local, credible bloggers to fill in some of the news gaps that the professionals may have missed. Her experience at TBD has taught her that ultimately, when communicating, your goal is to connect with the community you are communicating to. So it's important to know exactly who you are talking to before you talk to them. Know the community's interests, composition and opinions because they are who determine your success. In Rowan's case, if she presents to them what they find salient, she will be a successful reporter.
3. Always Take Your Notes
In order to present the most important information, you must be aware of what is happening. Understand your environment. As Rowan said, always take notes. If you find something interesting, it's likely that the people you live among will find it interesting, too. Have a small notebook always handy, or an application on your iPhone. You never want to be unprepared to remember something that could be a key point in communication later.
I found that these three points will be especially handy because these are all things Rowan discovered on-the-job. She was thrown into a world of reporting (she graduated with a bachelor's in history, not journalism) and discovered through her own trials and tribulations, these keys to effective communication.
Sources:
- Rowan, Lisa. "Staff Bio | TBD | TBD.com." TBD.com - Washington DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia News. Web. 19 Sept. 2010.
I thought Lisa was easy to listen to, and she provided some great tips. I definitely agree with what she said about matching your personas. There have been countless times when I've seen someone's Facebook page and thought I knew exactly the type of person that they were. Then when I've met them, they are someone completely different than the person they present themselves as on the internet. Having a mismatched personality and internet personality can lead to people judging you, as well as unwanted first impressions.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated Lisa's advice about being concise--I know that at times, I try to say more so that I sound like I know more. It's good to know that being concise can get me just as far.
I really enjoyed Lisa Rowan's visit to our class. It was interesting to talk to someone in the journalism industry about how they use the skills that we are learning everyday in class.
ReplyDeleteI found that her suggestion to take notes was very important. I guess I had never really thought about it before. I have forgotten some of my ideas and things that others have told me simply because I did not take any notes.
Great reflection Rachel! I'm very glad Lisa's tips resonated with you because they were practical and have a number of applications across categories of communication including the interview, interpersonal communication, public speaking, etc.
ReplyDeleteGreat work summarizing the information she provided and introducing your own style of writing into this post.
For future reference, please include links to sources and references as HYPERlinks, embedded in your post rather than listed at the bottom as a paper reference. Also, make sure you use an appropriate label to categorize your blog. Thanks!!
Interesting post! While it definitely still makes me a little nervous to think that a prospective employer might stumble on my Facebook page, it is somewhat comforting to know that I am "allowed" to keep a few of my quirks public, even when applying for an important job position. The fact that I don't need to hide certain parts of my persona is definitely a plus.
ReplyDeleteI think the last tip, about always taking your notes is especially important. I have to take notes, if I don't, I don't pay attention. It is really easy for me to zone out and not listen to someone when they're speaking. However, I find that if I take notes while listening to a speaker, it always helps me to focus. Just a little something that I found I could personally relate to in this presentation.
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