Speaker | Author | Communication Professor
I was in charge of a new book publishing house when a writer asked me to review her manuscript on teaching second languages to students with learning disabilities.
As a professor as well, I realized how important her topic was. Many students struggle just to pass language courses.
As soon as I saw the manuscript, my heart sank. It was informative but uninspiring. It read like a handbook.
What should I do?
I grew up with an alcoholic father and a paranoid schizophrenic mother. For me, life was mostly about trying to get control over the chaos. I lacked joy and wonder.
Eventually I married a terrific person and we had children. That’s what really breached my self-controlled world.
Our kids didn’t care about managing their lives. They explored the wondrous things I had missed as a child. Like the feel of lawn grasses and the tastes of different berries.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLEWhat really unglued me, though, was how kids enjoyed the various tones, durations, and vibratos of flatulence.
As a communication professor, I faced an increasingly multicultural student population.
I enjoyed studying students’ cultures, including their communication.
But I hit a serious cross-cultural roadblock that challenged my effectiveness, particularly with Asians.
Asians were reluctant to meet with me about academic problems until they were in fairly deep trouble. They almost never came to my office hours. No matter how kindly I invited them before or after class to see me, they rarely came. What could I do?
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLEListening is the most difficult communication skill because it requires us to climb out of ourselves and into others’ perceptions of reality. Empathy and sympathy are based on listening. Those who genuinely care about others are listeners by nature or training.
Here are 7 common signs of poor listening.
1. Judging others too quickly and harshly
2. Jumping to premature conclusions
3. Responding thoughtlessly
4. Basing opinions of others on first impressions
5. Failing to set aside one’s biases and prejudices
6. Seeing reality solely from one’s own, limited perspective
7. Focusing on self-centered agendas
—Dr. Q
PowerPoint is vastly overused. I suggest 5 situations when we should use PowerPoint in a speech or presentation, and offer examples of when not to use it.
This public speaking video explains how to prepare and plan for a speech/presentation—very practical tips and skills.