Communication

This may not be the type of communicator Dr. Parrish is asking us to discuss, however, I felt the communicator was extremely effective and he was the first that came to my mind.

The text tells us that one of the most important functions of communication is the ability to influence people. I attended a luncheon earlier this week where Mike Ditka was supposed to deliver the keynote address. However, due to weather he was unable to attend the event. At the last minute, Texas Representative Scott Turner was asked to stand in for Mr. Ditka. Representative Turner took the stage and proceeded to captivate the audience with a story about his life as a young man. Mr. Turner took the stage and was poised, well spoken and connected to his audience.
He looked around the room--not focusing on just one area of the audience. He effectively used hand gestures to emphasize his speech. He smiled a lot and laughed at himself. He connected to the audience by discussing the NFL, his mama and a good work ethic. Mr. Turner was humble, yet direct. He called the audience to action--told them they need not be complacent but instead be vocal and active in order to make a difference.

I have added a link to this blog so anyone interested in viewing the speech can do so.

http://youtu.be/5q7gXITSSCU

I will add the communication skills of a personal friend:

When I think of someone I know personally who has good communication skills I also think of a very good friend of mine (Pam Masters) who works for a non-profit organization. She is one who will look you in the eye when she talks to you. She does not get emotionally charged, even when an issue completely infuriates her. She has a quiet voice, yet has the ability to get her message across to any audience whether it be one-on-one, a small group or speaking to an audience of thousands. She is not one to talk over another person, she allows the back-and-forth exchange in conversations. She does not get distracted by things going on around her when she is in a conversation-nor will she stop you mid-sentence to answer a phone call or a text message. Most of all Pam is a great listener who is genuinely interested in what others have to say.

I would like to have the ability to not let emotions come to the surface when I am in a conversation, and to not allow outside distractions distract me from conversations. It irritates me when I am speaking with someone and they are looking around at everything going on in the room. I try very hard not to let these things catch my attention and distract me when I am talking with someone, but have found myself doing exactly what irritates me!!