Recently, I have started my own “podcasting” experience by sharing my #thoughtsfromthecar. I drive quite a bit to events, so I just turn on the voice memos app on my phone, and start talking. Although there are lots of bumbling through ideas, it is meant to be just informal.
On my most recent episode, I shared the importance of being able to communicate great ideas out to others. If you have a great idea, but you aren’t able to get people interested in what you are sharing, then it will go to waste. How we communicate is essential to helping others see your vision.
Below, are a few of the ideas I shared.
- Tell your story in a compelling way.Have you ever sat through a presentation that was boring “bullet point” slide after slide? Many educators have gone through this, but then we teach our students to do the same type of presentation. Are we trying to punish the future generation?Using visuals and media can help bring an idea to life, but it is also in how we share a compelling story.
Too often we blame “PowerPoint” for the flaws of a presentation, but it is all in the way that we use it to help convey a message. It isn’t forcing you to put 900 words on a slide. (I use Keynote for Mac which is a much better software, but I have seen great presentations done with either.)
Tell a story and create an emotional connection to the idea.
- Build rapport with those that you serve.To show that you know your audience, let them know that you know your audience. What things do you have in common? What ideas are shared? Whether this is with one person, or with 1000, building rapport with a group needs to happen quickly. The more you know the people (person) in front of you, and the more you build backward from them, and not try to pull them to you, the more they see themselves in the vision.Let them know you as well. Be personable and approachable. Too often I have listened to speakers who talk “above” an audience, and they will lose them quickly.
Be humble or be humbled. Connect first with those you are serving.
- Get a “360 Degree View” of your idea.With every great idea, you will have detractors. It is inevitable, but it doesn’t mean the idea won’t work. But instead of waiting for the negatives to be pointed out by someone else, find them yourself first. If you take what I call a “360 Degree View” of your idea, and look at it from all angles, you will also see flaws in your approach. This is not a bad thing. Address them or acknowledge them, but know the strengths and weaknesses of an idea. Not only will it debunk some of the naysayers, but it will also probably create something better.
Motivational speaker, Les Brown, states that “the richest place in the world is the graveyard.” Too many great ideas go there to die, not only because we are scared to share them, but also because we haven’t shown anyone a compelling reason on why anyone should be interested in the first place.
Tell your story because you have a story to share. Do not let that idea stay stuck in your head.
Source: George Couros
from Connected Principals http://ift.tt/2zqPpW0
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