Voices Carry.
Communication- is the ability listen as well as speaking. It is the ability to convey my message in a way were people are able to understand what my point is. As a listener I try to make it my duty to focus on what the speaker is saying, without bias opinion.
Criteria:
Speaker:
• Speak clearly
• Be concise
• Be mindful of your audience
• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Be yourself, be unique, and make sure your voice is heard
Listener:
• Do not be distracted
• There is a difference between just listening and actually understanding
• Keep an open mind
• Try to understand what the speaker’s point is
• Do not be afraid to ask the speaker to clarify what they mean if you get confused
• Do not assume
In spring of 2012 I spoke at the First Presbyterian Church in Angleton, TX. It is tradition for all seniors to write a speech and speak to the congregation. Picking a subject was really hard for me because I did not want to bore the members of the church. With a lot brainstorming I decided I wanted to write a letter to my little sister, Alyssa. The letter was meant to show my sister how much I love her and how I was going to miss her the following year. It was important to me that I put my heart into the speech rather than writing a generic one.
Preparing for this speech took a lot of time and effort. I wrote countless rough drafts and I kept perfecting my speech until the morning I was going to speak. My sister had no idea that I was writing about her nor did anyone else. I had asked my sister before the service to sit in the spot that was diagonal to the podium. It was kind of funny because that morning we kind of got into a little fight so I was scared that she was going to sit in another spot just out of spite. Of course though she was a good sister and sat where I had asked her to.
During my speech my sister was sobbing along with the other women in the congregation. I was able to dedicate my speech to one of my best friends in my life while giving something relatable that the audience could connect with. In my speech I started it off by saying “Dear Alyssa (aka the girl who steals my clothes).” Throughout the speech I mentioned silly memories of us while also providing advice that I hope she will take after I leave. When I was giving her advice I glanced over at my parents who smiled because they knew I was trying to help my sister not get in trouble when I leave. After twenty minutes I finally finished my speech. To complement the beginning of my speech I had ended it with “Love, Sissy (aka the girl who steals your jewelry).” I did not lose who I was during the speech instead I tied my sense of humor, jargon, and silliness. Even though I would not say my speech was “formal,” it was effective because I got the reaction that I wanted out of my sister which was joy.
Moving forward now, I realize being able to communicate is very important, especially in the profession that I am in. My weakness with communication is trying to get my point across. Sometimes I repeat myself multiple times because I worry that the listener did not understand what I was trying to convey. This past semester I have tried to think before I speak so that I can effectively say what I need to say without over speaking. Also I noticed that I need to quit talking so much with my hands because I think it distracts the listener. I have been talking with my hands from such a young age that it is a hard habit to break. By being conscious about how I communicate I will eventually improve and be able to speak in a more of an effective manner. One strength I have when it comes to communicating is my ability to relate to people. I always make sure to try to understand my audience before I speak, that way I do not make anyone feel uncomfortable or out of place. By being relatable I am able to connect with who I am communicating with on a personal level. Overall communication will always be something that I will have to work at, however by working at it and continue to improve on strengths, I will eventually grow my skills of connecting.
Along with being well-spoken communicator, I realized it is important to be an active listener. It is crucial to listen because you are not the only one that has a story to share. Sometimes the most effective form of communicating is listening. Listening is my weakness because when someone starts speaking sometimes I hone in on a detail that they said and then miss the whole message. I try to work on my listening skills by trying to understand the whole message before focusing on the details of what the speaker said. I want to work on listening because it is important to have this skill because by lending an ear to others, you are given a glimpse to see inside another world that is not yours. It also allows you to reflect on your own ideas, dreams, and beliefs and compare where it lies with the others.
Criteria:
Speaker:
• Speak clearly
• Be concise
• Be mindful of your audience
• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Be yourself, be unique, and make sure your voice is heard
Listener:
• Do not be distracted
• There is a difference between just listening and actually understanding
• Keep an open mind
• Try to understand what the speaker’s point is
• Do not be afraid to ask the speaker to clarify what they mean if you get confused
• Do not assume
In spring of 2012 I spoke at the First Presbyterian Church in Angleton, TX. It is tradition for all seniors to write a speech and speak to the congregation. Picking a subject was really hard for me because I did not want to bore the members of the church. With a lot brainstorming I decided I wanted to write a letter to my little sister, Alyssa. The letter was meant to show my sister how much I love her and how I was going to miss her the following year. It was important to me that I put my heart into the speech rather than writing a generic one.
Preparing for this speech took a lot of time and effort. I wrote countless rough drafts and I kept perfecting my speech until the morning I was going to speak. My sister had no idea that I was writing about her nor did anyone else. I had asked my sister before the service to sit in the spot that was diagonal to the podium. It was kind of funny because that morning we kind of got into a little fight so I was scared that she was going to sit in another spot just out of spite. Of course though she was a good sister and sat where I had asked her to.
During my speech my sister was sobbing along with the other women in the congregation. I was able to dedicate my speech to one of my best friends in my life while giving something relatable that the audience could connect with. In my speech I started it off by saying “Dear Alyssa (aka the girl who steals my clothes).” Throughout the speech I mentioned silly memories of us while also providing advice that I hope she will take after I leave. When I was giving her advice I glanced over at my parents who smiled because they knew I was trying to help my sister not get in trouble when I leave. After twenty minutes I finally finished my speech. To complement the beginning of my speech I had ended it with “Love, Sissy (aka the girl who steals your jewelry).” I did not lose who I was during the speech instead I tied my sense of humor, jargon, and silliness. Even though I would not say my speech was “formal,” it was effective because I got the reaction that I wanted out of my sister which was joy.
Moving forward now, I realize being able to communicate is very important, especially in the profession that I am in. My weakness with communication is trying to get my point across. Sometimes I repeat myself multiple times because I worry that the listener did not understand what I was trying to convey. This past semester I have tried to think before I speak so that I can effectively say what I need to say without over speaking. Also I noticed that I need to quit talking so much with my hands because I think it distracts the listener. I have been talking with my hands from such a young age that it is a hard habit to break. By being conscious about how I communicate I will eventually improve and be able to speak in a more of an effective manner. One strength I have when it comes to communicating is my ability to relate to people. I always make sure to try to understand my audience before I speak, that way I do not make anyone feel uncomfortable or out of place. By being relatable I am able to connect with who I am communicating with on a personal level. Overall communication will always be something that I will have to work at, however by working at it and continue to improve on strengths, I will eventually grow my skills of connecting.
Along with being well-spoken communicator, I realized it is important to be an active listener. It is crucial to listen because you are not the only one that has a story to share. Sometimes the most effective form of communicating is listening. Listening is my weakness because when someone starts speaking sometimes I hone in on a detail that they said and then miss the whole message. I try to work on my listening skills by trying to understand the whole message before focusing on the details of what the speaker said. I want to work on listening because it is important to have this skill because by lending an ear to others, you are given a glimpse to see inside another world that is not yours. It also allows you to reflect on your own ideas, dreams, and beliefs and compare where it lies with the others.