Learn & Reflect Like an Improviser
Lesson 6 from: Impact Your Audience With Transformative PresentationsKimberly MacLean, Sammy Wegent
Learn & Reflect Like an Improviser
Lesson 6 from: Impact Your Audience With Transformative PresentationsKimberly MacLean, Sammy Wegent
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Learn & Reflect Like an Improviser
So, we're moving into Learn And Reflect Like An Improviser, and so, as we've gone through these classes, we've been asking you to reflect on the lesson that we've done. So, we wanna make sure we do that for Impact Your Audience With Transformative Presentations. So, these are some of the things that we said that we would cover together, just in this class. What are some things, what are some of your tangible takeaways from this particular experience, this class that we just did together? We went through with a checklist, right? Sammy helped us to find our verbs and adverbs to form a goal, we played around with some levels, we practiced a press conference, doing questions and answers. So, what are some of those things that you want to take away from that experience? So the goal I really like, because I'm more of the literal writer kind of guy who scripts things, but this is almost like you have a feel that you want, and a color that you want, and so you're thinking sort of out of the ...
box, in a more holistic way, about your talk, before you get down into the words and the slides and everything. Like, this is the feeling, I want a blue feeling here, or I want it uplifting at this point, before you get too much in the weeds. I'm excited to hear how that changes, or, if it does, if it impacts the way that you're talking and presenting. I'm excited to hear that. W or no W? No W. No W, right? No. See? We lost you a long time ago. We don't know everything, need to ask. I just became the better speller. (laughter) Yes, finally! My mom's gonna be really excited to hear that that happened. Keep your pants on, Mom. (laughing) What are some other tangible takeaways from this class experience? Yeah, Chad? I think that that whole having strategies, like the verbs and the adverbs. I didn't know I was going to teach about jujitsu, I didn't plan anything. I wasn't even thinking about the content, but I knew in the moment that I needed to engage the audience. That was my core thought, to elicit a response, and so I think having those kinds of strategies, of having verbs and adverbs to use as strategies, whether it be engage, or make them laugh, or just kind of... those goals in mind really changes how you physically deliver it. Great. That was helpful. Awesome, excellent. Yes, Alva? I think this class has really helped me somehow put together the goal of the talk with the transformative piece, which I think helps me think more seriously in terms of transfer of learning, and how people, it impacts what they do outside of the trainings that I'm offering. Great, so really thinking about what you'll have them do, or ask them to do, and then how you can get to that throughout your talk. Throughout what you're presenting, I love that thought, yeah. To make the goal something more than what happens in the room. = Yes, yes, I love that. To build on what she said, Alva, is that usually we go in and we feel lucky if we gave the talk and we finished and it was pretty good, but maybe, instead, you're thinking, "This is a journey, I'm gonna start at some point before, I'm gonna do it, and maybe I stay with this group, or I'll get feedback and wanna know how much farther they go. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so it can be part of a journey. It can be a step in the journey, either on your own or for them, that they may go off and do things based on what you've said and done. Yeah. Yeah, anything else that's coming up for you? Yes, Alva? Well, having fun with never be in monotone again, modulating ourselves, and having fun with Q&A, I do like some parts of Q&A, but I do often kind of brace a little, because I was with someone who was an extremely experienced presenter, and one of the participants felt like he could teach better than she could. And that's a little bit complex, about how to handle that. Yes, because we do have those moments come up where all of us, we're challenged, right? Often, the questions we get, I feel like, and you mentioned this, are because we elicited curiosity. Someone's excited, or they want more information, or they wanna understand. And then, every once in a while, there's that person who might challenge us, and who hasn't done this class, and doesn't know how to be empathetic, or doesn't know how to "yes, and," make us look and feel good, and so it's wonderful to be sort of prepared for that, if it's something that makes us nervous and uncomfortable. So even practicing what am I going to do if someone stands up and challenges me, or thinks that they know more, or may know more? Whatever that is, how am I going to handle that so I can have my practiced talk, my practiced response, so that that doesn't become what the talk is about, and that also doesn't become what the Q&A is about, because sometimes those people will totally take the energy away, totally take over the conversation, and it can be really hard to manage that in the moment. Certainly, thank you for bringing that up. Yeah, so I hope that that practice, maybe, and having fun with it can carry through even in the Q&A. Yeah, and I think, Sammy, as you said, you don't have to answer every question-- No. And some questions you'll be very polite, and you say, "I can answer that offline." Yeah, and even though I want you to think about self-scouting yourself don't memorize those things either, because you don't wanna be just sitting there, waiting for it. A great example I'll give, without going into detail about the person, is someone who knew a lot about a certain subject matter that hired us for media training, to go on CNN to talk about it, because he was an expert in this particular area. And he knew he was gonna get grilled, and that's why he was going on, but I trained with him for a little while about not just sitting there waiting for those questions, because the last thing you wanna do with any kind of media talking points is come off as a memorized robot. So, what you wanna do is know what to expect, know how you'd answer it, but then don't memorize it. Just be you. You already know the answer, you're just anticipating a question and getting anxiety around that. But definitely don't have these stock answers that you just parrot out, 'cause it might come out at the wrong time and you might look like you're not really there. Just always be present, but never be thrown off. It takes a lot of practice, clearly, but all you can do is prepare for that. Just have your list and know, "I'm probably gonna get all of these, and I know what to say when I get them."
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Diahann Mangoni
was helpful and fun!