Post #6: Final Reflections

Before I begin on my final post, I hope that everyone reads the quote above, and takes a moment to truly let it sink in.

 

To me, the importance of being a good speaker only dawned on me when I realized the power of speech. Indeed, the most monumental social changes in human history have always been initiated by exceptional speakers, who could galvanize crowds to believe the unbelievable (e.g. Hitler, Martin Luther King).

 

With that realization, I find that my biggest takeaway from this course is definitely improving my oral presentation skills. In fact, the 2 main ways that ES2007S has helped me are the frequent presentation opportunities and the constructive feedback from my peers.

 

Almost every facet of this course required some form of presentations, be it the oral presentation, peer-teching, or even the HR interview. These opportunities allowed me to discover the presentation skills that I already have, as well as the areas of weakness where I could work on. In fact, I believe that everybody has the potential to become a great speaker! It is a pity that very few people have the opportunities to develop their personal style and hone their skills. Furthermore, the peer evaluation in this course has allowed us to share and receive valuable feedback from each other. Consistent practice is pointless if we do not know what we are doing wrong!

 

I can still clearly remember my first presentation this semester, where I did a short presentation on "active listening" with Vaish. I remember receiving feedback for having a clear voice, but having poor eye contact and non-verbals - I did not realize it, but my presentation was almost as though I was reading a passage!

 

Subsequently, I have taken steps to slowly improve on many different aspects of communication. In terms on non-verbal communication, I have learned to accentuate my speech with suitable hand gestures and postures, and to maintain eye contact to better connect with my audience. I have also learned to speak in a more concise and structured manner, so that the audience can understand and remember my ideas.

 

Looking back, it has been a fantastic 3 months. I have had a fulfilling and inspiring time, and I personally felt that this course provided huge educational value. The course might be over, but the friendship and the fun times we had will stay with us forever! :) 

 

To all my coursemates and to Brad, I wish you all the best!

Post #5: Reflection on Oral Presentation

This semester, I joined both Toastmasters and ES2007 with the aim of becoming a better speaker and communicator. Although it has been a short span of 3 months, I have picked up on many areas of improvement that could be applied in my oral presentation.

 

During my OP preparation, I had a frequent question on my mind - Should I memorize my script? Some speakers swear by memorizing their script, and are able to follow through with a convincing and engaging delivery. Others simply prefer to memorize the key points, and elaborate from there.

 

Eventually, I decided not to memorize anything, but to instead internalize my speech flow and ideas, and fine-tune my presentation through some rehearsals. On hindsight, I find that to be a good idea as I was able to organize my speech naturally as I presented. Without a script, I could also focus my efforts on engaging the audience, and avoid sounding "scripted". 

 

Brad often comments that some speakers sound "scripted", but what does it actually mean? In my opinion, some speakers who have committed long hours of practice often internalize their presentation to the unfortunate extent that they "run through the motions" during the actual speech itself. As such, they might end up focusing too much on their own delivery, neglecting to engage the audience sufficiently. Since the main objective of our OP was to sell our idea, my group and I put in extra effort to address the audience directly and connect with them, as we find that establishing a connection is essential towards persuading them.

 

After my presentations and speeches, I often get the feedback that I should be more confident. In fact, confidence is something I find to be very elusive. Even though I did feel quite at ease during my OP, perhaps some of my non-verbals potrayed otherwise! Or perhaps, it goes beyond the verbals and non-verbals into the passion I show. It remains a mystery to me, but I will definitely continue to work on it!