#6 Reflection on the course

Reflecting back on my initial motivation to take this module, I can confidently say that I have gained more than I expected to. (If you cannot recall, you can refer to my blogpost #1. If you are too lazy to, well… basically I wanted to improve my verbal communication skills, in particular to be able to effectively articulate my thoughts and intentions into words.)

In what sense have I gained more than what I hoped to? I did learn how to better communicate with others verbally. But more than that, I believe I have also learnt how to communicate appropriately and effectively, whether non-verbally or in writing, and in different contexts. For purposes of this post however, I will share my reflections on what I have learnt from giving presentations.

Presentations are nothing new to me, but the rubrics for this module demanded something more from me (not implying it is a bad thing!) The first “presentation” we did was the business story-telling. I received my first comment that moved too much (as mentioned in my blogpost #5).

The next was peer teaching. Preparation of content was not difficult, because we were given links to the relevant resources. I enjoy sharing and talking, so I thought it would be comfortable for me. However, based on peer feedback, I gestured too much, and was too repetitive in the points I made. And again, I received the same constructive feedback – I move too much!

The same feedback was shared to me when I did the elevator pitch and the mock oral presentation. I realized it was a very bad habit of mine. Also, as I have mentioned, I tend to beat around the bush, or say the same thing in different forms (thinking that I have not illustrated my point well enough for others to understand).

However, it only served to me improve in my presentation skills. I learnt to be more mindful of my posture, and the words that I say. I start to be more attentive to these bad habits when I practiced for my oral presentation. I practiced in front of the mirror and in front of my friends. I wrote scripts so that I would not repeat the same points, but keep them clear and concise. And I think my effort did pay off for the final oral presentation.

Even though this module has come to an end, I don’t think my learning is done. I believe by intentional practice and with more constructive feedback from others, I can only become a better presenter: someone that engages the audience and effectively brings her intended message across.

Cheers to ES2007S, Professional Communication!

Good idea for presentation preparation?

I know our oral presentation is over already, but I just suddenly thought of a method we could use to prepare for future presentations! But first things first - sources of my inspiration:

I remember how my sister used to prepare for her countless presentations and interviews (she's from SMU, haha)
Grab some stuffed toys. (animals or dolls - those with eyes)
Line them on the table, all facing toward her.
Present her "speech" to them!

This helps to practice eye-contact!

Also, people often say it is good to practice in front of the mirror.
This helps you see how you gesture/talk and appear.

And so... My idea is:

Grab some stuffed toys.
Line them in front of the mirror (facing the mirror)
Practice your presentation in front of the mirror.

So you get to look at yourself, plus practice eye contact with the stuffed toys!
Quite cool huh?
I will try that next time. :P

#5 Reflection on Oral Presentation

The mock oral presentation definitely helped me and my team gauge the quality of our presentation. Although I had prepared a script for my part, I had no inkling of what the rest of the team was planning to say. With no coordination, I believe it was a disaster.

However, from there, we saw the urgency to be well-prepared. We reorganized our parts, discussed what we each would cover, and went back to craft our own scripts/points. Then we emailed each other our scripts, did a mock run-through together, identified overlaps or discrepancies in content, and revised what we were going to say.

So more meetings followed as we settled on our audiovisuals, the style and mood we wanted for our presentation, and practiced our presentation together. Also, it was very helpful that we gave each other feedback as we practiced together. My bad habit of stepping forward and backward is just one of the constructive comments I received for me to work on when I practiced my part on my own.

For the presentation itself – I believe I appeared confident about the benefits I was proposing; a good pacing of words and an appropriate stance (not moving as what I normally do). I tried emphasizing on words for messages that was important to convey, but I think it went both ways – I sounded passionate, yet artificial (as if I memorised a script). I made it a point too to establish eye contact – not just glance left and right.

I believe the slide graphics/pictures were used appropriately as well. For example, the multi-purpose usage of rooms was illustrated with a swissknife: one device (discussion room), many functions (uses).

However, I think I stumbled over my words at times where I had to click the change the slides, especially towards the end – I don’t think I am very good at multi-tasking! In future, I think I need to practice more with the audiovisuals that I will be using.

Also, I don't think I did very well for the Q&A - I went back to speaking the very "Noelle" style, which was quite informal, and I know I started my tip-toeing/ moving forward and backward again. Old habits die hard. :(

In general, I felt that I had prepared sufficiently for my oral presentation, both individually and with my team. Thus I think I managed to do a pretty decent job in delivering our proposal, and hopefully have successfully convinced our class!