Virtual and face-to-face meetings

Here is a great little interview on virtual meetings and how they differ from the face to face groups that we emphasize in our small group chapters. Among the issues considered are how to dress for videoconferences, how to deal with the delays in teleconferences, and how a presentation in a virtual group should differ from one given in a face-to-face group.

Social Media Warnings

Here is a particularly useful set of guidelines for avoiding problems with social media messages. The examples are especially revealing and serve as warnings to all social media users but especially to those looking for a job. As you'll see, it's all pretty much common sense and yet you see violations every day--and they're costly.

College and its Benefits

Here's an interesting article on the value of a college degree--especially appropriate today when there is so much talk about college not necessarily being a good investment. This report shows that college and advanced degrees mean higher income. College also seems associated with a variety of social benefits, tho' college is not necessarily the causal factor here.

A preface to a public speaking course

This a little introduction I wrote to go into the next edition of my public speaking book. But, it may not fit and so I thought it might be of value to post here. These aren't the only things we might say to students in preface to a public speaking course, but they introduce, I think, a productive attitude and the importance of the right frame of mind in approaching a course like public speaking.

Beginning Your Study of Public Speaking

Preparing yourself for this course will help you get the maximum benefit. Here are a few suggestions.

4 Starters

1. Fear of public speaking is normal and isn't always a bad thing. Since it’s likely your major concern, we explain how you can manage your fear, making it work for you rather than against you, in the first chapter.

2. Make a commitment to exert a major effort in this course. It’s not going to be your easiest college course, but it will be worth your effort. You’ll see the rewards of competence in public speaking throughout your social and professional life and you’ll find that the skills of public speaking have application to all communication encounters.

3. Participate actively. Be willing to offer suggestions so others might improve and listen openly to the suggestions of others so you might improve.

4. This is a learning environment. You don’t have to be excellent; in fact, be prepared to make lots of mistakes. You’re here to learn how to correct mistakes and to emerge a competent and effective speaker.