As I think about those who I believe demonstrate competent communication, my all time favorite is Oprah Winfrey. It is a long standing joke with my relatives that I wanted to go see the Oprah show in Chicago. It never happened. Oprah was in South Africa several months ago so I told everyone now I will finally have the chance. Guess what? It didn't happen. The tickets were sold out in a matter of minutes. I could not believe it.
Anyway, Oprah exudes confidence when she speaks. Her inquisitive tone of voice gives me the feeling she really wants to hear what others are saying. Oprah also uses eye contact when speaking. Some other behaviors that make her effective are her ability to show empathy, nodding in acceptance as others speak, her enunciation and her ability to put people at ease.
One behavior I would especially like to model is being able to put people at ease when I am communicating. Because of my background in case management, a lot of my communication seems to be about getting answers. Often times the rhythm of the communication is uncomfortable.
Believe it or not, I am able to see previous shows of Oprah here. Even though they are years out of date, I still enjoy them.
I do agree with you that there is a lot to learn from public figures. They did not get there by accident and just observing them and how they respond to people could teach us a lot.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI admire individuals who are able to effectively communicate their wishes. Sometimes there is so much that I want to say however I do not know how to express my thoughts. I am hoping that this course will assist me in learning how to confidently express my thoughts and views. I look forward to learning with you.