The Communication Channel

DEFINING THE WORK WE WERE BORN TO DO
We are all unique and precious. And, whether we realize it or not, we all have talents and gifts. Our first task is to discover these gifts, which we will do by finding and following whatever gives us joy. As we do so, we will discover a reservoir of energy within us. We will begin to create our own niche in life, which will lie in whatever comes naturally to us. We may need to face and shed old self-concepts and doubt. The work we were born to do leads us to find previously untapped strength of will and inner power flowing from our own spirit.
From: The 12 Principles Of The Work We Were Born To Do.
Author – Nick Williams.

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
Emotional intelligence is a type of personal and social intelligence, which includes the following:
· The ability to perceive, recognize, understand, and react to the feelings of yourself and those of others (emotional awareness)
· The ability to distinguish between various feelings and to name them (emotional literacy)
· The ability to express and control your feelings appropriately (emotional control)
· The ability to listen to others, to have empathy with them and to communicate effectively in terms of emotions and thoughts, and
· To use the information in directing your thoughts and actions so that you live effectively, are motivated and have a goal in mind (relation between thoughts, feelings, and behavior)

OCCASIONAL SPEAKING
INTRODUCING A SPEAKER

• Avoid stale clichés (“He needs no introduction” or “It is indeed a pleasure”)
• Be brief.
• Be specific.
• Get names and details right and pronounce them properly.
• Ask for information about anyone you must introduce, from the person themselves if possible.
• Do not anticipate what the speaker is about to say or create unrealistic expectations in the audience by expressing any opinion about the quality of the presentation.

An easy way to remember what you have to do:
1. Refer to the particular audience.
2. Speak about the occasion.
3. Mention why this particular person, experience, profession, and short background.
4. State why this particular speech.
5. Finally present the speaker to the audience, finishing your speech with the name of the speaker and leading the applause as they come up to speak.

HOW TO INTRODUCE A SPEAKER
The main problem with introducing a speaker is that, all too often, the introducer talks far too long.
If you’re responsible for introducing a speaker, consider the following guidelines:

BE AWARE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Your primary function is to prepare and motivate your audience to listen to the featured speaker. If you can instill such interest, you’ve done our job.

BE FAMILIAR WITH THE SPEAKER AND THE TOPIC
As soon as you know who the speaker will be, find out as much as possible about his or her background and the subject of the speech. If she is well known, information about her will be available through her press office or in newspapers or the Internet. If he is not well known, call him for a profile.
If possible, try to meet the speaker before the event to ensure that your information is accurate and current and that you know the speaker’s topic. You don’t want the speaker to have to correct you during his or her opening remarks. Sometimes the title of the speech will suffice; at other times it may be appropriate to mention the subject matter.

BE BRIEF
How often have you heard a MC (Master of ceremonies) say: “Our speaker this evening needs no introduction,” and then give a biography from birth to the present? If the speaker needs no more than a short introduction, then give it.
The length of your introduction should not exceed two or three minutes. No better example of brevity and simplicity exists than the introduction you’ve heard so many times, ‘Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States.”

BE CAREFUL NOT TO EMBARRASS THE SPEAKER
Sometimes a chairperson can go to extremes in praising the speaker as one of the most brilliant, eloquent, and humorous orators of the day. This is embarrassing for three reasons:
(1) the speaker very likely cannot live up to such an introduction,
(2) the speaker probably realizes that, and
(3) the chairperson may be preparing the audience for a resound letdown.

BE NATURAL
If you’re good at telling anecdotes and jokes or at being humorous, great. Nothing sets an audience more at ease and puts them in a receptive mood than a few laughs. It will benefit you to spice your introductory remarks with humor that directly links the speaker, the subject and the occasion. However, if you’re not a naturally humorous person, don’t try to be. Humor in the wrong hands can be disastrous. As any professional comedian will tell you, trying to make people laugh is a very serious business.

BE INFORMATIVE
It’s important to know and present a balanced blend of the following pieces of information:
 the speaker’s background
 the subject of the message
 the specific occasion
 the audience

Ponder each of these items separately and completely when you’re preparing the introduction.

BE CAREFUL NO TO MAKE PERSONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE SPEAKER’S SUBJECT
This is not the time and place to editorialize. When you introduce the speaker’s topic to the audience, don’t elaborate on the topic. That is the speaker’s job. You may mention the importance of the subject, its relationship to the audience, and the speaker’s knowledge of it, but leave the contents to the speaker.

BE SURE TO PRONOUNCE THE SPEAKER’S NAME CORRECTLY
If you’re not positive about the exact pronunciation of the speaker’s name, ask how to pronounce it in advance. If you must, write it down phonetically.

PRESENT THE SPEAKER TO THE AUDIENCE
If you feel that the speaker is not well known to the audience, you may mention her name several times during the introduction. If the audience knows her and you want to use a dramatic approach, you may announce her name at the very end of your introduction. After you’ve presented the speaker, face her and in a warm, welcoming manner, wait until she arrives at the speaker’s stand; then return to your seat. (You start the applause.)