April
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

Tools

My 12 year-old teachers.

November 7, 2006

Posted by leah.jones

I spent last weekend teaching storytelling to a group of boys between the ages of 11 and 14. Like any teacher will tell you, I learned more from them than they learned from me. The biggest lesson was "Listening isn't the same as being still. If they need to move, let them move."

Chances are that when you go into a new business pitch, teaching an Edel U, or giving a presentation, you will not be faced with a room of fidgeting 12 year-olds. However, you might have a doodler, a gazer, or a pen twirler. What the boys taught me this weekend was I had to let them listen the way they listen.

It meant not being offended when they didn't sit up straight or even when they plopped onto their stomachs on the floor. It meant letting them close their eyes and it meant letting (okay, encouraging them) to get up to do some jumping jacks.

I'm not totally sure how I will bring this lesson into the boardroom, other than to say this: Quickly adapt to how your listeners listen best. The boys in my class did the absolute best when I took them on a walk. They were moving and that seemed to connect to their ears. You probably can't take your account team on a walk around the building, but maybe you can say, "I won't be offended if you need to stand up."

How have you changed a presentation to fit your listeners?

posted by leah.jones

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.edelman.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/268

What's Talkshop

TalkShop is a blog about word-of-mouth and the Me2 Revolution, published by Edelman and hosted by Phil Gomes, the company's Senior Counsel, Online Communications. This blog pulls in thoughts and opinions from members of the worldwide Edelman network.