Dahle Communication

One Year Down - A review of my favorites

 One year ago today I published my first post on communication here at Dahle Communication. I wasn't quite sure how much I was going to be able to spend posting articles or what I would talk about all of those times. After one year though, I have realized that there is a great deal to talk about and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

With that said, here are my top 10 posts from the past year. They are not the top ten in views or comments, but what I feel are the 10 bests posts. Best can mean a variety of things, but to me it represents a post that was thought provoking, got some good feedback and has continued to attract interest not only from everyone out there, but me as well.

10. Presentations to watch: xBlog: Did You Know 4.0 - I put this post in the top ten because of how good the video from xBlog is. Its a great presentation that has given me some inspiration and has also gotten me to think about the world.

9. Prezi - A Revolution in Presentations or Just Another Program? - Prezi is a presentation application that has made me re-think the way presentation CAN be done. However, much like anything new, its novelty has worn off some for me. However, I think it is still a great presentation tool that can be added to any successful presenters repertoire.

 8. A Good Story Helps Propel Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor - Justice Sotomayor's profile has decreased quite a bit since she was nominated and confirmed as the most recent Supreme Court justice. Her rise to fame however allowed the Obama administration to show all of us how to use a story to get your audience on your side.

7. Watch the context of your language - why MSNBC should learn slang - The reason I put this up on the top 10 list is that I am a political junkie. I follow politics a lot and like to follow how candidates and activists use communication - either to their advantage or disadvantage. Sadly, a lot of people apparently need to learn slang, because this issue is still around. Besides, this has quite possibly the funniest clip from The Daily Show ever!

6. Macworld 2009 Keynote - Minus Steve Jobs - All of us know how good of a public speaker Steve Jobs is. So when he didn't present at the Keynote address of Macworld people were concerned - about Steve and the status of Apple. Apple is so tied to Jobs and his ability to present eloquently that unless his successor can follow in his footsteps as a confident speaker, Apple might be in trouble.

 5. Pearl Jam Ten Redux CD - Addition by Subtraction - I put this post up simply for the fact that music is a big part of my life and I have used music on several occasions to prove a point. Other posts include one talking about Allison Krauss & Robert Plant, The Watchmen Trailer, Alice In Chains, Chris Isaak and Muse. Music can teach us a lot about communication.

4. Destroying a Brand the Tiger way - This has turned out to be a huge story. What's more amazing is that is it still unfolding in front of our eyes. By the end of 2010, we might know everything - but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't.

 3. Are things like Twitter, Texting, Facebook and Blogging hurting communication? - This was one of many posts regarding communication and how it is being affected by on-line media. A lot of people have simply forgotten how important effective communication is.

2. Twitter vs Facebook - Why Simplicity Matters - I have posted several times about Twitter because of its impact on our world as communicators and on society as a whole. 

 1. Mantras versus Mission Statements? How about a Passion Statement - This post got a lot of responses from people about the idea of a passion statement. While reading Guy Kawasaki's book Reality Check, I liked his idea of a mantra instead of a mission statement. However, I like the idea of a passion statement even more - which is why you will find one of our pages on our website titled "About Our Passion"

These were just 10 of the 88 posts I had over the past year. I can't wait for the next year and what communication will have in store for us.

Fareed Zakaria - Intelligent Communication

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Fareed Zakaria
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In today's world of instant and constant news, it is hard to figure out what is worth listening to, reading about and/or watching. However, whenever I can, I try to listen to and read what Fareed Zakaria has to say. If you don't know who Fareed Zakaria is, check out the clip from the Daily Show and then go to his website for more info. He is considered by many to be a leading figure on world affairs and is one of the most intelligent commentators in the media today. One thing that I really like about Zakaria is that he breaks down the news without using gimmicks or being showy.

What Zakaria has done over the past few years is continued to do what he does best - break down international affairs and discuss them with us intelligently. He has been able to increase his profile not by being flashy or trying to be something he wasn't.

What I think has really made an impact in Zakaria's influence is his communication ability. He is someone who is clearly intelligent, and yet he is able to communicate his thoughts and concerns to us in terms that are understandable, clear, concise and effective. There are a lot of really smart people out there, but unless they can communicate their thoughts to us effectively, their message is going to be lost. Additionally, there are a lot of great communicators out there, but their message doesn't make you think about something on a deeper level. Socrates called them Sophists and thought they were essentially windbags who didn't say anything worth learning. While I don't think the art of Rhetoric should receive that label, there are definitely a few worth giving that title to.

Combining the intelligence of Zakaria with his communication ability is something we should all try to achieve. All of us should strive to be eloquent in our speaking and communicating while still contributing to an intelligent discussion. So work not just on your communication ability, but what your content is as well.

Travis

Watch the context of your language - why MSNBC should learn slang

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Nationwide Tax Protests
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One of the sad things about not having cable anymore is that I don't watch The Daily Show on a regular basis. I try to catch it on-line the next day if at all possible, but have missed more than a few episodes. I was lucky enough to catch Thursday's show about the tax protests that were organized by the republican party. While the commentary on the protests was quite funny, it was how the major news sources covered the event that was so entertaining. MSNBC decided to use the phrase "tea-bagging" because of the references to the Boston Tea Party protests that the protest organizers wanted to emulate (it is near the end of the clip above). Unfortunately, the phrase "tea-bagging" has taken on quite a different definition than the one that MSNBC was aware of. As the Daily Show pointed out, that type of phrase is used by The Daily Show!

While funny, speakers also need to be aware of current slang and use of phrases when they are talking. While you might think that there is nothing that can be misconstrued in your speech, you should take another look. Maybe have someone younger look it over to see if they notice anything. Words take on different meanings over the years and slag terms can change quickly. It is better to be safe than sorry.

While I love a good laugh and unintended humor is usually the best, I don't want to see you do something that people are going to laugh about. You want people to remember your speech and presentation for its content - not your unintended humor.

Travis

Twitter - Using it effectively versus ignoring it

Twitter is fast becoming a huge trend - when you get talked about in a mocking manner by the Daily Show, you know you've made it!  As speakers though, twitter brings up a lot of questions.  First off, if people are checking their blackberries or iphones and twittering during your speech, they are not going to be listening as intently if they were paying attention to you.  

So, you have two choices as a speaker in regards to twitter:

1.  Be like Jon Stewart in the video below where he is the "Old Man Stewart shakes his fist at Twitter." 

or

2.  Embrace Twitter as a means to improve communication with your audience.

The first option will only make you upset with people and make you feel powerless as your audience members drift off and check their twitter status.  However, embracing Twitter will allow you to improve your presentations -- if you do it in an effective manner.

Olivia Mitchell posted a guest blog on Chris Spagnuolo's Edgehopper blog on 7 ways to use twitter during your presentations.  I really liked some of the suggestions and think it is a great way for you to engage your audience.  Some of the suggestions include polling your audience, asking questions during the presentation, getting input on your ideas and having evaluations done.  One of the biggest benefits of using twitter for all of these is that the audiences responses have to be 140 characters or less!  Believe me, that is not a lot of words, so people have to condense their ideas to their core.

One catch to some of her suggestions:  you need to get onto twitter and get used to it!  For some of us, this is a big step.  I have only recently gotten onto twitter and I didn't quite get it at first, but do see the potential.  So, in order to effectively use Twitter during your speeches and use it to your advantage, you have to be used to it.  You don't want to step in front of an audience and try to use twitter for the first time...you will not look good!

So, you have a choice: use Twitter to your advantage or to your disadvantage.  To me the choice is an easy one.  

- Travis

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