PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PROFESSIONALS – WORKSHOP SUMMARY

Access Services hosted the “Public Speaking Workshop” on May 28 and 29, 2009. The workshop was presented by UCLA Extension and was attended by 20 representatives from public transit agencies, regional centers and non-profit organizations. Access Services staff Evie Palicz, Luis Garcia, Steve Chang, Geetu Banerjee, Jeff Mora and Charace Thompson also participated.

The two day workshop provided each participant with a solid foundation in public speaking. The course covered several aspects in improving presentation delivery such as connecting with an audience, responding to questions and interruptions, body language and the dynamics of voice and pacing. As part of class exercises, participants gave several presentations that were video-taped. Coaching was given in a supportive and positive environment.

Some feedback received from attendees:

“This class was the best public speaking training that I ever received. I'm definitely going to use the technical tools that we learned in the class for my future presentations.” Art Ida, Culver City

"Public speaking is one of the most feared things. As professionals we sometimes have to give reports and present information in front of an Executive Board, City Council Members and the General Public. The structure and methodology of delivering a precise message is the key. Through this course, I learnt several methods and exercise that will assist me in delivering an effective presentation. I feel more confident in giving presentations and thank you Access Services for facilitating this course!” Dietter Aragon, Foothill Transit

“This was an excellent workshop. The instructor kept us motivated and engaged.” Wayne Wassell, Metro

For Teachers: Make a Plan, Then Improvise - On Purpose!

After teaching for 30 years, I know it works to have a lesson plan for where you're going. It doesn't work, however, to be too attached to how you get there. You have to stay open and improvise (when isn't it that way?).
I shared an extraordinary session with my "Public Speaking for Professionals" class at UCLA Extension a while back. There are nearly 30 enrolled and, at this particular session, only 3 were prepared. I fought a shotgun impulse to make the others wrong and remembered my objective of having them all know how to prepare, rehearse and deliver effective presentations. This particular night was vital to that process, so I sent the 3 prepared students into a second room to rehearse together while the remaining students stayed in our classroom putting the assignment together. One by one, as they completed this ground work, they joined the prepared group in the other room to rehearse. Meanwhile, I circulated, answering questions, coaching, managing both groups and the time. Eventually the majority of the students had trickled into the second room to rehearse. At this point, I put everyone to work in small groups with each other, integrating some new instructions from me, coaching each other and polishing up their presentations. As I continued to circulate, I could see, hear and feel that they were benefiting from all the coaching they were giving and receiving - they were in great shape and we were on track! This process took up almost all our time and only four speakers got to deliver their presentaitons to the whole class, with the remaining scheduled for the following week. But now they were all prepared and the challenge would be to keep it fresh. This evening has been experiential, exhilerating and fun. We arrived at our destination because we went with the flow and improvised - on purpose.

Beauty before me, Beauty behind me,

Beauty to the right of me, Beauty to the left of me,

Beauty above me, Beauty below me,

Beauty all around me... I am on the perfect path.

Know Yourself, Then Give it Away! Synchronicity, Story and Psychic Coaching

"If you have built castles in the air,

your work need not be lost;

that is where they should be.

Now put the foundations under them."

- Henry David Thoreau -

There are no accidents. Wherever you are can lead you to where you want to be. Recently I had an extraordinary psychic experience with a client.

This client is a lobbyist with a huge, well-known corporation. As we discussed his upcoming presentation and the effect he wanted to have on his audience, an image emerged in which he appeared to me as an early American scout, leading a group of settlers through the wilderness, clearing a path in the thick undergrowth and looking out for danger. As their lobbyist, he was clearly a path into the future for his company. This metaphor spoke to him and he loved it; it became the unifying idea for his presentation. He had been concerned that his audience would think he was expendable, but instead, they came up afterwards, congratulating him and expressing their appreciation.

This "psychic coaching" is really the sensory acuity that has resulted from my years of both working on myself and training and coaching students and clients. As I asked the lobbyist questions about his presentation and purpose, my mind connected the dots and the visual appeared. Then we did the work. Castles in the air and foundations on the ground came together.

Are you visualizing your intended outcomes and then taking the actions to get you there? And are you loving it? These are the 3 essential aspects of a result: a visual, the passion and action.

Join Queen of Hearts Sheryl Roush and her Court of Contributing Authors to Celebrate Mother's Day in San Diego!

Corporate consultant and UCLA Extension Master Teacher, Pamela Kelly, is joining Sparkle Presentations’ Sheryl Roush and other contributing authors of Roush’s Heart Book Series for book signings in San Diego on Saturday, May 9. Roush’s Heart Book collection of inspirational books for women, mothers and women in business also includes CDs with readings and music.
Kelly contributed “Being the Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time” to Roush’s Heart of a Woman in Business and will also be signing Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!, her workbook based on 20 years of teaching professionals from all walks of life how to replace the fear of public speaking with energy, know-how and results.
Other authors who have contributed to Heart of a Woman, Heart of a Mother, and Corazon de Mujer (in Spanish) will also be joining Roush and Kelly. They will be signing their own books and the Heart Book Series from 11am to 2pm at The EarthblendTea and Coffee Bookstore, located at 6020 Santo Road, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92124, Phone 858-571-6000.
From here, the party will move on to Borders Eastlake, where they will be signing only the Heart Book Series, from 3pm to 6pm. This location is 878 Eastlake Parkway, Suite 710, Chula Vista, CA 91914, Phone 619-482-9883.
Come ready to have fun, be inspired and find the perfect Mother’s Day gifts as the authors read from their books, speak, answer questions and share the beautiful Heart Book music.

Browse for Mother's Day at the LA Times Festival of Books!

Press Release/April 4, 2009 – Join UCLA Extension’s popular Master Teacher, Pamela Kelly, and UCLA Extension's Writers' Program teacher, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, who are signing their award-winning books for speakers and writers in the Authors’ Co-op Booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday, April 26, from 3-4pm.

Pamela Kelly's Speak with Passion, Speak with Power! offers you the same reliable system she uses in the classroom for overcoming your fear of public speaking and stepping into your power - in job interviews, business presentations (including PowerPoint presentations), teleconference meetings, webinars and wherever you need to speak up, be heard and be persuasive.

She also is presenting, as a contributing author, the Heart Book Series for Women, perfect for Mother’s Day. This unique jewel-toned collection of inspirational true stories and lessons learned, is published by Sparkle Presentations’ Sheryl Roush, and perfect for the mothers, women in business and Spanish-speaking women in your life.

Sharing this booth with Pamela is the prolific author and book award winner, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, of the How To Do It Frugally Book Series fame. Carolyn is a sponsor for the Authors’ Co-op and will be signing The Frugal Editor, The Frugal Book Promoter, as well as her fiction and chapbook of poetry (Stay for the poetry reading at 4pm!).

The Authors’ Co-op is also showcasing these other authors during the 2-day Festival: Christine Alexanians, Linda Ballou, Janet Goliger, Lynn B. Goodwin, Anne Megowan, Marilyn Meredith, Linda Overman, Julie Spira and Loren Woodson and featuring Rey Ybarra, Best Selling Author and TV Host.

UCLA Campus, Sat. & Sun, April 25 and 26, FREE Admission/Parking $9.
Easiest Parking at Structure 3 Near Hilgard & Sunset Boulevard, Westwood (Los Angeles Area), CA.
For a map of the on-campus event go to: http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/eventmap.html.
Look for the Authors' Co-op banner in the F section near the food booths

Are Chris Brown and Rihanna Pushing Our Buttons? Communicate to Come Clean

Have you witnessed or directly experienced violence or spousal abuse? With a daily dose of Chris Brown and Rihanna in the news, the topic of violence towards women seems to be pushing a lot of our buttons and is providing an opportunity for many of us to come clean. It's being discussed on all the talk shows - Oprah warned Rihanna that any man who hits once will hit again. On CNN, a panel of men agreed that this is a man's issue as much as a woman's; that it's not just about being a victim who needs to learn to keep herself safe but also about being a victimizer who needs to learn to control rage. I just read on AOL news that Cover Girl may drop Rihanna as a result of her returning to her relationship with Brown. What does our fascination reveal about us? For me, it says that we CAN have an open conversation about a once forbidden subject. The internet allows us all to participate. Then, because it's pushing so many buttons, it begs the question, "Who experienced violence or abuse growing up in your homes, schools and communities?" Remember when people were coming out of the woodwork to acknowledge they had been molested as children and teens by their priests? This was a cathartic cleansing for the Catholic Church. Now the Chris Brown-Rihanna conversation is bringing up another opportunity for us to acknowledge and release our demons. And to take greater responsibility for our results. I grew up in a household effected by the violence of war. The repurcussions circulated through our lives as emotional, physical and verbal abuse. Since then, there have been discussions, forgiveness and declarations of love - but does the onion ever stop unpeeling? I've been working on myself a long time, but this Chris Brown - Rihanna conversation has brought it all up again. What are your experiences and what is your take on what is happening? Please comment below.

The Power of Presence - Not an Act but a Habit

Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Duke Ahn, embodies Aristotle's insight. For my Tip of the Month, I want to share about the Power of Presence, which has everything to do with what we have repeatedly been doing and is either working for us or not. When I met Dr. Ahn, he had come to my hospital room the night before surgery to answer any questions I might have. As he sat next to the bed facing me, I had only a couple of questions. But while he described my injury and his plan for the surgery, my questions began multiplying, tumbling out of me one after the other. His responses were direct and detailed in content, his tone soft and steady. Being in his presence was somehow drawing more and more questions out of me and we were in a living partnership of give and take. Dr. Ahn's years of study and practice didn't just emanate passively and non-verbally from him. They acted like a catalyst and a magnet on me. When he left, I was confident that my leg and I were in the hands of a meticulous, masterful surgeon. The next morning, as I was wheeled into surgery, I looked forward to being in his reliable hands. The proof is that I'm walking now (the injury had been called "devastating") and several other unrelated doctors and therapists have commented on the exceptional appearance of my surgery. The results were planted before my surgery took place, during Dr. Ahn's years of meticulous attention to details, and they gained momentum during that hospital visit. So to wrap up, we can all ask ourselves, what is the nature of our presence? What is the effect we have on others? By weeding out what isn't working and repeating what is working, we, like Dr. Ahn, can have a more powerful presence. Please comment below. http://www.greaterlongbeachortho.com/