Transcript File - Amanda Wroten

Communications for
Guides
Amanda Wroten
www.amandawroten.com
Amanda Wroten
• Professional with the Boy
Scouts of America
• Owner of Summit Consulting
• Volunteer with Paradox Sports
Why Communication
• Trust –
short roped
• Getting
jobs
• Keeping
jobs
• Client
experience
• Marketing
Why Communication
• Special event lectures
– $$$$$
– Clients
– Sponsors
“Are You Tough Enough”
• Backpacker
magazine
article
• Shannon Davis
• RMI Tryout
• 100s of
applications 
40 tryouts 
10 slots
• Small group
setting
http://www.backpacker.com/survival/areyou-tough-enough/
“Are You Tough Enough”
• Intangibles
– Can you work
with a group?
– Can you speak
in front of a
crowd
– Can you sell
yourself?
– Do you like
people?
Take Away #1
Elevator Speech
• Can you sell yourself?
– 1: Identify your goal
– 2: Explain what you do
– 3: Communicate your “unique selling
proposition”
– 4: Engage with a question (close)
– 5: Pull it all together
– 6: Practice
Pitch is 20-30 seconds
Today We Will Cover
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Public speaking
Group/interpersonal communication
Nonverbal communication
Intercultural communication
Similarities Between Public
Speaking and Conversation
• Organize your thoughts
– Giving someone directions to your house
• Tailor your message to the audience
– Your 5 year old ask you where babies come
from
– Your 14 year old asks you where babies come
from
– Your 22 year old asks the same question
Similarities Between Public
Speaking and Conversation
• Telling a story for maximum impact
– Don’t tell the “punch line” of a story first
• Adapting to listener feedback
– Watch for non-verbal feedback – looks of
confusion, looks of pain or hurtfulness
Differences Between Public
Speaking and Conversation
• Public speaking is more structured
– Usually time limited
– Questions possibly not allowed to interrupt the
speech/typically questions at the end
• Public speaking requires more formal
language
– No slang, jargon, or bad grammar – think
about climbing terms – “short rope” “crag”
“beener”
– Usually something special, remembered
Differences Between Public
Speaking and Conversation
• Public speaking requires a different
method for delivery
– More formal delivery
– No vocalized pauses – “uh, “ah”, “um”
– Don’t use stock phrases repeatedly –”you
know, like, basically, I mean” – less valley girl
Speech Communication
Process
• Speaker – speech communication starts
here
• Message – whatever is communicated
• Channel – means by which a message is
communicated
• Listener – the receiver of the
communicated message
• Feedback – comes in many forms and
must be understood
Speech Communication
Process
• Interference – anything impeding the
communication of the message
– Noise
– Internal noise
– External noise
• Situation – the time and place of the
occurrence
Speech Communication
Process
Listening
• Listening is important
– Over our lives we will listen to many more
speeches than we will deliver
– Helps develop critical thinking
– Studies show a direct link between academic
success and the ability to listen
– Listening (mental) and hearing (physical) are
two different things
– Helps guide client experience and safety
Listening and Critical Thinking
• Four types of listening
– Appreciative: music, movies, etc.
– Empathetic: emotional support
– Comprehensive: listening to understand
– Critical: evaluate a message
• Critical thinking
– Comprehensive and critical thinking requires
you to evaluate while listening, developing
critical thinking skills
Causes of Poor Listening
• Not concentrating
– Daydreaming, mind wandering, dozing
• Listening too hard
– Trying to remember every fact, no matter how
minute
• Jumping to conclusions
– Putting words into the speaker’s mouth;
interrupting speaking, anticipating what
speaker will say/do next
• Focusing on delivery instead of message
– Accent, clothes, stuttering,
Better Listening
• Take it seriously
– Practice and
self-discipline
• Resist distractions
– Pull yourself
back on track
• Don’t be diverted by
appearance or
delivery
• Suspend judgment
– “A closed mind
is an empty
mind”
Better Listening
• Focus your
listening
– Listen for main
points
– Listen for
evidence
• Accurate,
sources,
relevant
– Safety
Analyzing the Audience
• Good speakers (and guides) are audience
centered
– Primary purpose is to get a desired result
• Keep the audience foremost in mind at
every step of preparation and presentation
– To whom are you speaking?
– What is it you want them to know, believe or
do?
– What is the most effective way to compose
and present your message to that end?
Psychology of Audiences
• It’s up to the speaker to make the
audience choose to pay attention
• Every speech contains two messages
– One from the speaker
– One received by the listener
• “People hear what they want to hear and disregard
the rest.” – The Boxer
Psychology of Audiences
• People are egocentric
– Egocentrism – the tendency for people to be
the most interested in themselves, their own
problems, and the way to solve them
– They pay closest attention to what affects
their own values, beliefs, and well being
Demographic Audience Analysis
• Look for observable audience traits
– Snap judgments (Legos)
– Identify the general features
– Gauge their importance to the situation
• Traits
– Age
– Gender
– Racial, ethnic, cultural background
– Religion
– Group membership
Situational Audience Analysis
• Builds on demographic analysis, identifies
traits unique to the speaking situation
– Size
– Physical setting
– Disposition toward the topic
• Interest
• Knowledge
• Attitude
– Disposition towards the speaker
– Disposition towards the occasion
Adapting to the Audience
• Before you begin
– Assess how the audience is likely to respond
– Adjust what you say to make it
• Clear
• Appropriate
• Convincing
• During
– Things may/will not go exactly as you plan
– Don’t panic, remain calm and adapt
– Remember: “Who am I speaking to, what do I
want them to know, believe or do, and what is
the best way to accomplish this?”
PRACTICE, PRACTICE
PRACTICE
Use of Language
• Language is important
– How well do you use language
– Meaningless words “like”
Meanings of Words
• Words have two kinds of meanings:
– Denotative
• The literal or dictionary meaning
of a word or phrase
– Connotative
• The meaning suggested by the
association or emotions triggered
by a word or phrase
• Give words their intensity and
emotional power
• The same words may have
completely different effects on
different audiences
Take Away #2
Things to Remember
• Use language accurately
– Say what you mean
• Use language clearly
– Familiar words
– Concrete words
– Eliminate clutter
• Use language vividly
– Imagery, parallelism,
repetition…etc.
• Use language
appropriately
– Occasion, audience,
topic, speaker
Sexist Language
• Avoid
– Generic use of “he”
– Use of man when
referring to both
genders
– Stereotyping
jobs/social roles
Vocalization
• Volume – loudness or softness
– Adjust to the situation
• Pitch – high or lowness of your voice
– Adjust for variety
• Rate of speed
– 120-150 wpm is normal (brain can process
more)
• Pauses
– Pause for effect, thinking, and to avoid
vocalized pauses
Vocalization
• Variety
– Vary your speech
• Pronunciation
• Articulation
• Dialect
– Variety of language
distinguished by
variations of accent,
grammar, or
vocabulary
Nonverbal Communication
• Kinesics – the study of nonverbal body
motions as a systematic node of
communication
• People trust their ears less than their eyes
– When a speaker’s body language is
inconsistent with their words they tend to
believe their eyes
Nonverbal Communication
• Other aspects of nonverbal
communications
– Personal appearance
– Body action
– Gesticulation
– Eye contact
Body Language
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Face
Figure
Focus
Territory
Tone
Time
Face
• Face includes:
– Your expressions
– Your smile or lack thereof
– Tilt of the head; e.g., if your head is tilted to
one side, it usually indicates you are
interested in what someone is saying
– What message are you sending if someone is
presenting a new idea and you are frowning?
Figure
• Your posture
• Your demeanor and
gestures
• Your clothes and
accessories such as
jewelry
Focus
• Focus is your eye contact
with others
• The perception of eye
contact differs by culture. For
most Americans…
– Staring makes other
people uncomfortable
– Lack of eye contact can
make you appear weak or
not trustworthy
– Glasses may interfere or
enhance eye contact
Territory
• Territory focuses on how you use space. It
is also called proxemics.
• The perception of territory differs by
culture. Most Americans are comfortable
with an individual space that is about an
arm’s length in diameter
– What message are you sending if you keep
moving closer to a person who is backing
away from you?
Tone
• Tone is a factor of your voice
– Pitch is the highness or lowness of voice
– Volume is how loud your voice is
– Emphasis is your inflection
Time
• Time focuses on how you use time. It is
also called chronemics.
– Pace is how quickly you speak
– Response is how quickly you move
– Punctuality is your timeliness
Interpersonal/Group
Communication
• Shared symbols
– Meaning of things
– “ASAP”
– What does that
really mean?
– Not always
completely shared,
the message
received may not
be the intended
one
SHARE
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State the importance
Highlight other important points
Assure the receiver understands
React to how the receiver responds
Emphasize and summarize your main
points
Questions in Groups
• Closed or
open ended
• Direct
questions
• Probing
questions
• Hypothetical
Groups
• Collections of
people who
share ideas
and interests
Mountaineering Groups
• Task groups
– To achieve a common goal – task oriented
Group Phases
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Forming – initial set up (dating)
Rebellion – conflict
Norming – social norms, stable structure
Cooperation – problems solved, energy
directed at the task
Groups Have Norms
• Formal
norms
– Rules
– Safety
• Informal
norms
– Societal
norms
– Don’t be
an ass
Group Leaders, Rope Teams
• Deferred leadership – Guide
• Trait approach
– Natural leadership
• Situational approach
– Right place, right time
• Functional approach
– Who is best at what
• Contingency approach
– Depends on all situational factors
Group Think
• Become too cohesive
• Us vs. Them – Can
do no wrong
• In groups/out groups
– stereotypes
• Illusion that everyone
in the group is the
same
• Pressure in group
Intercultural Communication
• Effective communication to people of
varying backgrounds and cultures
• Understanding how cultures receive
information
Intercultural Communication
Conclusion
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Better client relationships
Better communication with clients
Safety
Increase client base
– Special events
– Free advertising
• Build your brand
Questions?
• Stay in touch!
• Happy to help with anything you need in
the future
• www.amandawroten.com
• 757-593-8491