Analyst Richard St. John uses Marwell & Schmitt's tactic of Positive Expertise in his speech on the real secrets of success. In the beginning of his presentation, he qualifies himself as an authority, stating he has interviewed 500 successful people, and spent 7 years researching the topic. This sounds very much like someone who can tell me what the X is in the equation that equals success.
This speech on success could make use of almost every process premise. Some people want to be successful to satisfy their ego, for others this speech would tap into their need for belonging, or the fear of being unsuccessful.
Mr. St. John has taken 7 years to collect this wisdom and he is willing to share it with us in 3 minutes and 46 seconds- definitely worth a listen.
I chose to do my out of class presentation on Conflict in Interpersonal Relationships. I chose this topic because the information I learned in Professor Mckracken’s class was simple, yet profound, and I feel it is beneficial for all people to understand how to competently deal with conflict. I did my presentation for a group of my family and friends that I knew would find the information interesting and applicable.
I first explained what conflict is and why it is important that we study conflict. I went on to teach them what it means to be effective and appropriate in conflict. I ended by emphasizing that conflict resolution is essential to maintaining relationships that thrive, and most importantly that, “The ability to successfully resolve conflict is the single best predictor of long term relationship success.” This fact alone is a powerful source of motivation to educate ourselves about conflict.
I used Survey Monkey to for my Likert Scale, my audience gave me high marks all around. I asked several of them to please give me some ways I could improve, and the one suggestion I was given was in regard to the slides. I was using a computer to show the slides and for this audience member it was distracting and confusing.
I felt that the presentation went really well. I now realize that the factor that has made the biggest difference in my comfort level in public speaking, is the passion I feel about the subject I am speaking about. When I am telling people about something that I find interesting or that may be truly helpful to them, it feels natural almost easy to speak publically. Additionally, I found that rehearsing the speech over, and over, and over again, prior to delivering it to an audience is essential.
The Safe Act is a gun regulation law, in the state of New York, that was created in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. The bill passed the New York State Senate on Monday, January 14, 2013, the State Assembly on Tuesday, January 15, 2013- and was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo 30 minutes later. Described as one of the toughest gun control laws in the United States, many people were outraged that it passed through the Legislature in the middle of the night.
AAron Weiss, a Combat Veteran of Iraq and law enforcement officer, effectively uses Reich’s Cultural Parable of The Rot at the Top as he makes a short speech at the Dutchess County Legislature meeting in response to the Safe Act. Weiss paints a picture of those in power as being corrupt and irresponsible.
Within 30 seconds of starting, Mr. Weiss has put the legislators on blast because they said that it took a lot of courage for them to pass the Safe Act. He says that he has a much different definition of courage, as he doesn’t see the courage in passing a bill in the middle of the night so no one can see it or read it. He explains courage is taking the right and true course of action, not the politically expedient one. Cognitively, when you hear that a bill was passed in the middle of the night, it raises a red flag. Weiss goes on to say that the bill was passed, “mafia style,” likening the public officials to mob bosses, who meet in the middle of the night, to divvy up what is good for each of them. Weiss makes the accusation that the bill was fueled by emotional fear and pushed through in the name of public safety, with no regard for what was right.
Aaron Weiss effectively uses the Process Premise of emotions. You feel deeply for this combat soldier and law officer as you hear him talk about fighting for our freedoms, having to clean the blood and mangled bodies of his friends out of his humvee, and witnessing many give their lives for our country. Mr. Weiss addresses the legislators directly, asking them if they are willing to come and stand on the front lines to uphold the Safe Act, which makes use of the emotional process premise of guilt for requiring constituents who do not believe in this bill to risk their safety and well being to enforce it.
