Steve Boyd Presentations

Speaking to Elicit Emotion

In order for us to motivate people to action, we have to make them feel what we are talking about. There’s a story about the little boy who came crying to his father with the news that his turtle had died. His father looked at the recumbent creature in his son’s hand and thought fast.

“I know,” he said, “we’ll invite some of your friends over and have a big funeral. We’ll dig a little grave in the backyard and make a little coffin, and we’ll have a parade. I’ll speak some words over dead Herkimer there and…”

About that time, the father noticed that the turtle was moving. “Hey, son, look! Your turtle isn’t dead after all!”

           The boy observed the now animated creature, then looked at this dad with a sly grin. “Let’s kill him!” he said.

This father may have elicited too many strong feelings. People, however, generally will not take action unless there is a feeling involved. We buy on emotion and justify with logic. Here are some suggestions for including emotion in your speaking.

With every action you want the audience to take, have a story to support the action. Stories are about emotion and feelings. A story has the human element that touches other humans who listen. When the story is relevant to the point, a connection is made.

For example, consider the point that we should celebrate at every opportunity. This story provides the needed feeling:  I remember when our daughter was having trouble with fourth grade spelling. One day she came home with a 100% on a spelling test. We had recently received as a gift a red plate with white letters that said, “You are special today.”  On a whim we decided to exchange this plate for the regular dinner plate at meal time.

When she saw it her place, she said, “What is this for?” 

We answered, “We are celebrating your 100% on your spelling test.”  That was the beginning of a tradition in our family. Any time a family member does something special, he or she gets the red plate at dinner. We sometimes do that for a dinner guest to show we appreciate their sharing a meal with us. Someone’s getting the red plate enhances the celebration.

          Another way of making an audience feel is to describe a scene vividly. Rick Mears, a race driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said that racing there is like driving down the hallway in your house at 230 miles an hour and turning left into your closet. That made instantly clear the dangers and quick decisions required when driving a racecar. I would never want to be a racecar driver, but that description helps me feel the emotions involved.

          You can be a very logical speaker and not be effective in moving people to action. The key is touching the feelings or emotions of the people in your audience.

         

          Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University. He works with organizations whose people want to speak and listen more effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or through www.sboyd.com .

Dr. Stephen D. Boyd and dancer Sarah Treas were big hits on April 3 at the NKU "Dancing with the Scholars" night. Consequently, Steve hasn't had time to write his column! Another column will be coming soon....as will a featured video on YouTube. Stay tuned!

Speaking to the International Audience

         My wife’s Brazilian friend Daniela confided that she was a bit flustered because her house had been broken into the night before. Her father had managed to frighten the thieves enough that they fled, but it was still a harrowing experience for their family. "I died to afraid!" she said.
        My wife was puzzled. Then she realized Daniela’s meaning. "The phrase you're thinking of is 'I was scared to death,'" she offered, and Daniela laughed with understanding.
        "Yes!  I was scared to death!" she repeated. Daniela was attempting to use an American phrase she’d heard in movies, but didn’t recall the exact wording. Just the opposite often happens when we speak to international audiences. We speak quickly or use terms that weren’t covered in their English vocabulary lessons, and our audience is confused.
         Everyone from farmers to teachers to bankers comes in contact with people from other cultures. More and more, our audiences include people from other countries. How do we adapt to audiences of people who may not be familiar with our culture?  Here are some speaking tips for these kinds of situations.
         If you are speaking to an audience which requires a translator, the first change you must make is to cut the length of your speech in half. The translator will need equal time to speak your words in the language of the audience. He or she may take even longer than you because of the time needed to assimilate what you have said and express that meaning in another language.
          Even assuming your audience can understand your native language, here are important considerations.
          Speak slower. With English as a second language, the listener needs more time to assimilate and understand. Make yourself pause at the ends of sentences and ends of thoughts to help you pace the rate of speech, giving the audience members longer to make sense of what you are saying. If you speak rapidly, not only will the audience members not be able to assimilate quickly enough, but the lack of pauses makes the words run together and confuse someone not fluent with the language.
           Articulate your words carefully. We become lazy with our speech habits and we don’t use our tongues, lips, and teeth to clearly articulate the words we speak. Our words run together. Look for the furrowed brow or the quizzical look to remind you to articulate more carefully and pause more frequently.
           My son Josh was talking to a Ukranian and asked, “What did you do this week-end?”  The person to whom he asked the question immediately went to his dictionary and began thumbing through it. Josh asked him what word was he looking for and his response was “Whadja.” 
           Occasionally you can give a particular word in their language. For example, in talking about “a little bit,” if you had Italians in your audience you could say, “Or as you would say in Italian, ‘umpo.’”  If there were Thai people in your audience, you might say, “Our children like to play ‘peek-a-boo,’ or as you would say in Thai ‘som-o.’”  That reference to a word in their language gives them a mental break as well as providing more time to think about what you are saying.
            Rarely tell jokes. Many jokes are culture-bound and would not have a clear meaning to the international part of the audience. A joke beginning with “Two good ole boys were driving down the interstate…” would not be clear to people who did not understand the phrase “good old boys.”  Also, some punch lines might have different meanings when taken literally by those for whom English is a second language.
            When possible, give more than one meaning or explanation of a word or phrase. If the person hears multiple explanations, he or she will be more likely to figure out the meaning of your thought. You might begin with snow plow, explaining that it removes snow from the road quickly and efficiently, and end with “the snow plow is usually a metal scraper at the front of a truck.” (You can see from my example that I’m still recovering from last week’s blizzard!)
             An effective way to connect with an international audience in the beginning is by giving a greeting in another language represented in the audience. If you had several Portuguese speaking members of your audience, you might begin with “ola,” as a way of saying “hello” to the audience.
             Avoid the use of idioms and figures of speech. The idiom is a phrase where the words together have a different meaning from the individual words. An example would be “I’m going to give it a lick and a promise.”  A figure of speech might be “…looked like something the cat dragged in.”  These kinds of expressions only confuse the international audience.
             Use gestures to emphasize what you are talking about. If you are explaining a way to operate a piece of farm machinery, you might show with a gesture shifting gears, or working the hydraulic lift, or shutting off the engine. In giving directions, demonstrate with gestures the specific instructions. Put a large emphasis on the nonverbal to complement the verbal.
             Don’t be anxious when you know you have people in the audience who speak English as a second language. If you use the suggestions discussed here, you will be a big hit (not a large slap!) with the group.

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               Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University. He works with organizations whose people want to speak and listen more effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or through www.sboyd.com .

Impact of Our Speeches: Content or Context?

What we say in a presentation is vital, but look at the recent primary campaigns:  emphasis on the context of each speech is presented as a prominent factor in determining the success of a speech. For example, in summarizing candidates’ speeches reporters often compare the sizes of the audiences of the candidates. The reporter seems to imply that the size of the audience equals the effectiveness of the presentation event. Hillary Clinton recently spoke in Cincinnati and the big news appeared to be that there were l500 in attendance; content seemed almost secondary in importance. In addition, reporters apparently use an enthusiasm meter to describe how much energy or excitement an audience has at a candidate’s speaking appearance.

Whether or not these factors in a candidate’s speech are important to voters, at least we can observe that as speakers we should be concerned about the surroundings of our actual presentation. We want to prepare the setting as well as the content of the presentation.

          First, if the room is not full, encourage people to fill seats from front to back so that empty seats are not dotted throughout the room. If you know the number of seats is larger than the number of people attending, you might improve the venue by removing chairs. You can also have people stand at the beginning of your presentation and then ask them to move forward and fill the empty seats. If everyone sits toward the front, then people in the audience will not be reminded that the room is not full. In addition, having people sit together will encourage the audience to respond as a unit.

Second, make sure the room is well-lighted. Many rooms have a variety of lighting configurations. Find the switches and experiment to get the maximum lighting for your presentation. Avoid lighting that creates shadows. If you are using PowerPoint, only turn off the lights above the screen. You do not want to speak in a darkened room.

Third, ensure that the front of the room is not “busy.” Clear out any equipment or chairs that may clutter the speaking area. Erase dry boards and remove posters or any other informational pieces that have nothing to do with your presentation.

Content is always more important than delivery or the surroundings. But paying attention to the environment in which your presentation is delivered can add to the effectiveness of your message.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University. His humorous keynotes and after-dinner speeches attract people who want to speak and listen more effectively. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com.

            

Score a Workplace Win with Empathic Listening

In the workplace, reaching a win/win resolution is often the goal. A huge step toward winning is to listen empathetically. The story of the Titanic could have had a happy ending if the captain had listened to the radio message warning of icebergs in the area. But he ignored the problem by not listening.

In conversations, a way to win is to listen. When he was a U.S. Senator, Lyndon Johnson had a plaque on his office wall that read, "You ain't learnin' nothing when you're talking."

Listening is an important skill that many of us take for granted. Have you ever explained a problem to someone and received an answer that showed that he or she didn't understand the problem at all?

A big part of listening goes beyond getting the main point and drawing conclusions. Listening empathically, or with feelings, means putting yourself in the talker's position without getting emotionally involved.

Empathic listening precedes effective feedback because it goes to the root of the concern: the other person's perspective. Listening only to obtain information and form opinions means missing much of what the speaker is saying--the emotions and intensity that make up real communication.

          For business, technical and personal problems, anything that provokes frustration or worry is emotion-laden by nature. Thus, any problem is better handled with an empathic approach.

            Questions such as "What makes you feel that way?" allow the talker to go in the most comfortable direction, though not necessarily the direction you would have chosen. By giving the other person free rein, it's easier for you to get into his or her shoes.

          A good habit is to ask "one more question" before giving feedback. The answer you receive gives you a more realistic picture of what the talker really means. Your question might be, "What other factors are involved?" or "What other elements might influence the way we handle this problem?" or "What actions have you taken so far?"

Charles Mayo, founder of the Mayo Clinic, expressed it this way: "I try to imagine the kind of doctor I'd like if I were you, and try to be that doctor." (Fortunately, my own doctor seems to have that philosophy as well.)

By contrast, if you look at your watch, fidget, or look anxious as the talker is relating a problem, he or she may leave out key details. If you give the other person the impression that he or she is just wasting your time, you're not likely to solve any problems. Have you ever been listening to someone who suddenly says, "I can tell this is a bad time.... We'll talk about this later"?

Instead, show the other person that the most important thing for you at that moment is to listen. Tell your secretary to hold your calls, or close your door, or tell the talker, "Take as much time as you need." With these actions, you're more likely to get the details that go beyond the main problem and help you find solutions.

If you're the manager, your employee may neglect important information because of your higher position. Therefore you must show that the talker's ideas are valuable and that you really want to hear what he or she has to say.

Come out from behind your desk and sit together to create a feeling of equality and comfort. This encourages full disclosure and puts the speaker in a more receptive frame of mind. Even pulling up a chair to the side of your desk to sit next to each other, rather than across the desk, helps reduce tension.

When someone—and this could be friend or family member as well as a co-worker—comes to you with a problem, your first response may be to provide advice or a solution; sometimes, however, all the other person wants is someone to listen. If you listen before advising, you're more likely to understand first. When you have a grasp of the situation, then you can offer suggestions.

Often, if you're listening empathetically, the talker solves his or her own problem. For example, have you ever told your problems to someone who just listened? Chances are, by the time you talked your way through it, you had actually come up with your own solution. Empathic listening encourages this to happen.

People problems are usually the most difficult to solve because of personal emotions. A sure way to win is to listen until resolution of the problem is achieved.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University near Cincinnati, Ohio. He trains and gives keynotes and after-dinner speeches for organizations whose people want to speak and listen effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.

Improve Your Speech Immediately: Be Concise

          We talk too much in our society. In recent months, for example, presidential candidates have been giving as many as twelve speeches a day. Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal featured an article, “The Hoarse Race,” on how candidates are plagued with laryngitis because of talking too much.

For our speeches to have more impact, let’s consider talking less. When we do talk, we should say what we need to say in as few words as possible. Truman Capote said, “I believe more in the scissors than I do the pencil.”

          In accepting an Oscar for her 1949 role as a deaf-mute in “Johnny Belinda,” Jane Wyman said to the Academy audience: “I accept this very gratefully for keeping my mouth shut for once. I think I’ll do it again.” And she sat down.

          Few of us remember the name of the noted orator, Edward Everett, who spoke two hours at the Gettysburg battlefield. Instead we remember Abraham Lincoln and his two-minute “Gettysburg Address.” Everett, in a note to Lincoln afterward, said, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

One of the great speeches in the past century was John F. Kennedy’s 1960 inaugural address when he committed the nation to go to the moon by the end of the decade. The length of the speech:  14 minutes.

          Here are some tips for being concise:  

·         Keep sentences short. The self-discipline to do that will aid you in making your point quickly.

·         Avoid unnecessary words. Recently I heard a television weather person, using a map, say, “This is where we are at, right now.”  Just saying, “This is where we are” would have been sufficient. “We are here” would have been even better. Avoid “kind of,” “sort of,” “basically,” “actually,” “generally,” and “definitely.”

·         Always revise. When revising what you plan to say or write, you will usually be able to say the message with fewer words. When you revise, you can discover more specific words and eliminate vague referents such as “it” or “they” and substitute with more concrete terms.

Conciseness is saying what needs to be said with the minimum number of words. As Joseph Conrad said, “He who wants to persuade should put his trust, not in the right argument, but in the right word.” 

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He gives keynotes and after-dinner speeches for organizations whose people want to speak and listen effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520 or www.sboyd.com .

Anticipating Challenges in Your Next Presentation

                  As you prepare for a specific speech, you will sometimes become aware of a situation that could cause challenges. This can create anxiety as you face the uncertainty connected with a possible negative impact on your presentation. I have found that the best way to meet such a challenge is to creatively mention the possible problem in the opening three minutes of your presentation.

               For example, in some parts of the country, especially in the northeast, audiences think I have a Southern accent. To keep it from being a distraction, in the beginning I will say, “I know you probably think I talk funny! Well, I married a southerner and I have picked up some of her accent. You’ll get used to it in a few minutes.”  By saying this I get a smile and an affirmation of what they are thinking, and they will make more of an effort to listen to my content.

               In the South, on the other hand, I often speak too quickly in comparison to the slower speech Southern audiences are accustomed to hearing. I start out by saying, “I know I talk too fast, but I can’t help it. I grew up in Indiana, and I can’t get past my Yankee upbringing. So listen closely and I’m sure you can stay with me.”

               Another technique is to mention the negative possibility as you introduce your points. If the time is late afternoon and you know the group has been sitting for several hours, you might say, “I have three points to make and I will work hard to keep these interesting, understanding that you have had a long afternoon and are looking forward to the outing planned right after my presentation.”  Saying aloud what the audience is experiencing will encourage an audience to overcome the obstacle because they know you “feel their pain.” 

               A common time to speak is after a meal. Heavy desserts such as pie and ice cream, cheesecake, or chocolate chip cookies can be deadly for the speaker who speaks after such a treat. As you begin, mention the delicious lunch and then add, “Those chocolate chip cookies were really good! I know you will work especially hard to rise above the heaviness you feel and give good attention, and I will do my best to earn your attention by the content of my message.”

               The final suggestion is to acknowledge the challenge by mentioning the physical surroundings of the speech. I might say, “I’m delighted to speak in this spacious facility. I know those behind the posts near the center may want to move to their right to have a maximum view of the PowerPoint presentation.”

               Although these are specific possible scenarios that I have dealt with, the larger point is to acknowledge the potential challenge instead of ignoring it. Addressing the challenging situation will enhance both your ability to remember the content of your message and the audience’s ability to pay careful attention.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He gives keynotes and after-dinner speeches for organizations whose people want to speak and listen effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.

The Potential Power in Presentations

          Public speaking gets a lot of grief. Jerry Seinfeld in one of his monologues said, “According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy."

Many people will do anything to avoid delivering a speech. However, if you learn the skills involved there are tremendous values in speaking effectively. Daniel Webster once said, “If all of my skills were taken away from me except one, the one I’d want to retain is the ability to speak, for with it I could regain all the rest.”  In their autobiographies, both Lee Iacocca and Jack Welch credit public speaking skills as a major factor in their successes as CEOs of Chrysler and General Electric Here are some of the benefits.

          Your effective presentation skills will enhance your credibility for your products and your company. If you appear confident and competent, you will earn the respect of your prospective clients. Presenting allows you to demonstrate your experience and the expertise your company can provide. Your presentation can influence your audience to listen to you beyond the time you present. When you phone them again to ask for an appointment, if you have presented well you will not have to explain who you are; they will feel like they know you from sitting through your 20-minute presentation and will be more responsive to your request.

The presentation allows you to showcase your knowledge in an organized and complete manner. With a captive audience in a non-threatening environment, you can validate the value of whatever you may be advocating. At the end of your presentation, audience members will feel close to you and will remember you in a positive and helpful manner.

The presentation environment encourages you to look at all the material you have to sell your ideas or products and to use your strongest persuasive reasons with relevant and detailed evidence. If you are just having a conversation or email exchange, you are less likely to provide the structure and continuity that a presentation demands. Your persuasive powers will be increased because of the self-discipline of preparing the presentation.

The presentation allows the audience to size you up and think about whether or not they want to do business with you. In a conversation, whether in person or on the phone, a person is engaged actively in conversing with you and he or she does not have the chance to sit back and take stock of you and your company. Doing a great job in your presentation can’t help but assist you in doing business with them. By the time your presentation is over, the audience member will have a good gauge on what he or she wants to do next in the business relationship.

When you deliver in-house presentations, you have the opportunity of showcasing your skills and knowledge—a great advantage if you are seeking to advance in the company. Someone from another department may be so impressed with the quality of your presentation that you may be first on his or her list to seek out when a position comes open.

Even though delivering presentations can be challenging, they are worth every bit of initial anxiety due to the benefits outlined in this article. So if you have a choice between meeting a person or presenting to a group of l0 or 50, choose the latter. Then you will have opportunities for influencing people in your audience to buy into your ideas, your products, or you.

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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He gives keynotes and after-dinner speeches for organizations whose people want to speak and listen more effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.

Recency Equals Relevancy in Speaking

     Millions have been touched in the past two weeks by the last lecture delivered to 400 students and colleagues by Dr. Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University professor, whose pancreatic cancer gives him only months to live. Newspapers and the internet have reported on the impact of this one speech upon millions of lives. In referencing the power of a public speech, this story has been a great source for my own presentations to classes and corporate America. Just the sheer numbers who have been affected by the speech give powerful evidence to the importance of public speaking.

     Another important element is that this is a current story. I sometimes use the testimony of General Electric CEO Jack Welch. He said in his autobiography that his ability to tell GE success stories in his speeches was a key to spreading the good news about the company to its employees and to stockholders in his early years. Since the book was written several years ago, a testimonial about something that happened last week carries greater significance to audiences. I find that audiences listen more carefully when evidence is recent—happening today or yesterday or even last week.

     Up-to-date information is instantly relevant to an audience, and as speakers we must work hard to keep such information in our content. Let me suggest some ways to do that.

     First, research newspapers and the internet on a daily basis for information that fits your topic. I scan The Cincinnati Enquirer, which is our local newspaper, and the Wall Street Journal for information that relates to my communication topics. In addition, I peruse the New York Times Book Review Magazine for reviews of newly published books that might supply information I can use in a speech.

     Second, maintain contact with researchers in your field who can keep you abreast of breaking news. Remind them occasionally of your desire to keep up with new developments or case studies. This might be a colleague in your R & D department or someone who maintains the company library or website. Your professional organizations can also provide sources for keeping up with your area of expertise.

     Third, regularly evaluate your speeches to eliminate information that is outdated and can be replaced. If you have been using an example for two years, replacement time may have arrived. Sports stories have a short shelf life; for example, perhaps someone last week broke the record that was set in 2005 and made your World Series story outdated. Maybe someone yesterday performed an outstanding feat that should replace another story you now use.

     Finally, keep track of information that may change because of current events. What is happening in Thailand now may be drastically different from events during the tsunami aftermath a few years ago. Follow stories or studies that you use in your speeches to make any additions needed due to recent events. An illustration using Fidel Castro as a powerful leader, for example, should be followed by a comment about his continuing health challenges so your audience will know you are aware of his present situation.

     Some speech content, such as the date of an event or study, may seem insignificant. The recency effect of a day or a week or a month, however, can impact your audience to listen more carefully and even to accept the position you are advocating.

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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He works with organizations whose people want to speak and listen more effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.

The Single Greatest Secret to Success

The single greatest secret to success in life is paying attention. Because of multi-tasking and the sheer amount of information we are exposed to, the inability to pay attention is becoming a serious problem. To communicate effectively, one must pay attention.

You may have heard the old story about a lady years ago who called directory assistance to get the number of a record shop to order a record. By mistake she got the number of a wrecker company. When a man answered, she asked, “Do you have “Two Lips and Ten Kisses in Texas?” 

“No ma’am,” he said, “but I have five wives and

twenty kids in Tennessee.” 

“Is that a record?” the woman asked,

incredulous.

         “I don’t know,” said the mechanic, “but it’s sure above average.”  More than one person in that story was not paying attention.

We must pay attention. One way we can do that is by making sure we understand the point of the message beyond the individual words. You can determine this by paraphrasing in your own words or by asking specifically for the person to clarify the point. You are less likely to misunderstand a word or phrase if you follow carefully the main thrust of the message.

Shut out the distractions going through your mind before you start the conversation by concentrating on an inanimate object such as the edge of a door or window or a concrete block in a wall of the room for twenty seconds. This will break the thought process and allow you to concentrate better on the message.

Focus on the face as you listen. The face is the focal part of the body. The face will help you connect to the message. I asked a caricaturist friend what he does to make each face unique and to capture the essence of the person. His response was, “I look at the shape of the face, and then the facial expression.”  But what surprised me about his answer was what he said next. “And I do that by engaging the person in conversation. Hearing the person talk helps me focus on his or her uniqueness.”

I talked to the age guesser at the Indiana State Fair’s Midway recently and asked him what  he looks for in a person to guess her or his age. His response was, “I just look at the person and go on instinct. I do not look at the people around him or her or anything about his appearance. I just concentrate on the face.”  We can apply some of the same philosophy in paying attention.

Look for content in the other person’s message that you can especially identify with. Does the person state something that connects to your job, family, hobby, home state, or favorite sport?  Even if nothing he or she says relates to you, just the mental discipline of checking on a connection will motivate you to pay better attention.

Sit so you are in line with the person you are talking to. This might mean sitting up with your knees facing your partners, leaning forward so you can make easy and direct eye contact. Show that you are paying attention by nodding at appropriate times and using facial expression that matches the content of the person’s conversation.

Finally, if you are having a hard time paying attention, admit it and set another time to continue the conversation. This lets the other person know you put a premium on paying attention.

Paying attention may not always keep you from having an accident; attention to the instructions you need to reach your destination may not help you arrive on time. But paying attention can certainly help you with human relations and help you to be an engaging and desirable person with whom people want to communicate.

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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He gives keynotes and after-dinner speeches for organizations whose people want to speak and listen more effectively to increase professional and personal success. He can be reached at 800.727.6520, or visit www.sboyd.com for free articles and resources to improve your communication skills.