Knowing your Audience

It is easy to spot what others are doing wrong when you're not the first one to present.  Count your blessings, right?  The presentations and our discussion about agendas taught me about the importance of being aware of the audience when speaking in public.  The purpose of this blog post is then to (a) explain what I learned from watching our classmates' presentations and (b) explain why agendas are so important.  Now you know exactly what I'm going to talk about--isn't that great? 

    

       I learned from the presentations that it is difficult to teach to your audience.  The main complaint that one student had (forgive me I don't know his name) was that the presentations were not teaching him anything he didn't already know.  The groups may have presented the information well, but it was not presented in the best form for the class.  I felt most engaged when asked a question or when the presenter applied the info to something more tangible for me (like baseball).  

     Agendas are awesome.  I realized in class that almost every interaction and plan I have with people, whether in writing or in person, can be enhanced if I have a clear agenda.  From spending time with friends and family to giving a talk in sacrament meeting, taking a few seconds to explain where I am going will let people know what to expect, rather than zone out from not knowing how long I am going to take!