Older, wiser, better. Hire us.

This baby boomer is available for a FT job.

As one of the millions of “older” Americans, I’m a small business owner offering content writing, marketing communications, and speaker training services to clients. I’m grateful to partner with my clients as a freelancer. However, I’m willing to work with a single employer who could benefit from the years of experience, business savvy and skill set I would bring to the table.

The Dallas Morning News recently shared my op-ed about the challenges of being a baby boomer in today’s job market. Employers, don’t pass us by.

Read the Dallas Morning News op-ed.

Community Voices, distinct views

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a journalist and marketer I was shocked. I didn’t expect to receive this email from the Dallas Morning News in mid-February:

Congratulations, you have been selected for the Dallas Morning News Community Voices Class of 2018. I’m thrilled about this year’s class, a group of particularly strong writers and thinkers.

The note came from Assistant Editorial Editor Elizabeth Souder. I was among a group of 24 writers named to the Community Voices Class of 2018 based on a sample op-ed submitted at the end of 2017 (it was about my personal health care journey) along with my biography. As a Voices columnist, I can submit articles which will be reviewed by staff for possible inclusion in the paper.

Our group has already convened once to meet one another and pitch op-ed ideas. A diverse group of individuals with compelling stories and experiences to share, I look forward to learning more from these new associates in upcoming meetings.

Thank you, Dallas Morning News.

For what it’s worth – now is the time

At the risk of being ignored, unfriended or scoffed at loudly by some, right now is the time to speak up. I’ve never hesitated to comment about things that are meaningful to me. I’m relatively unafraid (or just stupid as some have said) – after all, I’ve jumped out of an airplane 22 times (BTW, I don’t do that anymore).

Now is the time to speak, to voice feelings and concerns, and speak up against injustice. Not tomorrow or the next day or next year. Time is short; life is short.

And a couple of related observations. It’s easy to get angry and write someone off in the heat of the moment when you disagree, but everyone deserves a chance to be heard. I regularly remind myself about forgiveness, mercy and compassion; I’m still working on this.

Second, everyone is dealing with something. Who doesn’t have problems or frustrations? Who doesn’t feel sad or unhappy from time to time? And it’s not about the “issue” itself. If something is significant to you, you won’t hear me say your concern is silly or unfounded or stupid. I may disagree with your point of view, but I’ll listen to what you have to say. Or I’ll be there in the moment with you, not saying anything. Words aren’t necessary. Frankly, sometimes words are overrated and emotions and sentiment rule the day.

It’s no coincidence that today a friend posted on Facebook: “Reminded today of how blessed I am.” Remember the things that matter.

Enjoy. For What It’s Worth, Buffalo Springfield, 1967.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public speaking – it’s all about the audience

 

You’ve been invited to speak at a meeting. This could be something internal (within your organization) or external (for example, you volunteer with a not-for-profit organization and you’ve agreed to talk to a group of potential donors on their behalf). Following up on a previous post, here are some observations on audiences to help you become a more effective presenter.

Who are the people listening – or not listening – to you? Why are they there?
The event has been scheduled, the invites/notices have gone out, and you are the presenter. What do you know about your audience?

Audience analysis involves identifying the audience and adapting your presentation to them. This doesn’t mean “saying what they want to hear.” Audience adaptation should guide your content development and approaches to delivery.

Audiences can include reluctant attendees, indifferent visitors, agreeable supporters, and angry or fearful dissidents.

The “we have to be there” mindset.
For instance, I would contend that students in a public speaking class – and their motivation to listen to you – is somewhat mixed. (Hey, they’ve “got” to be there regularly, right? We refer to this as a “captive” audience.) In my experience, here are some of the reasons students are in class:

• They want to get the information they need to do well on an upcoming test;
• They hope the skills they learn will help in an upcoming job interview;
• They want to get through the class to receive credit towards their degree and/or at least not get dropped from the course (if the teacher is recording student absences as outlined in the class syllabus they’ll meet the minimum attendance requirement);
• They love learning.

The “who cares” listeners – uninterested or apathetic.
Perhaps a friend or significant other dragged these folks to your talk. Audience members are asking themselves “Why am I here?” Your biggest challenge will be getting people in this group to even listen.

The “we agree with you” point of view.
Most audience members share your opinions. As a collective group, your listeners relate to you, connect with you, and endorse your contentions and recommendations.

The “we don’t agree with you” and/or we’re angry or frustrated attendees.
What if audience members don’t concur with your main points? This is definitely a challenge if you’re trying to persuade. Can you establish “common ground” with listeners if they aren’t inclined to listen from the get-go? This – this – is why knowing about your audience is so important.

Here’s an example of a speaker at a recent community Town Hall, Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) at an event in rural Frost, Texas. These Town Halls are set up as open forums for constituents to ask questions and hear from representatives. In this instance, Barton seemed to be unaware of the level of “resistance” he would encounter from audience members opposing his policy positions.

Listen to a portion of the presentation where Barton shouted back.

The bottom line.
Every audience is different. However, consider the potential “makeup” of attendees who have come to hear you speak before you arrive to speak. Tune in for the next post in this series on audience adaptation, some recommendations on ways to engage with your audience/s.

Speaking and communication

Through the years I’ve listened to plenty of speeches as a communications coach and teacher. I’ve worked with corporate executives to help them refine their communication skills and abilities. I’ve taught public speaking at colleges and universities. I’ve given informative and persuasive presentations to business audiences, too.

Public speaking involves sharing information with an audience to inform, persuade or entertain listeners. Seems simple enough. But let’s take a closer look and reframe our perspective a bit.

“Speaking” isn’t the end game. We are communicators. Speaking is the channel, the tool we use to communicate; writing is another form of communication. As a communicator, speaking can be incredibly powerful in connecting with others.

Through public speaking, we can share our feelings and points of view. We express ideas, personal narratives, or experiences. We may convey emotions or impart deep concerns.

What makes some communicators stand out when addressing an audience to persuade?

They inspire, enhance understanding, and influence through personal examples, credible evidence and documentation. They maintain eye contact with the crowd. They compel listeners to act. And that’s just the beginning.

I’ll be publishing more tips and tactics right here – verbal and nonverbal thoughts and recommendations – to help you become a more effective communicator in the public speaking setting. Stay tuned.

Next up:  we’ll examine your audience. Who are they? Why are they listening to you?

 

 

 

Human error and Cold War memories

Command and Control is the long-hidden story of a deadly 1980 accident at a Titan II missile complex in Damascus, Arkansas. Portions of the film were shot in an abandoned Titan II missile silo in Arizona. [Photo: courtesy of WGBH, PBS]

In 1980 in Damascus, Arkansas a Titan II missile complex exploded as a result of human error nearly detonating the missile’s nuclear warhead, a weapon 600 times more potent than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. I recently watched a documentary about this event that brought back some childhood memories and changed my thoughts on “human error.” Check your local PBS listings for this Command and Control documentary on American Experience.

My connection to this story: as an Air Force brat, my Dad was in the 390th Missile Maintenance Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base when we lived in Tucson, Arizona in the late 60s. There were several Titan II missile sites in southern Arizona. The Strategic Air Command’s 390th Strategic Missile Wing and its 18 Titan II ICBM sites around Tucson were activated in 1962; the squadron was deactivated in 1984. Following this duty assignment my father went to Vietnam, and upon his return, we moved to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas where I entered high school as a sophomore.

The Damascus incident recounted in this documentary focuses on human error in a compelling way. Think about it – machine “errors” happen every day for most of us, big and small. Your coffee pot stops working unexpectedly on the day when you really needed that caffeine. On your drive to work, you run over a nail and your tire goes flat. Your newly installed computer software doesn’t work as promised.

Now consider nuclear weapons.

The thing is, nuclear weapons are just machines. And like all machines, sometimes they break, and sometimes, there’s user error. When the system that controls these civilization-ending weapons isn’t prepared for the inevitable technological and human screw ups, then we’re in real trouble.

According to American Experience Producer Mark Samels:

As safe, secure, well-designed, and well-operated as our nuclear weapons system may be, it’s subject to the X-factor—human fallibility. The most powerful weapons that we’ve ever created have a threat built into them. And that threat is us.

On another serendipitous note, in high school, I participated in local and state debate and individual events tournaments including oratory. This event required students develop a self-written, ten-minute speech on a topic of their choosing, informative or persuasive in nature, delivered from memory.

My presentation focused on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during the final stage of World War II. I criticized our country’s decision to drop the bomb describing the utter devastation and loss of life and suggested that surely there were other options to bring the war to an end. Admittedly, remembering the point of view I asserted was naive in many ways, but seeing the pictures of injured children and reading about the loss of life was unforgettable even today. Something else I remember – my parents knew about my topic choice, yet neither tried to dissuade me from developing this presentation. Even my Air Force Dad.

How to spot “fake news” on social media

Although the topic isn’t new, the recent election has recharged the discussion on “fake news” in social media.

 
What is fake news?

It’s information or data appearing on various social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter or other social sites – that readers often accept as real. Sadly, it isn’t necessarily true or factual.

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What makes this “news” incredibly troubling (other than the fact it’s “fake”) is that a majority of U.S. adults – 62% – get their news on social media, and 18% do so often, according to a survey by Pew Research Center.

Now consider students. As a former college professor teaching public speaking, I explained why key points and messaging in presentations required  – no, demanded – the use of evidence. Objective data and facts from reliable sources. We covered how to source that information. Yet effectively evaluating source and site credibility was an issue for many student researchers.

In a Stanford Graduate School of Education study cited in an NPR article:

Many assume that because young people are fluent in social media they are equally savvy about what they find there, the researchers wrote. Our work shows the opposite.

The study also revealed that people pass on fake news without thinking, and suggests we shouldn’t blame young people because we’ve never taught them to do otherwise. A professional appearance and polished “About” section can easily persuade students that a site is neutral and authoritative.

And yes, although it’s true that many schools have filters directing students to valid sources, this doesn’t necessarily help students learn to evaluate sources for themselves, a point made in an Education Week post. The solution is to teach students and all Internet users to read like fact checkers.

That means not just reading ‘vertically,’ on a single page or source, but looking for other sources — as well as not taking ‘About’ pages as evidence of neutrality, and not assuming Google ranks results by reliability.

Gone are the days of “depending” on others to vet sources, according to Stanford researcher Sam Wineberg, a professor in the Stanford University Graduate School of Education cited in the NPR news story.

The kinds of duties that used to be the responsibility of editors, of librarians now fall on the shoulders of anyone who uses a screen to become informed about the world. And so the response is not to take away these rights from ordinary citizens but to teach them how to thoughtfully engage in information seeking and evaluating in a cacophonous democracy.

We can do better. And we must.

Finding my way

Love. Orbit belongs to Dawn Thompson, CCI puppy raiser. Holiday shopping is tough!

I’ve been struggling to make sense of what’s going on in our country today. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is approaching. Yet I see so much hatred. So much division. What can I do?

Here’s my plan. Listen. Love. Act. I’ll do what I can to make the world we live in – together – a better place.

I’m volunteering to support causes I believe in, including refugee assistance. I’ll continue my work with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support.

We can’t all see eye to eye; I know that. I probably won’t change minds or hearts. I know that, too. What I can do is show love to all, regardless of personal opinions. I’ll hug my dog Levi more often. I’ll continue to speak up for what I believe in; to do otherwise would damage my soul. I refuse to succumb to spoken and written words of ugliness.

I’m praying for peace and kindness. Join me.

Speaker anxiety? Try this

 

Here’s a winning combination and it makes perfect sense to me. Connect “audience dogs” with speakers to help alleviate speaker anxiety! I love dogs and teach public speaking.

I’ve already shared this information with my friends at Canine Companions for Independence – an organization helping people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs. They opened a new CCI training facility just last year in Irving, Texas.

Communication is easier with a friend. Watch this video.

Woof!

P.S. The picture you see here is my dog Levi, an adopted terrier mix. In the interest of full disclosure, he isn’t a trained audience dog.

 

 

Animal abuse, domestic violence are connected

Beating a dog can indicate even darker tendencies

Hopefully the young man in this Dallas News story – a college football player – gets help. I couldn’t watch the video as part of the story.