Myth about EPS skill
EPS is acronym for Effective Public Speaking.
Often the
efficacy of effective public speaking skill is overrated.
No doubt
all great leaders are powerful communicators.
Does that
mean all popular & great leaders without exception had an impeccable and
immaculate oratorical skill?
Stupid analogy
I wish to
share an interesting analogy a trainer for soft skill used in order to
convince a group of audience on the need for developing public speaking skill.
He called out a volunteer. The volunteer came.
The
trainer asked the volunteer, “How
would you feel if I keep a bag of 100 bricks on your head?”
Volunteer
replied, “very heavy; but
still can manage”
Trainer, “what if I keep removing bricks gradually and
finally you are left with only one brick on your head?”
Volunteer,
“Very light pleasant &
easy” (with a
conspicuous expression of relief)
Trainer
said, “yes.. Same way if you
can confidently speak in front of 100 people, you can easily talk to one
person”
What would
you say on this analogy??
Talking to
100 people and talking to one person- are they same in the process of
communication?
Is not
public speaking a monologue and a one to one conversation/communication a
dialogue?
Are not
the intonation & physiology different in both the context?
I say with
emphasis that the efficacy of effective public speaking skill is overrated.
In order
to be successful in life one need not necessarily have public speaking ability.
What EPS cannot do automatically?
Overcoming
the fear of public speaking
-does not
automatically make you a ‘fearless person’,
-does not
automatically make you shed inhibitions & fear entirely from life
-does not
automatically make you a pleasing person
-does not
make you a strategic & charismatic leader
- does not
make you automatically successful in life
Politicians
are great orators. Yet I am sure many would agree their speeches are empty
sounds, may be momentarily entertaining.
Does everyone need?
Effective
Public speaking skill is needed only for those who have the need for addressing
meetings on an ongoing basis as a part of their life activity.
Yet public
speaking is not a needed daily activity for everybody.
When
something is not needed why carry with you? Is it not a burden?
Everyone
does not need to be an effective public speaker?
It is not necessary to
overcome fear only by overcoming the fear of public speaking.
Misnomer
It is a
misnomer to say that an effective public speaker is an effective communicator.
Many of
such persons fail in one to one conversation;
They
mostly fail to pay attention to the respondent;
They have
the urge to only impress the respondent with verbal gymnastic or manipulate
with word play.
In my
observation an effective communicator has a greater degree of empathy &
respect for the respondent than a person who is fearless about public speaking.
Everyday communication is to
strengthen heart more than to just reach ears
EPS is not the only way
It is
being regularly injected into the minds of gullible seekers of self development
that EPS is a must for effectiveness in communication.
While
overcoming the fear of public speaking may give a person a feel good factor or
may give a raise in self esteem and also a sense of accomplishment, it is not a
fool proof way to overcome shyness and the only way to raise self confidence.
EPS is not
the only way to develop effectiveness in communication.
On the contrary
over dependence on EPS is counterproductive to effectiveness in everyday communication.
Learn the skill of public speaking; don’t lean on the effectiveness
of public speaking alone.
Art of Effective Private Speaking
On any
given day we all spend more time in private conversation/communication than group
communication.
This one
to one communication makes or breaks our day, our relationship and in the process
our life
Is not clear from this that we need to develop
the art of private speaking?
You, as a
reader of this article, start appreciating this view.
Effectiveness in everyday
communication is more important than effectiveness in public communication on
an occasional event.
Let’s make
this world a beautiful place to live by developing responsible communication
skill.
Develop the ART OF
PRIVATE SPEAKING skill.
“An empathetic ear is more effective in communication
than an eloquent mouth”
