Learning from Mistakes

Good Morning,

Thank you for visiting my blog. 

No one is perfect. I’m living proof. As a Communication 101 lecturer and public speaking teacher, I cautioned my students to arrive at a speaking engagement early and practice with their visuals. 

Sometimes one has no control over the height of the lectern or podium. Other times, the room is not available early. I attempted to practice with my AV materials before my workshops at the recent FWA Conference, but the room wasn’t available. 

When asked to speak before the day’s activities began, there was no chance to change the height of the lectern. As you can see, my face was blocked by the lectern here. But it was worse than this in the room where I did my first presentation. I was standing on my tiptoes to deliver my presentation. To make matters worse, I attempted to use a Prezi presentation. The room wasn’t arranged for that type of presentation.

What did I learn? Don’t count on the venue to have the needed equipment. In the future, I’ll be prepared to work without visuals. After all what does a poet need a projector and screen for?

Have you learned from a mistake? I’d love to hear your stories. Please click Contact Melody on my home page and tell me of a lesson you learned the hard way. Thank you.