Owen Winter, Area E6 Director, allowed his speech to be videoed at our last Club Leadership Training Session. It can be a very confronting thing to do as seeing yourself as others see you can be quite a shock.
Is that really me? Do I sound like that? Do I actually move like that?
Despite the surprises, it's a great learning experience, as Owen found out.
The bigger picture of Toastmasters
Owen on the experience of seeing himself ...
"When
the suggestion was made during the Club Leadership Training session on
Monday night that we could video my presentation on the bigger picture
of Toastmasters I was very gungho.
In all my years as a Toastmaster I
had never actually seen myself present - although as a speech contestant
I had been told it would be valuable.
As I was uploading the video and reviewing it I was reminded how surreal and confronting it can be to see yourself on video - but more than anything it was hugely useful! Watching myself present I was able to see aspects that people had commented on - both the recommendations and commendations received for both this presentation and others.
As I was uploading the video and reviewing it I was reminded how surreal and confronting it can be to see yourself on video - but more than anything it was hugely useful! Watching myself present I was able to see aspects that people had commented on - both the recommendations and commendations received for both this presentation and others.
With
Toastmaster clubs across the division preparing for contest season I
would highly recommend that anyone is serious about entering the
Humorous Speech or Table Topics contests at any level to video yourself
and watch for the traps you have been told about whether it's body
language, vocal variety or the use of the stage. You may think you are
aware of how your speech is going, but when you are able to see it play
live in front of you suddenly you see a whole new view!"
It must have taken a lot of courage to share a video of yourself publicly. Way to go Owen!
ReplyDeleteHi Gael,
DeleteThank you very much for your kind words. Although at first the thought of publicly sharing the video was daunting one of the key things I have learnt from being in Toastmasters is to constantly extend my comfort zone.
Great idea. I'm going to give it a go. I liked E-J's suggestion to use a mirror, but I imagine this would provide more objectivity. What a great speaker you are, Owen. As a Cook Straiter, I'm proud to see your confidence, warmth and engagement, which we are treated to on a fortnightly basis, on the Division stage. Watching the naturalness of your presentation in this video, I'm not sure how possible it is, for example, to truly distinguish between, on one hand, allegedly excessive bodily movement, and on the other, a particular speaker's individual bodily mode of expression. I'm not sure how much of the former you could take away without taking away from your Owenness. And I, for one, wouldn't want that.
ReplyDeleteHi Rob,
DeleteI often use a mirror, but I find it can be a bit distracting - the video does add a level of objectiveness.
It's also of note that everyone will always be their harshest critic - hence why I am able to see aspects of the presentation that could be worked on eg hand movements [although the lack of hand-clasping was a relief!] appear more evident to me.
Thanks,
Owen