Don't Let the Ding A Ling Get You

The problem of people using Oz and ERs other verbal tics has been around a long time and there have been a lot of solutions and a lot of well-meaning people and organizations stop that.

Have you ever seen someone do this.

I have and it makes it even more nerve racking someone trying to be helpful sits in the back of the room and rings a bell.

When you say ah this is awful now I love the folks at Toastmasters it’s a great organization I recommend my clients go to Toastmasters but there’s one thing I really don’t like and don’t think is effective with Toastmasters is that in many chapters they either ring a bell or they’ll take a knife and hit a glass and a ringing sound and they’ll count every single little.

To me this is counter-productive it gets someone focusing on the arms not delivering actual information when you’re speaking you want to focus on your ideas coming alive being interesting and engaging to the people or the person you’re speaking to.

You don’t want to be sitting back thinking oh please please please don’t lecture Oh I’ve done it again so I beg you don’t count your eyes at arms while you’re speaking if you want to record it and do it after.

That’s fine.

Don’t let anyone else do this.

Don’t be aware of it as you’re speaking when you’re speaking.

You need to speak.