Speaking of attention span, it has been a long time since my last issue. For those of you encouraging my new way of eating healthy, the current status of my progress is at the very end of this report.
Attention span is not so much a characteristic of an audience member rather it is more a function of how interesting the subject of that attention is. Over and over I hear what I consider to be myths about how long people's attention span is. Along with this, go studies to support that belief. Well, either the studies they are quoting are bad science or that which the audience was supposed to be interested in wasn't that interesting. What are some of the myths of attention span? One group believes that our attention span is only ten to eleven minutes because of how we have been conditioned by television. Since the 1950's, when watching TV we see ten minutes of a program and then a few minutes of commercials. This, in theory has conditioned us. I wonder if this makes sense? First, are there any examples where people pay attention for long periods of time proving that it is not conditioning but the nature of what you are watching. For example, think of a movie you enjoyed that was over three hours long. There have been several produced over the past several years. Titanic is a good one to discuss because it kept the audience's attention for over three hours and ten minutes, and you knew the ending. Because the director James Cameron made it interesting and you identified with the characters, the time flies by. On the other hand, if you are listening to a presenter that doesn't know how to make something interesting, a fifteen minute program can seem like an eternity. So, what is the key? Is it the subject? Are there any truly boring subjects or are there only boring presenters? Since we know that given something interesting, people can go for at least three hours at a time, the problem isn't with the audience. I believe that an audience's attention span is huge if the material and the way it is presented is worthy of that attention.
Are great presenters born with a gift or did they learn it and can it be taught? I know that all the skills and techniques I have learned over the past forty-one years of being in front of audiences has been learned. I say forty-one years because it goes back to when I began doing skits and stories at Boy Scout campfires. I knew then I loved to tell stories and bring enjoyment to an audience. I have learned from other speakers, from books, but most of all from each member of my audience who taught me how to reach them. That is an important distinction. Each member of your audience has their own needs and that must be taken into account. Even though the material and how it is presented are great, I never want a lot of people in my audience squirming because it has been too long between restroom breaks. Do I set a defined time before a break occurs? No, I gauge the audience. Their movement and other factors let me know. Also, it depends on the schedule of the meeting. If I am the first person to present after breakfast, I might wait longer before the first break than if I were introduced after thirty minutes of presentations by others. The secret is if you want the attention of your audience you have to pay attention to them.
How do you learn to do this? There are several ways. First, you can speak and present as often as possible and learn by your experiences. In safety, we know it is always better to learn from "other people's experience" rather than our own. The same is true when it comes to making presentations. When you can learn from those who know how, you can accelerate your own learning curve. Over the years, many people have asked me to share with them the secrets of how I am able to successfully reach an audience. It isn't practical for me to apprentice individuals as time is limited. Instead, I developed a special three-day event which focuses on how to make safety meetings effective, fun, unique, and interesting. In a word, how to make them DYNAMIC. If you want to discover the techniques I have learned over the years, I encourage you to join me at my Dynamic Safety
Meetings Institute. This will be our fourth year! It is being held October 6,7,8, 2004 which is just five short months away. Please take a moment and go to http://www.drebinger.com/page/page26.html and read about all we will accomplish in three exciting days. This is not a conference or convention! It is three days which begin at 8:00am and go to 5:00pm. We do provide and break for lunch but you will often work on a project during lunch or breakfast. This focus will allow you to absorb more than you thought possible and your presentations will become dramatically more effective. Please take the time to check this out. Now is the time to do so as there is still time to put in the necessary requests to make your attendance happen. I believe so much in the value of this Institute, that I guarantee it 100%. If by noon of the second day, you do not believe it will help you be more effective in motivating employees, then let our staff know and we will refund your tuition on the spot. I and fifty other safety professionals will invest three days learning and discovering how to make safety meetings dynamic. Seats are filling up for this year's Dynamic Safety Meetings Institute, October 6-8, 2004. I will be presenting some of my best and newest material on how to get the best value for the time you and your company already invest in safety meetings. Please call my Institute Director, Sandie Gilbert, Toll Free at: 1-866-373-2464 or 209-747-2770. Don't miss out! There is too much at stake. For more information go to: http://www.drebinger.com/page/page26.html
Yours in service,
John Drebinger
PS. My healty eating continues and I have trimmed off 58 pounds as of now.
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