About Me
- Brendan
- I am a professional educator by trade, but by my definition, I am much more than that. I wear many hats; including, but not limited to, Father, Husband, Son, Step-Father, Ex-Husband, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Super Geek (love technology), Trainer, Coach, Student, Writer, Dreamer, and Leader. For fun I am an avid golfer and consider myself a blessed individual because I have the greatest wife in the world that loves to golf with me.
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Lesson 12 Types of Organizational Arrangements
Types of Organizational Patterns
The four basic organization patterns are topical, chronological, spatial, and cause and effect patterns.
There are others, but the main focus will be on these four.
Topical Pattern: used to stress natural divisions or categories in a topic. Don't confuse this with a topical solution like Rogaine that is used for hair regrowth.
This type of speech gives you the greatest freedom to structure.
A speech organized topically has main points organized more randomly by sub-topics. Let's say you are giving a speech about enrolling in Professor Dalley's speech class. The first main point discusses teaching style; the second main point discusses work load; the third main point discusses application of information learned. In this format, you discuss main points in a more random order that labels specific aspects of the topic and addresses them in separate categories. Most speeches that are not organized chronologically, spatially, or causally are organized topically.
Chronological Pattern: used to describe a series of developments in time or a set of actions occurring sequentially.
A speech organized chronologically has main points oriented toward time. For example, say you were giving a speech on dressing for success, you would the have main points organized chronologically. The first main point focuses on selecting the right outfit for the occasion; the second main point focuses how to put on the clothes you picked out; the third point focuses on adding accessories to enhance your attire. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that could be followed on a calendar or a clock.
Spatial Pattern: used to emphasize physical arrangement.
A speech organized spatially has main points oriented toward space or a directional pattern. Let's say you are giving a speech on a large national company called Dizzle Corp. The first main point discusses the New York branch of the organization; the second main point discusses the Midwest branch; the third main point discusses the California branch. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that could be traced on a map.
Cause-Effect Pattern: used to demonstrate a topic in terms of its underlying causes or effects.
An example of a causal speech would look something like this. Let's say you are giving a speech about government welfare. The first main point would inform about the problems of the welfare system and the need for monetary assistance; the second main point discusses additional welfare projects and how they are draining the tax payer. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that alerts the audience to a problem or circumstance and then tells the audience what action resulted from the original circumstance.
Other Organizational Arrangements
Monroe's Motivated Sequence: used to motivate and/or give a call to action.
Comparative Advantage Pattern: used to show the advantage of one viewpoint over another.
Refutation Pattern: used to disprove an opposing claim to your position.
Problem-Solution Pattern: used to demonstrate a problem and then provide justification for a solution.
Narrative Pattern: used to convey speech ideas through a story.
Circular Pattern: used to demonstrate how each speech idea builds on the previous idea and in turn supports the main thesis.
Whatever format you decide, you want to make sure it flows well and follows the checklists provided in Lesson 11 and uses good transitional statements.
Above all, you need to make sure that the organization arrangement is a good fit for the audience.
Question
Before I jump into the different organizational patterns it's important that you have a good understanding of who who your audience is. Once you are clear on your audience, you can then select a pattern that your audience can easily follow.
The four basic organization patterns are topical, chronological, spatial, and cause and effect patterns.
There are others, but the main focus will be on these four.
 |
| This is a topical solution not a topical pattern |
This type of speech gives you the greatest freedom to structure.
A speech organized topically has main points organized more randomly by sub-topics. Let's say you are giving a speech about enrolling in Professor Dalley's speech class. The first main point discusses teaching style; the second main point discusses work load; the third main point discusses application of information learned. In this format, you discuss main points in a more random order that labels specific aspects of the topic and addresses them in separate categories. Most speeches that are not organized chronologically, spatially, or causally are organized topically.
Chronological Pattern: used to describe a series of developments in time or a set of actions occurring sequentially.
A speech organized chronologically has main points oriented toward time. For example, say you were giving a speech on dressing for success, you would the have main points organized chronologically. The first main point focuses on selecting the right outfit for the occasion; the second main point focuses how to put on the clothes you picked out; the third point focuses on adding accessories to enhance your attire. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that could be followed on a calendar or a clock.
Spatial Pattern: used to emphasize physical arrangement.
A speech organized spatially has main points oriented toward space or a directional pattern. Let's say you are giving a speech on a large national company called Dizzle Corp. The first main point discusses the New York branch of the organization; the second main point discusses the Midwest branch; the third main point discusses the California branch. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that could be traced on a map.
Cause-Effect Pattern: used to demonstrate a topic in terms of its underlying causes or effects.
An example of a causal speech would look something like this. Let's say you are giving a speech about government welfare. The first main point would inform about the problems of the welfare system and the need for monetary assistance; the second main point discusses additional welfare projects and how they are draining the tax payer. In this format, you discuss main points in an order that alerts the audience to a problem or circumstance and then tells the audience what action resulted from the original circumstance.
Other Organizational Arrangements
Monroe's Motivated Sequence: used to motivate and/or give a call to action.
Comparative Advantage Pattern: used to show the advantage of one viewpoint over another.
Refutation Pattern: used to disprove an opposing claim to your position.
Problem-Solution Pattern: used to demonstrate a problem and then provide justification for a solution.
Narrative Pattern: used to convey speech ideas through a story.
Circular Pattern: used to demonstrate how each speech idea builds on the previous idea and in turn supports the main thesis.
Whatever format you decide, you want to make sure it flows well and follows the checklists provided in Lesson 11 and uses good transitional statements.
Above all, you need to make sure that the organization arrangement is a good fit for the audience.
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| How would you handle this audience? |
- How would you decide what organization arrangement to use for your audience and why is it so important?
- Have you ever found yourself telling someone a story and forget what you were trying to explain? Why do you think this happens and what can you do to make sure it doesn't happen?
- Which arrangement pattern do you think would be the easiest to use and why?
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I don’t think there is one pattern that would be the easiest to use in all situations. They all have their strengths and weaknesses for different speeches and audiences. By understanding the purpose of your speech, and the information you want to convey to your audience, you can then decide which pattern would be the easiest to use. They are all very simple and easy to follow. For my brain, I think the chronological pattern would be the most logical approach and the easiest to use. It makes sense to me to have a beginning point to start at, then a middle, and then an end to your speech. But not all topics can be arranged chronologically, which is why the other patterns exist. I don’t think they are any more difficult to use than the chronological pattern. They just require a little more creativity in laying out the speech, because your sequence of events doesn’t already exist.
The other day a man confronted me and seemed puzzled. He looked at me and asked “what makes you happy?” Surprised at his question, I proceeded to explain to him that my family makes me happy. I have three brothers who all have such unique personalities but are alike at the same time. My four –year-old brother can make anyone smile by saying “I’m pretty cute, want to give me money?” or my teenage brother who creates and paints cardboard armor then wears it around. My eldest brother who can read something one time and remember it for the rest of his life, so when he talks all you have to do is say yes and pretend like you are listening to make him happy. My parent’s, who sing and dance wherever they go and are so competitive that people are scared to come over for game night; they are what make me happy. The man choked up as we began to talk about his family and the years that it had been since he had seen them. After talking for some time, the man had come to terms with what he wanted in life and decided what truly makes him happy. By using a Narrative Pattern, I was able to captivate your attention and give you an idea as to what I would be speaking about. Using stories to ease the audience into whatever topic you are speaking about helps to grab the attention of your audience and provides a smooth transition from your story into the main topic of your speech.
I have caught my self several times telling a story, then forgetting the point of what I was trying to teach. It drives me crazy, one time I was speaking in church on Mother’s Day and I was trying to share a story that would illustrate my mom’s ability to discipline with love, but halfway through the story I completely forgot where I was going with my story, this lead to sounding unprepared and caused me to feel kind of self conscious throughout the rest of our speech. This happened because I was not prepared for the speech, I planned the speech the morning before I was supposed to give it. I know that if I would have prepared my words before hand and made a basic outline of my talk, then I would have presented a lot better that day.
It has definitely happened to me many times where I had an example or point to share by use of story and I find myself 5 minutes in wondering why I am telling it! It is funny when you are with your family or friends but in a business or speech aspect, it can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even scary. The reason it happens could be different for everyone but for me, I get too excited about the story I have and so my focus is immediately shifted over to that and it happens almost sub-consciously and so you forgot what your point was in the first place! I think the best way to prevent this is if you do plan on using a personal story or example; is to remember how you are going to tie it in and do not include a lot of details. Don't waste time on information that is not relevant and use summarize to your advantage! Don't let the fear of this keep you from sharing insights or stories, these are good ways to win the trust and attention of your audience!
First, what needs to be done is to analyze your audience by learning about your audience and adapt your message accordingly. Evaluate your audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and values toward the topic. This will help you to know what would be the best way to portray your speech in a way that your audience will respond the best. You have the select the main points for your speech first, and then decide on what organizational arrangement to use for your audience. Your really have to know your audience and the topic before you select an organization arrangement. Deciding what organization arrangement to use for your audience is important because it will give your speech more organization and a better effect on your audience. But you need to have main points for your topic first. For example, when your main points are each a category of the speech topic, topical pattern would be the one to use.
I think that the chronological pattern would be the easiest to use. It would be like telling a story. As long as you know what came first it would be easy to remember what came after that. I noticed that some of the students in our class used this pattern (whether they intended to or not). During our introductions speeches, I noticed one student in particular used this to his advantage. He basically started from when she was born and went through and discussed her childhood, teenage years, and then finally to where she is now. I just feel that this way would be easier for me because one thought would spark the next one, and so on and so forth. He made his speech flow and it when I listened to it I felt like it was natural. This pattern would be good for me because It would make my speech smother than before.
3. Which arrangement pattern do you think would be the easiest to use and why?
Personally I find the topical pattern to be the easiest by far. In english I'm used to picking a topic and from there making my own points along with subtopics and organizing them in the way I feel would be best for the audience. This way you don't have to be worried about going out of order on accident because you can always bring it back around. It's easier to make these lengthy as well. You can add as many supporting points and examples as you need to add time. These can be helpful for getting the audience to understand you main topic. This is the easiest to make an outline too, since you get to decide which points are more important and need to be emphasized in the order you choose. Overall I think organizing your speech topically is the easiest, and will have the best results.
Losing my train of thought process when telling a story is definitely my number one problem in a conversation. I will be telling a story about one thing and then something else will trigger an idea in my head then I will go on a rampage about the idea that popped up. It is something I seriously trouble with, I just cannot focus sometimes if there is a lot of commotion going on around me. That is why I love to outline and prepare for my speeches because I cannot just wing something and have a total clear thought process. I really need to learn how to dial in and just concentrate on what is going on in the conversation. When my mom and I chat on the phone she always yells at me because I am always talking to someone beside me or not focused on what she is saying. Numerous times I have had to shut myself in my room by myself to talk to someone on the phone or to do any work for any matter. I guess to make sure this doesn’t happen is to just make myself focus in on what I need to be focusing on and not care about anything else going on around me.
I ALWAYS forget what I am talking about! I will be telling my husband a story about school, and i just stop talking. I really do know what it is though, I look around and little things catch my attention and i put my focus on that, then i lose my train of thought. I did it in my impromptu speech, I kept looking around when I was trying to figure out what to talk about, then I completely lost it, I had no idea what I should say, I couldn't think of anything that I hadn't already said, or something that would even make sense. It's hard to stay focused for me, unless I am really interested in the speech or the topic, or if that person has really good energy and is making it fun. So I think that on another impromptu speech if I were to have one, I would work on focusing on just my speech and make sure that I know what I'm talking about, and not let my mind wander off onto something else in the room.
This happens to me all the time! I’m telling someone a story and totally forget what I was getting at. I hate when this happens. Not only is it embarrassing, but you sound like an idiot. It would be even more embarrassing if you did this giving a speech. I think it happens because you don’t have a specific order in which you are giving your main point. In order to keep this from happening, you use the different organizational patterns that you gave in the lesson. When you know the topic and know the order you are going to give it you keep from forgetting what you were talking about. It keeps you from straying off topic. I really like all the different patterns that you gave and think that it will help everyone from drifting from their subject. Using these types of patterns can help improve the quality of any speech given.
Just like you are always saying, the audience is EVERYTHING when it comes to public speaking. Some audiences are better able at following more complex and/or abstract organizational structures, others crave simplicity. I have to let the audience influence my choice of organization just as I let them influence my choice of terms. Oftentimes it’s good to use a story telling type narrative in church because people need some entertainment to help them pay closer attention to your message. If I’m giving a presentation to a group of subordinates at work, they need to know what I have to say, so I can get away with a slightly dull spatial type organization of my speech. I don’t think that your choice of organizational style is as influential on your overall message as say your choice of language, but I believe that it is crucial and should definitely merit concerted thought.
Question #2
Oh my goodness this happens to me all the time!! I will always be telling a story and get completely lost and not know what I am saying.. I personally think it happens way too much to me. But I think it happens because I get distracted way too easily. While I'm trying to explain something, an object or something will catch my attention and I instantly forget. This really can mess up what you're trying to say or loose the attention of someone you're trying to talk to. (Your audience). For example in my improv speech I had absolutely no organization whatsoever and forgot my train of thought all of the time and know that I was boring for everyone to listen to. But how can you help prevent it? In a speech I guess it's just all about having your speech planned out and organized so that you don't forget, but for me personally in everyday life and telling a casual story, I think it's a lost cause!
For me personally I feel that the topical pattern would be the easiest to prepare for. That is probably the most common one among college students. All you need to do is think of main topics and then list the points you want to make. I picture it almost as if you were taking notes in class. You have the main subject then the points covered in that topic. So as far as preparation goes i would say topical. I also think that it depends on what you are going to be speaking about. Topical may always be the easiest to prepare but if you spent a little more effort and used a different pattern to prepare the speech itself might be easier. So i guess the question is do you want to have it be easier in the beginning or end? Preparation is the key to a successful speech.
Question 2
Sometimes but not often I will be talking to some one and I will start telling a story and slowly I forget what we were originally talking about! I think it happens because of lack of focus or awareness. Also, sometimes we get excited about we are talking about (which isn't a bad thing!) but we lose sight of 'the point'. Now this isn't that big of a deal when you are taking to a friend, but when you are talking to an audience it can be very distracting and unprofessional. To prevent this we have a couple of tools. We have an outline (lesson 11) and we have patterns to follow. An outline can help us keep each detail short and to the point and help us fill in transitions between each one by laying out a simple and effective structure. Patterns give us a style to organize our thoughts in. Patterns are a more vague structure but can help us stay on topic nonetheless.
There are a couple things I take in account when I decide on a organization method including; my comfort with the topic, the knowledge of the audience, and the type of speech. It is important to choose the right method that will produce the outcome you wish to present to your audience. Spatial pattern has been a great way for me to write persuasive speeches. I am able to pick selling points to base my talk on and cover up the weaker selling points by surrounding them by stronger points. I like to use chronological pattern for demonstration speeches because it is easy to present these in step by step process. I also like this method because it helps keep your points clear and topical. When you can effectively use a organization method it can be the difference between a sub par speech or a speech that your audience walks away influenced in some way.
Question 2
I feel that in many places in a story if it's not something that I talk about frequently I forget minor details. Im one of those people that likes to give detail in a story and try to tell them in a non-biased way because obviously there are at least 2 sides to every story if not many many more. So with this in mind i try to get all of the minor details and i find myself forgetting things and going back to touch on it because it later has some efects how the story will turn out. I also find it that I forget some things such as in the Introductory Speech of a classmate, i found myself practicing and liking the little things i added to say about my partner but when it came aroudn to it i found myself forgetting those little things that sounded good and after i remembered and was a little bummed. But many of it is little things such as keywords or a symbol, i like to use color pens so maybe a different color corresponds to certain things. But I think there are many ways to remember these things such as little tips or just basically more practice.
When choosing what format your speech should be in for your audience you must choose wisely Although, I do think the actual topic affects the organizational pattern more. If you are giving a motivational speech to a group of people who want to be inspired you probably want to do a narrative or something that grabs the audience’s attention really fast. Whereas if you are going to be speaking in a city meeting you probably want to use cause and effect or cause and solution. I think that the topic that you choose to speak about will be chosen depending on the audience therefor the way its formatted will also vary greatly. There’s never really a specific pattern to use depending on who you are talking to because the topic might be different and sometimes the topic is the same but different groups take it better from a different projection of the speech. It just takes some thinking. You have to really think what pattern will be most effective because it’s important.
I constantly am finding myself tell people stories that have no meaning at all. When I am done people tell me that I am random, or ask what the point of that was. I more often than not, have a point to my stories, even though I might not remember the point. I think that sometimes you may get caught up in your story and then forget why you started it, even if you had a really profound reason for telling it. This potentially could be avoided by shortening your stories. Sometimes our stories could get long and boring and a person could lose intrest. So if you were to keep your personal experiences at a minimum you would not forget what you were talking about. That would keep you speech sounding professional and planned out. It wouldn't sound like you had an ADD moment, and you went off on a tangent.
The easiest arrangement pattern, in my opinion, would be the topical pattern. Mainly because you are giving a topic, then all you have to do is develop several main points about that topic, and a couple supporting points for each of the main points of the topic. I’ve had to do this on my mission countless times. People don't like being told that their religion is false or that your right and they are wrong. That’s not how we can effectively communicate with other people or give an effective speech to an audience unless they are open to listen. most of my mission, all I did was talked to people and informed them what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe in and what they can do to learn more about the church and how they can find out if the message we share is true. Some times it can be hard to put your opinion in your speech but all you really have to do is tell them about what you know and what you studied from a neutral position
Every once in a while I will find myself in the middle of a story and starting to fumble over details. You see, I have a problem. My mind races from the topic being discussed to three steps ahead of where I am at currently. This can be a pro and a con. The problem with letting my mind wander ahead of the conversation is that sometimes the simplest transitions cause me to skip a track if you will. Because I’m not thinking through each step to the story, I often am trying to catch up with myself when I realize that the next portion of the story has arrived. Another major problem would be the transparency that my mind is racing rather than being fully concentrated on that conversation. A couple of pro’s however are that I do have several major points ahead of the current point thought out. The goal is to have thought through the story and yet be present and speak with presence. Thinking through only one step ahead will allow me to make the proper transitions and still be present in conversation.
Have I ever found myself forgetting what I was trying to explain? I can’t even count the amount of times this has happened to me. I’ll try to explain an awesome story then ruin it because I forgot what happened or I just completely for got what I was going to say. Before taking this class, I thought this happens because I just cant remember what I was going to say, well that’s also a reason, but it’s also because I don’t structure my thought process. For example, when I was assigned to do the impromptu speech I absolutely had no structure with the information I wanted to say. This made me upset because I had plenty of interesting things to say but I couldn’t clearly explain what was in my brain. Fixing this problem might require a few solutions. One, I might have to write what I’m going to say a few weeks before a speech so I can remember specific points and ill have an idea of what ill talk about. Second, I know this for a fact that I have to practice to myself as many times as I need before I feel confident enough.
The question that intrigues me the most is the one about how to determine what organizational arrangement to use for your audience. I don't feel like there is a specific way to do so. Every situation is different. I feel like the best way to prepare for your audience is to understand their purpose for being there. For example, a church group is most likely at a meeting for a very different purpose than people at a business seminar. Using different organizational arrangements can drastically change the way your topic is received by the listeners. As a snowboard instructor last winter I had the chance to practice my speaking skills daily. I was teaching all sorts of different people. I would organize my lessons according to the students’ age, personality, ability, and group size. It only took me a few minutes to understand how I needed to instruct my student. Most of the time I used a topical pattern. I have also used Cause-effect, narrative, and chronological patterns.
1. Most organization arrangements correspond depending on the subject matter, however, the type and age group of audience does have some effect as well. For instance, certain subjects are not able to be split into spatial patterns because they are not locations, but distinct ideas. Some simply can’t be interchangeable. Also, relating to the type of audience, different groups may prefer different presentation patterns. If the audience is a group of elementary students, tropical patterns may be easier than spatial patterns. Elderly audience may prefer chronological patterns due to their knowledge of history and personal experience from the past. Patterns are important for brain signaling, and the way people integrate information. It is similar to learning, and the different categories of learners: visual, kinesthetic, or auditory. In order to determine what arrangements I need to organize, I would definitely emphasize it from the topic, and also take the audience into mind as well.
There are so many times that I start a story and forget where I am headed. Especially when I am tired. And yes I do look like an idiot especially when you have to say, “Oops where was I headed with this?!” That’s the worst! If I gathered my thoughts together before I started the story that would help. It would also help to sum up the story to the appropriate length. One reason you might forget where your headed with the story is because it is too long. Remember while telling a story to not let it get carried away. Get to the main point as soon as you can that way you don’t forget what you where talking about.I have a little joke I like to do to people that tell a long horrible story. Once they finish the story and there was no point to it I like to say, “So then did you find a dollar”. I love to say that!!! I know its mean. But just remember to not let this happen to you! Make your stories short, sweet, and to the point!
Have you ever found yourself telling someone a story and forget what you were trying to explain? Why do you think this happens and what can you do to make sure it doesn't happen?
All the time! Seriously if you know me… you know I tend to tell stories all the time, that sometimes you just have to nod and smile at me. I will start telling a story to my friends and I find myself so excited at the beginning and I think to myself that it is going to be an awesome story… but I get half way through and I suddenly start thinking… where the heck is this story going. I then try to wrap up the story and I see my friends eyes start to glaze over and then I just say the end. Because I know its just over. I have found that instead of just telling my friends a story I think about it first and try and see if it is even worth telling, or if its just a “you had to be there.. kind of story”
Unfortunately losing my train of thought while talking to someone happens daily for me. No matter where I am or what story I am telling or even listening to my brain wanders or jumps to the next exciting thing before it finishes processing the task at hand. In my opinion this happens because of a lack of focus and devotion to the story or conversation that I suddenly "leave" because my mind has moved forward. I am always very busy and have hundreds of things running through my mind at once so in order to keep from always losing my train of thought I have to be extremely organized with what I am doing. Wherever you find me you will find a list or planner nearby so that I can keep track of all the things running crazy in my thoughts. Because of this, not organizing or outlining a speech is out of the question for me. The poor audience that would have to listen to that attempted speech would be throwing tomatoes at me within the first minute. Being able to look down or think back to my outline and check off sections as I go is the only way I can keep a speech flowing. To keep my flighty moments from happening organization, an outline and complete devotion to the speech in the moment is the key.
I don't think one organizational pattern is easier than another. In fact, I don't know if it's possible but I think a great speech has aspects from a number of the patterns. Stories, topics, subtopics, giving calls to action, cause and effect etc. combined can make a great speech even better. Think about the example of Dizzle Corp. in the lesson. Sure, the speech could be outlined as a spatial speech, but then in each of those “Spatial Area” topics, you could use the chronological or topical pattern. With that being said, I think Narrative is a great organizational pattern and if I am being honest, probably my favorite. I really love using stories in my speeches because I think everyone can relate to a good story. Stories are also good for helping an audience to relax. And when an audience is relaxed, they are ready and willing to trust you and follow you in your speech. I think a speaker should choose the organizational pattern that they feel most comfortable with, keeping in mind the audience. We have seen it time and time again, that when someone is comfortable with the topic and the way they are able to express that topic, they are more successful.
I always have momments were I am telling someone a story and then I totally forget what I am talking about or forget the point I was trying to make. I get distracted very easily so usually when I am talking to a friend I start telling them one story and I end up telling them three stories before I finish telling the story I was originally talking about. I think I do that because as I'm talking I'll say something that will trigger another story or I'll see something and I say something before i forget. I get very distracted and if I encounter all these memories or see these distractions I forget what I was originally telling the person. I don't know what controls it or why it happensi just think it's easy distraction and the only way I think you can control it is to focus and stay on that one topic.
I do that all the time! I am one of those people who love to talk, once you get me started it's almost impossible to get me to stop. I tend to get on one topic and then next thing you know we've talked about twenty other things. Even in speeches I always catch myself getting off topic, but I always find away to bring it all together in the end. Sometimes it doesn't always make the most sense, but alteast I never start talking about The Laws of Physics and end talking about ponies and rainbows. I have no clue how it happens though, if I did I would have made it stop awhile ago, cause sometimes I get a bit carried away.
I would like to reply to question #3: I think that the mose effective speech pattern to me is the Circular pattern. The reason I like this is supports itself thru out the speech. I think being able to state what you are talking about, then talking about and after summing it up can be effective in helping people understand where you are coming from because it restates the point of your speech a few time thru out the speech. When I served a mission for my church in Virgina we used this pattern a lot and it was effective most the time for those same reasons I mentioned earlier. Often times when you randomly approach people I found people pretend to be listening but are you usually focused on something else, but if you restated your purpose to them a few times at some point you could grab that persons attention. It doesn't work for everyone but I think overall it is a good tool.
Question one. As far a deciding what organizational arrangement would best fit an audience is something that probably has to be determined by both audience and topic. You could be speaking to “Dizzle Inc.” but not about business and how the different branches are working together. Once the topic is chosen or assigned I would say go with what is most comfortable and interesting. Because if your not interested then odds are your audience wont be interested. Part of the interesting factor is how well your speech flows and this is almost certainly related to the organizational arrangement of your speech. Sometimes you could use one arrangement for a topic that would better fit in another arrangement, as long as it flows smoothly it could have a tendency to pop out at the audience and make them more interested in the speech. An example of this - maybe not a good example - could be the dress for success speech. Instead of going in chronological order you could change it up and be a little more abstract, this would require the audience to think differently in which case they could get more interested in the topic.
I forget what I am saying all the time. The reason this happens is because while I am talking I have a tangent about something else. Then I lose my train of thought, which makes me then pause and forget what I was talking about. This can happen really easily through out the day. The mind has so many things going through it and sometimes it takes longer to process and get what your thinking out. You can prevent this from happening by keeping a narrow mind and staying on topic. We can do this by thinking before you speak; making it easier to keep your train of thought. Also you can benefit your language and learn to speak more properly. This is will help in public speaking by making your speech flow better and more professional. This will make me improve my public speaking ability’s.
It often happens that I start telling a story that I think relates perfectly to something that has been said. About half way through my story I realize that it didn't connect all that well and I also realize that I have lost track of what the theme of the story was supposed to be. I think a good rule of thumb would be that if it doesn't fit perfectly to the main theme of what is being talked about I think you should pass on sharing your story. Audience also plays a large role on which type of stories will relate. If you can go back throughout your story and connect the dots as to how it fits to the main theme you have got a great story for your subject. If you have the ability to relate everything you bring up back to your main topic it will be much easier for your audience to remember what you talked about and retain the main theme.
How would you decide what organization arrangement to use for your audience and why is it so important?
First of all if I were in front of the audience provided in the picture above I would need to decide on a pattern that would loosen these gentleman up. I think for their sakes I would use Monroe’s Motivational Pattern and motivate them to be happy and not so fearful. Those guys are looking grim.
As far as answering the question which pattern is easiest to present. I don’t feel that as a general rule there is an easiest and most successful pattern to use. I feel that it is a very individual preference. So I will give my personal opinion on what the easiest for me. Because of my incredible intelligence and the obvious superiority I have to use a pattern that will allow me to use stories to bring the material I am bringing down to the audiences level. The narrative pattern is a fantastic tool to help to take a complex topic and compare it to something that will make more sense to my audience. Stories also allow me to feel more comfortable while giving a speech. The comfortable feeling comes from being able to connect with my audience. Stories also create a circumstance that makes the topic at hand more interesting and will bring them in. This is why I feel that narrative pattern is the easiest pattern.
I think the best pattern to use is the circular pattern. But I think the circular pattern can be applied to all of the patterns, which is why I think it's the best. Starting with a particular statement and then you can use any of the other patterns for public speaking, always coming back to the main point. I think no matter what pattern you use, the circular pattern should always be implemented on top of it. Start with a main topic, but always come back to wrap it up. I suppose that the other ones you could support as you go along, but the circular pattern is good. But without an outline, you don't know what you're doing and the pattern is useless. So you have to have both an outline and a pattern. But all in all, I think the circular pattern is the most useful. And utilizing it with an outline, you won't get lost and you'll be able to return to your main point.
I guess I just thought that most people figure out one way to deliver a speech and do that over and over. It seems to me that when someone is a power point speaker then that's all they use. It makes sense that to be a great speaker you need to use more than one method to deliver your speech. From experience delivering a program to adults is way different than to children. I have done a number of snake shows at schools and day cares. The fun thing about elementary schools is that the adults usually have as many questions as the kids. That is a challenge because I need to keep the kids entertained and still answer the adult questions. Showing a 12 foot snake to five year old kids is a whole different ball game than to a room of adults. Adults require facts and a safe feeling. kids want excitement and hands on experience. The safety of the snake becomes a concern, kids will kick, squeeze, bite, kiss, step on, and ride a a snake that big. To me every show is different and each audience presents a new challenge.
My best friend Alexandrea and I tell stories all the time, we'll literally sit on the phone for hours talking. And I could NOT tell you how many times i will be in the middle of a sentence and completely blank on what was coming next, Granted usually when that happens i'm watching something on T.V./sitting on my computer/or talking to someone else simultaneously. Its hard when you lose your place to come back to it. But all of the things i listed above when that happens, are all listed as distractions. I think to keep from losing my place in a story, I need to just focus on one thing. I've never been much of a multitask-er. But when i sit down, and focus, I almost never forget what was going to come next. So i believe the solution to being unforgetful is just to take one thing at a time. If you're telling someone an in depth story, focus on the story (and only the story) while you're telling it. Then move on to what you were going to do next.
For me, I think that the Cause and Effect method is most desired when giving a speech. I think that give each of the others have a time and space when they are the necessary approach but as a preference I choose Cause and effect. I am an organized person and for me this makes the most sense, I need to know how a topic not only applies to me but what possible consequences and actions would be required of me. I feel like in the example of government welfare it is important to establish the facts then the program and the outcomes. In order to establish a point of view it is important to lead the audience in a logical manner and conclude.
3. I think that the narrative pattern would be the easiest arrangement to use. A narrative pattern is used to convey speech ideas through a story, or a personal account. Human beings tell stories all the time, and even more, we enjoy doing it! It is something we have all been doing since we were small children. For the most part (as long as it is not too embarrassing) we are comfortable sharing stories of our own or stories about others. Not only is it usually easy for someone to tell a tale, but audiences really like to hear them as well. Whenever a public speaker says that he or she is going to share a story, the crowd perks up a bit and listens harder. It seems to be in our nature. :) We love to hear stories. For this reason, I think that the narrative pattern would be the easiest to use while speaking to an audience.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell a story or explain to someone how to do something. It is hard because while we are explaining we sometimes lose our train of thought and forget what we were trying to tell them. Sometimes forgetting isn't the problem. At times people just don't think clearly through what they are saying and also what they will say next. In my opinion, I think the chronological pattern would be the easiest. At least for me I can talk about something much easier if I have mentally given it some kind of "order". That way while I am explaining I can be thinking of what the next part or step is. By doing that I do not get confused about what I am trying to say unless I don't really know what I am talking about. The sad thing is, that is the case far too often!
In this public speaking class, i have in fact rambled on about a top and forgot what i was trying to prove in the middle of the speech. I think this happens because you mind looses focus when you are looking at people's expressions and become focused on other things besides your speech. Also, if a person is scared to mess up in a speech, they can make all there focus on not messing up, but now they are nolonger thinking about the material of the speech. this can cause a person to lose topic. a way to keep on topic and not forget, is to try and look at the class as whole rather than forcusing in so much on individual expressions. Keeping the focus on your speech rather than the opinion of your audience can also help prevent these black outs.
I quite often tell pointless stories that end in, “Wait, what were we talking about?” In fact I have had entire conversations slip from my mind leaving me standing there confused and often times my friends have the same thing happen. (This is not drug or alcohol related) However that could mean that they are horrible listeners and probably why when I warn them about things they do them anyway. I always thought it was my mind wandering or maybe that what I was saying wasn’t important enough to remember but maybe there is a better reason behind it. I guess if you lose what you’re saying a lot it probably pays to rehearse before you make a fool of yourself in front of an audience. I think the best time for that to happen is when giving a speech on it as well itr would make it a lot easier to describe it.
I find that the chronological pattern is the easiest for me to use. I don't know if that's how it is for most people, but I just find that chronological order is easy to remember, even when I'm in a stressful or nerve-wracking situation like giving a speech. I think that most people's minds probably function in a way that allows them to easily remember the order of events. However, a chronological pattern probably wouldn't be applicable for a lot of topics.
2.Have you ever found yourself telling someone a story and forget what you were trying to explain? Why do you think this happens and what can you do to make sure it doesn't happen?
I find myself telling stories everyday to friends and family and by the time im done telling them i often find myself asking what was the point of that story?? i think especially now of days with younger kids in the every thing is so fast. there attention spans are so short that when listening or telling stories i think its easier for them to loose track on what point they are trying to get across. I think with me i love to tell stories, i love trying to get my point across and using stories or experiences to do it. but its easy to loose track when you have a.d.d and one story leads to another and then another haha so i always loose track! what i found best to help to not loose track is to not let myself get distracted! when telling a story and half way through im thinkin of a different story i need to tell i stop myself to make sure i know why im telling it. haha so just keep track of where youre going with you story, maybe tell it to yourself first before sharing that way you can tell if your point truely gets across.
2.Have you ever found yourself telling someone a story and forget what you were trying to explain? Why do you think this happens and what can you do to make sure it doesn't happen?
Telling stories to people can be difficult especially if it is a story you heard from someone else. It is easiest to tell a story if you are the first story teller and know the story directly. Also while telling someone a story it becomes very easy to forget what you were saying to them. If there is a distraction you can lose your focus from what you were trying to say. It is very important for us to practice always actively listening and paying attention while someone is talking to us. I think it is very interesting how we can forget what we were trying to say. I think this happens because humans are always so busy. They constantly have a million different things going on in their heads. By actively listening, I think it will help us pay better attention at church, school, and work. In order to prevent forgetting what you were saying, always stay focused on what you are talking about.
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