Communication was at the heart of the Group Dynamics and Public Speaking Seminar in Wenatchee.
The Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program held a four-day Group Dynamics and Public Speaking Seminar in Wenatchee, November 6 – 9. Key concepts of learning included:
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Developing, presenting and evaluating a persuasive speech:
Participants practiced public speaking by delivering a 5-minute persuasive speech that was filmed and critiqued by seasoned evaluators and their peers.
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How communication impacts group dynamics:
Ray Ledgerwood, Regional Manager Coordinator and Program Facilitator for the Washington Conservation Commission, delivered a full-energy, high-contact presentation on how to have the best meetings ever! Class members took away useful skills to use in numerous situations.
- Tactics and strategies for influencing public policy:
A favorite of Class 41 was Speaker of the House Clyde Ballard. His refreshing and positive outlook on our state of the country and politics today was a breath of fresh air.
Class 41 also had the opportunity to have lunch with the AgForestry Board of Trustees and take a state-of-the-art tour of Stemilt during apple packing. Our emerging leaders even found time to get in some recreational climbing on their own, at the new climbing wall in Wenatchee when the seminar sessions were done for the day.
What participants took away from the seminar:
- I learned some good lessons from Speaker Ballard about how being a leader means being a servant to everyone, and how important it is to treat people with respect and civility.
- This seminar highlighted how important it is to understand how, as individuals, we differ from each other and why it is important to communicate with others - despite their differences, and make our differences work to our benefit.
- From this seminar, I gained confidence in my ability to speak effectively in front of groups and was able to relax and enjoy the interaction.
- The tools and tips Ray gave during his seminar on how to facilitate a meeting will forever be in my meeting "go to bag". We all have been stuck in meetings where we have felt that nothing was getting done. Having tips to keep the conversation going and participants focused will be forever useful.
