How does it feel when someone praises your accomplishments? Do you suddenly feel inspired, sharp and ready to take on new challenges? Science shows that there are many psychological effects of praise. Used correctly, praise can boost self-esteem, increase performance and supercharge productivity. Used incorrectly or not at all, it can tear down and render the most high-powered team impotent.
You may ask, why should we care about our ability to communicate? Well, that’s easy. We should care because we want others to understand what we mean. We want to improve our relationships. We want to make sure things get done and in many cases, we want to advance our careers. One of the job skills employers desire most is effective communication. When people communicate effectively, they can build a productive working relationship, solve problems, supervise others, and create trust in the workplace.
Being a professor in the Communication Arts Department here at SAGU allows me to spend a lot of time with my students on video, audio, lighting, and editing equipment. But as a Bible-based University, we are challenged to look beyond our cool gadgets and gear to the deeper issues of how methods of communication affect the Gospel message, the Church and our Christian worldview.
Reading and writing have been staples of basic communication for thousands of years. One might wonder what kind of effect the written word had on the Church over the centuries. But perhaps a better-crafted question might be what happened to Christianity when words became “printed and replicable” on a large scale.
If asked to name the top selling girls children’s toy from the past year, what would you guess? One might reasonably (but incorrectly) assume Barbie , Goldiblox , or the continued onslaught of Frozen-themed merchandise. But, if you have young daughters or grandchildren, you won’t be surprised when I say Shopkins .
In my last video blog I discussed some examples of attention-getting introductions. In this video I want to offer some warnings about potential momentum stoppers, or as I call them “speed bumps” in the introduction. Speed bumps are meant to slow you down while driving through neighborhoods and parking lots. While we certainly want them in those places, you don’t want them in your sermon introductions.
Written by the late Blake Snyder, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need has quickly become a classic among aspiring screenwriters. I was first introduced to this book in 2011 during my first year studies in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Screenwriting and Film Studies at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. In that particular class on screenwriting I discovered many other important components or “stages” to crafting that perfect screenplay.