Our organiser for the evening once again provided us with great food for thought at this week’s NWR meeting on TED Talks.
We focused on the two topics of women speakers and communication.
The first talk was on the principle of TED talks – “Ideas worth spreading” and the secret to great public speaking.
The second was Dame Stephanie Shirley – her memoir, “Why do ambitious women have flat heads?”
The third was the most viewed TED Talk – on body language, “Your body language may shape who you are”.
The fourth was on 10 ways to have a better conversation.
We finished with a charming cartoon one on “How far have you travelled in your lifetime?”.
There were so many take-aways from these.
Here are a few:-
TED Talks were originally on Technology, Entertainment, Design.
Chris Anderson bought out the originally American-Canadian organisation.
It started at a 1984 conference in Monterey, California and there are conferences every year.
The 1975 Equal Opportunities Legislation meant that Dame Stephanie Shirley’s women programmers at home company had to admit men!
Women have flat heads from being patronised (patting on the head).
“Can you fake it till you make it?”
Powerful people have open, expansive body language.
“Conversational competence is the most important skill we don’t teach.”