Friday, October 10, 2008

Defensive Listener


I was recently appointed the position of Executive Coordinator for the executive board of the Hispanic/Latino Student Union here on campus, you know the organization I always blog about. One of my responsibilities is to oversee the Cultural & Educational Committee. Last night the committee had a poetry/literature event at the Student Life Building which should have been for the students to learn about the impact Spanish literature has made to the Hispanic culture. Instead it turned into an open mic poetry night. Don't get me wrong, it was a successful event but it wasn't what it was intended to be. At the end of the event I had tell my committee what was good about it and what they can improve on. I never knew how difficult it would be to give suggestions and my point of view.


The point is, don't be a defensive listener. We all did so well at our presentations last Tuesday; each and every one of us had something to offer. What was discussed during the private sessions afterwards was only to help us. If you think about it, we do get many opportunities that those already in the field will never get. Like Melissa pointed out, it is unusual to get to see everyones presentations and even more to get the whole "this is what I liked about your presentation and here's what I think you should improve on for next time." Take is as a professional suggestion and not a critic. Again, I think everyone did great and I'm already looking forward to our next project. See you all on Tuesday!

Defensive Listener

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