The Importance of Enthusiasm
“Put Enthusiasm Into Your Work” - Dale Carnegie
I had spent almost a week preparing a presentation about my role as a learning technology coach is and how I could help support teachers. The elementary principal agreed to let me come in to talk to the team during their weekly meeting and I spent more time than I would care to admit putting together a presentation.
The morning of the presentation I was listening to a podcast about giving presentations and the advice was don't use images from Google Image Search. I don't have many pictures from my new school, so I had filled my presentation with Creative Commons images, but since I feel the same, I took the message of the podcast to heart and stripped out all my images during the school day.
At the meeting, I looked around the room at the elementary teachers and I did not see any energy. I was not feeling good about my presentation anymore either. Then I made my mistake, and one that I will try to not make again, I matched the energy of the room and spoke without slides.
Big Mistake
I did not inject my message with enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm and confidence are linked. They both come from within. Since I did not speak with the enthusiasm I have for the topic, I did not have the confidence while speaking that I could have had.
My presentation
If I had used my original presentation, and spoken with enthusiasm, I think I could have garnered some interest from the teachers. If I don't speak with enthusiasm for a topic I am passionate about, why would anyone else be excited to receive my message?
From now on, I will do my best to put enthusiasm into everything I do because who else will be enthusiastic about what I do?
This post was inspired by Episode 12 of the Carnegie Coach Podcast - Put Enthusiasm into Your Work.
