Communicating Complex Issues
I have just read on a different forum how someone practices very carefully both internally (thought processes) and externally (in front of someone) before they deliver a complex message.
I thought this was a very important point and it got me thinking.
Like most people with AS I have a unique thought process and can often arrive at very original and insightful outputs. Mostly this relates to my analytical ability which means I can see things that many other can't.
Communicating it effectively - especially in front of groups of people - however, has never been easy. I can think of one instance (the biggest disappointment of my career) when I had the insight required but was unable to convey it effectively to senior management.
Looking back I should have done so in front of the Executive team at an Executive Conference which I attended monthly.
Proper communication wasn't the only issue involved: presenting was something I always found anxiety provoking yet, when I look back over my career, I have, actually, usually been quite good at it.
The key has always been proper preparation which - for me - involves practising beforehand so that I am 101% sure of my story. If I am in control of my message I can be VERY effective and convincing at getting it across. I think I need to practice this trait more often.
Has anyone else experience this/add insight? I think we have the ability to offer real, unique insight so need to also develop the means of communicating it
Communicating These Issues
I have to say that I can relate to this for the most part. In my mind I tend to plan these things out and even rehearse them to myself but once I get into the actual situation or have to speak in front a group then my mind goes blank and/or I just can't do it well. The scariest part is that in my mind and to myself it seems like I'm doing pretty good but again when I get to the real situation or in front of those people it's another story. It's a challenge for me that still haunts me to this day. Sometimes writing things down and talking to other people for assistance helps but even then it's still a difficulty for me. People, during the years, have given me tips and advice. Many of their tips and advice do assist me to some extent but it doesn't totally solve the problem. Plus it gets more challenging when the topic is something difficult, something that I might have no experience with, not have much time to prepare, something that I might feel uncomfortable with or something that I might of had a previous issue with.
I think we are often better
I think we are often better at expressing our ideas via the written word than in speech so writing it down is a good start always.
Presenting
If I present I ensure that I am fully in control of my brief beforehand and I have bullet points that I can glance at, and refer, to whilst speaking.
If I satisfy both these requirements, I can deliver very effectively.
Of course, if the opposite is true, it has the potential to be an unmitigated disaster!
Experience has taught me to ensure that this does not occur. If I can't satisfy the above requirements, I withdraw!
It might seem odd, but
It might seem odd, but usually if I rehearse giving a speech it makes me more nervous. A case in point was a talk I was asked to give at an autism conference about two years ago. I wrote up a speech but on the day, I held the notes in my hand and pretty much made it up as I went along (though I had memorised the main points).
Your Own Way
I think that the important thing for someone with Asperger syndrome in a work context is to feel comfortable and relaxed.
This means doing it in a way that makes one feel along these lines. If you can achieve this then any methodology is fine.
To do what you have suggested would necessitate me feeling "really" comfortable and on top of my subject, but - hey, if I felt that, I am sure that I would be fine.
The final thing is not to worry too much before you get up their. Once I am I usually find that I am fine and thrive.
As one commentator once said: feel the fear and do it anyway!