The art of repetition
posted in Business Travel, Career Advancement, Working Moms, Office Rants |They say that skills you use at home being a mother translate well into the workplace. I’m in even more agreement with this fact in light of my business trip this week. A business trip which actually required me to speak on camera in front of a live audience. I should add it was an audience viewing my presentation over the web, but nonetheless I was sitting in front of lights, a camera and some dude who was giving me hand signals and cues while I spoke (and not the “hey can I buy you a drink?” kind.) To make matters worse, there were people who actually dialed into this “videocast” to watch me live. Sounds like great entertainment.
Anyway, we all know now how much I hate cameras, so I was totally sweating this trip. I mean literally sweating. It was 75 degrees when I left Chicago yesterday and I made the mistake of getting my favorite Starbucks extra-hot chai latte drink for the cab ride. I was a drowned rat before I even made it to my destination.
But I had to get my sweaty-self geared up to make a presentation. Meaning I had to memorize my talking points so I wouldn’t look like a total moron on camera. With mom-brain, this is no easy feat. I can barely remember what I did last week, let alone try to sound articulate about a business issue.
Believe it or not, though, part of my new mommy routine actually helped me out during the taping. What could do that, you ask? Well, over the past 11 months, I’ve gotten really really really good at saying the same things over and over again to my son in the hopes that somehow, one day, he’ll say the word back to me. I’ve become the master of talking aloud to no one in particular. A master of repetition.
My mastery in the art of repetition really started in earnest about 2 months ago when he started babbling away. Hearing the sound “da” was like music to my ears. Maybe “daddy” could be next! “Ba” was even better. “Bottle? Can you say bottle to mama?” Over and over again I would stare into his face and repeat these words, sayings, sentences in foreign languages and phrases until I was out of breath and he was more interested in the plastic ball he was holding than my incessant babble. And you thought babies were the ones who spoke nonsense. Who are you kidding?
This constant repetition and praise have not translated into anything material yet, unless you consider “ga” to mean waffle, maraca shaker and train. But, it taught me a valuable tool I can bring to the workplace. Practing talking points for a presentation is a lot like trying to teach your kid how to speak. You can recite the same thing out loud over and over again to no one in particular, and you don’t really need anyone to respond back. It’s a beautiful thing.
Fast forward to me last night at dinner. By myself at the hotel restaurant, I brought my notes to look at while I recited my lines. Over onion soup au gratin and a nice panzanella salad, I babbled my way through dinner. I ignored the stares from the waitress and the table next to me as I extolled the virtues of an intranet site. What did I care? I was teaching myself how to talk PowerPoint.
And how did the taping go? Success! All is well in the world. I’m now back in Chicago and I hope I don’t have to go on camera for a long, long time.
Now, if only I can get my son to say “mama.”
Tags: power point, business travel
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