Quick Take-Away: This week, I use the true story [see video below] of a “graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate”, to illustrate why – apart from your speaking skills – you also need proficiency in reading/writing to demonstrate competence as an expert-who-speaks.
Hint: Teachers are also ” experts-who-speak” (though most people don’t think of them that way). and that’s what makes THIS teacher’s story relevant to this issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays)
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1 of 2: PUBLIC SPEAKING –To Excel, Be As Proficient In Reading & Writing, As You Are In Speaking [True Story]
Quick Take-Away: This week, I use the true story [see video below] of a “graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate”, to illustrate why – apart from your speaking skills – you also need proficiency in reading/writing to demonstrate competence as an expert-who-speaks.
Hint: Teachers are also ” experts-who-speak” (though most people don’t think of them that way). and that’s what makes THIS teacher’s story relevant to this issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
[Video] Graduate Teacher Who Could Not Read Her Own Certificate, Nabbed by Gov. Adams Oshiomole At a Screening Session to Unmask Teachers With Forged Credentials.
The 1st time I watched this video of Gov. Oshiomole and the teacher who could not read her own certificate at a screening event monitored by the former, I truly was NOT surprised.
Why?
Because for years in the course of coaching staff of some client companies to use software and websites I built, I’d noticed a shocking deficiency in reading, comprehension and writing skills in many of the individuals assigned to understudy me.
And this despite the fact that they readily brandished “certificates” as proof that they’d successfully completed programs in various disciplines.
I believe the reason we don’t often “see” these quacks till they get exposed as happened in Edo state is that we, Nigerians, often refuse to employ critical thinking.
Take that teacher’s case for instance. Everyone seems so focused on her. We seem to have all missed the fact that she could not have perpetrated this fraud alone!
For instance, some person must have interviewed and recruited her, before giving her a PAID teaching position. Who was that person, and what criteria did s/he use?
I argue that the recruiter(s) most likely was(were) an insider(s) who helped her get in.
There’s more…
According to reports, she’d been teaching for 20 WHOLE years!
That means she must have had colleagues, and bosses, to whom she reported to during that LONG period of time (??)
Are we to believe none of them noticed this serious deficiency she had in all that time?
Here’s what I think:
They knew…
But it’s likely many were no different from her. Each one had something(s) to hide.
Either that or she found a way to “bribe” them in cash or kind to keep quiet about it.
But what about the parents of the kids she must have taught?
One would imagine that one or two parents would have noticed inadequacies e.g. from checking through assignments given to the kids/talking to the kids, and even interacting with the teacher.
Yet, if we’re to believe what the reports say, in all of 20 years no parent ever complained!
Is that even possible?
I don’t know about you, but I’m tempted to believe it is…and here’s why…
Olusegun Adeniyi’s THIS DAY newspaper piece offers useful but shocking insights gained from his participation in the Nigerian Breweries Limited sponsored Competition to Choose the Best Teacher in Nigeria.
He mentioned how he, along with Prof. Pat Utomi, and other judges had to read through forms filled by contestants, which contents reflected poor reading, comprehension and writing skills on the part of many of the teachers.
Not just that, he said they learnt from interviewing the teachers that some schools were “miracle centres” where students routinely passed WAEC exams even when they knew nothing.
Using the above teacher’s story, you should be able to deduce how that is possible.
Simply put, teachers like the one Oshiomole found incapable of reading, would be the ones teaming up, often with similarly-minded parents (who probably also bought their own certificates), to cheat in the exams!
Yesterday, my 16 year old son and I visited a gentleman whose 6 month manual typewriting course he (my son) had attended at weekends back in 2011.
It turned out he’d suffered a broken ankle 3 months ago, courtesy of a hit-and-run Okada who ran into him from behind as he was walking along the street. As a result, he had been hobbling around on crutches.
We talked about that accident, and the decayed values that made the culprit fail to stop, after causing such injury to another.
Then our friend began to regale us with shocking anecdotes to illustrate just how bad things are – based on what he sees in attending to people who come to enroll for his training or to pay for typing services.
2 examples he gave held my interest:
a. A young lady who brought a computer forged copy of a well known university’s degree certificate and asked him to help her type in her name, so she could make copies to submit to a recruiting company.
He declined and tried to dissuade her. She told him off and went elsewhere to get it done. A mutual friend later told him that she got the job, as she had insiders who helped her beat the screening despite her forged papers.
b. In another incident, something similar to the above happened, but this time it was a forged NYSC certificate the individual wanted to have a name typed on!
According to our friend, his is just one of many examples that occur regularly.
No wonder we keep seeing school leavers and graduates who can’t defend their qualifications.
But here’s why/how this situation affects most of us NOT involved in these acts…without our knowing it…!
You see when such people with forged papers get into decision making positions, they will naturally feel threatened by competent others (e.g. YOU, or your kids), and block their entry into the organization.
Instead they will seek to recruit those who are like them, who will NOT come in and then turn around and call them out for being “incompetent”.
We see this already in public (and some private) sector organizations where appointment of misfits into positions, and mediocrity in work processes seems to be the order of the day.
Today, these kinds of people are often in the majority, while those not like them are the minority, and therefore an endangered species!
That’s why I argue that for every one of these crooked people that gets caught, there will often be several others hoping not to get noticed.
The following Yoruba proverb illustrates the point I’m making here.
“Eni ti won ba mu ni Ole” – Yoruba proverb
Translation: It is only the person who gets caught that is called a thief.
And I mean even right NOW, today, as I type these words!
Olusegun Adeniyi’s article based on observations from an event completed less than a month ago, confirms it. The video of the teacher who could not read went out last year – so, in all that time, not much has changed…!
If we let this continue, there may come a day when they’ll outnumber us nationally, and vote one of them as PRESIDENT. Then we’ll have to watch him/her struggle to read his/her speeches at public functions (locally and overseas) – just like that Edo state teacher did!
As an expert-who-speaks, YOU CAN use the Edo state teacher’s story to challenge yourself to improve
Apart from your speaking skills as an expert, your reading comprehension/writing skills also play a crucial role in your ability to demonstrate competence.
It’s possible the Edo state teacher was/is well spoken. If so, THAT could explain why outsiders (e.g. parents) who met her did not find her out.
They could have assumed that since she spoke well, she could also read as well.This is the same thinking those YOU relate with as an expert-who-speaks may adopt!
Question: Do you know YOUR reading speed?
If YES, what is it?
Tony Buzan in his book on Speed Reading estimates that most adults who pass through formal schooling read at about 200 to 300 words per minute on the average.
He however points out that THAT is not enough: For productive reading, at least twice that speed is needed.
Thankfully, you can google “Learn Speed Reading” to learn techniques you need (like I did to become able to read over 400wpm).
Here’s why your reading speed matters…
As an expert who is also a knowledge provider, your rate of learning affects your output.
If you’re a slow reader, that means it will take you longer to get through written material you need to read, in doing your research or reviewing client materials.
You may have to plough through large volumes of written material, in paper form, or on your PC screen.
Slow reading speed could cause you to delay others who need your feedback to progress their own jobs.
In relating with a client representative, that could put you in an embarrassing situation where the affected individual is forced to complain to his/her boss that you’re holding him/her back!
Apart from reading, your “writing”/”TYPING” skill/speed also comes into play.
What is your typing speed? Do you know?
Estimates have it that the average adult types about 40 words per minute.
I’d say aim to do at least 50 wpm and every now and then, push yourself to increase by 10 wpm till you can do up to 80 wpm or more, which I exceed when in flow (Typing Tutor software can help you with this).
If you’re slow in writing/typing it can limit your ability to function at a higher level of productivity e.g. when a client requests for a written “proposal” or some other document that you have to put together.
Unless you have no deadline to deliver to, or your workload is so low there’s enough time to take it slow, being slow in writing/tying can do you in!
Final Words: To attract, win and serve more – and higher profile – clients, demonstrating proficiency in your reading/writing skills (in addition to your speaking skills), will be key…
Depending on the market you serve, and the emphasis placed on competent use of the language, higher profile clients (e.g. decision makers in corporate organizations) will expect you to possess a decent mastery (spoken and written) of the language of communication.
Apart from speed, writing proficiently (using correct grammer, spelling and tenses) also matters.
So, anything you send to a client will be read with that expectation in mind. Meeting it can dramatically boost his/her rating of you, leading to repeat business, referrals etc.
It goes without saying that no one is infallible or perfect, so one may miss the mark once in a while.
However, those should be few and far between in occurrence – if at all.
experts-who-speak. Starting – Monday 13th April 2015 – it MORPHED in name and content served, to a 2 part Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, to better serve them.
You just read the “Public Speaking IDEAS” part above. What follows below is the “Web Marketing IDEAS” part.
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And for as long as that stable sociopolitical climate does not exist, every person running a business will probably have to sleep with one eye open.” – Tayo K.
Solagbade
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“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard
work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones)*
*Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to Tayo Solagbade following his resignation to
various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods
and others.
In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.
and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).
In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training
& Technical Development Manager, and then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.
He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’
competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy Limited.
Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your
personal and work related productivity.
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[IMPORTANT NOTE:====
On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.
Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.
But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts
he’s published.
If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.
You may also wish to check out his growing library of tutorial and demonstration videos on Youtube. Click here, to download over 10 resources to boost your personal and work related productivity.
IMPORTANT NOTE: On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), was taken over by Aplus.net. Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build (and move his website contents into) a SUPERIOR "reincarnation" at http://www.tayosolagbade.com.
Most URLs bearing the old domain name appearing in search engines should now work if "spontaneousdevelopment.com" is replaced with "tayosolagbade.com". If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.
