We all occasionally “tune in” or “tune out” to the daily communications going on around us. When shopping, for instance, it’s easy to ignore the “Muzak” piping through the store, but a sudden sale announcement might grab our attention. On the job and in social situations, however, tuning out at the wrong time can be a liability. And if you’re the speaker, you want to deliver your message in a way that will keep your audience from wanting to tune out.

That’s why continual practice of two-way communications skills (speaking and listening) is so important. Create a one-minute speaker program in your class. Each day, a student selects a topic from a box and speaks on that topic for one minute. Topics can be serious or fun. Afterwards, classmates can demonstrate their listening skills by answering questions about what they just heard. For more of these activities, check out SkillsUSA’s newly updated Employment Skills Series: Communications CD-ROM at www.skillsusa.org/store/.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. — Antoine De Saint-Exupery