I had my current students in a previous class, and when I asked them if they knew anyone who could be a speaker for my (their) upcoming global communications class, no one had any suggestions. Yet, now that they are in this class, all of them were able to interview someone with global experience for an assignment I gave.
I wondered where the disconnect was and decided that it was because I was asking for speakers. That sounds lofty — it’s the dreaded public speaking; it’s intimidating to talk to a graduate class, as people often don’t feel that their experience is worthy of discussion, etc. But really what I wanted was class “answerers.” The students are full of questions, and all the people interviewed would have been great to share in class the same content they shared in the interview for the paper’s assignment.
I think the principle applies in other situations. We can unintentionally make things out to be loftier than intended, and often, more daunting than they turn out to be in real life. I’m finding this out as I seek volunteers for a civic committee, when asking for input on a DIY project, or during many meetings. People want to be “answerers” and share the knowledge they have in an informal, respond-in-the-moment way without requiring a lot of preparation.
Everyone has a unique perspective. Make it easy and comfortable for people to share their experiences by allowing them to respond, rather than present.
