Communication with other people is an essential instrument for the generation of ideas and making breakthroughs. As Johnson (2010) puts it, great discoveries are commonly conducted not, for example, in the laboratories where scientists work, but in the conference rooms where these scientists discuss what they have found. However, the problem with several people’s collaboration is that they all have different social and cultural backgrounds and worldviews.
Nonetheless, according to Flower (2003), these differences should not be regarded as a hindrance to effective collaboration. Instead, they are the source for creating a more profound understanding of any issue (Flower, 2003). From this, it could be inferred that ethical communication and collaborating with others to generate ideas could not be established in a team guided by prejudices and the absence of tolerance to people with alternative views or beliefs.
The chosen TED Talk is Teach every child about food by Jamie Oliver, a British chef. This TED Talk was chosen because Oliver (2010) discusses the problem of childhood obesity that is a significant problem in communities worldwide. Oliver (2010) persuades the audience of the importance of his position from the first second of his talk. More precisely, he starts the performance with a horrifying statistic: four US citizens will die because of obesity during the nearest 18 minutes of his speech.
By the way, Oliver (2010) uses a lot of statistical facts during his speech. This strategy is immensely effective because the audience could always argue with the correctness of a speaker’s judgment but could hardly disagree with the statistical data. What is more, in his speech, Oliver (2010) also refers to his experience of working at schools kitchens. This signifies that the audience is listening to someone who knows what he is talking about and could be trusted. Finally, I would like to ask you, what strategies would you employ if you have to persuade a school’s administration to change the menu to protect students from obesity?
References
Flower, L. (2003). Talking across difference: Intercultural rhetoric and the search for situated knowledge. College Composition and Communication, 55(1), 38-68. Web.
Johnson, S. (2010). Where good ideas come from. TED. Web.
Oliver, J. (2010). Teach every child about food. TED. Web.