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Joe Hanson: How to Identify Your Weaknesses as a Master of Ceremonies

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As a master of ceremonies, it is your prerogative to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. No one is perfect. Nevertheless, we can learn to manage and improve in overcoming our setbacks or weaknesses. This is very important while building your career, as it helps with two things:  stability and balance.

For some, they lack the art of being spontaneous, thus everything they do is always according to the script.

This may sound fine to many, but it is clearly a deficiency. Imagine losing your script or not having enough time to add extra information to your script, you will find yourself in a confused mode.

As for others, the problem of not being organized always haunts them at every event. Due to multiple information being passed across, they lack coordination and cannot stay organized, talk less of giving a good presentation.

Identify your weaknesses
So, what is your weakness? Have you identified them? Here are tips on how you can do this.

Always review your last job, no matter what. Take time to review your performance on the last job your anchored.

Look for an area you think you could have done differently or even better.

Has that area of concern always been visible? Maybe, appeared thrice or many more times you do a review of every job anchored?

Do you find it difficult, or do you develop a sudden fright when confronted with it?

Do you sometimes wish you could do without it or even run away from it?

These points are a clear indication that the area of concern is your weakness.

Let me share mine with you. For me, I am totally poor when it comes to remembering names of people. Oh yes, I am absolutely good with faces, but when it comes to names, I totally suck. I could remember the first name but maybe not the last. On the other hand, I operate well when I have to multi-task or think quickly on my feet. So here is how I complement that with my weakness.

No Master of the Ceremonies has the same abilities and disabilities. We all are different with a pinch of maybe a little from here [weakness] and there [strength].

For my weakness, I balance it up by making sure I write every name clearly and categorically on paper. If I do not have the name written, I dare not proceed, as this helps me to always reference it with ease. So, always have your pen handy.

At one occasion, the father of the groom shared three of his names and title, with me. I quickly wrote it down at the top of the program. Then came a time he was requested by his son [the groom] to be re-introduced on stage, so I quickly glanced to see the name again, seized it quickly into my head and ended with looking at the audience.

I am sure that all in the audience could tell that this was my weakness, only if they are reading this article now.

So, if your weakness is disorganization, try to organize yourself by ensuring you have very few documents in your hand. Less is more.

If your weakness is in fluency, the only balance is preparation and learning the art of becoming a fluent speaker.

If your weakness is nervousness, early arrival to the venue and becoming chummy with a few guests and people may help you to balance the nervousness and fear.

If your weakness is coordination, try to anticipate what will happen and how you can prepare for changes while staying on course. Work hard at balancing your weakness; try to see how you have improved at each and every event no matter the type.

Don’t allow your weaknesses force you to quit.

Without a weakness, you will be perfect. So never see your weakness as a reason to throw in the towel. Rather, see your weakness as your strength. Add it to the improvement list and focus on it until you can eventually subdue, overcome or manage appropriately.

Just remember, in all you do strike a balance and find stability.

Joe Hanson is a Broadcaster | Master of Ceremonies | Content Producer Voice Over Actor and Media Consultant with 15 years of experience. Twitter & Instagram | @Iamjoehanson [email protected]

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