Defending Skills

What do we mean by defending skills? What are some examples of ways we can defend ourselves?

Defending Skills Today we’re going to talk about defending skills, but I’m not talking about karate or judo! It’s true we should know how to defend our physical space, but leaders need to know how to defend their beliefs and principles too!

Discussion: Is “Just Say No” enough? Why not?

“Just saying No” Just saying “no” is NOT enough. And I’m even more sure that’s true when you say it. But, believe me, when I say it.. “NO” It’s enough! Why? Because it originates from a deep understanding of who I am and what I stand for!

You need to know why you’re saying “no” and what you’re saying “no” to! That’s why you must know who you are and what your principles are. If I truly know who I am, NO amount of peer pressure will result in my going against my principles! What about you?

Pressure Where does pressure come from for you, individually? For example, does it come from friends, teachers, tv? In your groups, share some types of pressure that influence you the most.

P to the 5th Let’s borrow a phrase from the military. In order to help them remain in a constant state of rediness, the military practices a concept they refer to as, “P to the 5 th ” Do you know what that stands for?

P to the 5 th Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

Have a plan! If you know where your pressure is most likely to come from, then it only makes sense you should have a plan ready to implement when it occurs! Unfortunately, most people have NO plan, or a totally ineffective plan! Don’t end up like this guy->

Small Group Discussion: What are some acceptable ways we can handle inappropriate comments or actions?

Whether it’s at school or out of school, hitting the person or screaming at him/her would not be appropriate. So..what is something you can say and do that would be an appropriate way of getting across the message you do NOT like what was said or done? REMEMBER YOU’RE A LEADER

Be Prepared! Know in advance, what our tone will be, how our body language will help communicate how we feel about what was said to us. Be direct. Make sure your body langugage matches your tone of voice. Remember, only 7% of a message is in the words…. “Excuse me? What did you say?” VS “EXCUSE me! I DON’T appreciate that!”

Stop here, unless you have more time.

Do you remember how much of a communicated message is body language? Apx: 55% What percentage is tone of voice? Apx: 38%

Practice Practice your defending skills: Pair up, practice your body language and tone to agree, keep it appropriate!