Beth Bubolz
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
David Cooperrider
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In this interview David Huggins talks about his role as a speaker trainer and his employer Beth Rogers. She is the founder and president of Point Taken, a company which equips doctors and others in the medical community with public speaking and communication skills.
Huggins has worked with Rogers for more than 20 years, and although he downplays his role in the company, our interview reveals deep origins of respect and understanding of gender equality as well as an intimate understanding of the need for communication skills in the medical profession. These things make him an integral part of this woman-owned and predominantly woman staffed company.
When asked about the innovations at Point Taken, Huggins readily affirms Rogers’ scientific approach to communication training. She leverages scientific research about how our brains work to create evidence-based materials which give Point Taken clients a unique learning experience. Huggins gives an example. When an audience is confronted with 10 digits written on a flip chart and asked, “What does this look like?”, blank stares ensue. But when parentheses and a hyphen are added, everyone recognizes a phone number! “Minds want to categorize. When we give people information, we have to put it in a format that is usable. Water in a glass can be drunk, but spilled on the ground it is not useful for drinking. She (Rogers) puts information in a glass so it can be drunk. She understands how our brains receive information and translates this into lay terms. This is an important innovation that enhances Point Taken's credibility with healthcare professionals.” Understanding how clients learn communication skills has led Rogers to develop more handouts and physical aids for the learners than other companies.
The team is a tight knit loyal group with almost no turnover. This maintains the institutional shared memory.
If the innovation is better understanding of the science of learning communication skills, the passion is using this innovation to help others spread their good ideas.
When asked about the “Woman Owned” designation noted on the Point Taken website, Huggins states he is proud to work for a company that quietly champions the place of women in business. Letting the world know the official recognition is good.
Although on rare occasions Huggins is referred to as the “token male” in this predominantly female organization, he does not feel this unique position is unusual. Possibly because everyone at Point Taken is trained the same. All are treated as “one of the bunch.” But there may be a deeper connection.
Huggins’ mother attended college at the age of 34 years when he was a pre-teen, in the late 60’s, he recalls. After attaining her college degree, she went on to obtain a masters and then a law degree. He grew up with seeing his mom “push back against limitations” of the times that were naturally imposed on women. He states his mom was not a fan of authority figures, and she “would not be condescended to!” Seeing this strong woman in a non-traditional role fostered admiration of her “attitude, strength, and willingness to go against the grain”. She had the attitude of “I dare anyone to tell me I can’t do this!” He knows his mother had to work harder and be better than any of her male colleagues. Starting as a clerk-typist, she retired as Grant Administrator n the Office of Evidence Based Medicine with the Department of Health and Human Services. She was ahead of her time. She continued as a voice for anyone treated unfairly, even in retirement.
For Huggins, his mother normalized the idea of success for women in the workplace. Perhaps because of this, he sees Point Taken as “remarkable and great. The more companies like Point Taken that succeed, the better. I am proud to be part of it.”
When asked about a sense of mission as a speaker trainer for medical professionals, Huggins states: “There is a big need for effective communication in the medical world. Physicians need to communicate with other docs and patients, as well as in front of an audience. I see the need.” The impact of Point Taken teaching is significant even for clients who have a hard time admitting they could use advice on speaking. He continues, “But when clients are seeking information and fully engage, the impact is even greater.”
We strayed onto the topic of difficult conversations. As we close the interview Huggins reveals that 35 years ago, he and his wife sat in their pediatrician’s office and received news no parent wants to hear. He recalls details as vividly as if it were yesterday. The pediatrician perched on the corner of his desk with folded hands resting on his crossed knees. He recalls that it troubled their doctor to relay this distressing news. He recalls that the doctor spent time with them, didn’t just deliver the bomb and leave. He gave them time. He outlined the plan. His doctor conveyed the gravity of the situation but with great empathy and compassion.
The impact of Point Taken comes with having a highly skilled group of communication specialists who deeply understand the need for great communication in high stakes conversations. This team delivers scientifically backed and engagingly packaged methods for communicating successfully. In the short-term clients benefit from the product.
In the long-term, benefits of a flourishing woman-owned company with a tight knit loyal band of employees sends out a message to all they encounter. You can do it! You can express yourself effectively. The sky is the limit. Success belongs to men and women alike!
Twenty years of success is testament to the impact of Point Taken. No one working for Beth Rogers at Point Taken ever leaves! With this loyal band of speaker trainers, it is not surprising that satisfied customers praise the team at Point Taken.
Society benefits any time an underrepresented group excels. Equipping all, and especially women, with great communication skills ensures that all good ideas are considered. Having a successful company which is sensitive and responsive to needs of women as employees and clients benefits everyone.
As we were wrapping up the interview this remarkable man says to me (I am a pediatrician), “If you ever want to work together on a seminar or a project, I would be willing to come out and do it pro bono. I have a soft place in my heart for children’s hospitals.”
Surely, this alone is a huge benefit to society.
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Point Taken is a communication skills training company whose trainers deliver personalized programs on physical delivery skills as well as message development and articulation to clients. Founder Beth Rogers delights in helping clients get ideas from their heads into the heads of others! It is a certified Woman Owned business.