Sigmund was right.
In a recent meeting with a Learning and Training executive, we got on the topic of who is most coachable for public speaking? And related, why have we become so polite in ignoring those who are ineffective presenters? It seems, after mapping out a few characteristics of those who we coach, that it comes down to one of Freud’s favorite subjects: the ego.
Our Speech from the Throne
When Thomas Jefferson was President, he didn’t give a State of the Union. And it wasn’t until 26 Presidents later that Woodrow Wilson took up the tradition again. History reports that Jefferson thought it was too monarchial like the Speech from the Throne, the equivalent talk in the House of Parliament kicking off a new session.
The constitution requires a report to Congress. It doesn’t specific if it is in writing or delivered in a speech. Apparently Jimmy Carter did it once in a letter, and we’ll remember the time Ronald Reagan was supposed to do it – but opted for a somber address from his desk to address a grieving nation about the Challenger disaster (he gave the Congressional address a week later).
We’ve come to expect the State of the Union, taking place again tonight, as an important message opportunity for the President to state his case. But does it?
Will we hear President Obama’s words, or watch the faces Justices of the Supreme Court and see if they ‘behave.’ We can wonder who will sit next to the First Lady (and of course, comment on her dress). And we can watch how the Republicans exercise their best catholic stand-up-sit-down-quickly skills, as Democrats do when there is the opposite in power. And we can hope to remember just one thing he said, if not the wonderful pauses that he masters with every address.
It’s hard enough to get into the voice of a leader and write to their style as speechwriters do every day. (Oh, sorry, you thought the President wrote his own speech?) But try to imagine a leader deciphering the hieroglyphics which must be the result of an entire cabinet trying to write a talk — just as they do in England. We know this to be true: In America, that would likely be treated as a speech to be tossed in the throne.
No CommentsYour talk is a tour, not a race.
“I guess I just want to get it over with. ” – Julie, an ar.tic.u.la.tion client.
When someone is either bored with their content, nervous to speak or unable to engage their audience, the focus isn’t always the message, it’s the finish line.
As a result, a mini-crisis happens when no one is happy with your talk. What to do?
We offer our top 3 ar.tic.u.la.tion suggestions for solving this problem:.
1. Remember your audience knows when you are bored. If you savor the speech, so will they. If you race through it, you’ll leave them behind and bored.
2. Inject some new pauses or audience questions/exercises in the middle of your talk. Find a reason to get feedback from your audience (even if you are afraid to ask them for it!).
3. (egads!) Start over. Take a step back. Lean into your content from a different angle and commit to using less slides, no slides or different stories. Your delivery will be freshened up immediately.
No CommentsLess is more during these times
Name the time when giving a speech is at first, unthinkable, but highly demanded and then, curiously celebrated. It is of course, when we are grieving.
Whether it was Abraham Lincoln’s two minute Gettysburg Address, Ronald Reagan’s address (canceling his state of the Union) around the shuttle tragedy, Bill Clinton’s nine minutes after the Oklahoma City Bombing, or George Bush’s words after the world trade center tragedy, or last night’s remarks by Barack Obama- our Presidents must deliver words of comfort, relief and solace to a nation when we are grieving. And it is just the leader, their words and their own emotions that are used to carry through this job. No performances, actors, musicians or fancy videos– just a primal and poignant speech.
ABC News condensed these moments in a piece: “Consoler in Chief” – where we look to our leader to be the voice of solace and comfort during a time of extreme grief and tragedy. It’s worth a watch if you are a watcher, like we are, of these poignant oratorial moments in history.
No Comments
A new governor, MBA students and a homeless guy.
Yesterday I attended the 69th inauguration of a governor in Ohio, this time for Gov. John Kasich. His personal brand is immutable: he’s driven by a higher force, is fiercely devoted to his family, and is determined to not let special interests get in the way of fixing Ohio (we have a $10 billion deficit). His inauguration speech was a true extension of his convictions, telling small visual vignettes along the way that make his larger message memorable.
OSU Fisher College of Business – MBA Personal Branding Seminar from Articulation on Vimeo.
This comes comes on the heels of a half-day workshop I attended two days ago at the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University: A personal branding workshop for the first-year MBA students. Instructor and Innovation maven Mike Bills conducted this seminar to help assure that these students thought hard about what was their driving force, passions and characteristics so that when it comes down to selling themselves for a job, they aren’t just ‘speaking to the spec’ but really sharing what’s fueling their fire. (In February I get the privilege of teaching the follow-up seminar on bridging your brand to your story for these talented students).
And last week in Columbus, we had the international spotlight blazing in our faces over a homeless guy with a golden voice named Ted Williams. A neighbor and Dispatch photographer Doral Chenoweth videotaped him at the side of a freeway sharing his deep, amazingly trained voice talent – only after stopping because the sign on the cardboard sheath read: “I have a golden voice.” Within a day he was being flown to appear on the Today Show and has job offers out of the woodwork.
On the surface, they all have nothing in common. The MBA students live here but many aren’t residents. Ted Williams couldn’t even prove last week that he was indeed a resident of Ohio. And yet John Kasich is not our most famous resident — as his inaugural address was indeed heard about 99% less than the Ted Williams video on Youtube.
But they have one important common bond: a personal brand that is expressed through a very unique story or narrative. Just to know what you like and what you want to do is one thing. To know how to bridge it into compelling ‘proof points,’ as Mike Bills would say or ‘defense’ as my collegue Wendy Hardman would claim is different. How do you extract the most critical examples that allow visualization and distinctiveness in your brand is what will be remembered.
So do you know your story? And better yet, can you tell it?
No Comments11 things to look forward to in 2011
Last year when we launched ar.tic.u.la.tion in mid-summer, we had no idea that we’d get the overwhelming response that we did. Between individual style coaching, signature story development advising and some unique teaching opportunities, we feel very lucky. But we know we need to work hard for that luck, so here are the top 11 things we’re focused on for 2011….(at least that we know of on this new year’s day!)
1. A vendor’s relationship with Nationwide, our hometown insurance conglomerate. We’ve been approved to work inside with their executives on speaking and presentations. This means if you work for Nationwide, you have a new source for presentation and public speaking coaching / training. If you work for another company and want the same opportunity, let us know!
2. A trip to TEDActive. This is the sister event to the ‘big’ TED, the annual event that showcases the best in new innovating thinking, trending and creations, in February. After two years of doing a wide variety of TEDx initiatives, I’m looking forward to being at a TED (okay, it’s not that hard seeing it’s in Palm Springs!)
3. Headed to the Experience Columbus (our visitor’s bureau) annual meeting in March? We’ll have a major role in shaping the stories and presentations for what will be a very different, well, experience, for them and their audience of 1000.
4. A teaching arrangement for some MBA workshops at the Fisher College of Business. We’ll start in January after Innovation Director Mike Bills does his personal branding seminar, I’ll follow up with translating that brand into your own story. You know, the answer you may struggle to find when you are asked during a job search process (or in that proverbial elevator), “What’s your story?”
5. Exploring new workshops and collaborations with Wendy Hardman, my alter-ego of presentation design. Watch for announcements early in the year. In the meantime, check out her site if you’ve got an annual meeting coming up and have a talent deficit on your team for understanding everything about presentation slide design.
6. Big ideas around TEDxColumbus. Nancy Kramer and I are noodling hard on this one. No news yet, but we are debating very exciting opportunities around what has become a very successful showcase of amazing local talent and their ideas worth spreading.
7. Weekly blog posts (right here!) on ar.tic.u.la.tion. We preach it, now it’s time for us to step up and live it. Our editorial calendar is already packed for the first quarter!
8. Live talk critiques. Once a month, we’ll attend a talk, speech or lecture and post our feedback on style, content, memorability, audience engagement, and more. If you want to nominate a talk to be critiqued, just email me.
9. A very personal one: Exchange of services with Amy Marzluff, a health coach. While I learn from her best integrative health techniques, she’s getting brushed up on her speaking skills. While I learn to diversify our new Gluten Free life (due to a child being diagnosed with celiac last year), she’s reaching new bounds with her workshops and seminars. I’m so excited about this partnership.
10. Monthly tip emails. At last! We didn’t quite get these off the ground this year, but already have the many tips already in line. If you want to subscribe, just enter your email here. We promise they will be brief and informative! We’ll include some of our favorite new reads and of course, TED talks.
11. Meeting YOUR needs. Please let us know if you would like a workshop, brown bag idea lunch or our signature one-on-one ar.tic.u.la.tion coaching for you or your associates. We have a variety of workshops, curricula and exercises ready to adapt to your specific situation.
And with that, Happy New Year. May it be filled with plenty of time and thought to create your own spectacular public speaking moments.
No Comments