Krypton is probably the most famous planet that never really existed (with respect to fans of Vulcan). The concept of that piece of Superman’s home world taking away his power is an analogy that rarely needs to be explained, and works on multiple levels.
I’m not sure if I’m a super <S> speaker, but I found a piece of my Kryptonite last fall when I was at the Toastmasters District 22 Fall Conference in Topeka Kansas. This was shaping up to be a fantastic day, and other than my coming Kryptonite moment, it lived up to all expectations.
If you would have been sitting in one of those audience chairs at the conference, after the parade of banners you would have heard me called up to provide the introduction for our Keynote speaker, Ed Tate.
And if you were there…you wouldn’t need me to tell you I fell flat on my face.
Worst.
Introduction.
Ever.
What happened? Right before I wen on stage with my single page of notes, prepared to set them on the lectern and never use them, two outstanding young men moved the lectern off of the stage.
Should it have mattered that I had practiced on that stage, with that lectern? No. I should have not cared a bit. But for some reason…I did.
Lessons:
Verify the logistics – I should have known they were going to remove the lectern
Be ready for the unexpected – have plans to deal with the unknown
Push through! – Who needs a stupid lectern, or stupid notes?
As you speak, you’ll figure out what your Kryptonite is (turns out mine is unexpected stage modifications). Once you know, you can develop your lead shield and be a super speaker once again.
Do you sometimes receive feedback that you don’t really want (or don’t even need) to hear? How does it make you feel to receive unsolicited feedback?
In fact, does it matter if the unsolicited opinion comes from someone you totally respect or someone you don’t even know?
It’s human nature to notice perceived flaws and to look for ways to fix them. It’s even becoming a normal practice in society to go to that person with the potential flaw and offer up a suggestion just to help. I’ve seen this countless times at Toastmasters contests, and I’ve observed the facial expressions of the recipients (and yes, I have done it myself).
Last year I attended the Toastmasters International Convention in Connecticut. Early in the week, some of us were fortunate to be able to watch a finalist in the coming World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS) practice her speech.
I really like the rule that the World Champs used for this session: after the speech, we were encouraged to provide positive feedback to the contestant – one each. If any of us thought we saw some improvement that just had to be said, we were to hold that comment and provide it to one of the champs (5 were present). Then they would collaborate and work with the contestant to provide the improvements that in their experience would help her out.
That led me to a couple of good rules we can all follow, whether in our Toastmaster club environments, or in the business world:
1. Positive comments are rarely solicited, so be sure to offer them generously when they are deserved. Bonus hint: They are always deserved.
2. Unsolicited critiques are almost never appreciated. Avoid offering your evaluation unless you’re asked. Note: You are not the exception to this rule.
3. Consolidate improvement where possible. I don’t mean gang up (i.e. “12 of us thought you should pause longer, so I was elected to tell you”), but you should avoid a steady stream of 2-3 improvements from multiple sources.
In Good Guys, a new comedy/drama/cop thing on Fox, the lead character asks his boss why he can’t move into a more exciting job in the department. As an example of his behavior, She offers “You corrected the Captain’s grammar…in front of the Chief.” Instead of realizing his mistake and moving on, he responded “There is no ‘statue of limitations.’”
Giving a critique to someone, even if you are completely right, is not some sort of constitutional right. You’ll be more successful with your opinion if it’s solicited, and you’ll be more effective when the recipient is receptive. Remember to stay positive, and only give critiques to those who actively seek your opinion.
I just received Darren LaCroix’s two new CDs, Secrets from a World Champion Speaker Coach and Speak Outside of Your Club for Fun, Profit, and Club Building. Both are single CDs and less than an hour each. This means I should be able to listen to both of them on my drive to Topeka tomorrow morning, bright and early.
This weekend is our Toastmaster District 22 Fall Conference, and we’re featuring another World Champion, Ed Tate. Ed will be our opening keynote speaker on Saturday morning, present an educational session in the afternoon, and lead a Breakfast with a Champ question and answer session Sunday morning.
During the day tomorrow, I’ll be working with our International Director and accompanying him on a club visit to the Veterans Center in Topeka, and for a Radio Interview on WIBW 580 AM at 1:35pm, 20 November. I’ll add the podcast link here as a note after the interview. The talk show is the Raubin and Megan show.
Update: Here is the link to the podcast (MP3).
If you’re in the area and interested, you can find info on the conference at our district’s website. Meals are probably sold out, but you can still attend the events, educational sessions, and contests.
I’ll post on Ed Tate’s speeches and the overall events on Sunday night, weather permitting…
Wednesday evening I gave an 8-minute speech titled ACE your Conclusion for my Toastmaster’s club, the Boeing Acievers #3990. Take a look right here.
The speech was from the Entertaining Speaker manual, speech #2 – resources for entertainment. In this project I was supposed to use examples from other sources, so I chose information from Craig Valentine and Ed Tate, both World Champion Speakers.
Specifically, I talked about two common mistakes many speakers make in their conclusions and three ways to give a better conclusion to your speech. See for yourself and let me know what you think.
Need a quote for your next party? Here are some that you may find useful, along with one perception of what they mean:
Craig Valentine
“What got you here won’t get you there” – from the book World Class Speaking
My thought: Sticking with what works is very Human. However, sometimes you need to make those changes to become more (or even stay) successful. In a related quote, Janet Jackson once said “What have you done for me lately?” To be successful, you should be able to answer that question for your boss, your clients, or your family at a moments notice.
Darren LaCroix
“I’ve never had a mentor ‘nice me into growth’” – from the August Champ Camp in Connecticut
My thought: Validation and Growth have one thing in common – they’re both words. Beyond that, they are the difference between someone telling you that you’re good and someone helping you become better.
That’s not a licence to run around telling everyone the whole ugly truth. As I always say, know your audience and know what they need to hear, what they want to hear and what they can take. It’s just like in Toastmasters, when anyone speaks, you will have 20 things you could mention that need to be worked on. Tell me about all 20, and I may get discouraged. Tell me I was great, and nothing will change. Tell me about 3 things, and I can grow.
Ed Tate
“Review your keepers” – from the August Champ Camp in Connecticut
My thought: This was one of the most valuable lessons from the 2 1/2 days there. Why, you ask? This was a technique Ed used, along with his “Think, Pair, Share” method to reinforce learning after each break.
Here’s how it worked:
1. At the beginning of the seminar, we were introduced to the note pages for our “keepers”, where we would write down those things in the session that were of value to us
2. After each break, we were given a moment to go over our keepers and think about what we had learned
3. Next, we would pair up with a neighbor (a different person each time) and discuss what we had on our list
4. Finally, Ed would ask everyone to share one of keepers with the group (note: in a larger group you would limit the number of “shares”)
Between each Pair and Share segment, I think everyone in the room would pick up at least one keeper that they hadn’t thought of on their own.
If you do instructional sessions, I think this is one of the more valuable techniques you could incorporate into your teaching methods.
Alan Weiss
“If you don’t blow your own horn, there is no music” – from the book Million Dollar Consulting
My thought: There’s a difference between saying that you are good, and bragging that you are better than everyone around you. It’s okay to be good and say so. A little competition can be healthy too, just know when enough is enough.
I used to know people who said that if their boss didn’t put their accomplishments in their performance appraisals (and awards), they must not have been that good. Baloney. Whether it’s you current boss, future employers (i.e. your résumé) or a consulting client, you shouldn’t expect to be the talk of the town no matter how good you are. Be willing to say it out loud and articulate it so it makes sense.
Peter Drucker
“The best way to predict the future is to create it” – multiple sources
My thought: This is timeless. I’ll put it this way, if you are waiting for something to happen, get a piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. Write down what you are waiting for, put it in the envelope and write today’s date on it, but add one month (i.e. if today is 30 Aug 09, write 30 Sep 09). Set it aside and open it on the date written. When you read it then, you will probably notice that you are still waiting. This method works if you add one month, one year, or 10 years. Don’t test that theory – go make that “thing” happen. Being on the right track only matters if you choose to move forward…