It’s all about Timing

I recently coached a wonderfully talented woman to prepare for a cosmopolitan speech contest.  That is, a speech contest for people for whom English is their second language.  What a rewarding and fantastic experience this has been.  She worked very hard indeed and wrote a strong and powerful presentation. 

Coaching someone for whom English is not their first language, has different challenges.  Ensuring the speech was powerful using appropriate language and emphasis was paramount as her message was dramatic.   She has a very good vocabulary and works hard on her language skills.  A few editing suggestions and the speech was ready.

With the speech itself sitting exactly where it needed to be, it was time to practice and perform.  My student was like a sponge soaking up all the advice.  She worked very hard on her pronunciation; her gestures were strong and effective , now for the timing.

There is a rule of thumb that if you speak at 110 words per minute  you will be heard and understood.  By that theory you can have 880 words to make up your 8 minute speech.  However, there must be time for pause; audience reaction and dramatic effect.

My student had about 680 words and after much practice, on the night the time was 7 minutes and 55 seconds.    Her timing was fantastic and her performance strong and effective.   She won the contest and will now go on to the National Competition in May. 

A presentation  is always about timing, go over time and you take someone else’s time, go under time and you let yourself down.  Whether its  a contest or not, it’s all about the timing.

Our Responsibility To Youth

It’s his or her first job.  There is much anticipation, excitement and nervousness.  They have so much to offer and the employer wants to harvest that youth, skill level and enthusiasm for the benefit of their business.

However, what about the employers responsibility to that young person.

It is easy to forget that a young man or woman in their first job is at a very vulnerable time in their working life.  The way they are treated in their first job will colour how they feel about work for the rest of their life!  That’s a big responsibility for an employer.

Employers must offer the appropriate training to ensure they can do their job; a supportive environment making the employee feel safe and be firm but fair in all matters pertaining to the policies and procedures of the business.

We hope, that when a first timer leaves us to go on to further their career, they leave with the skills, attitudes and knowledge to take them to the next level. 

The big question is, are you a supportive employer who takes these responsibilities of leadership and management seriously?   Believe me, it is worth working on.

Let’s make sure that youth is not wasted on the young.

Celebrating 40 years

Today in Taupo approximately 40 people celebrated the 40^th anniversary of POWERtalk Taupo.   I was honoured to be among the 40 and it feels like a double honour as in October I joined 50 people in Auckland to celebrate 40 years of POWERtalk Waitakere.

Formerly known as International Toastmistress Clubs the new branding as POWERtalk International is in celebration mode this year as we are 75 years young internationally.   The organisation was started to encourage women to have a voice; to increase their confidence and enhance their leadership abilities. 

Forty years of providing leadership and presentation skills training to men and women in New Zealand is an outstanding contribution.  Clubs set up in 27 countries throughout the world and the training programme translated into languages such as Icelandic and Japanese, means we are definitely part of a successful International organisation.

Hearing the many reasons people joined clubs was stimulating and exciting,    Hearing the successes; the stories of support and encouragement and fabulous fellowship was heart-warming and  uplifting.    We all did something good for ourselves when we joined a POWERtalk International Club. 

Congratulations Taupo Club.  19 members attending meetings; a Past International President and an International Speech Contest finalist.  A strong club getting stronger daily.

If you want to do something good for yourself visit our New Zealand website:  www.nzregion.powertalk.me

Leadership – the intentional influence

“The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work”.

I have been giving a great deal of thought to this subject of late.  Questioning my own management style and hoping it is, as quoted by Agha Hasan Abedi above.   He was a banker and philanthropist and someone I consider a great Leader.  He provided the trust and support to his managers to get the work done with minimum interference.   The Orangi Pilot Programme is a clear example of the success of his Leadership. 

Whether we manage a business or a community group or organisation, our communication with our colleagues, be they our peers or staff members, is the key to success.  We need to communicate clearly our objectives and listen closely to our team members ideas and solutions to gain the greatest success.

Henry Kissinger thought along the same lines when he said “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been."

Have you reviewed your Leadership lately?

Oh What a Wonderful Evening

We should boast and brag and take our fabulous selves out into our communities and WOW them.  ITC, formerly Toastmistress International trading as POWERtalk International provides a wonderful training ground and we are the bright product of that training. 

S. you were a star last evening and I apologise for dropping the ball on the roster.  You reminded me and then took on the responsibility.   You will go a long way because you listen and remember.  People are obviously a huge priority in your life and your positive attitude and energy are a joy.

M, our leader.  You provided a great opportunity last night for us to have a participatory session where we all gained a great deal.  Not the least was highlighting our individual responsibilities to making the club work.

How fantastic it was to have a General Evaluation session and in her usual generous fashion, M. gave us a hand-out and used her G.E. session to education and encourage as well.  Your experience and expertise is a major reason for the success of our club and its members.

C, I loved your poetry readings.  I can’t believe you want to keep that lovely voice to yourself.  It is time to share my friend.  Your rendition of both poems was so heartfelt and we hung off every word.  Thank you.

H, you are way too savvy to Get Got but for me personally it was interesting to hear of your experience as I had heard someone on national radio talking about the programme of teaching literacy to prisoners and I thought it sounded very worthwhile.    It was informative and your enthusiasm is always a real joy for all of us.

I personally think that some assignments can be longer, we don’t have to have speech contest length presentations all the time.  If you know you need, or want a bit longer, let the compere know and have it.

K. you have a special quality that is not pretentious but realistic and sincere.  You have a way with words and your support of C  is fabulous.

J.  I love the word pictures you paint in your evaluations – flowing like a river was my favourite last night.  Your love of nature obviously contributes to your use of language.  I am looking forward to your next assignment.

J, I know you have never been a Treasurer before but you are definitely on top of it already.  A great report and we are in the black which makes it even better.  With timekeeping that helped our Compere stay on track, your administrative role last evening was much appreciated by us all.

This blog is to pay tribute to the amazing people who are training to improve their communications skills for use in their work; community and every day life.

Brush up your Shakespeare

“Brush up your Shakespeare,
Start quoting him now.
Brush up your Shakespeare
And the women you will wow”.                     Thank you Cole Porter

And I was wowed.  Given  my love of Shakespeare and great wordsmiths of note, it was not difficult to be persuaded to go to an open air production of The Merchant of Venice this past week.  It was stunning.  Portia and Shylock were the standout characters and performers and I was particularly moved with Shylocks most famous recitation:

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions;  fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?  And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

I was reminded that our Creed in POWERtalk International is “To foster free and open discussion which shall be without bias on all subjects - whether political, social, economic, racial or religious.” 

In this and all things we improve communication throughout the world.  With our organisation in 26 countries on this great planet of ours, we do well to remind ourselves of Shylocks words of wisdom.

As ‘Brevity is the Soul of Wit’ that’s it.

 

BAFTA Envy

As an ardent fan of cinema I watched the BAFTAs on Monday evening.  For me, it wasn’t about the fabulously good looking men, the 50 years of Bond or the frocks, it was about Fry, Stephen Fry. 

The quintessential host whose comic timing is pure genius, his very British voice with its tantilising timbre and his unparalled command of the English language are truly enviable.

Here are some samples of his alliteration and use of our language

“Salivating in the hunger games”                         

“A closer more leisurely look at ...”                        

“James Bonds steely implacable foe”

“The mesmeric Miss Jennifer Lawrence”

“A lightly bubbling fondue of fabulous film”

While we may not have the opportunities to present our language in the fashion of Fry, we should shun text speak and practice “using our language with grace and facility”.  This is our POWERtalk motto and one we try to hold dear.

Stephen Fry, you have inspired me.  I will put even more thought into my introductions and acceptances, in fact, my every day spoken word.

As a footnote, I must acknowledge the language and comedic skills of Billy Connelly, the sensation of Scotland, the gael from Glasgow as he was “awash with bliss at presenting to a complete stranger, a death mask on a stick”.

Congratulations to all the Bafta winners and to Stephen Fry – thank you.

Timing is everything!

“It is not important to have said a thing first, or best - or even most interestingly. What is important is to say it in the time allocated.”With apologies to ― Idries Shah

We have all experienced the speaker who goes on and on and on and doesn’t seem to know when to stop!  No amount of coughing; uh hum or yawning gets the message to them.

When you go over time, you take someone else’s time.  Whether that is another presenter or your audience, you are not showing respect for your subject and yourself or your audience and associates.

When you go under time, you cheat yourself of an opportunity. 

Speeches and presentations have to be planned and timed for maximum appreciation and optimum reception.  Learn how to stay to time and you will be much sought after.  POWERtalk International can and does help you learn this most valuable skill.

There’s an old saying among public speakers – In order to be seen – stand up; in order to be heard – speak up; in order to be appreciated – shut up.

Would you rather throw a sicky than give a presentation at work?

You may think that is extreme but I have met someone who has done this.  Nerves are real and the physical manifestations of them can make people ill.

You know what I mean, sweaty palms; butterflies in the tummy; nausea; wobbling knees and the shakes.  Their discomfort can very easily throw you off your stride.

You will never hear a great speaker, actor or presenter say they don’t get nervous.  They have learned to control the nerves and use them to give a great performance.

POWERtalk provides you with the opportunity to practice your presentation skills while learning to accept the nerves and overcome them.

W.C. Fields, the great American Actor was quoted as saying “I only drink to steady my nerves. Sometimes I'm so steady I don't move for months.”  

At POWERtalk we give you with the opportunity to practice your presentation skills while learning to accept the nerves and overcome them.  We also keep you upright and moving.

No more wasting your precious leave on sweaty palms or knocking knees.

Is Sloppy Speech Holding you Back?

We are living through a dramatic evolution of our language.  We have text speak to deal with on our phones; emails and other written documentation which is leading to misinterpretation and mistakes.

If that’s not bad enough there is the “sloppy speech syndrome” that too many suffer from.  There are many more of us out in the public arena presenting information; selling products and training.  We dress appropriately, have our powerpoint presentations perfect and then open the mouth and it all falls apart.  

The sloppy speech starts,  filler words like “um,” “ah,” “you know,” “like,” or “OK?” creep in; the speed of our speech increases as we try to get our information across and the awful pronunciation is cringe-making.  New Zealand becomes New Zild, secretary becomes secetry and on it goes.

Are you guilty of any sloppy speech habits?  Have you conquered any of them?  I have.  Joining POWERtalk and attending regular fortnightly meetings where my presentations were evaluated helped break me of a sloppy speech habit.  You know!

We practice choosing our words carefully.  We are careful  in our use of language as we know better communication is one of the keys to career and life success.