Managing Leadership^®

In addition to Steve Roesler’s excellent advice offered recently, I would like to present a thought for those of you who are obliged on occasion to speak publicly, whether presenting in a small conference room or declaiming in a massive conference hall. In brief, it is this: do not just state your case; make your case.

Far too many of us inadvertently transform passion for our own ideas into a blanket contempt for those of others. That may be how you feel, and the deeper you look into the matter, the more justified you may believe yourself to be in this.

But if you simply blast your audience with this attitude, you may inadvertently be revealing a contempt for them as well. After all, many of them, perhaps, have subscribed to those other ideas. While they might have been willing to be persuaded by you, if you haven’t prepared them rationally or emotionally for your alternative view of the matter at hand, or if you appear to feel that doing so is unnecessary, you run the risk of losing them, instead.

Here is one idea for dealing with this:

It is unwise to assume that, “of course,” your audience understands your premise or shares your faith in it. Begin by briefly laying it out and explaining it. Let them know where you’re coming from. It will help them understand and evaluate your later argument. (It may also, depending on the setting of your talk, open up an opportunity for you to defend it – an exercise from which everyone, including you, can draw much benefit.)

Many presenters seem to gloss over this step, if they touch the base at all. If you take care to incorporate it into your talk, you will find yourself developing a better presentation than you might have otherwise, anticipating and addressing more possible objections to your case.

Moreover, in addition to beginning by respectfully addressing the rational side of your audience’s concerns, you will be engaging them personally. You will be letting them know a little about who you are, how you view issues of import to you all, and how you respond to them.

Whether or not they are persuaded to share these opinions with you, they will develop some understanding of and empathy for you as a person. The rest of your address will then be coming to them from a colleague, rather than from a stranger. That’s a decent foundation for your presentation and for the event in general, as well.

We’ll take a quick look at this from another angle or two tomorrow. See you then!

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Today’s tip: On the other hand, you could take the view satirized in this “opinion” piece at the famous fake news site, the Onion. Imagine yourself as a speaker with the author’s views, and the audience as the “it” he fears so much.

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