Monday 25 July 2011

S.E.T. – Specific, Enthusiastic & Timely.

“Life is not about finding (self, balance, purpose, courage) it is about Creating it!”. This is an anonymous quote I have adapted as my Mantra.
When one sets out to create ‘motivation’ in an audience one sets out to ‘move’ them out of ‘rotation’. Thus, loosing sight of ones’ Passionate Vision, the listener seeks realignment & looks up to the speaker. The speaker is the Voice of the Divine. How this role is addressed depends on how the speech is S.E.T. The results are Enlightening & Insightful. It comprises of 3 Secrets.

1. Be Specific:
This union of speaker & listener is of sacred communication. So what you give & get in return, all counts. Communication is comprises of - Words, Tone & Energy. Assign 25% points to each category, Utilizing audio & visual aids & team mates. Assess the quality of each category on a scale of 0-25 get a baseline quantitative measure.
Words matter. Select Specific, Clear, Easy to understand & follow suitable to audience age, gender & experience level. Too many analogies & explanatory statements confuse. Speeches that sound as coming out of the book or theoretical lack the effect.
Tone garnishes humour & humble deliverance. A speech about Goal Achievement if delivered with monotonous tone or speed of a funeral procession is a failure. A high pitched, hyper animated speaker sets the audience into the urgency mode, but is always short lived. Some results need to be worked on with patience & persistence, the adrenaline rush is inappropriate.

Energy is abstract & underestimated. Mime performers are exemplary presenters. A speaker may ‘fake it to make it’, but energy does not lie. Inner energy of self doubt & pessimism or overconfidence & over optimism can be felt. The audience can pick up & carry the energy. When someone applies from fakeness the effects are consequently unfruitful or unfulfilling if not harmful. The message needs to be appropriately sent across.
A speaker with excellent choice of words & flawless tone of enthusiasm may be awarded. But to “Move towards Goal Achievement” the results count & have more value, than the numbers of audience or speaker’s awards. When we communicate we have the responsibility to also give relevant information, as someone may actually act upon it.

2. Be Enthusiastic:
Enthusiasm is infectious. The body language, doses of humour, emotional expressions & presentation is a powerful package. Gimmicks are part of the parcel but the actual package is the quality of beliefs one holds for self, others & life. Our quality contribution to life proves our value to existence. Spices & flavours of all types are essential for the palate. It is the blend & balance determines if it will take the receiver to miles, before they sleep. A simple subject matter with choice of difficult words, matter of fact tone & solemn deliverance are prone to disaster.
An engaged audience is created with interactive deliverance. Like the hand on the clock which moves consistently every second, the enthusiastic speaker impacts the states in the audience. This meaningful measurable difference reforms realities, even without referring to workbooks & notes.

3. Be Timely:
This can never be overemphasized. Standup comedians & stage presenters are masters of timing. It makes or breaks the audience spirit. A speaker may speak to an x number of audience. The actual task is to reach the spirit across. In Urdu, language of the Asian subcontinent, a saying goes by “what comes from the heart holds effect”. Repetition is the nurturer of skill. Repetition enhances effects of what the audience beholds. Lack or over dosage, demolishes the purpose of speech.
Presenter’s interactive on the spot application of knowledge, entertains & wins hearts. Mind is designed by Nature for creativity which is why ‘arguments’ are also termed as ‘creative discussions’. Mind games can woo the audience but wining hearts is mastery of time.
Lastly, a timely subject matter e.g. the environment issues are now more than mere concern. Endless discussions have been around for a century. However the pace of results fell short of desired results. The gap between subject matter addressed & resulting response determines the direction & pace value created thenceforth.

Conclusion
S.E.T. the motivational address accordingly. Extend the limits of your comfort zone. Assess baseline performance versus ideal performance. The 75% self evaluation points mentioned much earlier on, help measure where one stands. The remaining 25% points creating a 100% experience, comes from audience Feedback again in the form of Words, Tone & Energy. So, encourage them, to replicate Specific experience, not just use adjectives - good or fine etc. Get them to be Enthusiastic enough to stand up for their Dream Goals within Time Frame, thus the message gets delivered.

  

This is the post I wrote for James Malinchak Big Money Speaker Blog Contest and was selected as one of the finalists. The link can be viewed here.

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