The King’s Speech: Presentation Skills 101

The film opens as the Prince prepares to speak before a crowd. The Prince, Bertie, struggles with his stammer in front of thousands of listeners.  It is painful for both Bertie and the listeners.

I am reminded of this excellent movie every Sunday when watching pre and post- game interviews with college and professional football players. The overuse of “uhs and ums”, “ya know” and “at the end of the day” is so painful.

The King’s Speech teaches us many lessons about public speaking including: ask for help when you need it, have faith in your own voice and confidence in your message, and practice, practice, practice.

As dear Bertie knows, how you speak is a huge component of the impression you make on others, and thus your potential influence on them. People will form judgments about your education, intelligence, background, and personality simply based on the sound of your voice and the language you use to express yourself.

I have the fortunate role of being a mentor to one of my colleagues who has the interest and self- discipline to tackle public speaking.  I offer her, and you, a few “nevers” of public speaking and one “must.”

Nevers:

1. The Uh’s and Um’s have got to Go’s.    Many orators call these fillers.
 

* Filler Sounds: um, uh, ah, mm
* Filler Words: basically, actually, literally, and again, like
* Filler Phrases: “I think that”, “you know”, “what I’m trying to say is”, “ya know what I’m sayin’?”, “ya know like”

Use of, especially over use of, these words may be perceived as lack of preparation, lack of knowledge, or lack of passion. All of these perceptions are bad for you.  These sounds, words and phrases are inserted when our brains need time to catch up with our mouths.  I have two simple suggestions to let go of the oh’s. First, use graphics, cartoons, videos and slides with music. To allow your brain to catch up with your mouth, insert slides into your presentation deck that allow you to rest your mouth while the audience reads a cartoon, or watches a <1 minute video. This will do wonders for your presentations. It will add variety, cleverness, sounds and most importantly, should allow you to relax periodically throughout your speech so there will be no need to um.  Embrace the pause.

Second, prepare and practice. You audience knows when you are ill prepared. Ah, umm, again. Enough said.

2. Whatever

‘Whatever' is voted the most irritating word in the English language. In second place, came 'you know' followed by 'it is what it is' and ' anyway'. 'At the end of the day' completed the top-five most hated words and phrases.   The slang use of 'whatever' originated in the U.S. and was made popular-in teen movies such as Clueless in 1995.  Now, I think there are many words more offensive than whatever. Pudgy or yolk for example. But, as a speaker, the use of whatever shows a disinterest or a dismissal of the points you are attempting to articulate. It calls attention to your lack of passion.  There are no suggestions here. Stop it!

3. Stuff Like That
 

The ultimate phase for unpreparedness is ‘and stuff like that’.  Do tell… what stuff? Either you have stuff to say or you don’t.  Prepare your lists when making examples. Remember the rule of three.  People remember points in threes. Prepare your “stuff” in a list of three. And, if a list of three isn’t enough, use acronyms to drive the point and make it easier for you to remember.  If you know your stuff…you will never need ‘and stuff like that’.

S              Schedule a practice session… even if it is with yourself

T              Time your presentations

U             Use graphics, videos, cartoons

F              Fix a thread to link your content

F              Find your pace… embrace the pause

Must:

Give a hoot. Use your voice!

Public speaking is not about diplomas, public speaking is not about titles, public speaking is about authenticity- be yourself! Bertie, The King, was a human being with his own pain and fears. But, he cared how he was perceived and demonstrated that through a combination of perseverance, practice, a sense of humor and compassion.  He cared about his people. He cared about the crisis the world was in. He was passionate.

There will be times when your presentation falls short of your expectations. It happens. Be resilient -- bounce back and be stronger as the result. Not everyone is an exceptional orator, but if you stand in front of your audience with passion for your content, confidence in yourself and courage of your conviction, your message will inspire. No, not everyone is an orator, but we all have a voice.  Use it!

Rush… For Lifelong Learning

I rushed off to see Rush simply because Ron Howard is the director.  Formula One racing was not the appeal. The two real-life protagonists were unknown to me. The movie was decent – not extraordinary.  BUT the story of the two racing rivals was so compelling, that when I left the theater, I went straight to my computer to research the story of competitors James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Niki Lauda is disciplined and deliberate, while James Hunt is careless and causal. Both experience highs and lows professionally and personally. Both were passionate about their careers and both followed their own hearts.

While healthcare may not be as glamorous as racing, in all our careers we encounter dramatically different personalities and approaches to the way we do our jobs.  There is no one best approach to a successful career, and whatever path you take will have its ups and downs and wet slippery tracks. But the key is to embrace the uniqueness of those you meet along the way and to pave your own path. There is always more than one way to achieve a goal. Find all the ways you can. Focus on your strengths.  And never stop learning. Take every opportunity to learn something new or refresh a current skill.  Continuing education is part of any road to success.

As your career moves forward it will change, as you will. You may be tempted, at times, to take shortcuts or to follow an approach that isn’t quite right for you. You may even try to sway decisions or propose a solution that seems desperate. Stay true to your values, so that regardless of the outcome, you won’t second-guess yourself or carry regrets.

For me, the story of Rush has five important business lessons: (1) you don’t’ have to like everyone you work with; (2) with great likeability comes great responsibility; (3) things are not always as they appear; (4) hard work does pay off; and (5) competition is a great motivator.

You don’t’ have to like everyone! James and Niki had a competitive relationship. The movie tells a story of almost personal dislike. While my research into the real Hunt and Lauda found that the two men were, at least at times, friends.  Either way, the relationship teaches us that you don’t have to love your boss, you don’t have to love your colleagues, and you don’t have to love your employees. But, you must respect your boss, your colleagues and your employees as human beings. You just need to recognize when good work is being done, and take what learning or inspiration you can from that.

With great likeability comes great responsibility!  (Rush + Spiderman).  I actually liked both racing characters in the movie.  I did not view the story from a “team Hunt” vs. “team Lauda” perspective. I liked the style of both men and wanted both of them to win.  There is no doubt that James is well liked, fun, attractive, and a people person. Niki is standoffish, blunt, and sometimes even harsh. It does help in all business initiatives to be likeable; especially, when there is a goal to influence others. 

In a pivotal scene in the movie, Lauda lobbies for a race change and doesn’t get it mainly because the charismatic Hunt disagrees. What we soon learn is that Lauda’s argument was arguably the correct one, but his brash, unlikeable coldness didn’t adequately influence his fellow drivers. Hunt’s likeability won the day to disastrous consequences.

A great lesson learned from Rush is that if you are lucky enough to be likeable and charismatic, use your gift with responsibility. Will you use that trait for your own growth and to assist with the growth and mentoring of others? Or, will you use that trait for personal gain and manipulation?  Your likeability can and will influence others. That is a great responsibility. All responsibility comes with consequences. Reflect on this. It is worth a lap around the track of your mind.

Things are not always as they appear. In my favorite scene of the movie, Hunt defends Lauda when a reporter make a hurtful inappropriate comment in a press conference.  However, no one but the audience sees it. Lauda does not witness Hunt’s noble act. Be alert of your team members, peer, and competitors. Those who “have your back” may not be totally sincere all the time. And, those who you believe are securely in your pit crew, may be a silent friend and supporter. After all, even a competitor can respect your work, passion and perseverance.    

Hard work does pay off. Hunt has all the fun. He does not, seemingly, work nearly as hard as Lauda and yet enjoys great success. However, at the end of the movie we learn that Lauda had the longer, more consistent career, the longer marriage, and the longer life. When managing for career and life success, you want to plan for longevity and sustainability, not just the quick but short-lived success.  Hard work will be part of that plan. Lifelong learning pays off.

Competition is a great motivator! The haunting scenes of Lauda’s recovery after the accident at the crux of the movie are true depictions of competition as a motivator.   Lauda struggles through recovery procedure while, all the time, watching Hunt win races.  As Hunt wins, Lauda strives harder for a speedy recovery. Lauda and Hunt were rivals whose competitive animosity for each other propelled each to loftier heights. Yes… rival who absolutely benefited each other professionally.  Healthy competition is a great motivator – all the way to the finish line.

So may you, too, “Rush” to your own successful endeavors!