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Summer Mailbag
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
The summer is in full swing. That means it is time to take off
some extra pounds by emptying the summer mailbag.
Mike Hayes, a Toms River resident and retired speechwriter, agreed
with a recent column that an unscripted speech is better than one
that is read verbatim. However, he says that sometimes being unscripted
is not possible or wise. Says Hayes, "Can you envision the
President of the United States giving the annual 'State of the Union'
speech to the nation off the cuff, no matter how well he knows his
subject matter? Not likely." Hayes says that the same is true
for CEOs who, even though they are great speakers, when speaking
before specialized audiences should still use a script. "You
can show passion and spontaneity with a script…and it doesn't
have to be faked."
You raise several good points, Mike. However, I CAN envision the
President of the United States delivering a State of the Union speech
without a TelePrompTer or a prepared text. I don't see any reason
why the president or a CEO can't speak in an organized, focused,
yet conversational style off a bullet-point outline. Yet, so few
have actually tried it. We've been conditioned to believe that scripted
is the only way to go. Don't be surprised if some president in the
not too distant future breaks the mold. Rudy Giuliani did it in
the first State of the City address in New York. It was a great
speech that was extremely well received.
Herbert Skovronek of Morris Plains says that many corporate executives
may never see a speech written for them until it is handed to them
on the way to a presentation. To help him speak from the heart when
he was in these situations he "looked the audience in the eye
and did the best I could while letting my slides or flip charts
guide me through the presentation. Even if I did forget something,
only I would know."
Fine, Herb. But what happens if the technology breaks down? What
bothers me about professionals who are so tied to the technology
is that they are not prepared with a "Plan B." If the
technology malfunctions the speaker implodes. There is no excuse
for that. As for a speaker getting a speech from a PR person right
before he or she has to go on, that's simply unacceptable. When
you do that, it is not YOUR speech. You have to OWN the presentation.
That doesn't mean you write every word yourself, but customize what
you are given with your own personal style.
A recent column on micromanaging prompted Michelle Jenkins (a pseudonym)
to write in regarding her micromanaging boss. Says Jenkins, "My
boss requires frequent updates on projects and is extremely particular
about the format for presenting these updates…He insists on
'coaching' us before meeting with a customer to make certain we
say exactly what he feels is important. Then, after the meeting,
he wants instant feedback on voicemail (e-mail is too slow for him)."
Asks Jenkins, "What can I do without being labeled a troublemaker?"
Michelle, you may not want to hear this, but your micromanaging
boss isn't likely to change any time soon. It took him awhile to
get this way. It may be his personality. If it really bothers you,
and you are not especially wed to this job or the company, I would
suggest you start looking around for another situation. But in the
future, try to avoid working for people who won't let you grow and
make your own mistakes. People who hover make bad leaders.
Write to me with a communication issue or question. I'll do my
best to help.
Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication
and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the
Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com,
or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
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