William Thackeray, the English novelist, wrote that the two most engaging
powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things
new. This notion of familiarity can, with some imagination, be transferred
to a speaker's need to make the vision familiar while offering reality in
a familiar but new light. Creating this familiarity requires the skills
of visionary rhetoric, which lie at the heart of speech-making and leadership.
Visionary Rhetoric
Painting the picture or the dream of what could be is the essence of
visionary rhetoric. It is partly utopian and is built on the imagination
in order to motivate listeners to think about what may be possible. It greatly
depends on the personal credibility of the speaker (ethos) as the speaker
is selling something that has not yet fully materialized. Usually this personal
credibility cannot be established overnight. It is, in most cases, something
that has to be created long before the speech takes place. The speaker must
have established a reputation. However, there are cases when it has to be
established in the speech itself. In this case up to 80% of a speech could
involve the creation of this credibility. In other cases, the success of
a speech will depend on pre-speech propaganda to build up the credibility
of the speaker.
This credibility involves linking the values of both the listeners and
the speaker to support this vision, to help the listener identify with the
message. The issue of identification is imperative. It must be linked to
factual information; the appeal to the intellect based on logos. However,
identification must also be related to the audience's involvement not only
in the speech itself but in potential action taken after the speech.
An example of visionary rhetoric is the speeches delivered by Jack Welch
in GE in the post 1989 years. Welch eliminated 100,000 jobs and 24 pay levels
within his restructuring plan. He restructured the entire organization and
then had to sell this organizational dream, the "boundaryless corporation"(1),
to motivate those who stayed on or survived. The technique used was simply
"You can trust me, I have proved myself a leader" (ethos). The
speeches of Jack Welch were not isolated feats of visionary rhetoric but
part of a well thought out communication strategy; a strategy which can
be seen in the contents both of Welch's speeches and the written communication
process. In GE's Annual Report for 1990(2), for example, exactly the same
utopian appeal built on common American values can be found as in his speeches.
He uses patriotism, freedom, pragmatism and common sense. He uses analogies
with the New England settlers, the spirit of pioneering and freedom found
in the discover of the West. He uses Yankee resourcefulness, entrepreneurship,
and the spirit of value for your dollar and cents. In general, he uses American
mythology to legitimize his vision, and to drag GE back to its roots.
The Need for Authenticity
Speechmaking for managers, apart from the social occasion, is about leadership,
it is about bridging the gap between vision and action. A good speech moves
people to action, but this needs authenticity.
Authenticity means articulating reality as it really is warts, mistakes,
ambiguities. This is what gains the commitment of the listeners. An audience
can connect on an emotional level with the speaker, based on a common interpretation
of reality. People don't follow authentic leaders because they have all
the answers, but because they see and feel that the speaker has experienced
the same confusion and contradictions as they have. Speakers address questions
that are relevant to the audience.
But where does this authenticity come from? Charles Handy writes "Integrity
comes naturally if you live for your vision...To be real, (vision) has to
come from the deepest parts of you, from an inner system of beliefs. The
total pragmatist cannot be a transforming leader". Effective leaders
can, in their speeches, inspire commitment by the communication of a personal
vision of the future. However, they must first look inwards, becoming aware
of what they want to say, and then developing it into a vision. It is a
vision based on personal knowledge of the past, and realistic, relevant
experience of the present.
Every speech uses a configuration of the three rhetorical dimensions
of ethos, pathos and logos. Speech writers normally use these three very
general rules in a variety of ways according to the circumstances of the
occasion. The following paragraphs breaks down the various elements of a
visionary speech: introduction, body of the speech, and conclusion.
Elements of A Visionary Speech
Introduction
"Grab" the Attention of the Audience. An audience will usually
allow you about one minute to get their attention. This requires creativity
on the part of the speaker. One needs something that jolts the audience
into paying attention. If you sound boring in the first minute, you will
lose their attention unless it is a subject of vital importance to them.
Tell a story, cite an anecdote, use a catchy phrase, involve your audience,
and, if appropriate, use a visual aid. The following is an attention grabber
that shows that how things are done is part of an old and ineffective pattern,
and that it is time for something new.
"Does anybody here remember what they were doing on October 4, 1957?
That was the day the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, which many historians
say was the symbolic transition from the industrial age to the information
age... Which were the top companies in Chicago on October 4, 1957? Swift,
Standard Oil, Armour, International Harvester, Inland Steel, Sears, and
so on. Today, which are the top businesses in Chicago? Ameritech, Abbot
Labs., McDonald's, Motorola, Waste Management, and Baxter. Which companies
will be on the list in 35 years time?"(3).
Rosenberg here captured his audience's attention by the use of this opening
to show where his bank has been, is now, and where it is heading. After
the attention grabber, comes relating the topic of the speech to your audience,
which is the creation of common ground. This information should be of great
interest to the audience. Stressing this need is one way of ensuring that
they will automatically continue listening.
Don't assume that everyone is selfish, dull, and uninterested. Many people
are eager to act when called on to contribute to big causes. Offer your
listeners an opportunity to be part of something larger than themselves.
They will respond, so long as a common understanding has been developed.
An example of an introduction in which a speaker creates common ground
is one from a speech given by Lloyd Reuss at General Motors in 1986. Here
the speaker uses various techniques in the introduction. He uses suspense,
for example, in a build-up before stating his theme.
In the example of Chart 1, the need/relevance section was taken for granted,
meaning that the audience did not need to have it made explicit.
CHART 1: EXAMPLE OF AN INTRODUCTION
Grabber
Suspense
Theme or thesis sentence
Use of analogy
Establishment of common ground
Use of rhetorical question |
"Tonight I want to talk about something that has been
around ever since we human beings first gathered together into tribes. In
fact, society would be impossible without it. Over the centuries some of
our best thinkers have been absolutely fascinated by it. There are probably
as many theories about it as there are theorists. And today we need it more
than ever.
"I'm talking about leadership. One writer said that
trying to analyze it is like studying the Abominable Snowman: you see the
footprints... but never the thing itself. Nevertheless, in the next few
minutes, I'd like to offer some thoughts on what it is... and on what kind
of leadership we need in America today.
"I certainly don't pretend to have mastered this enormous
subject, but I do have some first-hand experience with it, and I have done
a lot of thinking about it over the years. And my basic conclusion is this:
new competitive conditions... and the changing nature of leadership itself,
call for a new kind of business leadership that changes individuals within
GM and eventually, transforms the entire organization.
"How do I arrive at that? Let me start my answer by
touching briefly on the conditions that define business leadership in the
1980s..." |
Finally, unless there is a question of personal credibility involved,
the introduction should take up between 5 and 10% of a speech.
Body of Speech
Once you know your theme sentence(s), you will then have in your mind
an idea of the organization of the body of your speech. This should comprise
75 to 85% of the speech. Remember, writing your theme statement and making
it easy for your audience to follow is hard work.
An example from Rebecca McDaniel's book(4) is as follows: "Most
plane crashes result from several possible causes, such as air control traffic
systems, human errors, engine failure, maintenance problems, warning-system
failures, bad weather, or birds". Here there are seven ideas which
are far too much for any audience to remember. Therefore, the theme statement
must be redrafted. "Most plane crashes result from human error, machinery
malfunction, or environmental hazards." Here we have three ideas which
an audience can easily remember.
This statement of the theme sentence is then followed by the body of
the speech which in this case is divided into three parts:
1. Restatement of the first subdivision of the theme, human error, followed
by supporting details.
2. Restatement of the second subdivision of the theme, machinery malfunction,
followed by supporting details.
3. Restatement of the third subdivision of the theme, environmental hazards,
followed by supporting details.
These supporting details for the body of the speech can be given individually
or in combination. They normally consist of general examples, detailed examples,
hypothetical examples, statistics, anecdotes, testimony, analogies and quotations.
Conclusion
When the speaker moves out of the last subdivision of the speech, some
speech writers recommend a generalization about the topic of the speech
by referring back to the attention grabber. Other people use transitional
words such as "in conclusion", and "finally"... to achieve
this end. Irrespective of which method is used, at the end of the body of
the speech, the listener must have a sense of completeness. The audience
must feel that they know the vision. The conclusion is a memory drive to
help the audience to remember the principal points of the speech. Therefore,
repeat the main ideas (subdivisions) of the thesis (don't give a summary).
Don't make the conclusion too short (or too long). It must be in proportion
to the speech (5% or so). The audience need to have the feeling of finality
and a sense of involvement. Remember to use the power of the last sentence
to reaffirm the audience's involvement.
The conclusion given by Alexander Cunningham at General Motors is a good
example (Chart 2).
Restate the choice, visualize a new future, ask for action, and answer
their questions (this is your opportunity to build trust by answering tough
questions authentically). Most of us have listened at one time or another
to very polished speakers who made us, as an audience, feel enthusiastic
and "fired up". They impressed us with the quality of their voices,
their diction, easy manner and, at times, entertaining approach. However,
after these speeches, both their content and purpose can fade, and one is
left just with a vision of an entertaining or polished speaker. All too
often today, techniques and entertainment in speech making are what is valued
most: cosmetics over substance. Very few speakers really engage their audiences
and push them to consider issues seriously.
Leadership today is not about urging others to do better and improve,
as it was traditionally understood. It is about motivating and inspiring
people. Why can some people convince others to believe as they do? The power
to persuade others for good or for evil is a complex subject. For the world
of business, that power lies within a business leader's own authenticity;
making sure that what he says is what he believes. In an age of cynicism
and distrust, authenticity is the only thing that works. Effectiveness comes
from inside the speaker. Why could such people as Jack Welch inspire others?
Because their core beliefs and personal experiences, together with relevant
message content, moved people to act.
(1) Welch, J., "A
Boundaryless Corporation in a Decade of Change", Executive Speeches,
December 1992, p. 2.
(2) GE 1990 Annual Report, p. 3.
(3) Cited from a speech delivered by Richard Rosenberg, CEO of Bank of
America.
(4) McDaniels, R., "Scared Speechles: Public Speaking Step by Step",
SAGE, Thousand Oaks, California, USA, 1994. |
|
Speechmaking
for managers, apart from the social occasion, is about leadership, it is
about bridging the gap between vision and action
The
power to persuade others lies within a business leader's own authenticity;
making sure that what he says is what he believes
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