There’s an expression among theatre people, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Similarly, I maintain there are no boring topics, only boring speakers – or more accurately, speakers who wish they knew how not to be boring. Here’s an example:
A company in the U.K. has decided to put some money into its Canadian manufacturing plant, but they needed to know if the Canadian team had the spirit and energy to take the business to the next level. Were they “on board”? The personnel of the Canadian plant had worked in teams to examine all aspects of the operation, come to conclusions and make recommendations. The CEO and CFO from the parent company would be paying a visit to the plant, at which time representatives of each team would present their findings in a series of presentations to the two executives. Most of the presenters were not experienced speakers. In many cases they were people right off the production line.
One of the managers at the plant engaged me to spend an afternoon helping the employees prepare for their presentations. As it happened, the U.K. executives’ schedule changed, and my workshop was now the day before their visit. I watched as 15 people arrived in the training room looking scared and skeptical. They were very nervous about the upcoming presentations and wished they didn’t have to make them. It wasn’t that they didn’t know their topic. They didn’t think they knew what to say, nor how to say it. I assured them, “Of course you know what to say! You work here!”
That afternoon those folks learned how to say what they knew. We covered as much ground as four hours would allow. We went from self-esteem to dealing with “butterflies” to making eye contact and speaking with enthusiasm. We even practiced walking to the front of the room with good posture and looking confident! Early in our time together, one woman complained that she didn’t have anything to say that the VIP’s would want to hear. I asked her what her team was responsible for reporting about. She shrugged her shoulders, looked a little sheepish and said, “Cleaning a machine.” I said, “Are you kidding? If that machine isn’t clean it won’t run! Besides, this plant produces food. Can you imagine how fast the Health Department would shut this place down if that machine wasn’t clean? Cleaning that machine is crucial!” I could tell from the look on her face that she “got it”. Keeping her machine clean was no longer a boring topic.
By the end of the afternoon, those 15 folks had blossomed like flowers. They left with a “can-do” attitude. The manager who hired me phoned following the presentations and said, “We hit a home run! Everybody spoke with enthusiasm and passion. They stood tall, told stories and made eye contact.” The woman who had worried the day before about her topic was a particular star. The CEO from the parent company stood up after everyone had presented and said, “It’s clear that you all approach your work here with passion.” The manager told me, “Thanks to your coaching, we made exactly the impression we needed to make!”
I would say it was thanks to the manager’s vision, who knew that coaching would make a difference.
