There it is, a large room, lots of round tables where
attendees will be served dinner, a head table is set up with 14 places, and
then a podium with microphone. The event will include 500 people. A program
will be offered to include the usual greetings, introductions of special
guests, a leader who offers opening remarks and a focus to the evening. Then
dinner will be served followed by a keynote speaker. And that person is…you!
What will you say? Now is your chance to speak your mind and
persuade others to your special point of view or prime area of interest. What
will that be? Will it be related to the theme of the evening? Or will you
launch a drive to another topic entirely? Do you have the focus, background
information and mental force to push forward in this direction?
The opportunity beckons. What will you do with it?
Most of us have been in conference centers like the one
described above. We have attended many professional meetings and events at
which we network, socialize and prepare to be moved by speakers with a gift of
ideas to share. These functions hone our professional focus and motivation to
return to do our work as best we can for our employer, our profession or an
organization making strides in an area of special interest to us.
Surely your mind has wondered what it would be like if it
were you at the podium and you were delivering the motivational speech. What
topic would you choose to speak on? How visionary would your message be? Would
it move people to action or scare them into atrophy? Would your efforts be
rewarded with thunderous applause, a standing ovation? Or would the reaction be
boos, cat calls, or maybe even dreaded silence?
On the edge of vulnerability you approach the microphone.
You grip the lip of the podium. With a deep breath, you look out on the
expectant audience, smile and say:
“Good Evening ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for being here and sharing this evening with one another. And thanks
to the many people who planned tonight’s event so we could share each other’s
company and thoughts.”
“I’ve been thinking about what we
share – you and I. We work in the same
industry, pursue many of the same dreams, and we work against great odds to
make good things happen. That pretty much sums up our challenges, doesn’t it?
What could we do better than we are already doing to create a breakthrough in
achievement?”
“And then to whose benefit is the
achievement? Ours – the professional? Or
the people we serve in this profession?”
At this point we leave the imagined podium to consider who
we are and what line of work we are in. Are we accountants, lawyers, doctors,
nurses or teachers? Perhaps we are engineers or chemists, biologists or
physicists? Maybe we are managers of organizations that serve a specific
industry or social interest. If the latter would it include education, health,
healthcare, social development of underprivileged kids or families? Would we be
following a specific philosophy, creed or religion? What is it we do and why do
we do it?
Aha! That’s the core thought – what do we do and why do we
do it?
What fires our imagination to perform great feats for others
that will benefit – who? All mankind or a targeted market? Why is this focus
important? Why does it move us from within?
Each of us has a calling, I think. We want to accomplish
something special that holds meaning for us. We want to be associated with it.
We feel good about it and thus good about ourselves for being the kind of
people who value such things. But how well do we share this commitment or
dedication? Can we speak only for ourselves or for others, too?
It is here that the speech you would like to make takes
form.
“What are our shared goals, folks?
If the world were a perfect place and we had all the necessary resources, what
would we be focusing our attention on? What special skills and experiences do
we need from those among us who will lead us, manage us, and propel us on
toward our shared goals?”
“And then, what elements would be
present if we were successful in achieving our goals? Do these elements already
exist or do we have to create them out of the chaos we meet with each and every
day? What skills do each of us need to have to do this work? And what
organizational obstructions are we likely to encounter along the way?
“These are the key humps we must
wrestle with on our way toward making a difference in the many lives we touch.
Who among us has the ideas and action steps for us to follow?”
“Here is what I think we need to be
doing:…”
And now the speech really takes shape and you are on your
way.
Will you take this opportunity and make it work for your
audience? Will you even take the first step toward the podium?
If not you, who? If not now, when?
The podium still beckons. The mike is on…
January 5, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment