Jacinda Ardern’s 2 Minute Speed Test

One of the world’s most engaging speakers, Jacinda Ardern PM takes on this impressive challenge: list as many political credentials as you can in 2 minutes.

It’s a fun ride. The deliberate intention is to communicate that her government has done a lot of things rather than have us recall the specifics and the impact. 

Rather than this be a commentary on whether Jacinda is a good speaker (which she is), we just love this as a tongue-in-cheek demonstration of what happens when you race through your message. We get a general sense of the speaker and message (that she is doing a stellar job) yet you don’t have time to attach to the specifics.

If you race through your speaking hoping to get to the end as soon as possible so no one asks you a question and you can just get out of there before they notice you in the room, then specific impact, deep influence and personal engagement will be low.

If you know this is you or have seen a colleague do it, be reassured that it’s a common response to discomfort with speaking in public. 

Take some time to watch her. Did you tense up or hold your breath listening to her in this video? If you are a speed demon, your audience will race through their thinking. If you are not breathing, neither will they. To counter it, challenge yourself to allow some space and breath in between thoughts, and have the courage to let each part of your message land before moving on. Watch the audience’s attention and engagement improve as a result.

To identify your habits and find ease and control in your voice, here is how we can help:

1. Take our quiz and see if you are putting people to sleep in meetings (https://bit.ly/2qLGQ88)

2. Check out our new Online Voice Masterclass for Business Professionals (https://bit.ly/2p9G30e)

3. Message me