Manifesto #7

I believe that it’s perfect practice that makes perfect.

We have all heard the motto “practice makes perfect”, but I think that there is a little more to the story. This was a lesson that I learned the hard way, many years ago at football practice.

Being an only child, I had an overly protective mother who wouldn’t let me play organized football until I was in middle school (totally arbitrary, I know). So, this meant that if I wanted to tackle someone, I was going to have to do it on the neighborhood playground (ironically, without protective equipment). A few friends of mine showed me how to “put my head down” and “hit with the top” of my head when taking an opponent down. It’s amazing that I didn’t paralyze myself, as I would often hit other kids this way over and over during our backyard brawls.

When I was finally allowed to play organized football, Pop Warner, it was a very exciting time for me. I’ll never forget the day when we finally “put the pads on”. I remember thinking that I was finally going to be able to show everyone just how hard I could hit!! Within 5 minutes, after my first tackle, the coach grabbed me by my facemask and screamed, “Where the f*** did you learn how to tackle like that?!” I was sent to the bench, unknowingly exiled for being a dirty player.

It seems I had been practicing tackling the wrong way for years. I thought I was about to show off my “skills”, but the very skills that I thought I had “perfected” with “practice”, could have literally killed someone. Had it not been for that coach’s hot breath and spittle flying in my face that fateful day, it may have been me. Thankfully, the coaches would teach me proper form-tackling, thus avoiding the many concussions I was certain to have tackling the wrong way.

The moral of the story is, WHAT you are practicing is THE critical component when practicing. If we practice the wrong things, we will get good at doing the wrong things. Bad habits are as easy, if not easier, to pick up as good habits. So, make it a habit of picking up and practicing the right things.

Confucius say… “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”

In other words, you don’t know what you don’t know. In fact, there will always be gaps in your knowledge. We often can not see our shortcomings when we are so close to the situation. This is why having a coach and getting feedback is so important when building any skill, particularly public speaking.

Are you practicing the right things, or the wrong things when preparing to speak in public?

? Are you connecting with your audience using meaningful eye contact, or do your eyes dart around displaying insincerity, disinterest, insecurity, shiftiness, or even arrogance?

? Are you using hand gestures to make impactful points, or are you clenching your hands or keeping them in your pockets; are you a change jingler, a ring twister or a lectern gripper?

? Are you using vocal variety in your volume, pitch, pace, and pause to express emotion throughout your speech, or do you have a low monotone voice, dull facial expressions, and overall low energy?

Get some feedback… get a coach and start speaking like the corporate leader you are today!!

Message me for a complimentary 30-minute Presentation Feedback Session (via Zoom), where I will:

? Watch you present for 5-10 minutes

? Provide feedback for improvement

? Outline a 3-step road "MAP" that will make you the best possible presenter you can be

#publicspeakingtips #publicspeaking #communication #leadership