tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post1453066882256239638..comments2023-12-02T00:38:03.848-08:00Comments on Speak & Deliver - A Public Speaking Blog For the Speaking Public: 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking - A Serial Contestant's PerspectiveRich Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08368395405978270849noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-77112971891413032862016-09-10T16:57:02.184-07:002016-09-10T16:57:02.184-07:00Check out Agora Speakers International on Face Boo...Check out Agora Speakers International on Face Book. A new international speakers training and educational program about to launch in Oct. 2016. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04924266433375597379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-2026820707733566522016-08-31T12:00:40.803-07:002016-08-31T12:00:40.803-07:00I was there at the Convention, and I tend to agree...I was there at the Convention, and I tend to agree with your honest assessment. Kin Tue-Feehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807856385467042252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-78180300433142847792016-08-29T11:13:56.818-07:002016-08-29T11:13:56.818-07:00Steve Birch, just because TM isn't about the c...Steve Birch, just because TM isn't about the contests for YOU... doesn't mean it's not OK for others to be focused on it. YOU have benefited from the leadership aspect of Toastmasters -- but others have equally benefited from competition. Don't judge. To each his own.the Butterfly Herderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04573261912513110282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-90072081206231978532016-08-28T14:49:05.399-07:002016-08-28T14:49:05.399-07:00I came to admire your sincerity and devotion in 20...I came to admire your sincerity and devotion in 2008 and your perceptiveness continues to this day. May your blog lead to books of wisdom that we can all benefit from, both 5-7 minute amateurs and one hour keynoters. <br />May your comments be read by thousands.Charlie Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03632381807071176687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-13144750836253122162016-08-25T18:08:08.923-07:002016-08-25T18:08:08.923-07:00Once again, a great post. Your honesty is among th...Once again, a great post. Your honesty is among the reasons I like your blog and your speeches. Keep winning anyway!Daveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13735728908338424524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-85071729436908922682016-08-25T09:19:41.793-07:002016-08-25T09:19:41.793-07:00I'm puzzled, Darren. How could you have Darren...I'm puzzled, Darren. How could you have Darren and Aaron picked for 1st and 2nd place, if you didn't see all of the speakers?<br />R. L. Howser Communicationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616542853827441334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-28135198838034792722016-08-25T07:41:24.231-07:002016-08-25T07:41:24.231-07:00How many times do I have to go to be considered a ...How many times do I have to go to be considered a "serial" contestant? hehe Only twice so far.<br /><br />I mostly agree with you as far as "dramatics" weighing too much in these speeches, however, whatever assists in getting your message through to the audience is beneficial.<br /><br />I had Darren and Aaron both picked for 1st and 2nd. 3rd place was up for grabs, IMO and probably could have been one of the DQed contestants.<br /><br />I mostly disagree with you about WCPS speeches needing to be "professional." Not all of us are aiming for a speaking career. That has never been my goal in competing. I personally think the WCPS should be split into professionals and amateurs, but I enjoy the satisfaction of defeating professionals. :-)<br /><br />I enjoy your writing and I respect your opinion. I didn't see Thien's speech so cannot relate, but I disagreed with the winners in my semifinal so I understand the sentiment.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13953462051880711823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-80797217871250581892016-08-25T07:26:39.085-07:002016-08-25T07:26:39.085-07:00Excellent article. Agree completely.
Maybe for the...Excellent article. Agree completely.<br />Maybe for the world championships only the judges should be professional speakers to encourage a higher standard of speaking and less formulaic?<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13111949846313948802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-39129315722910132842016-08-24T17:30:38.143-07:002016-08-24T17:30:38.143-07:00I think you answered your own question re "pr...I think you answered your own question re "professionalism". Toastmasters is for amateurs and is unlikely to change from it's present setup. A very small number of speakers DO go on to be professionals, usually by joining a professional speaking organisation (Such as NSA) where talent is recognised. Outside of Toastmasters, the 5 - 7 minute speech is laughed at.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06147871227033298150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-77789713960805101402016-08-24T08:12:24.717-07:002016-08-24T08:12:24.717-07:00Robert I can certainly appreciate your comment abo...Robert I can certainly appreciate your comment about the one you thought should have won. Last year the speech I felt should have won was "I Fell in Love with a Prostitute." The topic was edgy, relevant and well delivered without any gimmicks. But as the contest progressed, I ended up picking the top three who did win. As speakers, the only thing we can control is our preparation and our time on the stage. We cannot control the outcome and just have to accept it, learn from it and move on.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07349860340182626272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-54521298817158734442016-08-24T07:59:09.083-07:002016-08-24T07:59:09.083-07:00Very interesting all! Appreciate the discussion ...Very interesting all! Appreciate the discussion and perspectives. I too chose Thien and successfully picked Josephine. Being able to stream everything live added a huge new dimension for me. I feel a transformation coming for me, which is a delight after being a member for 25 years! Contests are a tool for the regular member, a tool that allows one to go from the word to the message. Once you have that, each individual finds another tool for growth. In or outside TM. though all the comments here are interesting and valid, there is still so much else we can get done in TM! just have to find it!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05981682940631260338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-31513446641996298272016-08-24T07:46:20.976-07:002016-08-24T07:46:20.976-07:00Something to keep in mind is that this is a partic...Something to keep in mind is that this is a particular contest, with particular rules, for a particular organization. The speeches are what they are, artificial constructs designed to win this particular contest. Like rhythmic gymnastics or basketball, they don't necessarily have to have real world applications. Having said that...The formulaic coaching starts at lower levels. (Q:"Do I need <i>xyz</i> in my speech?" A:"Only if you want to win.") Start change with the oldtimers who advise the contestants at club/district level, and maybe we'll see the variety that such a prestigious event deserves.wordkylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02549204377613217823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-62228217744668868222016-08-24T07:44:59.417-07:002016-08-24T07:44:59.417-07:00When Darren LaCroix fell down face first on the st...When Darren LaCroix fell down face first on the stage, I didn't see it as a gimmick or stunt, because it dramatized his message. Far too often though, contestants seem to add something superfluous to their speech just to surprise the audience and judges and stand out. To me, that's the difference between a gimmick and a brilliant bit of stagecraft.R. L. Howser Communicationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616542853827441334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-21676061584119830572016-08-24T06:45:08.869-07:002016-08-24T06:45:08.869-07:00I suppose that one person's prop usage is anot...I suppose that one person's prop usage is another persob's "gimmick". And seeing as how what I used/did (standing in chairs) was specifically mentioned, I suppose I can't be objective.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03706756414338040684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-77959918036315001882016-08-24T02:27:31.704-07:002016-08-24T02:27:31.704-07:00Thank you, Rich. I was beginning to think I was cr...Thank you, Rich. I was beginning to think I was crazy, as I had Thien in first place too, although no one else I talked to thought so. I thought she created such a powerfully authentic connection with the audience.<br /><br />Rus HowserR. L. Howser Communicationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616542853827441334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-46878843004383464502016-08-24T01:26:00.796-07:002016-08-24T01:26:00.796-07:00Great insight and report. Having read the other co...Great insight and report. Having read the other comments I must defend TM. Surely it's first goal is to encourage Self Confidence, Leadership and Public Speaking Skills? Contests are, in my opinion, the icing on the top. I know TM has changed my life and my outlook, from the shy wallflower scared to say boo to a goose to a leader helping to show others the way to reach their goals, their ambitions and their beliefs. I saw Thien's speech at District level and she truly blew me away with her honesty and belief. She is destined for greater things. BUT TM is not just about CONTESTS. Rant over Steve Birch D91 Div A DirectorAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15923699598339237735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-86384743791044467362016-08-23T23:31:27.079-07:002016-08-23T23:31:27.079-07:00thoughtful and thought provoking, thanksthoughtful and thought provoking, thanksmatthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16945287834964631499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-57490787137674475782016-08-23T18:18:42.460-07:002016-08-23T18:18:42.460-07:00Thanks Rich for your courageous analysis.
I agree ...Thanks Rich for your courageous analysis.<br />I agree and crave a more authentic and meaningful delivery style.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02971888249993444804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-4585827464895312612016-08-23T17:07:26.435-07:002016-08-23T17:07:26.435-07:00Great post, Rich! Your comment 'How long are w...Great post, Rich! Your comment 'How long are we going to allow the same formulas, the same message types, the gimmicks, to overwhelm true professionalism?' is the one of the chief reasons why I have now decided NOT to compete. I have decided that striving to be real is more important than giving a highly stylised stage performance. I concur with Paula. In the outside world, I have had mainly negative responses from even mentioning that I'm a member of Toastmasters because the first thing people mention is this formulaic manner of speaking. They equate it with not being authentic. It's seen as a bad thing. <br /><br />I agree with Paula. This formula IS killing us.<br /><br />Kudos to those who succeed in ticking the boxes. They have earned their success. But I disagree with the 'boxes' that we implicitly require them to tick - or perhaps more accurately, I disagree with the mainstream Toastmasters culture interpretation of those boxes. Michelle Anne Bullashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10888932659972367042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-47794448355255797742016-08-23T16:42:32.872-07:002016-08-23T16:42:32.872-07:00Great post. Always interested in hearing what you...Great post. Always interested in hearing what you think Rich. T.I. is revamping education, why not speech contests too? <br />Honestly, I got bored of the formula. It's so constricting. I haven't competed in 2 years now and I'm not even sure I'm going to renew as a member this fall. <br />Thien WILL be able to take her message outside of TM (not unlike Patrick Hammond with his anti-trafficking message last year) and I hope she has great success with it. <br /><br />Last year I had a bunch of people over for a WCPS party including some non-Toastmasters. They actually couldn't believe how, well, how kind of silly and meaningless most of it was. They expected so much better. Frankly, I was embarrassed. And I don't like to say this because I understand the time and effort that everyone put in. But this formula is killing us IMO. <br />I didn't even HAVE a party this year- first time in 5 years. I guess I just want more than what this organization is offering as far as competitions go. I wish it wasn't the case because I really did enjoy myself while learning and growing during that time. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13836169050890867485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161870764175544567.post-51355058802044401482016-08-23T15:34:02.622-07:002016-08-23T15:34:02.622-07:00Insightful post, thanks! As a serial contestant, ...Insightful post, thanks! As a serial contestant, I always like to see what new aesthetics can be utilized by speakers, be it in word choice, use of metaphor, phrasing, organization, etc. Gimmicks can work too, if they support the message - externalizing the concept and making metaphors concrete allows the message to get in via visuals as well as words.<br /><br />See you next contest season!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04955756505210851305noreply@blogger.com