I make the worst smoothies. They usually are so bad that I only drink them out of stubbornness. I like other people’s smoothies just not my own.
I have sought to understand why I make such bad smoothies. I believe it is because of the same thing that makes a speech good or bad.
We tend to say a smoothie is either good or bad. We do the same thing with a speech. Every Sunday in churches around the country parishers pass a thumbs up or a thumbs down on the sermon.
Actually, there are ten “ingredients” that go into a speech. Like a smoothie we put them in a blender and out comes one drink.
I am either too lazy or undisciplined to follow a recipe and put more than 3 ingredients in the blender. I want to be able to put 3 things in the blender and get a great smoothie. But it doesn’t work that way. You need the discipline to research the ingredients, purchase them, measure them and add them in the right amount.
It is the same thing with a speech. You need the knowledge and discipline to put time into all of the ingredients: the intro, the gestures, your presence, your conclusion, practice, the technology, etc. It looks like it is just good or bad but actually 10 ingredients go into a speech.
I can do it in a speech but not a smoothie. I would buy this kale smoothie but I know I wouldn’t make it.
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ▢1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
- ▢2 medjool dates, pits removed
- ▢2 tablespoons hemp, chia or flax seeds
- ▢1 lemon, juice squeezed (about 2 tablespoons)
- ▢1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, optional
- ▢1-1 1/2 cups water
Often with clients it is the opposite. They may cook with multiple ingredients but did not understand how many ingredients go into an effective speech, until I shared the speech recipe.
