Why You Need a Speech Writer

I’ve been on a few interviews this summer – some networking, some for prospective clients. Three especially stand out. While each person I met with was in a very different position (a federal agency Under Secretary, a U.S. Senator, a university dean), none of them currently use a speech writer.

The responses I got as to why varied from liking to write own notes on index cards to having the subject expert create bullet points on slides to being comfortable speaking off the cuff.

A few days later, doing research on IdeaBank, I came across a description William G. McAdoo (1863-1941), American politician and leader of the Democratic opposition, gave about President Warren G. Harding's speeches:

"His speeches left the impression of an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea; sometimes these meandering words would actually capture a straggling thought and bear it triumphantly, a prisoner in their midst, until it died of servitude and overwork.”

That, gentlemen, is why you need a speech writer.

July 2006 - Pocket of Greatness

Can a speech writer be a "pocket of greatness"? The term comes from Jim Collins' best seller Good to Great. Several clients have quoted, handed me copies, done presentations about, and otherwise been completely swept away by Collins' recently published monograph applying the good to great (g2g) principles to the social sector. With some good reason as Collins puts into simplistic terms the elements necessary to propel an organization forward.

And that gets me back to the question of whether you can be an individual "pocket of greatness"-- this is more than stringing words together; it's a huge level of value. The answer is yes: you can write a speech that reveals the best of leadership, that inspires an audience to follow when they have the choice not to (think "volunteers"), that taps idealistic passion, that clearly communicates what the organization is best in the world at, that challenges the building of its resource engine, and/or that demonstrates success and strengthens the brand. These are all elements of Collins' g2g framework.

I think every speech can help to potentially push the organization's flywheel forward ... if the words are true, i.e., the leadership's day-to-day actions are living them. What's equally true is that a speech fails to make any real difference at all. That's what happens when an executive doesn't realize the opportunity he or she has with each speaking engagement, whether a keynote, a fund raiser, a press conference, a staff meeting, or any other speaking opportunity. And that's where a speech writer can be a "pocket of greatness" by maintaining an unrelenting focus on how all of the small events contribute to the big picture of where that organization is going to best achieve its mission.

It's as Shakespeare captured long ago: "We know what we are...but not what we may be."

Check out Jim Collins for yourself at www.jimcollins.com