Skip to content

Why is it so hard to give a good speech?

The ability to communicate is a skill/ability that is in short supply.  I know of a number of highly intelligent people who seem to struggle during their presentations to share their ideas.  If you can’t effectively communicate, then the impact of your ideas is near zero.  Communicating, especially 

Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney
1 min read
Why is it so hard to give a good speech?

The ability to communicate is a skill/ability that is in short supply.  I know of a number of highly intelligent people who seem to struggle during their presentations to share their ideas.  If you can't effectively communicate, then the impact of your ideas is near zero.  Communicating, especially publicly in the form of a speech or presentation, can be quite intimidating.  The fear of failure or possibly looking foolish holds people back which in turn impacts their careers.  You may have the best ideas in the world but if you can't share it so that  people will adopt them, then what value are they.

I recently came across a book (one of the best I've come across)  that explains how to create what I call killer presentations.  A killer presentation is one where the audience leaves the event feeling that they received enormous value for the time they committed to attend, a clear understanding of the call to action and the commitment to follow-through.  Maybe 1 in 100 presentations I attend qualify.  When I do experience one, I don't easily forget it.  It is burned into my memory and I go back and replay it over and over again.

If you want to be that 1 in 100, then start by reading this book ….

Resonate

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

BlogcommunicationcreativityfearsideasInnovationinspirationmentorpassionpresentationresonate

Phil McKinney Twitter

Phil McKinney is an innovator, podcaster, author, and speaker. He is the retired CTO of HP. Phil's book, Beyond The Obvious, shares his expertise and lessons learned on innovation and creativity.

Comments


Related Posts

Innovation's Underground Economy

Your innovation process is the problem, not the solution. The more you formalize creativity, the faster it disappears into the shadows. The question isn't whether your organization has an innovation underground—it's whether you have the courage to see it, embrace it, and harness its power.

Innovation's Underground Economy

The Courage to Create Nothing

Standing still in a rushing world isn't weakness—it's strategic wisdom. True visionaries master the art of saying no when innovation becomes an end rather than a means.

The Courage to Create Nothing

The Innovation Crisis: How We're Stifling Our Children's Creative Potential—And How to Set It Free

A 12-year-old entrepreneur highlights the gap between education and innovation. What happens when we value answers over inquiry, and how might we unlock our children's natural creative abilities?

The Innovation Crisis: How We're Stifling Our Children's Creative Potential—And How to Set It Free