Monday, August 31, 2009

Are all professionals at the Senior Manager and above level, good orators?


Are all professionals at the Senior Manager and above level, good orators?
The answer to this is ‘No’.
That brings you to my next question…Is oratory skills imperative for all senior managers? The answer here is ‘Yes’. Let’s try and understand why we label this skill as one of the vital organs of a leader’s anatomy.


As you rise in life, “…your ability to understand the environment and communicate the same effectively to your business unit / the organization / the industry is much higher than your functional expertise. As a business leader, you should be able to drive the conviction and passion of your common goal with the audience; however, today there is certainly an oratory gap in most leaders and this should be addressed at the earliest”, says Supradeep Mukherjee (Global Training Competency Leader – IBM). Oratory is quickly becoming a lost art. Certainly, people talk too much…Public speakers can ramble on and on and worst, some leaders carry pseudo self-realization that they are excellent speakers. Here, no one would dare to bell the cat by showing them the mirror, so what we end up doing is, scoffing at them and silently jeering at them while they speak.


Gone are the days when you spent 20-25 years of your life in the same organization, at the same role, doing the same recurring job in one corner of the office. Today, 98% employees of an organization aspire to become business unit heads / leaders; hence, it is crucial for them to either be born with the ‘gift of gab’ or develop it with time. Bhupesh Joshi (Assistant Vice-President, Kingfisher Airlines) states in this context, “…Oratory skills are essential for all leaders to share their experience and knowledge. It does not matter which stream, vertical or industry you are a part of…Once you reach a certain level, you become the face of the company.” Presenting a vision demands oratorical skills. To achieve this you need to have superior speaking tools which are critical for your success. The ability and knowledge to communicate effectively will permit you to find your voice, express confidence and achieve your professional goals. Once you earn a senior level, oratory can make or break your career. Leaders with polished oratory skills have been able to sway the audience over key issues and build popular support for their side.

It is found in a survey in USA, that Public Speaking is number one Phobia for the masses. “Even today, when I have to address an audience, my hands and legs tremble, my voice shivers, I start falling short of breath and the only thing I need is, a place where I can go and hide my face”, says Latika Sabarwal (name changed), a recently promoted Senior Project Manager in an IT company. The word of advice that I gave her was, “just be clear of what you want to achieve through your speech, and remember, let it be a heart to heart communication. The masses will not connect with your brain. The essence of public speaking is: give your audience something of value. If they walk away feeling better about themselves, feeling better about some job they have to do, they will consider you a success. If they walk away feeling happy or entertained, they will consider their time with you worthwhile”. Though at a snail's pace, yet, Latika (name changed), has started realizing that public speaking is not intrinsically stressful. Today, she uses humility and humor to make her talks impacting and influential. She ensures that her words radiate out to the audience. James Paul Gee (Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies, Mary Lou Fulton College of Education at Arizona State University) wrote in his article Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics, "It is not just what you say, but how you say it." To add to this, Himanshu Bhardwaj (Head – Service, Xchanging Technology, India) believes that a leader should possess “…the art to inspire people and the skill to lead and influence them by communicating the right thing at the right time. At a fairly senior level, your focus is completely on 3 parameters - Employee satisfaction, Investor satisfaction and Customer satisfaction…here your communication and oratorical skills are of the essence.”


Going back to History, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation is an all time effective communicator. His five hour’s speech during the Round Table Conference in London says all about his Oratory skills. He always enthralled his audience and did his best to speak from his heart. Wherever he went and whatever he spoke about, he left an indelible mark on his audience. Internationally too there are many good orators like Hitler, Mussolini, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, etc. Their gift for fiery rhetoric had contributed to their coming to power.


Speechifying is an art which can be learned and developed over time. In all, public speaking is a skill for life which needs to be identified and developed at an early stage. Failing this, the world would be starved of future eloquent leaders.

22 comments:

  1. Ңave you ever considered about including a little bit more
    than just your aгticles? I mean, what you saу is valuable and all.
    Bսt imagine if you added ѕome great images or videos to give your ρoѕts more, "pop"!
    Your content is excellent but with pics and video clips, this sitе could
    certainly ƅe one of the greatest in its field. Good bloɡ!


    My website Assessor Training

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello everybody, here every person is sharing these know-how, therefore it's good to read
    this weblog, and I used to pay a visit this website everyday.



    My web page ... nclex review rn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi there, yup this post is actually pleasant and I have learned lot of
    things from it concerning blogging. thanks.


    Feel free to surf to my page: thrift store

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing! Its genuinely amazing post, I have got much clear
    idea on the topic of from this paragraph.


    Feel free to surf to my homepage astigmatism contact lenses

    ReplyDelete
  5. I constantly spent my half an hour to read this website's
    articles daily along with a cup of coffee.


    Here is my weblog - hair loss prevention

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post. I was checking constantly this blog
    and I'm impressed! Extremely useful info specially the last part :) I
    care for such info much. I was seeking this certain information for a very long time.
    Thank you and best of luck.

    my web site; hip joint pain

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey there are using Wordpress for your blog platform?
    I'm new to the blog world but I'm trying to get started and set up my own. Do you
    require any html coding expertise to make your
    own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


    Check out my blog - eye examination

    ReplyDelete
  8. Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It's on a totally different topic but it has pretty
    much the same layout and design. Superb choice of colors!


    Feel free to surf to my web-site ... buy medical evacuation

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
    Very helpful info specifically the last part :) I care for such
    info much. I was looking for this certain info for a very long time.

    Thank you and good luck.

    Here is my site ... submit doctor ratings

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are so awesome! I do not suppose I've read something like that before.
    So wonderful to find somebody with some genuine thoughts on this subject.
    Really.. thank you for starting this up. This web site
    is something that's needed on the internet, someone with a bit of
    originality!

    My web-site ... advanced pain treatment

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm curious to find out what blog platform you have been utilizing?
    I'm having some minor security issues with my latest website
    and I'd like to find something more safe.

    Do you have any suggestions?

    Also visit my blog post :: open credit

    ReplyDelete
  12. That is very attention-grabbing, You are a very skilled blogger.
    I've joined your rss feed and look ahead to in quest of extra of your fantastic post.

    Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks

    My web blog reverse mobile lookup

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi there! This post couldn't be written any better! Reading through this article reminds me of
    my previous roommate! He constantly kept preaching about
    this. I most certainly will send this post to him.
    Pretty sure he's going to have a good read.
    Many thanks for sharing!

    Feel free to visit my blog post - Home.A

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I've truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts.
    After all I'll be subscribing on your feed and I'm hoping you
    write again soon!

    my blog post ... golf shoe

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've learn several good stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for revisiting.
    I surprise how much attempt you set to create one of these excellent
    informative website.

    my blog post mephisto internet

    ReplyDelete
  16. I do accept as true with all the ideas you've offered to your
    post. They are really convincing and will definitely work.
    Still, the posts are too short for novices.
    Could you please prolong them a little from subsequent time?

    Thanks for the post.

    Feel free to visit my blog post shoes add weight

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello, for all time i used to check website posts here early in the morning,
    as i enjoy to gain knowledge of more and more.

    my weblog ... born work

    ReplyDelete
  18. Inspiring quest there. What happened after? Take care!


    Here is my web-site returntheir shoes

    ReplyDelete
  19. Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this web site, for
    the reason that i want enjoyment, for the reason that this this web site conations really pleasant funny data too.


    Feel free to surf to my blog post ... fashion shoes

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great post. I used to be checking continuously this weblog and I'm inspired!
    Extremely helpful info specially the ultimate phase :) I deal
    with such information much. I was seeking this certain information for a long time.
    Thank you and good luck.

    My blog post sister wives pregnancy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello there, You've done an excellent job. I'll
    definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
    I am sure they will be benefited from this site.


    my web page - baby news

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi there, the whole thing is going fine here and ofcourse
    every one is sharing information, that's actually fine, keep up writing.

    ReplyDelete