Alright, I stole that title from somewhere (as I usually do and you’ll know from here) but believe me, if it grabs your attention, what you’re about to read and watch will be totally worth it.
From 2010 to 2016, I spoke in public far too many times that I would have liked. Yet, I didn’t regret a second of the time I’d spent on stage. And I realized that I talked a lot more on stage than I usually do. Almost as if speaking in public helped me think a lot clearer.
Anyway, I haven’t done a lot of live talks the past few years. Besides the conflicting schedules, I hate to travel just to deliver a talk to a group. There’s no real ROI, neither in terms of the time I’m investing nor the additional value I’m creating. Why? I can deliver the talk online! All people need to do is be on call at the time I’m delivering my talk. So, 99.99% of my talks have been virtual before it become the norm in 2020.
Now, I don’t know about you, but being a life-long learner and speaker, I have this desire to stay on top of the latest and greatest in the art and science of public speaking. And while I know there isn’t much to learn if you just follow the timeliness principles of effective communication, I’m ever so fascinated with new perspectives that I learn every now and then.
And since there’s a crapton of resources (video, audio, courses) on the Internet, it’s hard to get hold of something that’s timeless and yet powerful. I found two of such resources this past weekeend and I’m pretty sure they will change the way you think and communicate. It’s from MIT and Stanford, so expect these talks to have an “academic flavor,” but they’re worth their weight in gold.
Trust me on that.
Enjoy almost 2 hours of rich content from two of the most iconic institutions and academicians of all time.
How To Speak by Patrick Winston
Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
I hope you enjoyed these but most importantly, you took notes and will not figure out how you’re going to apply these concepts in the next presentation/talk you will deliver. If you went the distance, let me know by DMing me on Facebook.