Public Speaking as Public Decision Making
Public Speaking Success Kit: Preparing to Learn Public Decision-Making for an Organization
by Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick
United States Constitution
The Bill of Rights
Amendment I
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Article the third…Congress shall make no law…
Abridging the freedom of Speech…
• Freedom of Speech is an inalienable right in the United States
• Embrace your Freedom of Speech
• Leaders should become Expert Public Speakers and Public Decision Makers
• Public Speaking can help improve the quality of life from self to society
• Learn the Principles of the Power of Public Speaking to help others
Principles of Public Speaking Supports:
Resume Design: Table of Contents for Best of Show Portfolio
Folio Thinking Process
Best of Show E-Portfolio Design
Interviewing: Information, Persuasive
Decision-Making & Problem Solving
Negotiating
Connect Self to Global Society: Informational, Persuasively, & Ceremonially
Part One: Public Speaking as Public Decision Making – A Necessary Art & Skill for Leaders
Today’s leaders in the 21st century workplace are expected to have a mastering of human communication skills regardless of what career they have chosen. A mastering of public speaking skills will showcase your ability as an emerging leader at your organization. Leaders are ethical speakers that best represent an organization with excellent public speaking skills.
Whether you feel like you need water wings or a surfboard to face the white water world of competitive communication, you have come to the right place to access, design, deliver, and critique your current public speaking skills before the big launch into the world after college.
What is a public speech? How is it a public decision?
Simply defined, you present enough information on a topic so that your audience can make a decision to accept your ideas or at least consider your ideas in the future.
Public speaking is really Public Decision-Making, especially when done on behalf of an organization. As you ascend the leadership path in an organization, you will be called to do more public speaking/public decision-making.
As you will see on the link on decision-making, Herbert Simon states that decision-making in the central act of an organization. A leading way that is done is through the act of public speaking. On the management and sales levels, your speeches will be on orienting new employees, announcing new policy, or selling a product or service. As you rise in rank, your speeches will be visionary topics, reports to stockholders, mostly, inviting others to believe in the organization.
It is your chance to interact with many people so share your ideas for good purposes.
Public speaking can be traced to the ancient Greeks because they used this communication skill to run their government, argue for land, and as an Olympic sport. Now you can understand why public speaking is rooted in the ancient Greek tradition. It was how democracy was run, and we still use that same format today in the United States.
Returning to the present, there will come a time when you must present a speech before real people whether in real time face to face or in technology like Skype, etc.
Leaders of government, education, industry, and community all are expected to give a public presentation. The public speaking format is used because at times it is the best way to reach the people needed. Through speeches, leaders introduce major decisions on behalf of their organizations. The three public speaking formats are informative, persuasive, and ceremonial occasions. Although there are different formats, speeches all warrant some type of decision by the audience members. A decision that supports your presentation topic you are discussing.
Check out the journal, Vital Speeches of the Day, you will find examples from leaders of government, business, non-profit, and religion, all using the public speaking platform to convey their important messages.
Simply put, a public presentation format is used when the audience needs information to make an ethical decision regarding the topic. The importance of the topic demands that the key decision-makers be present in the audience.
Being in the presence of your audience, no matter how great your feel about your presentation, sends the even the experienced speaker into feelings of public speaking “sea-sickness.” We will talk about transitioning from stage fright to stage energy.
Web Resources on Public Speaking
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.htm
Kennesaw State University: Toastmaster’s Chapter – Legacy Owl’s Toastmaster