Monday, March 18, 2024

Basketball: Public Speaking

Coaches teach players how to succeed on and off the court. Public speaking is a life hack. People judge us by the content of our writing and speaking. That may not be fair, but it's true. Improved speaking and writing helps you advance. 

The best time to fill your toolbox and add life hacks is when you're young. That allows you to maximize the Achievement Equation: 

ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME

Start young and benefit from TIME.  

Readers get basketball information across multiple domains. But my blogs also shares ideas for personal growth:

Remember that "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted."

Tips for better speaking:

Impact. Great addresses change the world. You've heard some, like The Gettysburg Address, President Kennedy's Inaugural ("Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."), General MacArthur's speech to West Point graduates ("duty, honor, country"). 

Audience. Know your audience. To reach them, learn about them. Find out their needs and desires, their backgrounds. The graduates of the most affluent communities differ from those in less affluent ones, especially regarding scholarships and financial resources. 

Connection. Find ways to touch the hearts of your listeners. Admiral McRaven spoke to graduates at the University of Texas explaining SEAL training, starting with make your bed. After the hardest day imaginable, it's great to return to a well-made bed. 

Communication. Speak the language of your audience. Jargon, slang, and cursing might work for a few audiences, but usually not. I recall one speaker at a college event telling students about preparing for interviews. She began, "Flip flops are not shoes." 

Humor. Humor helps us connect. Most stories, however short, have three parts - beginning, middle, and end. "What were the last words General Washington told his men before crossing the Delaware? Pause... Get in the boat." 

Stories. Stories make memories. In Made to Stick, the Heath Brothers share the acronym SUCCESS - simple, unexpected, concrete (specific), credible, emotional, stories. Reading widely helps arm you with stories. 

Questions? Sometimes questions help frame a debate. Dan Pink reminds us of the 1980 Presidential election where Ronald Reagan asked, "are you better off than you were four years ago?" But only ask when you are certain... You remember 2020, being in the throes of the Global Pandemic. MVB didn't have a fall season. 

Practice! To become a better speaker, practice your delivery - alone, in front of a mirror, in front of trusted friends. 


Screenshot from MasterClass

"But they might not like me or my presentation." Don't worry about what other people think. Remember this Four Agreements suggestion, "Don't take anything personally." Other people's comments say everything about them and little about you.

Lagniappe. We've all seen teams win or lose games from inability to enter the ball.  

Lagniappe 2. I teach defenders this line, "bigs away come back into play." It's not always true, but often.  

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