What prompted you to write Women Seen and Heard: Lessons Learned from Successful Speakers?
Research on the history of women as speakers was fascinating and once I finished my thesis, I began to look at contemporary women in business, politics, government, and higher education in terms of their speaking style. My management consulting practice also required me to coach women -and men- with regard to sounding 'more presidential' when they spoke in more formal settings. Anita Perez Ferguson, my co-author, had a great deal of experience with campaigns, had run for Congress twice, and is a trainer for Vital Voices based out of DC, training women in Latin America to run for office. We had complementary skills and interests and were a good team.
When the Women's Policy Journal at the JFK School published an excerpt called "When the speaker is a woman of color," we became even more motivated to finish the book. It became clear to both of us- from being an executive myself and a management consultant, and from Anita's political work- that women have a more difficult time gaining credibility as 'the voice of authority.' Spokespersons and candidates have learned a great deal about being persuasive at the mic, particularly how to face unfriendly audiences and take unpopular positions on controversial issues, and we can all learn from their wisdom.
What are some common mistakes that women make when speaking in public?
Not preparing adequately, not thinking strategically, not consulting with the very people with whom they disagree the most. The latter group is exactly the group we have the most to learn from in framing our remarks. Other authors have written about women's style of speaking and the apologies and prefaces that precede the moment when they present their key message. women walk a fine line in being seen as 'too aggressive' or having an edge when they're forceful, or being seen as 'too soft' and unclear in terms of what they want from the audience. There are generic tips and techniques, of course, that everyone can learn in managing anxiety.
Can you share one or two tips that you personally use in order to deliver a compelling and captivating speech?
Consulting with people with whom you disagree and then take apart their predictable opposition to your point of view is a good way to appear courageous. Finding an anecdote or meaningful story that the audience could relate to emotionally as you segue to your main point; telling a story for its own sake can backfire. Women tend to enjoy relating to other people, so giving your statistics and data 'a human face' is the ticket.
What do you want our audience to learn from your discussion and book?
I hope that women will feel more confident predicting the minefields and confident in the preparation process. Women need to have a voice in the debates and discussions that will shape the future . Having a level playing field is no longer enough; we want a place at the head of the table. Still, women tend to present themselves as tentative, rather than forceful and confident in delivering their proposals and message. Public speaking is a great way to develop self-confidence that is more global and the skills transfer beautifully to everyday conversations. The great thing is that the skills can be learned, once a person is motivated.
