Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

If you’re a commander doing your weekly program or a ranger on the trail of advancement, then public speaking is in your future. Don’t worry, you’re not going to have to give the Gettysburg Address, but at some point, you will have to deliver a Wednesday night devotional if you want to receive one of your Bible merits. So, why is a watch essential gear for delivering a successful speech? Read on, and you’ll find out.

A lot goes in to preparing a good talk or speech, but one extremely critical aspect of preparation that is often left out is – TIME! In fact, poor time management can sabotage even the best of speeches. So, grab your watch, or something else to tell time with, and follow these helpful tips when preparing and delivering a speech.

1. Time yourself!

Don’t leave time management to chance. Whether you’ve been asked to speak for 5 minutes or 55 minutes, practice timing yourself delivering you talk ahead of time. Only then will you get a good feel for how your delivery will flow and if your speech will fit within the allotted time. Trust me, you don’t want to wing this. You’ll either realize too late that you don’t have enough material to fill the time, or you’ll realize too late that you have too much material, and everyone out in the audience will be looking at “their” watches.

2. Be on time!

I know this sounds obvious, and well it should, but how many good speeches have started to quickly unravel before they’ve even gotten started. Look, arrive 15 minutes early, and you’ll have time to relax, get to know the environment, find out where you should stand and when you should get up to speak, and so on. This 15-minute buffer will give you a clearer mind and a calmer heart as you step up to the microphone.

3. End on time!

We talk a lot about respect within the Ranger Outpost, and rightly so, and believe me, nothing demonstrates respect more than ending on time, especially when you’ve been invited to speak. Keep in mind, even if you’re the “keynote” speaker, you’re likely not the only item on the program or agenda. Every minute you go overtime, takes time away from something or someone else. If you end on time, not only will you demonstrate the proper respect, you will gain the respect of both the audience, other Ranger and the commanders.

Rangers are leaders in the making, and leaders will often find themselves called upon to speak. So, the next time you’re called upon to stand up and speak, remember to “wear a watch”, and don’t get tripped up simply because you didn’t watch the clock.