10/02/16
A Hickenlooper Blooper: Advice for Speakers
Broncos Win. Politicians Sin.
Broncos Win and Hickenlooper and Hancock Sin: A lesson for all speakers.
In case you’ve been asleep for the last three days, the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl this past Sunday. The hometown parade drew one million orange adorned adoring fans downtown to see the team parade. Children missed school. Employees called in sick. And, out of a million cheering people smooshed together, there was only one arrest.
The only misstep was that Governor Hickenlooper and Mayor Hancock forgot that this wasn’t a political event. This wasn’t their chance to shine. This wasn’t their event. They rambled on and on. Hickenlooper talked about how he cut short his honeymoon to one day so he could watch the Broncos in the playoff game. Hancock mentioned he has been a fan since he was a boy. Hickenlooper gave a deserved award to Pat Bowlen and couldn’t resist telling a story about a dinner he and Pat shared where Pat pulled a tablecloth out from under dishes. Talk about a non sequitur. I’ve heard him tell that story before. Hickenlooper’s objective was for him to let everyone know he knows Pat Bowlen.
The point: When you speak, it’s all about the audience. Remember the purpose of your appearance. Get over yourself! The Bronco fans didn’t want speeches. I can’t imagine they could hear anyway. The fans wanted to see the team. They wanted to applaud and cheer. If they wanted to hear from anyone, they wanted to hear from the team members and the coach.
I’m reminded of a ceremony I attended honoring a community leader. He had invited his brother to say a few words. His brother, let’s call him Homer, went on and on about his own childhood and college career. Homer even veered into hunk references about the honoree. He got into a zone. He forgot why he was there, who was being honored and that according to Billy Shakespeare, “brevity is the soul of wit.” As Homer Simpson would say, “DOH!”
The next time you get up to speak, pause. Consider your audience and the venue. What does the audience want and need from you? What’s your timeframe? What’s the physical setting? Why is the audience there? I know every word you say is like gold, but at last count, the value of gold has dropped.
It’s all about your audience. Don’t commit a Hickenlooper Blooper!
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