Tag Archives: public speaking

Pope Francis, Symbols & Communication Failure

Pope Francis was in town last week. There was great anticipation for his visit, as there is with every Pope, but Francis seemed to have something special.

From the minute he began his papacy, he seemed far more inclusive than his predecessors. His manner bespoke humility. He chose to live in a smaller, less ostentatious residence in Vatican City. His words were crafted to convey non-judgment. These careful and deliberate messages were intended to confirm that this pope was different, new, with fresh ideas about how to treat the marginalized.

And then, poof, all gone, with one, depressing misstep.

The Pope’s error was as surprising as it was obtuse. After the US visit and all the fanfare, after the tremendous good will it engendered, it was discovered he’d met secretly with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who’s been in the news because she refused to grant marriage licenses to same sex couples in violation of federal law. There is no questions she has been a very polarizing figure.

Now, the Church’s views on homosexuality are clear and no one expects that to change any time soon and it wasn’t his choice of Davis to meet with that presented the biggest problem, but that he did so in secret, and then waited until he was gone for it to become public knowledge to evade the backlash. Make no mistake, the release of this information in this way was planned; he had to have exacted promises and agreements from Kim Davis and her representatives to hold off until a specific date and time. This pope, with every public movement scheduled and documented, cannot credibly say otherwise.

And with that revelation, his entire, brilliant message and style, welcomed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, was significantly weakened. No longer could people look at this leader of one of the world’s great religions in the same way. No longer could he be viewed as a unique and refreshing moral arbiter. No longer was he speaking truth to power. He ran from the truth and threw his power away.

The lesson for us all is to choose our symbols carefully. And if you do choose one that is controversial, don’t run away from the controversy.

Who Won The 2nd GOP Debate? – Ruth Sherman with Marcia Kramer of CBS

I watched the 2nd GOP Debate. It was clear to me that Carly Fiorina won. She deployed her considerable talents and skills as a public speaker and presenter. She also prepared. Watch my discussion with Chief Political Correspondent Marcia Kramer of CBS for details on how she and the other candidates performed.

Kanye West: How NOT To Give An Awards Acceptance Speech

Kanye West just cannot get out of his own way. In his acceptance speech for the VMA Vanguard Award, a huge honor, he once again lacked the grace, humility, and, frankly, the skills to deliver the speech his audience deserved to hear. You can watch it here.

At the start I thought he was might be about to redeem himself, acknowledging and perhaps even apologizing for his outrageously rude behavior at the 2009 awards show when he snatched an award out of the hands of Taylor swift because, in his opinion, others were more deserving (Beyoncé).

Within seconds, however, he veered into familiar territory.

He raised questions about his behavior, mentioned how fans and the world had hated and mercilessly mocked him for it, then concluded by excusing his behavior as someone who had to take the hit for all artists who are afraid to express an opinion. He even used the words “died for the artists’ opinion.” (A thinly veiled comparison to Jesus?)

Then he had the temerity to chalk it all up to his having drunk half a bottle of Hennessy before that notorious appearance.  A non-apology if I ever heard one. After that, he transitioned to how many times MTV played both the original clip AND ads announcing how Taylor Swift would be handing him his award this year  — all for the ratings.  While that may be true, if he hadn’t behaved so boorishly to begin with, there would have been nothing to replay.

Did I mention MTV was his host for the evening?

From there he mentioned not understanding awards shows. This while showing up to receive his own award. He did admit he just wanted to be liked, which was the only moment a little humanity shone through. At least that’s what I thought he said. Truthfully, his language was so street, it was a bit hard to decipher at that point. Maybe it was because of whatever he said he had smoked.

His close was a one sentence announcement that he planned to run for president in 2020. Well, if it’s anything like this year, let the circus begin!

And if this all sounds disorganized, it is because the speech was a rambling, incoherent, self-aggrandizing, self-centered mess.

TAKEAWAYS (there are many, but these are the main ones):

  1. Be gracious. No one ever gets there alone.
  2. Never compare yourself to Jesus Christ.
  3. Don’t dis your hosts and sponsors.
  4. Don’t drink or smoke weed before a presentation.