"The best way to know what you are talking about is to know what you are talking about" - Harvey Mackay
Imagine a function where the
Keynote Speaker walks up to the podium, greets and starts talking to the people
without reading any book or making any reference to any sheet of paper yet is
able to talk within the parameters of the subject matter. Don’t you think the
Speaker will capture the attention of everyone gathered there? Again, Imagine a
Lecturer who walks into the lecture theatre without any note or pamphlet whatsoever
yet is able to deliver satisfactorily? Don’t you also think that the awe and the
interactive style will get everyone glued and attentive?
This is Ghana where most of our functions
or events such as weddings, sod-cutting ceremonies, graduation ceremonies,
commemoration of milestones, funerals, fund-raisers, naming ceremonies and Town
hall meetings are marked with pomp and pageantry. The array of bright and
colorful indigenous wears mixed with the stylized western ones on display, the
cocktail of music and the grace with which the people mark these events is just
a sight to behold. It is an experience everyone should be opportune enough to
have, at least once in their lifetime.
However, there is one thing
marring these events and that is the act of script reading. There is often that
time of the programme where a big man comes
to engage the people by delivering a keynote address to highlight the essence
of the function which ostensibly becomes the part that takes the shine off the
function by making it drag, ordinary, boring and tedious.
Interestingly, these speeches
only vary per the thrust of the function where they are delivered at. The
speeches which appear as though they are sourced from the same template are relatively
the same and uninspiring. The uniformity of these messages also makes it
possible for the audience or participants to predict what will be read at which
function which in turn makes them uninterested and playful.
It might interest you to note
that should you attempt to attend four different weddings in a day, you will
hear almost the same speech being read through it all albeit slight variations
due to change in names and venue and same can be said for other functions. The
uniformity which also gives the listeners who have listened to the edict
since time immemorial the possibility to predict what will be read results in the audience engaging in
other things such as walking in and outs of functions, others visiting the
washroom or talking to each other or not paying attention. It becomes the time
when people catch up on anything they may have sacrificed thus far.
Why do they come to the function
with scripts? Why do they come to read verbatim prepared notes whose source we
cannot authenticate? Even as it were, do they prepare their own speeches or the
speeches are handed to them as they prepare to mount the podium as happened to
Mad. Victoria Hammah, an Erstwhile Deputy Communications Minister?
For a long while, I have been wondering
why these supposedly experts who are even paid to deliver these speeches in
most instances come to the people with a long boring essay they mostly appear
to know nothing about. It is convenient to say they mostly know nothing about these
scripted messages because they don’t fare well in the interactive or breakout sessions
when the floor is opened. Given that these Experts who have been carefully
chosen are on top of their games, why then do they have to come and read to us when
they could just come and deliver their keynote addresses?
Interestingly, most of these
people can chat unend without any cue because the topic under discussion is
something they know too well. It is something they have experienced or
understand very well which is evident in how they contribute and deliver during
chat sessions. They do not even bat an eyelid in an attempt to talk about their
experiences which includes what they know so why the torture when it comes to
public delivery?
At this juncture, I am of the
convinced that these people who come reading to us do not know what they come
to read to us. That is why they come with scripts. It is why they don’t even
take their eyes off the script. It is why they avoid our eyes. It is why they
bury their heads through the ordeal of reading their handouts to us.
Undoubtedly, everyone who has
been elected to deliver a keynote address is worth his or her sort per the
function under context and such moments certainly highlights their efforts with
regards to their career build-up so coming around unprepared only seems a child
play. It is rightfully so without mincing words because people do not go into
interviews with referential materials unless it is otherwise stated neither do
students go into exam halls with their revised notes.
These are moments of truth. Time
to test their know-how and how well they know what they are supposed to know,
so why can’t it also be moments of truth for these keynote Speakers? Why can’t
we change the face and approach to how some of these things should be done
since society is culturally constructed? Why can’t we introduce a little bit of
creativity into our functions where everybody’s delivery time and style will be
unique per their personality and what they believe in except if they have to
refer for facts and figures?
We have to allow them to come and
tell us just what they can remember so everybody will know what they have been
up to. We have to see them fumbling on the podium so everybody will know how
responsible and competent they are. We have to see them scratching and hitting
themselves when they can’t remember anything proving that they are not
conversant with their job. We also have to see them when they stand on the
podium without a clue as they turn blue.
We all know everyone can read.
Everyone can just walk into a programme and be handed a note to read but that
is not what we want or the way to carry on. Speakers must be prepared
beforehand to be able to refrain from reading to their audience which behooves
everyone to know what they are about before coming to mount such podiums. We
want to be treated as discerning people.
Don’t you think the change could
see an exponential increase in people being a tad responsible and accountable?
Yes, it will change the monotony and drag in programmes. Functions will be
characterized with diversity and flair. They will also become interesting
because you are certain to hear something different than listening to Speakers
read from the speech template. The change will guarantee that only competent
people lead or engage us. It will also guarantee a kind of quality in our functions
and we, as a people will never be the same again.
Follow the writer on Twitter @vilejah
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