Say What?

Years ago, a friend asked me to be his guest at a luncheon.  When I arrived I was delighted to find that we were seated at the reserved sponsor table.  We were having great conversation at the table as we enjoyed lunch.  My friend quietly asked me when I wanted to speak.  AHA, I was not just his guest, I was the guest speaker.  This fact was known to everyone in the room except me.  Rather than embarrass my friend or create any commotion, I quietly asked how long my remarks were supposed to be.  I had approximately 5 minutes, with conversation flowing around me, to consider how I'd address this 15-20 minute extemporaneous speech for 120 or more guests.

Another group, a few years later, asked me to talk about "keys to success".  As I was, at this time in my career, generally asked to address economic development and the Houston economy, I spent a good bit of time preparing for this alternate topic.  My host greeted me and provided the printed luncheon program that clearly indicated that I'd be speaking about Houston's economy.  Once again, I needed to make a quick decision about what message to convey.  So, I changed from the presentation I'd prepared to the one the group was prepared to hear.

Though these are extreme examples, when we can adapt to what our audience of one or many expects, we are far more successful than when we stick to a message that may not resonate with our listeners.