Dwight's Speech

“There’s no way I can possibly teach you what you need to know about public speaking by speech time. But I can teach you enough so that you don’t embarrass me or the company.”

- Michael Scott

Good morning, Vietnam!

In true Michael Scott fashion, I hope you are all sitting down so I can wow you. Aaaaahhhh. Do I have your attention now? You’re scared, but now you’re ready to learn. This advice from Michael may or may not be the best way to start your presentation. It may be a great opener if your audience are fans of The Office and your topic is Office-related. But what are the chances of that happening?

Did you know that the fear of public speaking is one of the greatest fears people have? Many surveys indicate that up to 75% of the population fear public speaking. I am in that 75% and wonder who these 25% of people are and why they aren’t afraid. If there is anything you can take away from this information, it’s knowing you are not alone. In this post, I’ll dive into some of Michael's tips and touch on the do’s and don’ts based on what we see in this episode.

But first….

Why is Pubic Speaking Important?

Speaking confidently in front of a group of people, whether in a meeting at work or out with friends, is a great skill to have. Studies show that highly confident speakers are viewed as more accurate, competent, credible, intelligent, knowledgeable, likable, and believable than the less confident, uncertain speaker.  Those are all great words that I want to be associated with.

In the workplace, having this skill can help you in your career.  It’s an excellent tool for career advancement.  People with these skills are most likely to be promoted over those who lack them.  So, how can you become a better public speaker?  Let’s look at some advice that Michael Scott had in this episode of The Office.  In season 2, episode 17, “Dwight’s Speech,” Michael had a lot of “advice” to give Dwight as Dwight was very nervous about delivering a speech.

1. “Never talk specifics, not in a speech. But the fact that you have no idea what to say, is, believe it or not, the least of our worries…it’s your delivery.”

There are two key things to note in this quote from Michael. One, never talking about specifics is not something I agree with entirely. It depends on the topic of the speech you are delivering. It would be great to include details if it’s a Ted Talk with important information. If it’s an acceptance speech, keep it short. Two, I would worry if I didn’t know what to say in a speech, but I would agree that the delivery of the speech is essential. We’ll dive into that a little later.

2. “The best way to learn is by watching.”

Learn by example…I can support this. It’s also good to know what you’re watching. I’ll share some tips with you below.

3. “Look, it doesn’t matter what you say; it just matters that you’re saying something that people care about.”

It does matter what you say and how you say it. It’s also important to say something that people care about. You won’t hold everyone’s attention, but if you can speak on something most of your audience cares about, that can help captivate them.

However, I always think about this one Ted Talk where a man talks about nothing, but the way he delivers his speech kept me and the audience captivated. Have a watch here:

How To Overcome Fear of Public Speaking

“There was a time where I could’ve won a trip to Niagara Falls, and I think you know what’s there. But in order to claim that prize, I would’ve had to shout out in a room of over 200 people. I panicked, I froze, and I paid the price. Sometimes, the hardest word in the world to say is “bingo.”

- Dwight Schrute

It’s not easy to overcome the fear of public speaking, but the steps you take now will help you in the long run. If you have a presentation coming up, don’t worry. There are still some tips to help you with your anxiety and nerves and deliver an excellent presentation. The advice used for one presentation can help build up your confidence in future presentations.

A few years ago, in 2016, I was asked by our leadership team to lead our work climate committee for our department. We used Strength Finders back then, and they found that I had strengths similar to those of a colleague who wanted to step down from the role. My gut reaction was to decline, but after thinking more about it, I felt empowered to accept because they hand-picked me for the role. All I had to do was order cake every month for our birthday/anniversary celebrations and do some light administrative work. To my surprise, there was more involved. I would have to speak in front of our department during our monthly meetings.

I remember the first time I had to get up in front of the department. Our Director wanted to announce that I was stepping up into the role and had me come up to the front to say a few words. The entire time he was talking, I couldn’t hear him. All I heard was my heart beating in my ears. My palms were sweating, but I was shivering because of the cold. When he finally turned to look at me, that was my cue to start talking. I immediately started with, “I don’t like speaking in front of large crowds. If you like doing that, please consider joining the Work Climate Committee so you can do this next month.” People did reach out to join, and while I had volunteers to speak in meetings, I still had to do some of it.

I was the lead in that role for almost three years. After the first year, it started to get easier for me to be in front of everyone. I even felt excited and looked forward to our monthly meetings. I stepped down from the role to focus on a new project. The same leaders who asked me to be the Work Climate Committee leader asked me to be part of this project. I found that speaking up in meetings was easier. Even in my current role, I am more confident and speak up in meetings.

What changed for me was the many opportunities to speak in front of a crowd. In doing so, I practiced repeatedly, which helped build my confidence. Confidence is the number one characteristic of an effective speaker.

“Confidence comes from within, and no one can create it for you. You won’t build confidence if you don’t take action. Know that making yourself uncomfortable a couple of times will help you feel more comfortable in the same situation forever after…”

-Nikki Stone, Olympic Gold Medalist & Best Selling Author.

Confidence is a muscle; you must put yourself in uncomfortable situations to build it up. It’s like exercising to get stronger and stronger.

To build your public speaking confidence, here are five tips to look and feel more confident.

1. Make your audience laugh

Start the speech with a joke, which helps to lighten the mood in the room and helps you and your audience relax. It breaks down that wall between you and the audience. Michael was right about making your audience laugh, but he sure started with all the wrong jokes. “What's the difference between a salesman and a saleswoman?”

2. Focus on the people nodding

It can be nerve-wracking to feel you aren’t connecting with your audience. If you can find people in the audience nodding along with your story or points, you will be reassured knowing someone agrees with you. The more you focus on these individuals, the more confident you will sound. The more confident you sound, the more people you attract.

3. Be expressive with your emotions

Sometimes, no matter what you tell yourself to calm your concerns, it doesn't work. Anxieties aren't always the easiest thing to quell. Playing up your emotions by really getting into the excitement of your story will help you mask the jitters. It's much easier to hide one emotion with another than to hide an emotion by suppressing it.​

4. Practice, practice, practice

Many people believe you’re either good at speaking or bad at it. On the contrary, the more you practice, the better you get. You have to take action, take that step, and practice in front of an audience as much as possible. Record yourself, look back, and see where you can improve. The more you practice, the more confident you feel and the better you present. The more experiences you give yourself to practice, the more your self-esteem will grow.​

5. Be prepared if you make a mistake

No matter how professional and long someone has spoken, everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes make us more human and relatable. If we get uncomfortable when we make a mistake, our audience will also feel uncomfortable. Like the first tip, laughing at yourself can help put everyone at ease. Acknowledging your mistake, joking about it, and moving on is okay. You can also prepare a couple of jokes ahead of time for any errors you may have.

Dwight's Speech - Do's and Don'ts

Excerpt from a conference room scene:

Michael: As your leader and your friend, I sort of demand that you can all speak in public as I can, and did.  Twice.  You saw the plaque, right? All right, we’re all gonna go around the room, and we’re going to make toasts. And that way we will overcome our fear of public speaking.

Pam: You mean Toastmasters?

Michael: Pam, I’m public speaking. Stop public interrupting me.

Micheal is a secret genius, isn't he? He comes up with these golden ticket ideas, like this one about making toasts, which is pretty much Toastmasters, an organization aimed to coach others with communication and public speaking skills. That’s one way to get help with building this skill. Now, let’s talk about what not to do.

Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim….though his advice to Dwight was to mess with him, it turned out well for Dwight. I would not recommend this advice unless, again, you are presenting to a bunch of fans of The Office, and it makes for a great segue into your topic.

“You’ve gotta be true to yourself…The great speakers throughout history were not joke-tellers. They were people of passion. So, if you wanna do well today, you gotta do what they did…You’ve gotta wave your arms, and you’ve gotta pound your fists. Many times. So as to emphasize your point.”

-Jim Halpert's advice to Dwight

It’s also a good idea not to use parts of speeches from famous dictators. While this worked for Dwight, it may not work for you because this is real life.

Why Should You Work On This Skill?

As I mentioned above, building this skill leads to career advancement opportunities. We all know this is true because Dwight was promoted to Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin. Becoming a better speaker also improves your overall confidence. Overcoming the fear of speaking in public and successfully delivering speeches can lead to a sense of accomplishment and empowerment. As an achiever, I have felt this sense of accomplishment, which has helped me immensely in my career.

If you are terrified of public speaking, you should find comfort knowing that even professional speakers get nervous before a big speech. It’s a normal human reaction. I’ve mentioned this before in my Business Bitch ebook, your brain processes nervousness the same way it processes excitement. Try tricking your brain into thinking you’re excited versus nervous and see what a difference that makes for you. This is related to tip number 3 above.

Even if career advancement differs from what you seek, public speaking is valuable for personal growth and development. It helps you organize your thoughts better, structure your ideas, and deliver them compellingly, enhancing your critical thinking and communication abilities.

If you’d like more tips on calming your nerves, I've compiled more tips to overcome nervousness and anxiety before an interview in my Business Bitch ebook which is all about helping prepare you for your next role. Interviewing for a job is very much related to public speaking. With each question thrown your way, you can better prepare for the speech you’ll inevitably have to give. If you're ready to find a new job, prepare for an interview, or are in the negotiation phase, this ebook will help you each step of the way. Sure, you can search online and find an overwhelming amount of information, but why do that when you can save time with tried and accurate information that has helped me all compiled into one ebook?

Check it out here!