My colleague, Circe Denyer, and I started a Toastmaster club, called Stagemasters, in 2017 with a TEDx style speaking focus.
TED and TEDx Focus
The mantra of TED and TED is “An Idea Worth Spreading.” I learned from my TEDx experience that an effective TED or TEDx talk has these three components:
1) An idea or concept [opinion] that the audience has not heard before presented as the core idea weaved through-out the talk
2) A call to action – what is it the audience should do, or at least consider, as a result of your idea?
3) A description of what the world could look like if your idea is accepted and acted upon.
Your Opinion Matters
Circe is our educational officer for this club we started. While not planned, she usually expresses her ideas, opinions, about how the members can develop and deliver a TEDx style speech. She recently shared with us her opinion about our opinions. It really resonated. With Circe’s permission, I have transcribed (and edited) her talk. The video is at the end of this post.
Imagine you are having a one-on-one conversation with somebody and they’re complaining about something, or they’re happy about something, or they’re talking about something mediocre, and something happens inside of you. You have an opinion. Sometimes you give that opinion and sometimes you don’t. But that opinion is probably the strongest thing you feel during that conversation. Sometimes it causes you not to listen to the rest of what that person is saying. That’s how strong your opinion is.
When you give a closing to your talk that’s where your opinion belongs. That’s the reason you are on stage. You have a right to give that opinion. Use your stage time to share that opinion with everyone in a way that is meaningful to the audience. Not pushing them but sharing something with them. Sharing with them how you feel, think and believe.
You have this great idea. I want you to share it. I want you to do this because when you do your whole life will change. You have a right to give your opinion. You don’t have to push it on anybody else because it belongs to you. We want to paint a picture with stories, reasons, facts; but the whole thrust of the talk is your opinion.
Here is the video:
