justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Can I ever see myself as others see me?

About 22 years ago, while chatting with a colleague from Bank of America, I made the observation that it’s not possible for me to see myself as others “see” me. Perhaps this is not so major an observation for others, but when the subject came up while discussing the elements of an exceptional presentation, it blew me away. It also led to a lively discussion about image, perception, non-verbals, ego, vanity, being “on”, self-concept, how to engage your listeners, what people remember, how the speaker’s message filtered - and so on.

That may be a strange realization. After all, can’t we see our image in a mirror, in windows we pass on the street, or even in a puddle of water at our feet?

In short, no, we can’t! Those reflections of “us” are two dimensional and lack depth or other dimensions we may project. It’s been said that we project much more than height, width and depth when we stand up in front of an audience. Time, temperature, even an aura transcend our physical presence. (I remember one experiment that used an infrared light to view the speaker’s image, which remained after that person had left the room.)

Over the 20+ years that have followed, this realization has impacted my teaching of presentation skills to college students and corporate managers. More importantly, it’s impacted how I personally present. There’s a much-quoted (and much debunked) theory, 55-38-7, which I first heard about at a YMCA leadership conference in Downey, California, in 1966. The site Blue Chip Musings provides a succinct definition of what the theory represents:

·     “When making a presentation, 55% of your impact on the audience is related to visual things…the setting, the speaker’s dress, AV aids, etc.

·     38% of the impact is related to tonality as it relates to both the actual sound and the accompanying emotions. (Does the presenter speak with conviction, resolve, passion, etc.)

·     The final 7% of impact relates to the words themselves.”

So, although the theory or rules listed above may not truly be quantified, nor are they the “be all to end all”, I’ve made sure I’m aware of the visual impact I’m making, the tone I’m using, and the words I’m speaking – how affirmative and absolute the content is, saying no more than is necessary.

As much as possible, I need to be aware of how I come across to my audience… which is about as close as I will really come to “seeing” myself through the emotions, reactions, and responses of those who are listening to me.