Often we are told to say what we are going to say. I was in a facilitating a meeting where a presenter started out by saying how he was going to present. He said he would spend a few minutes introducing his project, 10 minutes describing the process in detail, a few minutes to conclude. He then added that he would answer questions at the end.

As the facilitator, this was awesome. I knew that the presenter had prepared, and was conscious of his time slot. Often I have to interrupt presenters when they go over their allotted time because I have no idea if they are close to finishing.

Next time you present, let everyone know what to expect. That way they can focus on what you are going to say instead of how.

At the Beaverton Library this weekend, a storytelling workshop.

When you don’t know what to say, be silent, and the wisdom will come.  Today, be patient, and trust the words that bubble up to the surface. And know it takes courage to say nothing. ~ Rabbi Berg

Seriously, don’t!

Rich Hopkins puts it in very simple terms in this guest blog post.