Anyone who’s met me or read any of my musings will know of my enormous respect for Sir Ken Robinson. A professor and thought-leader on educational reform (or rather ‘transformation’), Sir Ken’s most famous speech is his 2006 TED Talk on how schools are killing creativity. I find his ideas on education and creativity compelling, but I’d like to focus not on his views but his delivery style. Not without reason is he considered one of the world’s great communicators, and in this talk at the Royal Society of Arts in 2008, he’s on cracking form.

I'd like you to focus on the section 3 mins 20 secs to 6 mins 30 secs on this YouTube clip. The rest is worth listening to (as is anything he says!), but there are some things he does in this section that warrant comment.

Light and Shade

If Sir Ken ever tired of campaigning for educational revolution, a career as a stand-up comedian surely awaits! He moves so easily from the profoundly insightful to the comically rib-tickling, and this ability to juxtapose light and shade is a mark of great speakers. There’s something faintly ridiculous about a highly respected academic speaking so openly about getting married in an Elvis Chapel!

Specificity

One of the keys to successful storytelling is the provision of detail. Dickens was a master at this, and while we might not have the time to go into such precise descriptions of characters or situations, an element of detail helps put the audience where you want them to be. Psychologists speak of ‘contextual embedding’ – these details help us sense what it was like to be in a particular situation. It establishes a stronger connection with the audience. So Sir Ken gives us a date (3rd January) when he received a call from the Getty Institute. “Would you like to come to California?” they asked. “We left immediately…the phone’s still hanging off the hook!” (as he waves his arm to simulate it).

Throwing the punchlines

Sir Ken has a nice way of tossing a punchline in an unexpected direction. He turns his head at the moment of delivery and it gives the line more impact. This is a great technique for making your speaking more effective. It also shares things around the audience better.

Use of Metaphor

After the comic set-up about Las Vegas he uses a key ‘link phrase’ – “I mention it because…” This gets him into more profound territory, explaining why Las Vegas symbolises for him the unique ability humans have to use their imagination (which forms the basis of his proposition). Metaphors and analogies are great ways to introduce heavier themes, softening up the audience so they’re more likely to follow your argument.

Stillness

Sir Ken suffered from polio as a youngster and his mobility is limited to this day. For that reason he doesn’t move around too much when he speaks, but this just adds to his gravitas. It helps us pay attention to what he’s saying, with no unnecessary movement to distract us. I remember watching my own TEDx talk from 2010 and thinking to myself, “For goodness sake, stop pacing up and down!”. It’s an idea to video yourself speaking. Watch it with the sound on mute and you’ll be more aware of your movement and any issues with body language.

The beauty of YouTube (and the likes of TED Talks) is that we can study and enjoy watching great speakers like Sir Ken, and incorporate some of their techniques into our own styles. But remember, that style without substance is an empty experience – you soon get found out!

Andrew Thorp coaches business leaders in presenting and the development of authentic storytelling skills.

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You can see details here about Andrew Thorp's Speakeasy at Cassons. The next events are 22 February and 21 March.