Best speech ever

Yesterday I gave one of the best speeches I’ve ever given on happiness at work to Junior Chambers Copenhagen. What made it good? This I think:
1: I opened up the speech by showing them my prepared notes (on little cue-cards)
2: I then made a display of tearing them up and throwing them away
3: And then I had the audience call out suggestions for topics they’d like to hear about

It also doesn’t hurt if you have an attentive, interested and active crowd listening.

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6 responses to “Best speech ever”

  1. raffi Avatar

    Hi Alex!
    Remember me from OSonOS in Goa?

    I have enjoyed reading some of your entries, and got Wendy Farmer O’Neill, who started the Open Space Sangha (OSS) blog (openspacesangha.blogspot.com) to list Positive Sharing as an Open Space blog. Maybe you’ll look at OSS, if you haven’t already, and contribute. You can email her and ask to be part of the team.

    I quoted your quote and review of the Play Ethic book in one OSS post. Thank you for that review, the talk of play has informed a number of my conversations recently.

    Are you still on the OST listserv or too busy?

    Are you planning on coming to OSonOS in Moscow next year?

    Warmly,
    raffi

  2. Alexander Avatar

    Hey Raffi my friend – good to hear from you. I DO remember you from Goa – you and your cool camera :o)

    Thanks for the kind words and for quoting – I write to share, so the more people can use it, the better.

    I delisted myself from the OSlist. I’d became quite disillusioned and frustrated at the Goa OSonOS conference – so much potential, so much talk and so little action. So I won’t be coming to Moscow, at least not for the OSonOS.

    Cool blog, the OSS! Good content, good people. So many familiar names, it feels like coming home.

  3. raffi Avatar

    Hi Alex!
    Thanks for your reply.
    I now use a digital camera (less cool?).

    Too bad you delisted yourself from OSlist. Maybe your sense of smell is stronger and you taste lots of words and little action in the OS World. I’d be curious to see how you came to that conclusion and where you see more action.

    The OS World is imperfect, admittedly, but it’s a lot better than a lot of other things I see out there.

    warmly,
    raffi

  4. Alexander Avatar

    Yeah, I know. It’s a good crowd – some very sharp, cool, nice, hard-working, caring and committed people.

    And I DO find it hard to define exactly what caused my frustration. I *think* it’s a sense of wasted potential – that there is something else/more/wilder we could be doing. I dunno. I just became really frustrated, and decided to "dignify it with my absence" as I once heard Lisa Heft say :o)

  5. raffi Avatar

    Alex,

    Hmm. I will think about that.

    Are familiar with the Genuine Contact Program (www.genuinecontact.net), started by Birgitt Williams?

    That seems to be have a direct connection to Happy at Work.

    Will be visiting you from time to time. I like what you have here.

    I translated part of your Pat Kane post into Russian for my new OS bilingual blog, tales of a toy.

    Thanks!
    raffi

  6. Alexander Avatar

    Yeah, I know Birgitt – she does great work. I’ve never been translated into russian before – thanks man :o)

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