What's the thread running through your speech?

What's the thread running through your speech? 

If your speech doesn't have a clear thread, then it might come undone.

It needs something which holds it all together. 

When there's no clear thread it's a bit like a meal with too many flavours.

Each one might be good on its own.

But they compete.

And you end up not really tasting any of them.

I see this in speakers.

And I've done it myself.

Taken great quality ingredients.

Cooked them beautifully.

Then whacked them in a blender.

(Usually finished off by serving people far more than they actually want)

Now a thread isn't necessarily the topic.

It could be the theme.

Or just the general flavour.

It's the answer to the question: "What was your speech about?" 

You don't have to know the thread before you start to create a speech.

Sometimes it appears further down the line.

You have to start by taking some action and then it appears.

It's like journaling or doing the morning pages.

The act of taking action is what makes a difference.

Or - and this is really going to make me seem old - it's like driving a car without power steering.

You have to move the car a little before the steering lightens up enough for you to turn.

When I did my first TEDx, the thread was community.

And in the first couple of drafts it wasn't obvious enough.

It took a while before it was really obvious what the thread was and was obvious for people to see.

Once I moved it, everything made much more sense.

Like a good rug, it tied the room together.

It made all the difference.

So how do you find the thread in your speech?

You might already know what it is.

You might already be speaking about it.

But if you're not just start by writing.

(Or using voice notes or doodling or whatever it is that you use to get your ideas out of your head)

Perhaps you answer that question from earlier: what is your speech all about?

Maybe you even draw a line across a page and anchor everything that you do back to that thread.

You check your stories and your metaphors.

You check your language.

You make sure that it sits close to that line.

You make sure that everything is in absolute service of your message, you and your audience.

You already have great ingredients.

You probably know how to cook them.

But perhaps you need help understanding how to serve them.

If you're not sure what your thread is or if you've got a speech coming up and you feel you need some help, then that's exactly the kind of thing I love to help with.

Give me a shout.