The task of developing corporate culture is relevant for any company. Many experts say that corporate culture should even be attributed to the company’s intangible assets. Companies with a healthy corporate culture are proven to retain their valued employees easier, show more outside-the-box thinking, and even have a higher overall success rate.
Such companies are dynamic, malleable to market changes, ready to take on the world as a team. Considering the importance of corporate culture and, therefore, team building, today we will explore the topic of motivational speaking and how to tackle it for an ultimate team bonding experience.
The Power of a Great Motivational Speech
The effect of a good motivational speech is immeasurable. Unfortunately, many executives and leaders are still blind to this fact, not realizing how they can use it to help lift team spirit and make employees feel valued and motivated. Sometimes those who give motivational speaking a go are underwhelmed with the results, largely because of their own mistakes: poor planning, lack of clear structure, emotionless delivery, etc. These factors can diminish the general potential of speech.
As a rule, motivational speeches often resemble either a never-ending cringe stream of compliments or a failed attempt at manipulating emotions, a weak stand-up routine or are just plain boring. Hence, the leader’s attitude, who sometimes just sees speeches as useless but expected part of any team building activity. Some team-building activities fail miserably- don’t let it be your case!
With the right approach, your speech can become a beacon that will guide employees’ actions for a long time to come, which makes learning how to inspire your staff extremely valuable and worthwhile. Let’s learn how to write awesome motivational speeches together!
How to Prepare your Perfect Speech
When working on your speech, definitely sit down and briefly write what you plan on conveying to your audience, what will motivate them. It needn’t be detailed – a rough sketch will do. For example, make it look something like this:
- Say hello. Briefly congratulate on the occasion.
- Share company’s achievements.
- Praise different departments, point out employees’ input.
- Explain the main problems the company is facing, outline solutions.
- Enthuse about immediate plans.
- Share the main goal for the future.
- Express certainty that together we can handle anything.
- Finish with a “Thank You”.
Once you have the basic structure of your speech figured out, you can elaborate on different points. As a result, you get an almost finished speech, which you just have to talk through a few times.
If you feel like writing good speeches is beyond your capabilities, you can get help from a professional writing agency. Many believe that a writing service that provides college papers is not a solution, but most of them offer way more services – speech writing included! So, if you are not up for the task, there is no need to stress. However, if you are willing to give it a go, here are some tips you can follow.
Writing a Motivational Speech that will make your Team Stronger
Basic principles of writing an effective motivational speech are:
- Don’t read notes/ learn the text by heart.
Reading from the paper is unacceptable. It is generally assumed that the speaker finds correct words on the spot, is guided mostly by emotions and inner impulse. It is important to keep eye contact with the audience. This is what makes good speeches so powerful, but it doesn’t work if the information is simply being read, even if your notes are implacable.
Full word-for-word memorization of your speech evokes the same issues. Any motivational speech should feel natural, free-flowing, and “alive”, however presenting memorized lines can make it sound “stale” and insincere. If you struggle with on-the-spot speaking and don’t trust your memory, you can prepare a flashcard with just a few words that will help you maintain a certain structure.
- Omit the numbers/boring details.
There is nothing more daunting than a speech filled with unnecessary specifics. No one likes being bored by a 10-minute report about the company’s increased figures. Sure, you can include some facts in your speech, but keep them brief.
- Don’t be afraid to sound emotional.
Team building is about developing and strengthening connections, while nothing is as effective at making your staff feel like you are one of them as showing little emotion. Keep a good balance – about 1/3 of your speech should be about facts, while 2/3 should convey raw emotions and inspiring ideas.
- Don’t be silent about problems.
Deliberately ignoring problems is wrong. It is good practice to recognize existing challenges the company is facing, propose solutions, and encourage team effort to make a difference. However, don’t go over minor issues – it can come across as trying to place blame or being petty.
- Look back.
Recall success stories, briefly praise those who made them possible – it will make employees feel valued and validated. Reference previous successful experiences. Use past examples to review what the team has already achieved, and express confidence in their future accomplishments.
- Talk about people.
People love when their efforts and wins are recognized, and a motivational speech is the right way of addressing that. If your team is small, you can enthuse about specific employees. If the company is large, speak of accomplished departments or branches. Leaders often point out failures, but don’t notice wins, which can make employees feel like their achievements have no value and there is no point in even trying. A motivational speech is your chance to remedy such a situation.
- Reward your employees.
Don’t underestimate reward’s influence on employee motivation. It may be the right time to announce some bonuses or other personal benefits that your teammates will receive. This goes a long way in lifting spirits and motivating staff for the future.
- – Put emphasis on the team.
Don’t distance yourself from the audience – they will not accept your arguments or your praise if it will come across as patronizing. Show your involvement in the team. Always replace the words “you” with “us”, don’t emphasize your personal input. Your speech should evoke a feeling of togetherness and equality.
- Crack a few jokes.
Nothing relieves tension like timely jokes or funny quotes. Even if you are talking about not the most joyful things, their negative intensity can be minimized with humor. This does not mean that jokes should be inserted every few sentences, but it will not hurt to lift everyone’s spirits a few times during your speech.
- Keep it short and sweet
Remember that people’s attention will divert after about 10 minutes of your talking, so keep your speech brief. If you can’t tell when to end a speech, a good idea is “reading the room” – pay attention to the audience’s mood shifts and behavior, it will signal you if you shall need to cut it short.
Last Words of Wisdom
Writing a motivational speech is a test of your knowledge, character, temper, writing skills, and attitude in general. You need to put everything you got in such a speech in order to successfully convey your support to people, help them move along the intended path.
Always be sincere, energetic, and humble when delivering a motivational speech. Find a correct way to connect, show gratitude and electrify your teammates, so they could carry the spirit of your speech long after team building is done.
Author’s bio. Jessica Fender is a copywriter and blogger at GetGoodGrade with a background in marketing and sales. She enjoys sharing her experience with like-minded professionals who aim to provide customers with high-quality services.
Nothing works quite as well for team building as motivational speeches. These lessons can make a significant impact.
Motivation speeches can do so much for team-building events – much more than you can imagine. If you know how to give such speeches, you’re in the best position to be a leader.