Sunday, May 24, 2009

Focus on What Not to Do

Today's NYT Business Section profiles business guru Jim Collins. The article explains that one of his keys to success is his hyper-focused, minimalist approach to his work:

"...a willingness to say no and focus on what not to do as much as what to do...Therefore, in Jim Collins' world, small is beautiful."

This is a critical - and often missed - step of speech preparation. Often we are so busy trying to figure what to say, that we don't spend enough time and energy thinking about what not to say. So many rambling, long-winded presentations are the sad result of forgetting this step.

From the Green Room: When honing your subject, remember that small is beautiful and less is more. So ask yourself - "What is my speech not about?" This process of elimination will help focus your content.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Terrific advice. Apparently the "minimalist" approach worked for Michelangelo who described it thus: "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

Sarah Gershman said...

I love that quote. Perfect!
Thanks for reading.