Imagine this.
A soldier hits the battlefield unarmed.
Absurd, right?
According to a military law, it's a major no-no.
MIT's Patrick Winston has a similar take.
In one of his epic annual lectures, he kicks off with this gem:
"The Uniform Code of Military Justice specifies court martial for any officer who sends a soldier into battle without a weapon. There ought to be a similar protection for students, because students shouldn’t go out into life without the ability to communicate. Your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas, in that order."
Mic drop.
It’s a killer analogy, equating communication skills to a soldier's weapon.
Love it.
Aim for the heart, not the head.
Once you get their heart, the head follows.
And once you get both, bam, you’re reaching for their soul.
As the head of AI at MIT, Patrick dedicated his life to understanding and teaching the art of communication.
As a true scientist, he didn't settle for clichés and assumptions; he gave us a formula.
Quality of communication = f(K, P, t), where K stands for Knowledge, P for Practice, and t for Talent.
Notice Talent (t) is the least important component, marked with a lowercase.
Patrick emphasized that knowing your stuff is the foundation.
This revelation struck him years ago on a ski slope in Sun Valley, where he realized he was a better skier than the Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, despite her being a world-class athlete.
The reason?
Patrick is typing now:
What really matters is what you know. This point came to me suddenly a few decades ago when I was skiing at Sun Valley. I had heard that it was Celebrity Weekend, and one of the celebrities was Mary Lou Retton, famous Olympic gymnast, perfect 10s in the vault. And I heard that she was a novice at skiing, so when the opportune moment arrived, I looked over on the novice slope and saw this young woman who, when she became unbalanced, went like that. And I said that's got to be her. That must be the gymnast. But then, it occurred to me, I'm a much better skier than she is, and she's an Olympic athlete-- not only an ordinary Olympic athlete, an outstanding one. And I was a better skier because I had the K, and I had the P, and all she had was the T. So you can get a lot better than people who may have inherent talents if you have the right amount of knowledge.
Patrick’s message is clear.
Talent might get you noticed, but practice makes you unforgettable.
If you want to succeed, invest in learning and practising your craft. (If you'd like to hire me, you know what to do.)
It will always overshadow inherent talent.
Patrick’s insights extend beyond theoretical frameworks.
In practical terms, he says you’ve gotta grab your audience’s attention and hang on tight.
Think you’ve got 15 minutes to win 'em over?
Nope.
Try 5 minutes.
That’s all you’ve got to get 90% of the room nodding along.
What do you do in those first few minutes?
It’s everything.
Nail it or fail it.
Build a fence around your message.
Back to Patrick:
What you want to do instead is start with empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they're going to know at the end of the hour that they didn't know at the beginning of the hour. It's an empowerment promise. It's the reason for being here…What would be an example? By the end of the next 60 minutes you will have been exposed to a lot of ideas, some of which you will incorporate into your own repertoire, and they will ensure that you get the maximum opportunity to have your ideas valued and accepted by the people you speak with.
You know, personally, I think the order of importance is shifting.
Writing skills are becoming critical these days.
Just look at Jeff Bezos—his executive meetings are centred around detailed written memos that take his team weeks to craft.
And over at Basecamp, Jason Fried insists that every hiring decision hinges on an applicant's writing ability, from programmers to receptionists.
Why all this fuss about writing?
Well, clear writing reflects clear thinking.
And in today's remote work environment, the ability to say a lot with a few words is more valuable than ever.
Remember, if you’re thinking without writing, you only think you’re thinking.
Now, when I coach clients, they all undergo Patrick’s "How to Speak" lecture—no exceptions.
And guess what?
It won’t teach you how to make your business huge.
That’s up to you.
But it’ll arm you with the communication chops you need to connect with your audience and cut through the clutter.
So, if you're serious about success, take a cue from the late Patrick Winston’s field manual.
Never go into battle without your weapon.
PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.
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