TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

by Chris J. Anderson

Lyrical inspiration Sometimes, if the talk has opened people up, it’s possible to end with poetic language that taps deep into matters of the heart.

I thoroughly recommend a TED Talk by Julian Treasure called, “How to speak so that people want to listen.” He not only explains what’s needed, he offers exercises that help you get your own voice ready.

1. DRAMATIC PROPS

2. PANORAMIC SCREENS

3. MULTISENSE STIMULATION

4. LIVE PODCASTING

5. ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEW

SPOKEN WORD FUSION

7. VIDEOPOETRY EXPLORATION

8. ADDED MUSICAL SOUNDTRACK

9. THE LESSIG METHOD

10. DUAL PRESENTERS

11. NEW DEBATE FORMATS

12. SLIDE BLIZZARD

13. LIVE EXHIBITION

14. SURPRISE APPEARANCES

15. VIRTUAL PRESENTERS

More system-level strategic thinking.

More innovation.

More creativity.

More utilization of uniquely human values. Human-to-human services will flourish, provided the humanity inherent in them is cultivated. It may be possible to develop a robotic barber, but will the service alone be enough to replace the chatty interaction with a great human hairstylist-cum-therapist? I doubt it. The doctor of the future may be able to ask for Watson’s brilliance in diagnostic assistance, but that should allow more time for that doctor to really understand the human circumstances of her patient.

Instead of ever-greater amounts of ever-more-specialized knowledge, we’re going to need: Contextual knowledge, Creative knowledge, and A deeper understanding of our own humanity. Contextual knowledge means knowing the bigger picture, knowing the way all the pieces fit together. Creative knowledge is the skill set obtained by exposure to a wide variety of other creative humans. A deeper understanding of our own humanity comes not from listening to your parents or your friends, nor to psychologists, neuroscientists, historians, evolutionary biologists, anthropologists, or spiritual teachers. It comes from listening to all of them.

What I need to know is how your work connects to everything else. Can you explain the essence of it in a way I can understand? Can you share your work process in layman’s terms? Can you explain why it matters? And why you are passionate about it?

But now, for the first time in history, it’s possible for anyone on the planet who has access to the Internet to summon to their home the world’s greatest teachers and inspirers. The potential that represents is breathtaking.

crowd-accelerated innovation.