Pushing People Higher

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

Monday evening at my Toastmasters club, I was describing to a first-time guest our process for evaluating prepared speakers. “Oh,” she asked, “so you tell them what was good and what was bad about their speech?”

Actually, what we try to do is tell the speaker what they did really well, then suggest ways that they can make the speech even better the next time they give it.

The key is to have a positive, constructive focus. For many new speakers, they have already achieved a personal victory by standing up in front of an audience and delivering a speech at all. Can they improve it? Sure. We can deliver that as good news, however, not as, “Here’s what you did wrong.” Rather, offer helpful suggestions.

“Try to make eye contact with audience members.”

“Be sure your voice reaches the back of the room.”

“Your opening story was powerful. Bring us back to it in your closing.”

Every day is full of opportunities to “stir up one another to love and good works.” Those seemingly small ones are just as important as the big ones. You probably won’t have to save the world today. You do have unlimited ways to speak into someone else’s life. Look for them. Many are hiding in plain sight.