ONE of the most challenging tasks of being a speechwriter is putting yourself in the shoes of your principal. This is one of the things I initially struggled with when I write speeches, especially for a new boss.
For veterans of the profession, crafting a speech does not only entail one to write based on a clear understanding of a certain topic or a list of talking points. Rather, it is writing from the perspective of your primary.
Though we are not telepaths like Professor X who can get into the minds of the people and read their thoughts, seasoned speechwriters can gauge with a fairly good amount of accuracy how their principals think, feel, and communicate.
The best way to do this is to get to know your primary well. Engage him or her in frequent conversations and learn as much about this person through your chats as well as from colleagues who have worked closely with him or her over the years.
It doesn’t mean that if he or she is the boss, you can’t have a casual talk. In fact, it is actually during these light moments that you will have get a chance to obtain invaluable insights that could eventually lead to a major policy directive or a decisive course of action.
While on a plane ride to Sulu, I was seated beside my American boss. It was the first time I had an informal conversation with him. He shared with me his experiences in the Middle East, family, and favorite NBA team. I finally got to know the man behind the CEO.
As a speechwriter, you must also be familiar with your principal’s style of communication. By understanding this key aspect of his or her persona, you will get a good feel of how he or she addresses issues or responds to crisis situations.
When I began writing speeches for a public official years ago, I found it difficult to zero in on what he wanted to tell his audience. In public gatherings or meetings, he preferred to express his ideas through personal anecdotes.
It was only when I carefully studied how he spoke and elicited positive responses from the crowd that I was finally able to draft speeches that reflected his sense of humor, candidness, and most of all, the core messages he wanted to get across to the audience.
This is why we must also know our primary views on pressing social, political, and economic issues. What is his or her position on calls for a higher minimum wage? What is his or her opinion on the war in Ukraine? Does he or she endorse the use of AI in the workplace?
As speechwriters, our primary goal is to be effective conduits of our principal, not only as the leader of the organization but also as a regular, everyday person who gets frustrated, excited, or inspired.
Going over the speeches I have written over the years, I believe that some of the better ones I have produced are those that reflect the personal, sensitive side of my principals. This does not aim to expose their weaknesses but rather to highlight what defines them as a person - their humanity.
In this fast-paced, AI-driven workplace, it is easy to write based on the latest data or updates from the most reliable sources. But we must not forget that in speechwriting, what matters the most is the heart that we put into it.