MIT professor witnessed a lecture so horrible that he spent the next 40 years teaching people ‘how to speak’
Unlike most speakers, he believed ending a lecture with a thank you is a weak move
Patrick Henry Winston, the MIT professor who passed away in 2019, was in his office, chatting with a friend, when he casually mentioned somebody's "horrible" lectures. Curious, Robert Sjoberg, his mate, suggested he conduct IAP (Independent Activities Period) sessions at the university to address poor academic lecturing. At first, Winston refused, believing he would fail miserably. However, Sjoberg's motivation ultimately led him to start his "How to Speak" lectures at MIT, changing the way generations of students approached public speaking forever.
As usual, Winston began his lecture by warning against starting a talk with a joke. He explained that at the beginning of a conversation, the listener is still adapting to you and hence may not pay much attention to your humorous tone. Instead, Winston said, speakers must start with an empowerment promise, letting the listener know what they should expect from the talk. "You want to tell people what they are going to know at the end of the hour that they didn't know at the beginning of the hour," he added.
Next, the professor shared that a speaker should convey what they want to convey multiple times to ensure their idea has reached the listener. In fact, he insisted that speakers explain their ideas repeatedly to avoid any confusion.
Winston also encouraged speakers to ask questions at regular intervals to ensure listeners' engagement. Sometimes, Winston explained that listeners' attention also depends on the time and place where the lecture is delivered, and so choosing an appropriate time and place is important to ensure audience engagement.
For a successful lecture, listeners must be inspired by the speaker. And Winston believed that it's only possible when the lecturer can show they are genuinely passionate about the subject. Moreover, he said, it's also important that the speaker help the listeners with a different approach to their problem.
For candidates who are actively looking for a job, Winston said that they must convey their vision and what they have done to achieve it within five minutes to impress the recruiters.
In the end, Winston revealed a few things to keep in mind while concluding a talk. He explained that speakers are allowed to end a lecture on a humorous note with a joke. Unlike most speakers, Winston urged people to never conclude a lecture with a thank you.
"It's a weak move.... when you say thank you, it suggests that everyone has stayed that long out of politeness," he explained. So, instead, Winston said the speakers must conclude with a compliment or a positive gesture, such as a salute, without actually thanking the audience.
Public speaking has been a formidable task for many people, especially introverts. In fact, a YouGov poll of over 4,000 people observed that 39% of Americans report being nervous about social interactions. While 50% of young adults (18-24 years old) agreed with the notion, a similar number (47%) of 25 to 34-year-olds also reported feeling the same way. Moreover, the study revealed that women (43%) are more likely than men (34%) to feel nervous about the idea of social interaction. If you, too, are someone who has a hard time interacting with people, then you must consider watching Winston's sessions at MIT.
Meanwhile, reacting to Winston's lecture, @realhumphreyappleby commented, "We're so lucky that this gem of a lecture was captured before he died. Now he can deliver this talk every year, just like he did before." @gordonalley said, "I am sitting here alone watching this recorded presentation on my desktop computer, and without thinking, I automatically began to applaud along with the audience. He made what could have been a mundane topic very educational. I'm not a student — I'm 74 years old."
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