Howdy All

I just finished my opening lecture to my public speaking classes and thought I'd pass on a tip that I stress to my students:

When preparing for a performance it's vital to go beyond what's necessary and look towards what will be sufficient to achieve your overall goal. Learning the correct slights, having the right props, finding an audience are only the necessary elements, but they are not enough to sufficiently entertain the crowd. Timing, pace, portrayal of confidence and all the other presentational element are required to be sufficient.

It's like watching the American Idol auditions - the sad cases are the ones who only thought that showing up for the audition would be sufficient instead of just necessary. We've all been guilty of learning a trick and rushing out to show it without spending the time to polish it into a successful effect. However, the time spent going from necessary to sufficient is invaluable and can't be rushed.

Sam

Excellent advice and a great way to contextualize the performing situation and what has to happen to insure success.

I got lost initially because it seems the terms could be switched depending on ones def of "sufficient" and "necessary." I read it over again and am grateful I did. This is a wise lesson for anyone to learn and a sufficient one to be reminded of.