1. Tony, thanks so much for your coaching on my speech for last night. You
gave me the perfect foundation to set the right tone for the very difficult
occasion.
It’s so easy to get stuck on the wrong track when you’re so close to the
subject and to fall into traps that can result in criticism. Your advice to
build on ‘agreement statements’ was exactly what the situation called
for. All I had to do was fill in the story and build it to a conclusion.
It would have been hard to stay positive without your coaching, under
the circumstances.
I had no expectation of support, but when I finished and the gallery
applauded, it made up for a lot of the recent dramas. I received positive
comments from strangers afterwards and even the journalist present
said “great speech”. I can tell by the responses of those who regularly
criticise me that they were affected by the message and the delivery.
One of my colleagues said later I made her cry because my message
about my situation connected with her situation. More good feedback
came in by email today.
I know I’ll use your advice for all future public speaking and when
crafting messages for difficult situations. Thanks again.
Councillor
Virginia Laugesen
Warringah Council