Speaking for Yourself

One of the most oft-used expressions people use is "I can speak for myself." Something comes up and rather than have another person speak on our behalf, we speak for ourselves. After all, who knows our own mind better than us? Who knows every little detail as to how and why we have the opinion we do about a particular issue or matter than us? So, speaking out should be pretty easy. Right? Wrong. It can actually be rather difficult. I can attest to this from personal experience. While I have strong views on various issues, I am not always able to articulate my specific thoughts on any given topic nearly as well as I would like.

This may be a reality that others experience as well. My point here is not to directly address the reasons for it. Rather, from a communication standpoint, I can speak to what to do about it. When one speaks on their own behalf, they are essentially serving as a spokesman for themselves. One of the first steps a spokesman takes when preparing for an interview or public appearance is to do as much research on the topic-at-hand. Even if research includes information about one's self, it is important to become well-versed on the part of yourself that is relevant to the topic at-hand. Do not let your guard down just because you are quoting yourself.

If anything, professionals should be harder on themselves than they are on others. Doing so shows discipline that can and should be impressive to others. Furthermore, representing one's self, particularly if you take it seriously, is good practice for representing others. Do research on your topic. Compose talking points. Practice them. Find out as much as you can about your audiences. These are the same steps one should take on behalf of any client. Public relations is its most effective when it is the result of serious and detailed preparation. This level of professionalism should always be the rule.