One of the biggest questions for executives preparing for a speech, is what to do with their hands. It seems even our President is similarly challenged. President Obama has delivered just 2 speeches from the Oval Office and they were dramatically different. In his first "oval" address after the BP oil spill, he gestured on every single phrase. In the second, this last week, he was in complete lock down. Speaking about "turning the page" on Iraq, Obama kept his hands clasped prayer style. Only once did they move and that was to quickly lift his thumbs up. As a coach, I give a thumbs down to this choice. It made him look like an automoton, disengaged and uncomfortable. While his words were chosen to calm and reassure, his body language had the opposite effect. The solution for the President and others grappling with the gesture, is a balance. Gestures should be deployed to emphasize as one would boldface a word or thought in a word document. The caution here is not to overdo it. If you boldface every word in that document nothing stands out. Gestures can also illustrate and when speakers combine an image with text people are more likely to remember your point. Maybe Obama's third time out will be the charm.
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