I was recently
speaking with one of this industry’s most respected and beloved CLE
professionals, who shall remain nameless (and I mean it this time). In the course of our conversation, she
expressed a common lament – that I’m already happily married. Or perhaps more accurately, she
expressed her continual amazement that some of her volunteer speakers fall
short of the mark despite her best efforts to create substantive and relevant
CLE offerings.
More often than not, she will select faculty members from amongst a list of leading experts; experienced practitioners who have the specialty certifications, client lists and divorces to prove it. Furthermore, these faculty members take CLE seriously and put together substantial handout materials that, if read, would greatly expand the average practitioner’s knowledge (and, if printed, would bankrupt the organizer). On paper, these seminars should be successful. Yet, too often, they fail more miserably than a North Korean missile test (or the average high schooler in Detroit). But why?
Because, in many cases, otherwise knowledgeable and conscientious faculty members stammer and stumble through disjointed presentations that they prepare the night before (or more often, in the car on the way to the seminar). And to be fair, who can blame them? Most of these faculty members are partners in prestigious law firms, local judges, and law school professors. In other words, they are top-flight professionals (and judges) who might not have the time it takes to create a coherent and compelling seminar. After all, it takes weeks to writing and rehearsing before I’m ready to give one of my seminars, so you can just imagine how long it would take to prepare for a good one.
Moreover, why would they put in all of that extra effort when the reviews indicate that they are already doing a "great" job? Let’s face it. CLE attendees are notoriously easy graders. In fact, only Tiger Woods and Secret Service agents in Columbia give out fives more indiscriminately. For most attendees, so long as the seminar wasn’t a complete waste of time, the presenter will receive a score of 5 out of 5. If it was a complete waste, they’ll receive a 4 out of 5.
Furthermore, after every seminar, someone will approach the faculty member to tell her how wonderful she was. Remember, the faculty member is an important person in the legal community (or a judge). It never hurts to be nice to someone who could possibly put in a good word for your child with a hiring partner, a dean of admissions, or your parole officer. In contrast, the 99% of the attendees who just spent the last three hours answering e-mails, reviewing documents and/or reconsidering the choice to become a lawyer in the first place, aren’t likely to approach the lecturer to express their disappointment. And even if so inclined, they probably wouldn’t recognize the speaker in any event. “Are you the one who was boring me for the last three hours? Well, sir. Oh, I’m sorry! Madam, you stink!”
In short, evaluations and attendees lie. So how do we get our volunteer speakers to see the truth? By showing it to them. Increasingly, we are recording our seminars for resale online. Why not provide your faculty members with a copy of these recordings? It will make a world of difference and I know this to be true from first-hand experience.
When I first started speaking on this circuit, I believed the lies from attendees and evaluations. I thought that I was the greatest thing to happen to CLE since the invention of the neck-brace pillow that allows you to sleep while sitting up. That is, until I made the mistake of watching a recording of one of my talks. Sadly, videotape doesn’t lie. Every “um,” “ah,” and awkward gesture was crystal clear; not to mention a disturbing number of wrinkles and blemishes (Damn you, HD!).
In all seriousness, my first thought after seeing the truth was, “I should give the money back.” Of course, given that I had already spent it, I had to come up with a Plan B – improving my skills as a speaker. As a result, I joined Toastmasters to eliminate the stammering, stuttering and unnecessary pauses. I read dozens of books on public speaking and listened to thousands of hours of the best public speakers (i.e., not me). And most importantly, I found a brand of make-up that hides most of my flaws from the camera (Take that, HD!).
And truthfully, even after almost a decade in this business, I’m still shocked and horrified whenever I watch tapes of even my current speeches. I still find myself sometimes talking too fast, being lazy in my elocution or doing other shockingly amateurish things, like putting my hands in my pockets or leaning lazily against the lectern (or still teaching CLE after ten years). Yet, I wouldn’t be aware of my obvious shortcomings if I hadn’t been shown these tapes (or married such an intelligent woman).
Likewise, our volunteer speakers aren’t aware of their shortcomings and it’s up to us to show them the “light”; or perhaps, more accurately, the “lights, camera, and action” of their starring role in our CLE programs. Confronted with indisputable evidence of their inadequacies, your faculty members will be compelled to do what I did – buy their spouse a luxury SUV. These faculty members will also be compelled to improve their presentations, or at the very least, make better fashion and grooming choices. Either way, it will be a win-win for our attendees.
More often than not, she will select faculty members from amongst a list of leading experts; experienced practitioners who have the specialty certifications, client lists and divorces to prove it. Furthermore, these faculty members take CLE seriously and put together substantial handout materials that, if read, would greatly expand the average practitioner’s knowledge (and, if printed, would bankrupt the organizer). On paper, these seminars should be successful. Yet, too often, they fail more miserably than a North Korean missile test (or the average high schooler in Detroit). But why?
Because, in many cases, otherwise knowledgeable and conscientious faculty members stammer and stumble through disjointed presentations that they prepare the night before (or more often, in the car on the way to the seminar). And to be fair, who can blame them? Most of these faculty members are partners in prestigious law firms, local judges, and law school professors. In other words, they are top-flight professionals (and judges) who might not have the time it takes to create a coherent and compelling seminar. After all, it takes weeks to writing and rehearsing before I’m ready to give one of my seminars, so you can just imagine how long it would take to prepare for a good one.
Moreover, why would they put in all of that extra effort when the reviews indicate that they are already doing a "great" job? Let’s face it. CLE attendees are notoriously easy graders. In fact, only Tiger Woods and Secret Service agents in Columbia give out fives more indiscriminately. For most attendees, so long as the seminar wasn’t a complete waste of time, the presenter will receive a score of 5 out of 5. If it was a complete waste, they’ll receive a 4 out of 5.
Furthermore, after every seminar, someone will approach the faculty member to tell her how wonderful she was. Remember, the faculty member is an important person in the legal community (or a judge). It never hurts to be nice to someone who could possibly put in a good word for your child with a hiring partner, a dean of admissions, or your parole officer. In contrast, the 99% of the attendees who just spent the last three hours answering e-mails, reviewing documents and/or reconsidering the choice to become a lawyer in the first place, aren’t likely to approach the lecturer to express their disappointment. And even if so inclined, they probably wouldn’t recognize the speaker in any event. “Are you the one who was boring me for the last three hours? Well, sir. Oh, I’m sorry! Madam, you stink!”
In short, evaluations and attendees lie. So how do we get our volunteer speakers to see the truth? By showing it to them. Increasingly, we are recording our seminars for resale online. Why not provide your faculty members with a copy of these recordings? It will make a world of difference and I know this to be true from first-hand experience.
When I first started speaking on this circuit, I believed the lies from attendees and evaluations. I thought that I was the greatest thing to happen to CLE since the invention of the neck-brace pillow that allows you to sleep while sitting up. That is, until I made the mistake of watching a recording of one of my talks. Sadly, videotape doesn’t lie. Every “um,” “ah,” and awkward gesture was crystal clear; not to mention a disturbing number of wrinkles and blemishes (Damn you, HD!).
In all seriousness, my first thought after seeing the truth was, “I should give the money back.” Of course, given that I had already spent it, I had to come up with a Plan B – improving my skills as a speaker. As a result, I joined Toastmasters to eliminate the stammering, stuttering and unnecessary pauses. I read dozens of books on public speaking and listened to thousands of hours of the best public speakers (i.e., not me). And most importantly, I found a brand of make-up that hides most of my flaws from the camera (Take that, HD!).
And truthfully, even after almost a decade in this business, I’m still shocked and horrified whenever I watch tapes of even my current speeches. I still find myself sometimes talking too fast, being lazy in my elocution or doing other shockingly amateurish things, like putting my hands in my pockets or leaning lazily against the lectern (or still teaching CLE after ten years). Yet, I wouldn’t be aware of my obvious shortcomings if I hadn’t been shown these tapes (or married such an intelligent woman).
Likewise, our volunteer speakers aren’t aware of their shortcomings and it’s up to us to show them the “light”; or perhaps, more accurately, the “lights, camera, and action” of their starring role in our CLE programs. Confronted with indisputable evidence of their inadequacies, your faculty members will be compelled to do what I did – buy their spouse a luxury SUV. These faculty members will also be compelled to improve their presentations, or at the very least, make better fashion and grooming choices. Either way, it will be a win-win for our attendees.
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