How to create a more dynamic speech that wins your audience over.
Have you ever heard of the name Laban or the eight efforts in public speaking? I guess that your answer might be a resounding no. But if you want to be better at public speaking, then the eight efforts should be an essential part of your speaker's tool kit.
The reason you may not have heard of Laban's eight efforts is that, for a long time, the Laban movement was predominantly used for dancers and dance choreography to discover new ways of movement. But in the 80s and 90s, it began to find its way into showbusiness to help actors improve their performances on stage and in front of the camera. As it spread like wildfire, it found its way into the public speaking arena of today.
I first encountered Laban's work through a close friend of mine, Lewis Jones, who has spent his life working in theatre productions and training stage performers. While Laban's work comes out of modern dance exploration, you can use Laban’s eight efforts to explore the character in your voice.
After discovering the eight efforts, they became a conscious cornerstone of my work as a mindful communication coach on stage and in conversation. The eight efforts not only help a speaker to both physically and emotionally identify and embody specific dynamics of a presentation, but also allow orators to dive into their expressiveness more deeply and bring out the best possible outcome by personifying the emotional dynamics of the presentation within their voice.
This embodied way of presenting helps the speaker in understanding internal impulses and in developing an expressive voice that can make clean and precise choices in the delivery of their presentation. It also helps the presenter to create and maintain a strong and engaged presence that will serve them throughout their presentation.
Who was Laban?
Rudolf Laban (1879-1958) was a master of movement. Nowadays his name is most widely associated with ‘Labanotation’ - a system he invented for analyzing and documenting movement in written form. Yet this is only one part of the substantial body of work he produced. He was a prolific choreographer, a life-long educator, and a specialist movement researcher. His work transformed the perception of movement in all performances and encouraged a whole new type of physical and vocal movement practice which has found its way into the realm of public speaking.
Laban's work is divided into four sections:
Direction is either direct or indirect
Weight is either heavy or light.
Speed is either quick or sustained.
Flow is either bound or free.
For instance, if you’re examining the flow and the movement of a speech you can tell if it is tight or open, whether it is forthcoming or it’s held in. Think of the difference between an uptight businessman compared to an enthusiastic entrepreneur. The businessman's speech probably feels very tight and rigid whereas the presentation of the entrepreneur feels more open and inspirational. The emotional signatures of the two presentations are different due to the distinct efforts made in the speech. Even if the two were to give the same speech, the results could not be more different because of the diverse use of the eight efforts.
What are the eight efforts?
An effort can be understood as a way of identifying the quality of movement or tone during a presentation – the sensation or feeling that the movement or sound has both for ourselves and the spectator. During this action, eight types of efforts can emerge. Laban called them the ‘Efforts of Action Drive’. You can use those efforts to increase the effectiveness of your next presentation.
Wring. Think about wringing as wringing out a wet towel. It is sustained or slow, indirect and heavy. Wringing your words can sound like a 5-year-old wringing out the words pleeeeease muuuuum.
Press. Like a used car salesman pressing on with words, it is sustained or slow, heavy and direct. Pressing a particular word will make it stand out. Pressing over a long time might win the argument.
Dab. - These are quick short words in succession like a painter dipping across the canvas. Never quite resting long enough in one spot, the words are flowing and gentle, direct but light.
Flick. - A sudden light and indirect expression. It has a spring in its step and at best occurs or is perceived as spontaneous. For example, you could flick someone else's opinion away dismissively.
Glide. - Like a figure-skater, the words glide along the surface of the conversation effortlessly. Light and flowy direct or indirect. This can make a technical or heavy topic feel lighter than it is.
Float. - Dreamy and gentle caring and kind, just like Winnie The Pooh, non-threatening and friendly. Floating is light and indirect, slow and free.
Punch. (thrust) - Carman from Southpark is a wonderful example of this, he is pushy in his approach and quick to anger. Heavy, swift and direct.
Slash. - Heavy, quick and indirect, like the Samurai slashing his sword across the chest of his opponent. Acting with force in a sloping direction from top to bottom across to the opposite side.
Why learn about Effort?
It is valuable for any speaker to be mindful of these efforts because it is the quality of the effort with which we communicate the intended meaning and emotion in our vocal articulation. This expresses who we are and what we are thinking and feeling.
How we carry out an action – how we act – defines us to ourselves and others. One person will walk and talk very differently from another depending on their personality type. To learn more about your personality type feel free to read through our blog post on archetypes.
It is crucial for the speaker to consciously choose ways of carrying out the presentation delivery to get the message right. It is a vital part of expressing the right character at the right time to strike the right note to avoid being misunderstood. By being mindful of the way you express yourself, you can transform the way of being perceived by your audience and create a lasting positive impact.
Summary.
Presentions or giving speeches is much more than simply conveying information. It is sharing an experience with your audience that will linger in their minds long after your talk has finished. To be a successful public speaker it is of crucial importance to incorporate Lablan's eight efforts, Wing, Press, Dab, Flick, Glide, Float, Punch and Slash in every presentation and conversation to get the most out of your time.
If you want to learn more about how to use your voice and body language on stage, in meeting rooms or in conversations you can start here by sending us an email and letting us know the specific challenge you are facing.