One of the public speaking clubs that I am a member of focusses on debate. You need to be an effective public speaker to be a good debater, but there are additional skills in debating. Topics vary from political to scientific to values and many more. The ability to construct and defend an argument is helpful in many situations.
In business you might be making a proposal at a board meeting, pitching to a client or suggesting a new way of working to your team. Whilst not always a “debate” in the formal sense, debating skills are extremely useful in these situations. You will encounter people with differing viewpoints. You will be challenged on your opinion. You will need to convince an audience (colleagues, clients, interview panels) of your argument. Many situations come down to “why should we choose you?”. Here’s how practising debate can help:
Building a case
Through researching the debate topic, you learn a lot. There is often a huge amount of information available on both sides of a debate. Often the challenge is deciding which statistics, studies and examples will best support your case. Choosing the ones which your audience will connect with, remember and be persuaded by is a big part of the process. This translates into how you can present your thoughts and ideas effectively in the situations mentioned above.
Teamwork
One of the ways in which debating differs from other forms of prepared speaking is the teamwork. You prepare as a team, sharing research, opinions and strategies. This gives you the opportunity to learn from others’ experience and perspectives. Often in business you’ll need to present as a team. Being able to deliver a coherent message through different speakers is a skill. Being able to divide up the points (parts of a pitch/presentation) and work together to ensure your argument runs through what each person is saying will enable you to showcase your abilities as a team and present a persuasive case.
Perspective
When preparing for a debate, you need to research and understand both sides of the argument in order to be able to formulate a persuasive argument and rebuttal. Being able to appreciate someone else’s view is important. Even if you don’t agree. The best way to convince other people (rationally and respectfully) is to acknowledge other opinions but show why yours is better. And sometimes we may not “win” the argument. There are often many ways of looking at and doing things. Being able to appreciate other perspectives is vital to working with others, learning and becoming better at what you do.
The more you can understand how perspectives on what you are talking about vary, the more you can anticipate challenges and objections. Having prepared how to respond will ensure you come across better when put under the pressure of an opposing view.
When faced with a situation where you are being challenged, the ability to speak persuasively and convince your audience may be the difference between you getting the job/winning the client/securing the funding.
How can you get your point across most effectively? How can you deal with someone with a different point of view? Practising debating has made me more convincing when I speak, able to constructively defend my views under challenge and be a better team member.
Photo by jean wimmerlin on Unsplash
