Illustrative speech in your promotional oral interview

Certainly, one of the main performance objectives in the oral interview is to be pull apart and disengaged from the assembly line of others vying for your promotion. The panelists search for a diamond among a pile of rocks.

A very powerful technique, often overlooked or underused, is illustrative speech. Recite a memorized definition of leadership; describe prewritten motivational techniques; Discussing supervisory styles is fine, however, such average descriptions pale in comparison when exemplified through real-life examples or verbal images so lucid that the panel can see what you saw or feel what you felt.

Using ethics as an example, most candidates could describe integrity using cliche; “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is looking.” This is a good statement, but does it really define integrity? Others will define integrity with other ethical descriptors, such as being honest, having high morals, or possessing strong values; All of which help describe integrity, but even collectively, you can’t define it.

Using illustrative language, integrity could be defined as a gun safe that can never be breached or compromised; it is a nuclear submarine with no crush depth and no crack will break the hull, no nut will fail under pressure and no water will compromise the interior of the submarine; it is a line of police officers standing shoulder to shoulder, united, holding back an unbridled crowd, none of whom can break through the integrity of the line. Illustrations like these are followed by a concise definition; Integrity is uncompromising integrity and integrity that cannot be broken.

Now, instead of panel members just hearing the words honesty, doing the right thing, principles and values, they are envisioning a solid gun safe; they see a submarine far below the surface of the ocean prevailing against the great pressure; They are remembering when they once stood shoulder to shoulder with other officers during civil unrest or that big party that turned violent. Panel members not only hear what you say, they see it too and that is powerful communication and this technique can be used with any topic.

Just as effective as illustrative speech (the use of metaphors and analogies) is the use of real-life examples. For example, a candidate may answer a question about motivation not only by defining it, but also by describing in specific detail how he used various techniques to successfully motivate others in the past. This represents a candidate who has been and has been there and illustrates a tangible experience. Finally, the candidate can identify this experience as a valuable and necessary characteristic of the position for which he is competing.

Illustrative speech, used correctly, can be very powerful and allows the candidate’s words and descriptions to come to life, allowing the panel to see the response and hear it. Compare an interview response that provides only a definition with one that offers a descriptive illustration, followed by a concise definition, and then supported by a real-life example and the choice is clear. Taste good!