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The Gate Keeper
The speech timing light is the gate keeper of meeting agenda fairness. It is the conscience of politeness, the traffic keeper against rudeness. It is the agent of tempo. It is the “go ahead base coach.” It is the butcher that cuts the tail off a long winded speech.
Read This
This article covers aspects of a meeting agenda, the speech and speaker, and of course, the audience. A meeting is set up to gather a variety of people for the purpose of conveying information and/or gathering information. Perhaps it is to set a course, take a vote, or obtain a consensus. Regardless of its purpose, a well organized meeting has a printed agenda and a given or allotted time for each segment including any speakers giving presentations. A properly run meeting will keep to the allotted times throughout the employment of the agenda. Some time keepers will use a wall clock or a wrist watch to track the elapsing of time between segments. Some will use a stop watch or the stop watch function of a smart phone. Regardless of the method of tracking time, it is necessary to signal those speaking the appropriate start and stop signals.
The Speech Vehicle
The speech is the vehicle of the communication of ideas. Proper preparation and a timely delivery are key factors to its success and acceptance. The delivery of the speech by the speaker must be effective and timely. A speech that extends past its time allotment becomes a leech to its purpose. The speech can easily become anticlimactically boring.
The Conductor
The speaker is the symphony conductor. The instruments he conducts are his tongue, his body, and his voice. With the wave of his baton, he mouths a stream of words woven with punctuation, emotion, passion, and persuasion. These things are regulated by his chosen tempo against a given length of time. After beginning his speech, the speaker is signaled by the timing light when he should be turning his focus of his speech to its conclusion. The timing light will display a scheduled green light at this time. Soon after, that light changes to yellow indicating to the conductor that it is time choose carefully his final words in his speech conclusion. Should the speaker continue to speak until the red light comes on, he should quickly finish his sentence and end the speech. Going past his allotted time is rude and unprofessional. He encroaches on the agenda and possibly causes someone else to have less time than was planned or no time at all. He may even change the end time of the meeting.
What is the timing light?
It is the law enforcer of the privileged.
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Mermbership Not Required
You do not have to be a member of Toastmasters International to benefit from using timing lights and signal lights. Civic clubs, school debate teams, not for profit organizations, local governments, and many other groups have used these lights to enhance their training.
No Substitute
There is no substitute for proper speech preparation. The study of the speech subject matter and references, and sufficient practice all aid in an effective delivery. However, timing alone can make or break an otherwise high quality presentation. Using a timing light in practice and in the field helps astute public speakers become remarkable public speakers..
Portability
Some timing lights are large and bulky, even, unsightly. These timing lights are compact, cordless, and small enough to fit in medium to large purses for easy transport. Because of their size, these lights are easily stored in most storage areas.
Decision to Buy
These timing lights are hand assembled with many parts custom cut, soldered, glued, and drilled. The price is modest especially since the manufacturer has great confidence in the quality of the timing lights and guarantees them for three years. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I want fatigue free time sequencing indicators?
- Do I want compact size?
- Do I want cordless, safe operation?
- Am I willing to spend a modest amount of funds for a device that will serve my needs?
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If so, click
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to purchase a timing light.
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