Finding Your Voice

Yesterday's post may appear to be far removed from the use of conversation in business, but bear with me. 

At one of New York City's gem destinations, the Morgan Library & Museum, is an exhibit right now of works by William Blake, the extraordinary engraver as well as poet and many other things.  He's the one, yes, who wrote "Tyger, Tyger, burning bright..."

If you go there to see the original manuscripts of Tyger as well as other works, you'll be bowled over by the engravings as well. 

But for me, the best thing of all is putting on earphones supplied by the manuscript of Tyger and listening to Jeremy Irons read it aloud.  Truly an incredible experience, hearing that superb voice, with well trained and practiced tone, phrasing, modulation, emphasis.  Wow.

Even if you can't get yourself to the Morgan, you can hear Jeremy Irons perform his reading feat right on your computer.  Here's the link.  Even better if you are looking at the words on the paper where Blake wrote them, but this is pretty good as life experiences go, even if you just hear them, at least as spoken by Irons.

So, since I need to connect this all to business conversation consider this:  What message does your company convey about its products and services worth repeating?  Do you engage people in the value of what you are up to?  How could you?  I grant you that Blake isn't available as copywriter, and you probably can't get Jeremy Irons to read it, but what could you do to fashion a message people really want to hear...over and over again?

Meanwhile, if your grade school or high school English teacher forced you to learn the "Tyger" poem by heart, thank him or her right now.   And if not, learn it.  There are worse things one can carry around in one's brain...to be brought up at will while riding the subway.