Selling Your Competence 27
Our role models are no help either. People who’ve reached
high positions deluge us with “...uh...um...er.” It’s not unusual to
be settling in on an airplane and suddenly hear over the loud-
speaker, “Uh...folks...uh...this is your...uh...captain...uh...speaking.
We’re...uh...currently climbing through...uh...12,000 feet...uh...up
to our...uh...cruising altitude of...uh...33,000...uh...(and by now
you’re ready to scream, “Feet, Captain, feet!”). You just hope the
pilot isn’t as tentative at the controls.
Don’t imitate bad examples
It happened a long time ago, but it’s worth bringing back here.
It was July 31, 1987. My assistant called and said, “Turn your tape
recorder on. Secretary of defense, Casper Weinberger, is stum-
bling through congressional testimony.” The subject was continu-
ing aid to the Contras.
Here’s what the tape played back:I think it’s even more vital now that...uh...all of
this...uh...uh...all of these...uh...uh...attempts or whatever
it were that were made...uh...to...uh...assist in...uh...
uh...uh...non...uh...uh...mmmuh...straightforward
and...uh...and...uh...means that are provided for in our
regular statutory...uh...uh...framework—that none of that
distract us from the basic importance and...and...essential
correctness of the...uh...of the requirement of...
of...supporting the...uh...the...uh...democratic resistance in
Nicaragua.Try to figure out that statement. I dare you.Even professionals can blunder
You may not have noticed it, but even television reporters fall
into the trap. They’re used to reading from TelePrompTers as
their scripts roll between their eyes and the camera lens. But on
those occasions where breaking news forces them to “wing it,”
notice how flustered they become. It’s not unusual to hear,
“The...uh...fire is...uh...reported to...uh...have broken out
at...uh...just after...uh...midnight.”