SUBTEXTAnd finally," Harper winds up, "Gary, you've been evaluating
that new outfit, Cooperative Ratchets. Tell me about their R's. "
(Here's jargon used to cover ROE—return on equity; ROA—return
on account; and ROI—return on investments. Lumping these to-
gether under the term "R's" gives a subtext of a CEO in a hurry, 9
a CEO who hasn't time to fool around, a CEO after facts and
performance. It impresses the marketing people!)
Words—what they mean, what they express, and how we use
them—are very much the basic stuff of verbal subtext. We call
someone skinny, and it's a derogatory description. We call that
same person slim, and it's a compliment. We can make a list of
words that have the same meaning but arouse different subtexts,
some positive, some negative. Just think, do we compliment the
boss or flatter him? Is a fellow worker stubborn, or someone with
perseverance? Is the personnel director selective, or is she picky?
Is the office Romeo suave or just glib?
In any discussion, the words we choose to label people can
create a positive or negative subtext. The clever speaker uses
words with discrimination and deliberation.
A QUICK COURSE IN SPEAKING
What can we learn from this chapter about either public speaking
or private speaking? One important point is to begin to study
and analyze your own voice. Does it reflect what you want to
say, or does the subtext behind your words contradict the text
you use? Use role models whose subtexts you admire. Analyze
their voices for all the different qualities and try to apply those
qualities to your own speech.
The first thing to do is hear yourself as others hear you. Nobody