In a time of extreme cultural and business shifts, organizations are finding it more important
than ever before to keep their teams both motivated about the future and open to suggesting shifts. However, just as parents find their children more likely to take advice from another adult or peer who repeats the same advice they’ve been preaching for years, employees and peers are often more receptive to mind shifts instigated by an outsider.
One potential solution to shifting team members’ thinking is bringing in an external expert in the form of a speaker. According to Market Research Blog, the motivational speaking industry in the U.S. is a multi-billion-dollar market, projected to generate $2.3 billion annually by 2025. There is a strong global demand for speakers. However, another way to interpret this data is to consider that most organizations expect a return on investment, meaning they must expect to generate or save more revenue than they spend on professional speakers.
While, as a technology futurist, I am often grouped with motivational speakers for data purposes, as seen in the example above, I fit into the niche of “informational speaker.” When client organizations bring in economists, futurists, and other types of analysts or “how-to” type of speakers, they typically expect our information to inspire their members or teams to take specific actions based on the data we share or they want us to deliver information that updates the mental models of their attendees; priming them to be more creative and open, if not innovative.
Organizations want longevity. According to the World Economic Forum, the average lifespan of Fortune 500-sized multinational corporations is only 40 to 50 years. Almost 50% of the Fortune 500 from 1999 had disappeared from the list just ten years later. To achieve longevity, it’s imperative that employees—from front-line team members to C-suite leaders—can adapt and see new opportunities. Outside experts cannot shift an organization’s culture, but professional speakers can provide the spark that, along with continued training and reinforcement, can result in employees adopting a more intrapreneurial attitude. This approach ensures that they
are not simply future-proofing their careers, but also the company’s existence.
For professional speakers to deliver effectively, I suggest that organizations spend time
preparing the speaker on the organization’s or industry’s culture, its most significant challenges, and potential opportunities. Open and honest communication will help the speaker address the audience’s specific needs, building credibility and increasing the likelihood that attendees will
consider the information presented and potentially add it to their toolkits for continued
inspiration and innovation.
