Did Sam treat the audience with respect?

Sam wanted to present a speech on medical errors. He has procrastinated. Two days before the speech, he realized that no matter how hard he worked, his speech would be weak, and he could not do it justice. Instead of choosing a less technical topic or narrowing to one specific kind of medical mistake, he decided to push through it. He could make up for the scant and superficial content by wearing hospital scrubs, borrowed from his brother-in-law, and by sliding his glasses down his nose to make it easier to see his notecards and to match the stereotype of a health care provider.
1. Did Sam treat the audience with respect?
2. Name several things Sam should have done differently.
3. What would you do if you were Sam’s instructor?

ANSWER
Sam’s approach to the speech raises questions about respect for the audience and the ethics of presenting. Let’s address the questions:

1. **Did Sam treat the audience with respect?**
No, Sam did not treat the audience with respect. By acknowledging that his speech would be weak and superficial but deciding to push through with it regardless, he showed a lack of consideration for the audience’s time and expectations. By resorting to superficial gimmicks like wearing hospital scrubs and sliding down his glasses, he attempted to deceive the audience rather than delivering a well-prepared and informative speech.

2. **Name several things Sam should have done differently:**
Sam could have taken several more ethical and responsible approaches:

a. **Choose a specific and manageable topic:** Rather than attempting to cover a broad topic like “medical errors,” he could have narrowed his focus to a specific aspect of the subject that he could adequately research and discuss.

b. **Prepare adequately:** If he felt that he couldn’t do justice to the topic within the time frame, he should have either postponed the speech or selected a more manageable topic. Adequate preparation and research are essential for delivering a meaningful speech.

c. **Be honest with the audience:** Sam could have started the speech by acknowledging the challenges he faced in presenting a comprehensive discussion on the topic. Being transparent about limitations can build trust with the audience.

d. **Engage the audience through meaningful content:** Rather than relying on gimmicks, Sam should have focused on delivering content that genuinely informed and engaged the audience. A well-structured speech with accurate and relevant information would have been more respectful to the audience.

3. **What would you do if you were Sam’s instructor?**
If I were Sam’s instructor, I would address the situation by providing constructive feedback. I would emphasize the importance of honesty and ethics in public speaking and the need to prioritize audience understanding and engagement. I would also encourage Sam to work on time management and topic selection to ensure that he can deliver quality speeches in the future. Ultimately, the goal would be to guide Sam toward more effective and ethical communication.