A Speaker's Guide to Intellectual Architecture ®

Intellectual Architecture ®: What is it and how can we use it to build a captivating, self assured speaker.

I always suggest to clients when we start working together that we begin with a review of their content & concepts; that we create an “inventory” of sorts, making lists of all their commentaries, stories, and lived experiences, so as to identify the themes that run underneath their work.

Since I like naming things, I call this process ‘Intellectual Architecture ®’: discovering the foundation upon which ideas are built. This construct allows us to explore the basement (early experiences), the house (recent and current experiences) and the roof (birds eye view or future projects). It is a fun, non-threatening way to help people be more open to discovering what they have to draw upon. 

In a nutshell, the ‘Intellectual Architecture System’ is a rigorous exploration of our experiences and ideas, in order to transform the materials of our lives into stories and then speeches.

We explore what the themes have been and discover if they have changed (and if so what triggered the change).

We identify & explore who and what has influenced us-- the people, the books, the public events, etc. Perhaps we can weave in actual dialogue or quotes from those who have influenced us most, whether they are personal connections or public figures .

By identifying tangible information, the speaker is encouraged to use their 5 senses (i.e.. the smell of your grandmother baking bread, seeing the Eiffel Tower, the roar of people chanting at a demonstration, eating pizza in Rome and holding your father's hand as he takes his last breath).

By doing so, their ideas become more alive when they give their speech. This will allow the speaker to get out of their heads and into the experience that they are sharing.

Also, the speaker can ask, ‘how did I feel at the time?’ ‘What do I think the impact was?’ ‘Did it matter over time, or only when I reflect on it now?’ This is all part of the inventory process. 

We also explore the external world, as it is important for the speaker to look at this moment in time & history. How has what they have experienced and the ideas they have created relevant to now? Can the speaker give us a new lens to explore our lives and the world we are wanting to create?

Built to Last

We’ll explore all of these elements as if we are using a microscope or as if we were flying high on a plane and seeing it like a landscape. By unearthing various perspectives, we will have an opportunity to see with fresh eyes. This data gives the speaker information needed to build the internal structure for their talks.

The beauty of this process is that it allows speakers to see more clearly the breadth of their ideas. It reveals the wide and deep well from which they can draw their content. When you discover different elements of your ideas, you can choose which to use for different events. This, then, creates opportunity for their ideas to resonate best with a variety of audiences. One of the other benefits of practicing Intellectual Architecture ® is that it gives speakers self-assurance-- a sense of grounding which allows them to face whatever opportunities arise.

Renovation & Retooling

There are some speakers who are known for a particular presentation, but sometimes that "trademark" message keeps them stuck in the past. In this case, we will renovate: explore their ideas and see if they can be brought up to date. Often they can use their historical perspective as a lens to look at current events. This way they can use their expertise as a jumping off point to help audiences understand the current state of affairs.

Another opportunity for renovation is through retooling. This is especially relevant for speakers who are well known to one type of audience, but would like to expand their reach. In this case, we would explore language that resonates within a particular market. This will allow them to reframe their approach to their ideas.. I wrote a blog entitled, "Getting your Message Across", which offers a brief case study on this topic.

Both of these strategies are very useful for speakers who come to the table with their own histories, aspiring to turn them into their legacies.

Design Your Speech

The process of the Intellectual Architecture system will help you become an expert in your own expertise and ideas, while bringing into focus how they will be relevant to the audiences you want to address.

Additionally, should you decide to join a speaker's agency or bureau, these tools can be used to help the agencies develop your profile and topics.

How can you implement Intellectual Architecture ® into your speech?

Let’s talk about it. After all, if not now, when?