Parkinson’s Law and the Most Important Speaking Tip

In her op-ed “Hall of Fame Tips for Presidential Candidates” (Aug. 10), Merrie Spaeth states that “speeches should be governed by the time available,” and calls this a manifestation of the Peter Principle. The more appropriate analogy is to Parkinson’s law, which states, in general, that a resource will be consumed in full whether the task necessitates it or not. In this context, a speech expands or contracts to fit the time allotted.

Parkinson’s law has many corollaries. For example, a one-hour meeting will accomplish the same as a half-hour meeting. My favorite observation is that a group of people walking down a sidewalk will always expand to fill the sidewalk.

Another great speaking tip, an adaptation of the old Teddy Roosevelt tip, I heard from a CEO speaking to a class of mine: “Stand up to be seen. Speak up to be heard. Sit down to be appreciated.” And with that, I will sit down before I prove that Parkinson’s law also applies to Wall Street Journal letter length.

Fred Van Bennekom

Bolton, Mass.

The tips on public speaking remind me of advice my father once gave: Leave your audience wanting more. He later proved it.

At the family celebration of my parents’ golden wedding anniversary, my dad had three carousels ready, with 81 slides each, for his narrative reflection on the past 50 years. One hour in and with not a carousel yet completed, with adult children nodding off and grandchildren screaming, my mother pulled the plug on the projector. Yes, leave your audience wanting more, not less.

Craig A. Horswill

Barrington, Ill.