The TED Commandments for Effective Presentations

TED presentations, several of which are linked in the video category, range from personal success stories to detailed scientific breakthroughs. Regardless of the topic presented, the quality of delivery is outstanding. I give the TED presenter selection team great credit in choosing their speakers. One simple yet powerful tool is the TED Commandments - rules that every speaker needs to know - these are sent to presenters well ahead of time.

1. Thou Shalt Not Simply Trot Out thy Usual Shtick
2. Thou Shalt Dream a Great Dream, or Show Forth a Wondrous New Thing, Or Share Something Thou Hast Never Shared Before
3. Thou Shalt Reveal thy Curiosity and Thy Passion
4. Thou Shalt Tell a Story
5. Thou Shalt Freely Comment on the Utterances of Other Speakers for the Skae of Blessed Connection and Exquisite Controversy
6. Thou Shalt Not Flaunt thine Ego. Be Thou Vulnerable. Speak of thy Failure as well as thy Success.
7. Thou Shalt Not Sell from the Stage: Neither thy Company, thy Goods, thy Writings, nor thy Desparate need for Funding; Lest Thou be Cast Aside into Outer Darkness.
8. Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good.
9. Thou Shalt Not Read thy Speech.
10. Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them that Follow Thee

I am sure there are another 10 or 20 rules that could be added here. If most of the speakers we encounter would follow at least these 10, everyone in the audience would have a chance to be more engaged in what is being delivered.