In 1941, American literary giant Kenneth Burke introduced a metaphor that has come to be known as the Burkean Parlor. It has a lot to say about you. And me. And how we communicate. It goes like this:
“Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You listen for a while until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally’s assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress.”
What Burke demonstrates is what he calls the “unending conversation” that is taking place all throughout human history. He’s speaking to the nature of communication. And hidden within this metaphor are four incredibly valuable lessons. Lessons that can help us become better presenters if we’ll take them to heart and practice them with every presentation we develop and deliver.
1. Understand the History
It seems that almost every generation feels they are battling something that is a “first” in human history. For example, many Americans today think we are as divided as ever as a nation. But as Martha C. Nussbaum writes in her book, The Monarchy of Fear, we often are nostalgic for a completely unified nation that never existed. She reminds us that the writing and shaping of human history is always a “work in progress.” If we work hard to learn about our history, we’ll come to see each age has its own triumphs and struggles. For us to join any conversation, we need to first understand that it has been ongoing.
The same is true for presenting. We must imagine our presentation as one moment in a string of other moments. And we must read and research and learn all we can about how our current moment factors into the bigger picture of history. That way, when it is our turn to participate in and shape history, we’ll know what we need to know about the events and people and narratives that have led to our present moment. And we’ll be able to speak from a position of informed and responsible knowledge.
2. Listen Before Speaking
Listening expert Julian Treasure says in his TED talk “5 Ways to Listen Better” that “we spend roughly 60% of our communication time listening, but we’re not very good at it.” So Burke’s parlor metaphor offers a tough, but important message: listen before speaking.
Social media has brought us many, many great things. But it has also come with some negatives. Things like posting or tweeting hurried responses that we all-too-soon come to regret. Scientific American says, “On average, people spend 60% of conversations talking about themselves—and this figure jumps to 80% when communicating via social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook.” Have we stopped taking Burke’s advice to “listen for a while until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument?”
One of the reasons many people love presenting is the same reason that many hate it: it comes with an audience. And it’s not wrong to love speaking in front of a crowd. But we must remember to temper any attention or power-seeking plays with an active period of listening first. We can save ourselves, our employers, and our audience members a lot of trouble if we take Burke’s advice to heart and if we present only after we’ve listened.
3. Take Your Turn
After you’ve spent time understanding historical perspectives and listening, Burke says: “put in your oar.” In other words, “go ahead, offer your two cents.” One of the beautiful things about Burke’s parlor metaphor is that it reminds us that the voices who choose to participate have both the privilege and responsibility of shaping the conversation. Whenever you are giving a presentation, you have the floor of the parlor. It’s your turn to help shape the way those within earshot think about things. It’s a role I hope no presenter ever takes lightly.
Having the floor of the parlor can be addictive, as mentioned earlier. But it can also be scary. We hear terms like “echo chamber,” “confirmation bias,” and “entrenched ideologies” thrown around more and more. Speaking up, speaking for or against something, means we will probably incur a few labels, insults, or at least be asked to participate with a counter argument. Burke says someone might “align himself against you.” But that is, in his metaphor, not something to be feared. It is simply the nature of human communication.
When we present today, we present to audience members who can have drastically different viewpoints and mindsets. But that doesn’t mean we stop entering the conversation. We have to keep putting in our oars.
4. Allow Others to Respond
Making space is something we hear a lot about these days as many in our nation are involved in the work to uncover and share lost or suppressed narratives. It’s important work. One that presenters are helping with in droves.
Which brings us to another one of Burke’s lessons: a great presenter realizes others should be allowed to respond and share. Because the parlor is never-ending, there is room enough and time enough for everyone to share his or her story. A great presenter doesn’t hog the stage, but instead, makes room for voices other than his own. In fact, someone well-versed in public speaking goes into any given presentation with the audience in mind. She knows there will be others in the parlor. She develops her presentation with those people in mind, preparing to respond to both their affirmations and criticisms.
For any great conversation or presentation to occur, we need to come to agreement not on the issues at stake, but on the practice of these 4 principles. Only when we have a solid, fact-based historical understanding, when we listen first, when we engage responsibly, and when we allow others to engage as well can we make sure the parlor is functioning as it should. Anything outside of that creates an environment ripe for conflict and misunderstanding.
Martha C. Nussbaum gives the following definition for what philosophy means to her. But as I read her definition, I realize she might as well be defining Burke’s parlor, or even the goal of public presentations. She says, “It is about leading the ‘examined life,’ with humility about how little we really understand, with a commitment to arguments that are rigorous, reciprocal, and sincere, and with a willingness to listen to others as equal participants and to respond to what they offer.”
We don’t always dive into deep, philosophical metaphors on our blog, but we do always talk about presentations. And how we can get better at presentation development, design, and delivery. Ready to learn more?
