A Really Good Commencement Address

Did my title reel you in? Thought so. Don’t ever accuse me of being anything less than creative.

Maybe it’s the close of the semester quickly approaching, the last for many of us. Maybe it’s the promise of spring and new beginnings and the need for any advice, even if it’s embedded in cheap commencement addresses. But I’m hooked.

Dan Pink is pretty dynamic. Even if you’re sick of reading his book, which would be a tough sell, you’d be off the mark if you didn’t gain something from his thoughts at Weinberg College last year.

It’s good sales in practice:  humor to increase identification, a message applicable to the audience, and linguistic tricks to help them remember what you’ve said. Watch and let it all be a little lighter.

Sometimes, it’s okay to not know exactly what you’re going to say, or do, before you take the plunge. A good reminder when everything shouts that we must have it figured out, right this second.