The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out: How to Use Your Voice to Drive Change

by Christine K. Jahnke

Overview

Practical and inspiring, this book is a valuable asset for women seeking to drive change with #MeToo, March for our Lives, Time's Up, Black Women Lead, Climate Action, She Should Run, Power to the Polls, and women's marches.

In her successful book The Well-Spoken Woman, top speech coach Christine K. Jahnke shared techniques to help women present their ideas effectively in any setting. This new follow-up is for women who are persisting, resisting, advocating, or running for office--and gives them the tools to be effective, persuasive, and powerful communicators.

The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out will guide any woman who wants to state her case in the most compelling way, ensure that she is truly heard and understood, and seeks to impact and inspire others. It takes Jahnke's direct experience working with women like Michelle Obama and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and pairs it with the recent surge of women nationwide who are speaking up to drive social and political change. Jahnke, who has spent twenty-five years helping women leaders, provides guidance and best practices so you can: rally support for a cause, make a persuasive pitch, campaign for public office, be a successful advocate, and motivate people to make positive change. She applies her expertise to many facets of communicating publicly, including using your voice in social media; participating in panels, meetings, and discussions; giving presentations; and speaking to the media.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633885011
Publisher:	Prometheus Books
Publication date:	10/09/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	350
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Christine K. Jahnke is the author of The Well-Spoken Woman: Your Guide to Looking and Sounding Your Best. She is the president and founder of Positive Communications (www.poscom.com) and has provided speech coaching and media training to leaders in the public and private sectors since 1991. Jahnke has advised women leaders at Amnesty International, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Black Lives Matter, Emily's List, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists. As a consultant to the Women's Media Center founded by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Robin Morgan, Christine leads the acclaimed Progressive Women's Voices training program. At five Democratic National Conventions, she has been backstage helping party leaders, celebrities, dignitaries, and everyday citizens shine in nationally televised speeches. Her speech and debate coaching have been featured in Politico, NPR, US News, Elle, Washingtonian Magazine, and VICE News.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction
 
Respect Existence or Expect Resistance —Sign at the Women’s March, 2017
 
The woman in the first row would not be ignored.
The room was packed but she stood out. Persistently and insistently she waved her hand until I called her to join me up front. It was a cold Saturday morning in February, and nearly everyone in the room was attending their first political-candidate training.
 
College students, small-business owners, corporate lawyers, nurses, moms, daughters, and grandmothers. What they had in common is they had never before considered themselves candidate material.
 
The woman in the front was running for Congress in 2018 because as a daughter of an immigrant and mother to a gay daughter she could not sit on the sidelines. That’s why Pennsylvania’s Chrissy Houlahan was so eager to practice her speaking skills that winter morning.
 
Women are taking their anger—about the lack of representation, rampant sexual harassment, violence against black lives, immigration bans, mass shootings, pay inequity, cuts to healthcare, the dangers of being transgender, and more—and using it to drive change. In the streets. At town halls. In boardrooms and Hollywood studios. In state capitals and Capitol Hill. Through podcasts and TV studios.
 
This book is a celebration of women who are raising their voices. And it is a guide for every woman who wants to join in. For every woman who wants to be a better speaker.
 
A sea change is under way. It used to be that when a man spoke, people listened; and when a woman spoke, her credentials were ques-tioned, appearance found lacking, and message dismissed.
 
Not. Any. More.
 
The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out picks up where my first book, The Well-Spoken Woman, left off. Women of all races, ethnicities, ages, and gender identities face double standards and bias. This book categorizes the challenges and presents strategies to overcome the barriers. A note about the use of the word woman and the binary pronouns she/her/hers, since they are not all-encompassing. Language is important, especially as it relates to how you self-identify. This book is meant to help a diverse readership, including people who use nonbinary pronouns such as they/them/theirs. It is intended for all leaders, activists, and candidates who are committed to making progressive change.
 
I feel fortunate to have learned from amazing elected officials, organizers, campaign managers, pollsters, and funders who toil in the political arena. Women who have had their “faces marred by dust, sweat, and blood.” Badass women who follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
 
There’s no rougher business than electing a woman to office, especially to an executive post such as president, governor, or mayor. The 2016 US presidential election made more people aware of just how tough it is. For twenty years, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation has been studying the obstacles and opportunities female candidates face. With the research and the political muscle of groups like Emily’s List and Emerge America, progress is being made. For example, we’ve elected more women governors in the last two decades than in the previous century. However, only thirty-nine women have ever served as governor, and a Democratic woman of color has not yet held that office.
 
I have a long track record of working with other coaches, speech-writers, and consultants, and I have shared my methods and techniques with them. As a veteran of five Democratic National Conventions, I’ve been backstage for the drama and the glory. My approach is always focused on giving practical, tactical direction you can use and benefit from. There is plenty of cookie-cutter advice out there: suggestions like “Punch it up” and “Just be yourself.” Women don’t have time to be patronized or given vague pointers.
 
The course of my life was changed in 1991 by a woman who courageously came forward with a message many people didn’t want to hear. Too few believed Professor Anita Hill when she delivered meticulous factual testimony with incredible poise about how Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her. Professor Hill had reluctantly traveled from her home in Oklahoma to appear before an all-male, all-white Senate judiciary committee that grilled her as if she had committed a crime. Watching the hearings on TV and seeing how she was treated made my blood boil. I couldn’t do anything to help her, but I could do something to help other woman who wanted a voice.
 
I had recently moved to Washington, DC, after a year spent on the road working as a press secretary and organizer for a presidential campaign. My background was in journalism, and, having grown up watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I thought I wanted to make it in TV news like Mary Richards of WJM-TV. But, rather than covering the news, I wanted to be with the people who were making the news.
 
In Washington there were national groups committed to recruiting and electing women to office. After watching the few women in Congress courageously fight for Professor Hill’s right to be heard, I joined the effort to increase their ranks. As former Senator Barbara Mikulski used to say, we need to kick doors open for other women.
 
At the Women’s Campaign Fund, I coached pro-choice Democratic and Republican women candidates. That may sound odd now, in our current political climate, but not that long ago you could work with progressive women on both sides of the aisle. It was a different time, when elected officials would work together and seek compromise. But I’m a pro-choice voter who believes women must have control over their bodies. No legislative body should be able to dictate or limit our reproductive healthcare decisions.
 
That’s why I’m committed to helping the courageous, determined leaders at Planned Parenthood and I admire the doctors with Physicians for Reproductive Health who sometimes have to risk everything to care for their patients. I thank them for the care they provide and for telling their stories.
 
With advocacy work, you learn to take the long view—progress is too slow. It often seems for every battle won another is already waging. Nowhere is this truer than with the health of the planet and its people. In the past two decades I’ve worked with thought leaders at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who are elevating the welfare of women here and around the world. The scientists at the Union of Concerned Scientists who were early reasoned voices for taking action on climate change. And advocates at the Sierra Club who took on big coal so America could be energy smart.
 
Now a new generation is insisting on change. The #MeToo movement has blown the lid off sexual harassment. Leaders at Black Lives Matter are raising the collective consciousness about police brutality. Student activists around the country are holding the NRA account-able, even without enough political support. Transgender activists stand against hate-based legislation. As Oprah Winfrey proclaimed in her mighty speech at the 2018 Golden Globes, the end of sexual harassment and gender inequity is possible. Change can come.
 
The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out will help you be a part of the change. This book will take you on a journey to discover how you can best use your voice. Each section provides specific advice and best practices to build the skills necessary to run for office, push an issue, and mobilize people.
 
PART I—ONCE UPON A TIME . . .
 
In complicated times such as when a tornado hits, it’s important to have a path forward. Thought-provoking questions will help you understand what kind of speaker you are and what kind you want to be. I provide encouragement from iconic role models who open a world of possibilities. Like Glinda the Good Witch who advises Dorothy and her dog, Toto, to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, these role models will help guide you along your own path.
 
PART II—A GIRL SETS OUT TO DRIVE CHANGE . . .
 
Just as Anita Hill met resistance, so too will you. But you can prepare yourself for the friendlies and the not-so-friendlies. On the way to meet the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is befriended by companions who join her quest. They have unexpected encounters with sweet-faced Munchkins and face grave danger with the Wicked Witch. Likewise, in any speaking environment, there can be pleasant surprises as well as difficult obstacles. In this section, you will learn how to deal with toxic people and their flying monkeys.
 
PART III—THE NEW FACE OF LEADERSHIP . . .
 
Well-spoken advocates use power words, sounds, and moves. With the right tools, you can turn back opponents and drive change. Arriving in Emerald City, Dorothy is not the naive girl who left Kansas, and her friends have found their courage, heart, and brains. Emboldened, Dorothy confronts Oz, the Great and Terrible. Pulling back the curtain, she sees that there is no leader. The Oz is just an ordinary man who has puffed himself up with smoke and mirrors. A man who is a fake and can do nothing to help her.
 
PART IV—SHE SPOKE IN MANY ARENAS FAR AND WIDE …
 
Throughout the adventure, Dorothy learned she could do anything she set her mind to: a splash of water on the Wicked Witch was all it took to free the Munchkins. The farther Dorothy traveled, the more she came to know herself and to believe in herself. In a similar fashion, the closing chapters will provide you with everything you need to master new and different arenas.

PART V—NOW YOUR STORY IS THE ONE TO TELL
 
Books must end, but the journey never does. Through exploration and challenge we become stronger. Dorothy learned she had the power all along. To go back home, all she needed to do was click her ruby-red slippers. With inspiration and instruction, you can accomplish your goals.
 
The march to progress is under way. This book offers the resources every well-spoken woman needs to join the parade.
 
Let’s celebrate our victories along the way. Three cheers for the band of sisters who inspired millions to join the Women’s March. Cheers to the women who broke the silence on sexual harassment. Cheers to women young and old who are taking on gun violence. Cheers to all the women like Chrissy Houlahan who are stepping forward and running for office.
 
The passion is evident.
Our sleeves are rolled up.
The sisterhood is rising.

The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out is an invitation to explore how you can speak up for yourself, your cause, and your country.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Part I Once Upon a Time…

Chapter 1 The Future Is Female 17

Chapter 2 The Self-Awareness Quotient 35

Part II A Girl Set Out to Drive Change…

Chapter 3 Reading the Room 65

Chapter 4 Resisting Boors and Bullies 91

Part III The New Face of Leadership…

Chapter 5 Power Words-Intentional Storytelling 113

Chapter 6 Power Words-Persuasive Media Messages 139

Chapter 7 The New Look and Sound of Leadership 163

Part IV She Spoke in Arenas Far and Wide…

Chapter 8 Preparation Is Queen 199

Chapter 9 Media Interviews and Debates 223

Chapter 10 Keynotes, Panels, Introductions, and Awards 249

Part V Now Your Story is the One to Tell

Epilogue 279

Acknowledgments 293

Appendix: Well-Spoken Women Great Moments 295

Notes 303

Index 327

Editorial Reviews

"This is a must-read for any woman who wants to use her voice to lead, to inspire, and to make a difference at a time when we critically need more women’s leadership in every community and at every level of government.”  —Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List “A fantastic guidebook for any woman who is ready to stand up and raise her voice in pursuit of change and progress. Jahnke doesn’t deal in vague advice. This book is a practical step-by-step guide for women looking for real answers on the path to success.”  —Gina M. Raimondo, governor of Rhode Island “At this pivotal moment in our country’s history when women are stepping up to the plate to lead, run for office, and basically save our democracy, communicating effectively is not just important, it is essential. This book is a must-read for every woman who wants to successfully navigate the public-speaking pitfalls that she will inevitably face as she charts new territory.” —Andrea Dew Steele, president and founder, Emerge America “Lays out a proven road map to own your voice with dignity and aplomb. Reading this book is like having a speech coach perched on your shoulder, whispering in your ear, ‘Yes, you can.’ ‘Use your voice.’ ‘Change the world.’” —Libby Benedict, director, Leadership Training Academy, Physicians for Reproductive Health “Provides timely, practical, and sage advice to women who want to communicate powerfully and effectively—in meetings, at public events, or during campaigns. Jahnke deftly catalogues the obstacles and opportunities women face in a sometimes-hostile environment—and lays out clear guidelines to excel in any situation.” —Thea Mei Lee, president, Economic Policy Institute “Since it was published, I’ve enthusiastically given away countless copies of Jahnke’s first book, The Well-Spoken Woman. Christine K. Jahnke’s advice and perspective are invaluable. This new book is a much-needed complement—and exactly what we all need during this unprecedented time. I know her book will inspire countless women the same way she has inspired me. More women than ever are stepping up to claim their power, and The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out will help them find their voice!” —Barbara Lee, president and founder, Barbara Lee Family Foundation “Jahnke is back, and just in time! Her new book, The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out, provides women activists and future political candidates and officeholders the critical and practical tools they need to ensure that their voices are heard and taken seriously. I have had the privilege of working with her for almost two decades as she has led one of the most popular sessions at CAWP’s annual nonpartisan campaign boot camps for women. Now she brings her vast national experience training women to be effective communicators to a new audience, giving them the skills and confidence to speak up and speak out.” —Debbie Walsh, director, Center for American Women and Politics   “I’ve taken Jahnke’s advice everywhere from MSNBC interviews to street protests. Her expertise and skill in training leaders on the frontline of today’s movement for black lives is unparalleled. Now, more than ever, the emerging leaders fighting for our collective liberation need to be prepared to give voice to our communities’ most pressing issues. The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out is not only timely—as our work faces increasing challenges against racial, gender, and LGBT justice—it is imperative.”   —Charlene A. Carruthers, political strategist and author of Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements “For nearly a decade, Jahnke has helped the Women’s Media Center elevate and amplify the voices and leadership of diverse activists at the forefront of the fight for inclusion and equality. She is a gifted teacher who helps activists be effective in the media. At a time of major social, economic, and cultural disruption—a time when the truth itself is under siege—we need this book.” —Julie Burton, president, Women’s Media Center “As the hard-won fight to make the face of leadership in the United States more inclusive continues, The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out arms today’s leaders with a twenty-first-century approach to storytelling, persuasion, and winning. Whether you’re new to public speaking or a seasoned veteran, Jahnke offers a compelling and right-on-time master class on leading with dignity and courage.”  —Shanelle Matthews, social impact communications strategist and professor of resistance studies, the New School

From the Publisher