Blame-free problem-solving is a good practice for speakers.

One of my clients was ready to speak but the AV person never set up the equipment. His slides weren’t going to be part of his presentation, and this was going to make things much more difficult.

He looked at me with an angry grin. “I’m going to rip those people to shreds!”

We can all understand how he felt, but dissing anyone on stage—even if you’re sure they deserve it—won’t reflect well on you as a professional.

We found out later that the AV person had had a near-tragic family emergency that morning. Everything turned out okay, but he was needed at the hospital at the last minute. We all would have done the same.

And you never know who’s in your audience. If you make someone look bad, someone else—someone who might have hired you to speak—could conclude that you’re a loose cannon.

“He’s a great speaker but I don’t want to end up in his line of fire.”

Technical problems are inevitable.

Incompetent people and other circumstances may conspire to ruin your performance.

No matter whose fault it is, a professional handles problems and pressure with grace and dignity.

Don’t be a victim, a blamer, or a complainer.

Bring your own mic, your own projector, your own laptop, and a sense of humor.

The way you deal with adversity could be even more inspiring than the speech you were supposed to deliver!