BNI - Sydney Inner West

BNI - Sydney Inner West

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  • Anthony Benner
    Anthony Benner    Group moderator
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    BNI - TO CLAP OR NOT TO CLAP! - that is the question
    From an overseas BNI Colleague
    I don't know what it is like in your region, but in mine the opinion as to whether members should clap after each 60 second presentation is divided. The recommendation is that there be no clapping, but it is left to the individual chapters to decide for themselves. In mine we clap.

    Now, there are various arguments for and against. On the against side the arguments seem to centre on timekeeping and the fact that even bad 60 seconds get clapped, so how do you tell a good one?

    But I think the reasons for clapping far outweigh those against. Firstly, I would suggest that if a chapter is running over time due to clapping, then there is in fact a much larger problem somewhere else. As for the bad 60 seconds getting clapped, well, I can assure you that it is easy to spot the difference between a bad 60 seconds and a very good one.

    But there is much more!

    For one thing, just think about that new member, worried about their 60 second presentation. How confidence building is it to get clapped for that first 60 seconds? Then to my mind, when I visit chapters that don't clap, the change over between speakers is just totally dead. You just get the noise of chairs being pushed back, paper rustling and members talking because they have nothing else to do. Clapping at its worst covers all of that and, what's more, uses the time to better effect. At its best, clapping builds on the energy already in the meeting and can even inject energy when it has been missing. And, another interesting thing I have noticed is that the 10 minute speaker is often better when there is real energy in the meeting.

    So yes - I think clapping adds real energy to a meeting and I thank our Regional Director for promoting it.
    • 05 May 2008, 09:50 am
  • Ric Vatner
    Ric Vatner
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    Re: BNI - TO CLAP OR NOT TO CLAP! - that is the question
    I agree with Tony. As a speaker there is nothing worse than giving a talk that elicits ......... nothing. A good speech deserves to be clapped and a no clapping policy penalises people who have put in the effort to prepare and does not encourage future speakers to try harder or to suffer the pain that many speakers experience.

    On the other hand a few bad speeches get clapped. Maybe they will be motivated to do better next time but worst case scenario, you clap for a few seconds someone who doesn't deserve it so you can reward good speakers to the benefit of all.

    Ric Vatner.
    • 09 Jun 2008, 10:46 am
  • Andrew Hennigan
    Andrew Hennigan
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    Re^2: BNI - TO CLAP OR NOT TO CLAP! - that is the question
    Based on my experience I would also encourage some clapping because it is hard to speak to a "dead" room. It's for the same reason that comedy shows on TV often have a live audience even if it is not shown. If time is an issue you need to have a moderator or other leader who paces the clapping by starting quickly and then stopping at an appropriate time. I'd have no worries about poor presenters being applauded; everyone can tell the difference between polite and enthusiastic applause. And, like you say, the clapping covers the embarassing silence when you change speakers and all you hear are squeaking shows and the loud whisper from the back saying "OMG not another, when's the break".

    Best
    Andrew
    • 09 Jun 2008, 11:49 am