“We Become Better People When We Recognize the Humanity in Others”
FORMAT: Speech
CLIENT: Executive at a North American company with 65,000+ employees
INDUSTRY: Automotive
OPPORTUNITY: To celebrate and honor Black History Month in February
CHALLENGE: To nudge colleagues beyond staying in their own circles and comfort zones so they would really listen to others’ stories, see their shared humanity, and build genuine relationships across differences in the workplace.
SERVICES: Speech strategy/alignment to corporate strategy, planning, interviewing, research, message and framework development, speechwriting, line editing, executive speech coaching
APPROACH: Build the speech as a connected series of brief stories:
- Thurgood Marshall and the speaker’s grandparents
- Marshall’s unlikely friendship with Justice William Brennan
- Two modern workplace relationships that show how sharing journeys builds empathy
Rely on storytelling with simple through-lines (“we become better people when we recognize the humanity in others”), contrast (different backgrounds, shared values), repeated key phrases, and direct quotes to make the message concrete and easy to remember.
SAMPLE: Request a copy of the speech
“Best … introduction/speech I’ve heard of all the programs I’ve attended to date, both in and out of the company.
“Loved … your personal connect … your family story … (the) focus on people communicating, reaching out and truly listening to each other and sharing themselves and learning about different experiences.
“Great job and very impactful. Thanks.”
VICE PRESIDENT
Fortune 500 company
