Does a Speaker Always Need to Be Energetic?

Janet Yellen's testimony to a congressional committee reminds us that every rule of good speaking has exceptions. Mostly, speakers want to speak with lots of vocal variety, plenty of projection, and lots of enthusiasm.

Yellen, however, is Chair of the Federal Reserve Board. A highly qualified economist, her main interest is to keep the economy on an even keel. Furthermore, many conspiracy theorists, gold bugs, and so forth oppose the Federal Reserve on principle. Apparently many people think (falsely, obviously) that her policies have debased our currency.

Janet Yellen, Fed Reserve photo

She routinely speaks in a calm, measured style. Her role specifically requires her to make a rhetorical choice to be confident, relaxed, and unruffled. The anti-Fed speakers often become very loud and sound quite angry. She, in turn, to establish her credibility, must give the impression that she is stable, reliable, and unruffled. Her calm delivery style helps to create that impression. Since the entire financial world listens carefully to everything she says, she must always display a cool head.

That doesn't mean that her delivery is perfect. I might urge her to time her hesitations more carefully and to avoid vocalizations like "um" that might make her seem unsure of herself. Members of Congress have occasionally spoken to her sharply, so it is important for her to sound not only unruffled but also confident at all times.

So--usually--speakers want to exhibit lots of energy. The Fed chair, however, very much does not need to sound enthusiastic. To every rule, there is an exception, and Yellen's instincts here are correct.