Lectern Etiquette Part 1

Arvee Robinson, Master Speaker Trainer

First, the square wooden object placed at the center of the room is properly called a lectern, not a podium. The word podium comes from the word podiatry which means: the care of the human foot, the diagnosis and treatment of foot disorders. Therefore, a podium is a stage you stand on not what you stand behind. Webster’s dictionary definition of a podium is:a small platform for the conductor of an orchestra, or for a public speaker. Now you are among only 9% of the speakers out there that will use the right terminology.

1. Never touch the lectern inappropriately.

Most of us would never dream of hitting, grabbing, or leaning on a child. Yet, I see speakers sprawled all over the lectern as they speak. Often new presenters are so nervous they grab the edges of the lectern so tightly their knuckles turn white.

Then there are those people who beat or pound on the lectern to drive a point home, leaving the audience feeling very defensive. The major problem with treating the lectern this way, outside of offending your audience, is that it distracts your audience and prevents them from hearing what you have to say.

It helps to stand 10 to 12 inches behind the lectern to avoid the temptation of touching it inappropriately.

2. Never leave the lectern unattended.

You would never walk away and leave a child alone in a supermarket or in a train station, would you? No, that would be absurd. Yet, how many times have you seen emcees announce the speaker and just walk away? Every member of the audience feels this public display of awkwardness. Not to mention the speaker having to either cover up or make up for the lack of interaction. And how about the speaker who ends his speech and marches off the stage, leaving the lectern alone? The emcee quickly and perhaps awkwardly rushes to take charge of the situation. When the speech is over, the speaker should return the lectern to the emcee. It works both ways.

In either case, this poor protocol can easily be avoided if you remember to treat the lectern as a child and never leave it unattended. Let me make myself clear. I’m not saying that you should deliver your entire speech from behind this wooded barricade. No. When the lectern is turned over to you as a speaker, you are free to move about, returning to the lectern from time to time as needed. I’m referring to when you are finished with your speech. Wait patiently at the lectern, enjoying the applause, until the emcee takes charge of the lectern. Think of a relay race where the runner passes a baton to another runner before slowing her pace. Once the baton is passed, the passing runner is finished.