Mar 10
17
Decorum on the dais and tips for dignitaries who go as chief guests
To be a guest anywhere is an honor, more so if it as a chief guest. It means, they respect you and expect guidance and leadership qualities from you. People look up to you and all attention is focused on you. They take you as role model and it is your responsibility to create a good impression and project something they can emulate. Here are a few tips for dignitaries who go as chief guests.
Please try to reach on time. Remember, people who have assembled and worked for the function have come at least two hours prior to the inauguration time. In case of children and teachers, it is even earlier.
Find out what the program is about and a little about the organization or institute that has invited you. Speak to the point; speak what is relevant to the occasion and what the audience can relate to. If it is a program for engineers, then do not speak about your trip to Ooty or Kodaikanal. Make your speech humorous, so the audience enjoy it and has something to think about.
Do not use the occasion as a platform to project yourself and your political views. If there are five people who would be speaking, try to make your speech short. Remember a human mind can only focus for 45 minutes at the most, so the audience gets restless and stops paying attention, when there are five lengthy speeches to endure. Switch off our mobile phone. It is very rude to have mobile rings (even though some of them are very musical and pleasant to the ear) during the course of the function. We do know that you are an important person and have business to attend to but it is very improper to have interruptions on the stage and belittle the organizers, as it appears that the phone is more important than the present proceedings. It does not benefit your status and intelligence either.
Do not accept too many engagements at times that are close together because you are bound to be late on one or two occasions because of traffic, congestions and it is certainly not fair to any of the organizers. Decline the invitation and say you will definitely be present at the next occasion that they are organizing.
Most people sitting on the dais begin praising each other and start patting each other’s backs. This is being largely accepted but it is certainly not in good taste. Let the function not become a drum beating session and an event for self promotion. Do give general words of praise and compliments about the work being done and some sensible suggestions etc.
Pay attention to the proceedings, so you do not get repetitive. Do not keep talking to each other or whispering behind people’s backs.
These acts are jarring to the eye and the ears and distasteful to the public. It is worth paying attention to some of these aspects of our behavior the next time we are invited to be chief guests.
