Learning circles

Circle 5 – ANALOGY / METAPHOR – using language to motivate listeners

Example by Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation borrowed from (Presentation Skills: The
Essential Guide for students – McCarthy and Hatcher). The example is from the Asia/Pacific Business
Congress. He is using an image of a yacht sailing on the open sea as a strategy to motivate this
region of the business world to commit to his vision:

Task:
 1. Read the part of the speech made by Murdoch and analyze the metaphor/analogy. Answer the
following:

 a. What is the basic message behind it?

 b. Why do you think it is motivating and in what way?

 c. What makes the analogy work better than simply saying it without any figurative language?


“There’s a precise analogy to sailing – you can sail along slowly, being content with slow but sure
progress. Or you can spread your sails and catch the winds; it takes intelligence and quick
reflexes. But it’s faster. And more fun.

On top of which, there’s this further point: when the wind blows strongly enough, it will capsize
you anyway – even if your sails are furled. And some of Australia’s protected and obsolete
industries are already shipping water (87).”


 2. Try to think about another analogy he could have used instead with a similar meaning and
rewrite the two short paragraphs using this metaphor.


Explanation:
  * The idea about problem solving. If the employees are ready to take risks (the intelligent ones
and skilled ones) or whether they are cautious and will risk the downfall of the company with an
obsolete technology that will not work properly in the new conditions.

  * Metaphors stir imagination more than simple description