Accurately Timed, Properly Proportioned

WHILE principal emphasis should be placed on the quality of your teaching, the timing of your talks also deserves attention. Our meetings are scheduled to begin and end at specified times. Achieving this requires the cooperation of everyone who has a part on the program.

In Bible times, people’s view of life was different from what it is in many places today. Time was expressed in such approximate terms as “about the third hour” or “about the tenth hour.” (Matt. 20:3-6; John 1:39) There was rarely a cause for concern about precise timing of daily activities. In some parts of the world today, there is a similar view of time.

However, even though local custom or personal preference may cause people to be somewhat relaxed regarding time, we can benefit by learning to give it appropriate attention. When several are assigned parts on a program, consideration needs to be given to the time allotted for each part. The principle “let all things take place decently and by arrangement” can well be applied to the timing of our meeting assignments.​—1 Cor. 14:40.

Achieving Good Timing. Preparation is the key. Usually, speakers who have difficulty with timing have failed to prepare sufficiently. They may be overconfident. Or they may simply put off preparation until the last minute. Good timing starts with appreciation for your assignment and a willingness to prepare well.

Is yours a reading assignment? First, review Studies 4 to 7, which involve fluency, pausing, sense stress, and emphasizing main ideas. Then, apply that counsel as you read aloud the material assigned to you. Time yourself. Do you need to sign faster in order to finish in the allotted time? Increase your pace on portions of less importance, but continue to use pausing and a slower pace to emphasize important ideas. Practice again and again. As your fluency improves, it will be easier to regulate your timing.

Will you be speaking from notes? It is not necessary to make your notes very extensive​—virtually a manuscript—​to ensure proper timing. When working on Study 25, you learned a better way. Keep in mind these five points: (1) Prepare good material, but not too much. (2) Have the main ideas clearly in mind, but do not memorize whole sentences. (3) Mark on your outline how much time you plan to use for each part of your talk or how much time should have elapsed when you reach certain points. (4) When preparing, consider which details might be dropped if you find yourself running behind schedule. (5) Practice your delivery.

Rehearsing is important. As you rehearse, watch the timing of each section of your talk. Go over your talk again and again until your entire talk fits within the assigned time. Do not try to squeeze in too much material. Allow yourself some leeway because delivering your talk before an audience may take a little longer than when practicing in private.

Proportioning the Parts. Good timing is closely related to the proper proportioning of the parts of a talk. Most of the time should be spent in delivering the body. That is where the main points of instruction are. The introduction should be just long enough to accomplish the three objectives discussed in Study 38. The body should not be so long that there is insufficient time for an effective conclusion, in harmony with Study 39.

Your efforts to achieve good timing will result in a better talk and will show your respect for others who have parts on the program as well as for the entire congregation.