Like most of the country, I was watching live when St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch read the grand jury’s decision on the Michael Brown shooting.

It was clear to me, that McCulloch spent a lot of time writing his statement and carefully crafting the words that went into it. For the most part, I thought the words he used were well crafted. However, his delivery left much to be desired. He came across with very little empathy and due to the fact he read the statement, his eye contact and speed at which he read made him seem heartless and uncaring.

The lesson in this is that if you choose to read a statement, which I think in this case was the right decision (it ensures you get the wording exactly right) you must still maintain some eye contact (by looking up occasionally) and also watch your speed (McCulloch was way too fast).