How avoiding public speaking might be holding you back at work … and what to do about it.

Some of us are natural speakers at work.

Some of us are not.

For some of us it feels natural to speak up, chat on any subject, create a personal brand and credibility in our work place.

For some of us it is a challenge that we would rather not face.

It’s partly natural skill, partly personality and for some it is training and practice.

For the rest of us, it means, fear, challenge and avoiding public speaking at all costs.

Oftentimes, public speaking is seen as formally standing up before a crowd and deivering a speech. But the skills and techniques can be applied to group conversations at the lunch table, explaining a new project to a team, reporting in the board room, pitching for funds or support, delivering a town hall, or conducting a weekly meeting.

They all require that same ability, confidence and commitment that the formal speech to an audience requires.

I had developed competency in public speaking before I began my career, so I was very grateful for the skill, and sometimes it was useful in the most unexpected places.

It was no problem for me to present our department/my department’s position at staff meetings, and to pitch for its consideration.

It was no problem for me to present to groups on behalf of the organisation.

But then I had already been through the challenges of public speaking nerves, already been through the stage fright and, already been through,at times, feeling almost paralysed facing a formal presentation.

I had been through the humiliating challenge of finding, well into a presentation, that my material was not what that audience needed.  Fortunately they were forgiving and I was flexible enough to turn the presentation around and be really useful, but it was a hit to my confidence and I learned from it, and many other situations like it..

I had studied, taught and mentored in speech structure, body language and stage presence from school days.

So it gave me the confidence to stand and speak, use powerpoint and flip charts (and on occasion felt boards!!).  And I was grateful for the skills and practice that I had.

It didn’t become quite so evident to me, just how much I appreciated having that behind me, though, until I had my first job interview after having children.  I went back to work in my own field, highly qualified, and yet I was incredibly nervous.  I hadn’t been for a job interview for decades, had no experience in them.  I was given questions ahead of time and given 8 minutes to prepare.  Fighting to get some sort of clarity and confidence, I suddenly thought of the public speaking basics – use the simple structure.  Make your points with support.  Remember the confident, relaxed body language, that works even when you are really nervous, and the grounding that brings confidence.

And it was the same when having reviews with my line managers and the CEO – prepare as much as possible, be confident in my knowledge and experience, make points with supports and use body language and grounding for calm confidence.

I cannot say it cured my nervousness altogether but it worked.  I got the job!!

And that’s what I want to say to you.  Once you have those skills, they take you to communication scenarios that you may have had no idea would use the same skills, but where you can excel, sharing your talent and experience.

If you have been reading this with increasing disquiet and disgust because the very thought of public speaking is beyond the pale, then here are 5 ways you can start building the skills you can use to support your success at work, and the growth of your career.

Forget the term “public speaking‘.  It has too many associations and connections with a formal, judged, nerve-wracking performance.

Instead think of the basics of the outcome you want and what you bring to the communication.

You have talents, enthusiasms, opinions, skills and contributions you have made and can make in the future.

You have the need, the ambition to build your career.

Bring all of those into the equation and it becomes just a task to be done, a way of thinking.

Practise giving your opinion.  It doesn’t have to be out loud, but if you can find an audience – a friend, a family, your cat – then give them your opinion on all sorts of weird and unexpected subjects.

Take the opposite view to your own.  Argue for something absolutely ridiculous.  Support that opinion with as many lies or facts as you can think of.

You will find your voice.

You will find that actually pleading a case for something where you actually are familiar with the subject matter,

at work, know the possible opinions of your audience, and what the current climate of opinion is, is relatively easy

after you have persuaded your cat or dog that we need to send a llama into outer space, or that burning the local soccer goal posts is useful for the community.

Practise listening and reading body language,

especially of those you may find challenging or whom you don’t like,

and thinking what it says about them – their opinions, needs, triggers –

and that they are normal human beings.

Practice and notice when you are using confident communication and what it feels like where it doesn’t matter so much –

dealing with a shop-keeper or check-out person,

phoning an institution to organise a refund or upgrade,

just chatting at work.

Take that feeling with you into the speaking or communication that has more of a challenge and where the outcomes matter.

Prepare as much as possible, for structured, concise, confident, and especially authentic presentations.

Be prepared to tell stories.  They are powerful.

And if PowerPoint is a must, keep the text simple, and prepare as much as possible for use of the stage.

Remember always – Fumbles are not Failures.

Keep the authenticity, the confidence and the connection and they will be soon forgotten if they were noticed at all.

 

Not only will it mean you can briefly tell a boss about the work you do without feeling egotistical and awkward,

not only will it mean you can present to a group of colleagues or to an interview panel.

not only will it mean you can speak at a conference, train the new recruits, or accept an award.

 

You will also have the skills to implement the communication necessary to move a project to success.

You will also have the skills to confidently take part in videoconferencing.

But most importantly

you will build personal confidence and assertiveness that spills over into all areas of your life.

Take on small projects to start with, if possible,

and say “yes” to the opportunities.

Contact me if you have an opportunity you need some help with, or sign up for the free training on how to build great public speaking.

And enjoy the results.