The irony wasn’t missed by me that as I was packing up today to head to a speaking engagement, my college freshman son called to let me know that he was on his way to deliver a speech in class.
The only thing that separated us for the moment was 30 years and a few thousand presentations. Oh, to be young again! How do you tell an 18-year-old that he would be well-served to embrace learning the art of speaking versus fighting it like so many people do throughout their lives?
Not everyone remembers Speech 100 as fondly as I do. Some people still turn pale at the mention of having to get up in front of a group and present. The relief at finishing that class for many was palpable. “Yep, never have to do that again!”
Wrong!
I’m a bit of a broken-record on this topic (how many years until no one gets that metaphor?), but there are few skills that will take you further and help you more than developing your speaking skills. Your writing skills are a close second.
Individuals in the world of work will form a perception of you not only by the quality of your work, but by how well you carry and present yourself. A little confidence goes a long way. It’s good to be able to articulate effectively when the VP or CEO corners you in the elevator on the latest project issue or you’re invited to a command performance in front of the executive committee.
Leaders communicate. While listening and asking questions are core to a leader’s communications arsenal, when you talk, people listen. Make it count by being comfortable, confident and concise!
More and more roles inside organizations serve as informal leaders. If you don’t think it’s important to be a competent speaker in front of a group, ask a project or product manager.
Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself:
While you can hide and some people do get away with dodging the speaking bullet, I’m not sure why you would want to. The fear is overblown and developing a level of competence takes effort and practice, a lot like working on your serve in tennis. OK, maybe that’s a bad example, because I’ve yet to master that stroke, but hopefully, you get the point.
My advice:
- Seek out some easy opportunities to practice. Departmental or team updates can be fairly non-threatening. Alternatives include community events, classroom visits, or school committees.
- Ask your boss and peers for specific feedback on your speaking. What should you do more of? Where do you need to improve. Don’t settle for, “that was great!” No one gets better by being told they were great.
- Search on “Toastmasters” and find a local chapter and join!
- Reference a good book. My favorite is: “The Exceptional Presenter” by Timothy Koegel.
- Find a coach. While the price is often not cheap, the impact is priceless!
- Read the book, listen to your coach, practice and video record yourself. You’ll be shocked, but at least you will be seeing and hearing what everyone else is seeing and hearing.
- Volunteer for other opportunities. Yep, you heard me. After a lifetime of dodging this bullet, you’ll find that embracing it is exhilarating.
The Bottom Line:
Public speaking, like leading is only learned by doing. Practice, feedback, coaching and more practice are the ingredients of success for both. It’s time to quit hiding from the speaking monster and to practice and develop it into submission.
Oh, and those of you managing early career professionals. What a great developmental opportunity! Hint, hint.
I love the survey results that state that people are more afraid of speaking in public than dying. I always wonder how they asked the question. Just about every person that I’ve done career coaching with has wanted help with this from time to time. It turns out that the basics are pretty straightforward and far less complex than, say, driving.
Art, I do believe the basic presentation skills of speaking and writing are the two most underrated leadership skills out there. If we are leaders, we need to “look” the part!
I also believe that everyone can become a speaker if they practice, no matter how timid or shy they are. Timid and shy people may not like it very well, but they can do it!
Art, I couldn’t agree more. When people realize that creating a great presentation, like anything else, just takes practice. Like most things, it is formulaic — and when you know how to outline and build a presentation — the “presenting” part becomes easy!
Another great source — The Speaker’s Handbook — by Sprague And Stuart — one of my most dog-earred books on my shelf. It gives you step-by-step insturctions. Great for everything from the all-day session to the impromptu 5 minute variety!
During my Senior year of college, I had a professor admit that he still gets nervous speaking in front of his classes…… even after 10+ years of teaching experience!! I never would’ve had a clue that he still gets nervous if he hadn’t revealed that fact about him. In fact, I thought he was a great speaker.
I guess this shows that even after 10+ years of practicing the art of public speaking, “getting the butterflies” may be the hardest thing to get rid off. However, as my professor has proven, this does not prevent one from delivering a great speech.
I think people only shy away from public speaking because of the feeling of anxiety, but once they get going, they almost always end up well. I read an interesting article a few months back claiming that many professional comedians are actually shy/introverted folks (http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/008200903180311.htm). I thought that was an interesting find.
Public speaking is definitely a must-have skill for any leader. Just like a comedian, a leader must know how to command the stage and take charge of the audience.