Tag Archives: Fear Of Public Speaking

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TEAM – Is it?

I am a member of a team and I rely on the team. I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual is the champion. ~ Mia Hamm

Rowing Team

According to Patrick Lencioni, it’s not finance, strategy or technology that gives a company the ultimate advantage. It’s the people and their ability to subordinate their individuality for the greater goal of achieving team objective.

If done successfully, working as teams can be very rewarding both for the organisation and the individuals who make up the team. But teams are made up of people and the default nature of the human being is the individual. We live in a “I”, “me” and “my” world.

The more complex the work to be accomplished the greater the need for team effort. And that’s what make teams powerful. Together you can achieve more when everyone is moving in the same direction.

Examples of Team Accomplishments

  1. Building the Tower of Babel
  2. Building the Space Shuttle
  3. Building the worlds biggest passenger airplane
  4. Building the worlds tallest bridge
  5. Building the computer or mobile device on which you are reading this article.

People are your greatest asset and your greatest liability.

Its not all the time that you have the ability or luxury of picking who is on your team. For example, when you have been chosen to be part of a team at work or in other settings. However, should you have the opportunity to pick your team, take some time to think about it because your success can depend on who is on the team with you or who is not.

To grow your business beyond yourself, other people need to be a part of what you are doing.  Here are a few things to consider before setting out to find the right people for your team.

5 Things to Consider

1. How big is your dream?

John F Kennedy set the target of being the first nation to safely take a man to the moon and back. Bill Gates dreamt of a computer on every desk and in every home. You need to dream big and you need to be able to start small. If you can do it alone, there is no point in getting others on board.

2. Can you articulate your dream?

It doesn’t matter how big your dream is, if you can’t put it in words and paint a picture for some to see, you will find it difficult to attract the right people. You may attract some people who are desperate for work. If you had only one and a half minutes to talk about your idea to a potential investor, what would you say? Spend some time clarifying your ideas and craft your words.

3. Is there an opportunity for people to grow and develop?

Is there going to be any transformation in their lives as a result of being part of your team? Invest in the training and development of your team members. Ensure that your team members have the opportunity to acquire the new skills that will take your business to the next level. Give them the space and watch as they take your business to the next level.

4. What is the reward for joining your team?

This is such an important question because everyone will ultimately want an answer to the question “what’s in it for me?”. Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Beyond money, people want a sense of belonging, achievement and purpose. What have you got to offer? While team members may subordinate their individual ambition for team success, great teams are made of people who can achieve some or all of their personal goals while working on team goals.

5. Are you a team player yourself?

Do you know it all? Do your find it difficult to let go after you have assigned work? Are you pleasant to be around?

 One is too small a number to achieve greatness ~ John C Maxwell

To be a team player, you must be

  • Trustworthy
  • Comminicative
  • Commited
  • Accountable
  • Enthusastic
  • Result focused

TEAM – Together Each-one Achieves More.

Why not leave a comment by telling me your thoughts about Team

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Speaking for Impact – 7 Tools From a Speakers Toolkit

Mere words are cheap and plenty enough, but ideas that rouse and set multitudes thinking come as gold from the mines ~ A. Owen

Speaking for Impact

Have you listened to a speech or presentation that left you not knowing what was said and why you attended the event in the first place? I have.

Have you made a speech or presentation that left your audience asking themselves why they bothered to turn up? I have.

In todays fast changing world, one of the demands of your audience as you speak and make presentations is that you give them something to remember and something to make their lives better. Speaking is a means of communicating a message. Messages that are remembered always have something that resonates with the listener and something that brings a challenge to change.

Even when your speech is to inform or to entertain, it will make a difference to your audience if your message carries with it the seed of life change. How do you do this?

7 Tools For Making Impact In Your Speech And Presentations

  1. Have A Clear Objective That Is Tailored To Your Audiences Need.

What identified need does your audience have that your presentation is set out to meet or provide a solution for? You can gauge this by simply identifying who will be in your audience, what are some of the challenges they have and what would you want them to do differently after your presentation.

  1. Connect With Your Audience

You can increase you connection with your audience by arriving early. This allows you time to get acquainted with your audience.

Connection is increased when you are talk personally to people. By using the words “you” and “your” in your speech, you can speak directly to one person with several others listening in. This makes your presentation personal and I the listener will give you my attention because I want to hear what you have to say to me.

  1. Have a Clear Structure.

To make it easy for your listeners, you will need to ensure that your speech has a clear and easily identifiable structure. This will usually be made up of an opening, a body and a closing.

You opening is there to turn audience attention away from many other things that can possibly occupy their mind in that moment and to listen to you the speaker. It should also make the audience feel at ease in your presence.

The body of your speech will contain all the points you have to make laid out in a clear and logical manner. This will make it easier for listeners to follow and understand.

Your closing should contain a recap of your main points and clear next step. If you have presented a challenge for change, you want people to take action immediately and start implementing your solution.

  1. Have Just Enough Content.

Too Much Content

Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much ~ Robert Greenleaf

In my opinion, it is always better to leave your audience yearning to know more than to give them so much that they get confused about what you want them to learn or do. You cannot say it all in one presentation. Based on the time allocated, decide on what is important and stay focused on it.

There is an old speakers saying that When you squeeze your information in, you squeeze your audience out”.

  1. Make You Points Stick

Each point you make will have a chance of being remembered if you

  • Base it round a story, acronym or an activity
  • Include questions and statements that cause your audience to reflect on your point and think about how it can be applied to their lives.
  • Include a method or solution for applying your point
  • Show the benefits to be derived from making the changes you are proposing
  1. Effectively use transitions.

An effective transition from one point or section to another will include a summary of the point or section and a preview of what you are about to say. This helps the listener to recollect what you have just said and create an interest in what you are about to say. It also helps the listener to know when you have finished with one point and you are about to start another.

  1. Make Your Closing Memorable.

In any speech or presentation, the last thing you say is alway the first thing your listeners remember. So be intentional about your closing. Leave your audience on a high note and never close with a question and answer session.

In your closing, recall all your main points, include a clear call to action or next step and leave your audience feeling good.

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel ~ Carl W. Buechner

Why not add your own tools for speaking with impact by leaving a comment.

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Elevate Your Career – Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking

Imagine you spent the last six weeks researching, writing and preparing the slides for your next presentation. You even spent the last 24 hours rehearsing. You are confident and pleased with yourself. Yet as the moments draw near, the hours turn into minutes, your racing heart refuses to slow down.

Elevate Your Career - Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking

You were so impressed by the speaker before you that all remaining confidence you had about your preparation evaporated. You walk up to the front wishing this cup would pass you by. You place your notes on the table and look at your audience to begin speaking. Your mind goes blank, your hands are shaking and your mouth feels dry.

You try to speak but no words come out. You eventually fumble through your presentation. The audience applauds and you walk back to your seat telling yourself you will never again stand up before a group to speak.

That was me before I committed to developing my speaking skills.

Being Nervous Before A Presentation Is Normal

Many people are uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Be it a small group of three colleagues at work to a larger group of thirty or more at a wedding reception. The more formal the presentation, the more uncomfortable you are.

Nervousness before a presentation is normal. The difference between you and the other speakers whom you admire is that they have not let their nervousness hold them back.

The Only Way Is To Speak

The only way to overcome your fear of public speaking is to speak. There are no shortcuts. Speaking is one of those things you learn by doing. Just like you learn to drive, play golf or play the piano, you can learn how to speak. You learn to speak effectively and then you put what you learn into practice by speaking.

So how will improving your public speaking skills help you?

Benefits Of Good Speaking Skills.

  1. Your success in your career, in business and in public office often depends on how well you express your thoughts and ideas. Politicians have won and lost elections based on their performance in televised public debates.
  2. Good speaking skills will improve your chances at job interviews. Many job interviews now include presentations.
  3. You get better at motivating and inspiring people.
  4. You become better at conducting and participating at meetings.
  5. You get better at selling your ideas, products and winning people over to your point of view.
  6. Your ability to express yourself confidently in-front of others increases your self-confidence.

So How Do You Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The anxiety you feel before you step up to the front and speak may never go away. You are going to have to learn to feel the fear and do it. So here are a few questions to ask yourself before getting up to speak.

  1. Have you got a message that someone needs to hear? Speaking is only a means of communicating your message. If you have something to say, if you have thoughts and ideas to express or if you have words that will inspire encourage and motivate others, then you owe it to yourself to get up and speak.
  2. Does anyone want to hear what you have to say? You will have to come up with an answer because if there is someone that needs to hear, then that person is waiting for you to speak up.
  3. Everyone started somewhere. What is worth doing well is going to be done badly at first. Do you think getting up to speak in front of an audience will have a positive impact on your life and career?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then its time to get the attention off yourself and commit to developing yourself as a speaker and presenter. Find a toastmasters club or any other speaking club near you and learn to speak in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Why not tell us how you got over your public speaking fears.