by Steve Adubato, PhD
This column tries to help people become better, more engaging public speakers. We've addressed issues such as eye contact, use of examples and analogies, as well as being concise and to the point.
Yet, one overriding theme that readers continue to express concern about is the uncontrollable fear, anxiety and downright panic over the prospect of having to speak in public. This problem is so severe that if you enter the words "fear of public speaking" in an Internet search engine, you will find dozens of organizations that address this issue.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
There are millions of professionals who are currently obsessing over their next public presentation. I know because I have coached hundreds of these people who "prepare" to speak in public in all the wrong ways. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to convince themselves they have to write out their presentation and read it verbatim when the time comes to stand and deliver. They write and rewrite and go through the painstaking process of trying to read their presentation and fake eye contact with their audience. They use either index cards and cram lots of information on each one, or, they write their speech out on individual sheets of paper.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Recently, I was asked to give a motivational speech to 500 employees of a corporation that was about to merge with another corporation. Many of these employees would soon be laid off. Others were hanging on to their jobs by a thread, but all were fearful of the change that was about to take place. It was very clear early on that there were pockets of resistance to the idea of an outsider coming in telling those in the company that they needed to have a "positive attitude."
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Emceeing an event sounds a lot easier than it really is. If you have ever had to do it, you know what I mean. There are professional emcees who have dedicated their professional lives to mastering this challenging craft. But most folks, be it in business or social settings are asked to emcee events without any training, coaching or the most basic advice.
By the way, being a great public speaker or presenter is not the same as being a great emcee. The next time you have to emcee an event, keep these tips in mind:
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Many adults have problems and issues with having to get up and speak in front of others. This column has covered that topic in a variety of ways. But before most of us became adults who felt anxiety about public speaking, we were kids that experienced the same thing.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
I was talking with my colleague at Rutgers University--Newark, Heidi Szymanski, the other day. Heidi is the Assistant Provost for Administrative Services and Budget. She has been asked to make presentations in all sorts of situations, usually dealing with budgets, cutbacks and tough choices that have to be made. Heidi is a smart and competent manager who should have no problem getting up and speaking in public. But that's not the case. Like millions of others, she is "freaked out" by the idea of having to get up in front of others, particularly her colleagues, to make a presentation.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Much of what happens in professional life is the product of "culture"--organizational culture to be more specific. These are the unwritten mores and values of an organization. You won't find any of these rules in writing. You won't find them in an organizational chart or the standard operating procedures manual. Yet, organizational culture is very real. It drives not only our successes, but our failures as well.