Sims Wyeth founded Sims Wyeth & Company, Inc. in 1995 in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers.
 |
A Zen monk had sweaty palms On Sale Now! |
 |
Sims Wyeth & Co. blogs win award for quality content. |
Speaking Anxiety: Stage Fright in Front of the Boss
EmailI recently received a call from a regional sales leader who said that he was unable to express himself to senior management.
He speaks effectively to his peers and his direct reports, but said that he has trouble organizing his thoughts when speaking to his boss’s bosses.
I did not meet him in person, and did not try to figure out what was bothering him over the phone. I suggested he shop around. But I am curious. What’s going on and what can he do about it?
What’s Going On?
Let’s speculate.
- He’s projecting an image of harsh, judgmental authority onto the senior leaders, which is causing him to tense up with anxiety.
- He knows that some senior leaders have a reputation for being tough on presenters–they may use presentations as a stress test for “separating the men from the boys.”
- He is not taking possession of his own strengths and feels like a child standing before angry parents–in a word, powerless.
- He knows he is comfortable talking about his accounts, but lacks the ability to speak in broader terms about long-range strategic issues.
- He can speak about his accounts, but worries about the Q&A.
- He simply hasn’t spoken to them often enough to get comfortable in their presence.
- He’s over-reacting. Everyone is nervous speaking to senior leadership. There’s much at stake.
What Can He Do about It?
- First of all, get a basic check-up on his presentation skills–how to organize his information to appeal to his audience, and how to project himself effectively.
- Rehearse his presentation with simulated real-world pressure. This means getting people to sit and listen to him stumble through his first efforts.
- Rehearse enough so that he transfers his knowledge and delivery skills from his cerebral cortex (which is good at learning new stuff) to his cerebellum (which is good at orchestrating lightning fast physical and mental tasks.)
- Get some support from his immediate boss. If the company believes in him, they should help him break through this challenge.
- Get to know some of the senior leaders. This could be difficult, but who knows what would happen if he called up one or two of them and asked them for some career guidance on how to make the presentation most useful to them. They might see it as enterprising and thoughtful.
- Do some visualizing of the senior leaders as normal, fun-loving folks–people who have his best interests at heart, and who want to see him succeed.
- Develop his self-esteem and confidence. Read this article on bnet.com for some insights on how to do this.
It’s hard for many of us to step in front of an unfamiliar audience that we imagine knows more than we do, has more money and education than we do, more power, and in fact, could make or break us (or at least it feels that way.)
This guy was up-front and honest with me, and I respect him for that. He’s out there trying to solve his problem–to take his skills to another level. Actually, this is one of those instances when the word “skill” may not be the right word. This might be more about personal growth.
Tags: communication skills, communication skills ny, executive coaching, executive coaching ny, ny public speaking training, presentation skills, presentation skills ny, public speaking, public speaking skills, public speaking tips, public speaking tips ny, Public speaking training, speaking anxiety, speaking anxiety ny, speaking effectively
mobile friendly websites and local profiles. you…
have to position your company wherever your customers are, and now they are going mobile. msn is a very popular search engine. and you all are aware of the fact that search engines will help you get the maximum number of…
have some side effects when applying it….
it truly is very best to talk about with your doctor what focus of retin-a is best to your skin color type.surgical drainage: for the most severe scenarios of cystic acne this process can be best. when acne cysts will not…
consistent distance. if you like spin you…
will love the 60.11 pm grind. it spins more than any wedge i have ever used, including the vokey spin milled. you can get pretty aggressive on pitch shots around the green with this club.more information at http://www.buycheapgolf.com/buy-callaway-x-to...
body) 2. cotton balls3. if you want…
to massage your baby take ordinary baby oil or almond oil which is soothing to the skin or pescribe by child specialist.4. baby soap foam pad or rubber mat ( to lay on the bottom of the sink so that she…
intensified. hypnosis is a state of mind…
that allows you to access your long-term memory store. you therefore store new images and their associated thoughts, behavior and beliefs in your long-term memory instead of short-term memory store. this means that with the help of hypnosis you remembe…
find great deals if you are willing…
to search a bit. Take a little time to shop around for your snowmobile gear and you will be able to find the affordable snowmobile gear that you need to stay safe this winter while you are out on the trails…
Something happened today :…
Hey sis! I see your having a great time. Miss your lots. Come home fast!…
direction of a vehicle anywhere on the…
globe. Unlike cellular communications, that often experience dead spots, GPS receivers and satellites are always capable of maintaining strong locks, even in regions with dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings. The benefits of GPS fleet tr…
We met with the man who :…
There are actually plenty of particulars like that to take into consideration. That is a great level to bring up. I offer the ideas above as normal inspiration however clearly there are questions just like the one you carry up the place crucial factor …
crasher. Media Exposure The images that we…
see from media showcase beautiful people as well as shun and taunt the ugly, overweight and poor people often result to a social stigma that we oftentimes apply to ourselves. As they say, we are our own harshest critic. Being a…
Travail de Yesturdays pour le demain – un regard à quelques exemples…
A été montré cet exemple, par l’intermédiaire de arnold Messer dessus linkedin et trouvé lui pour être extrêmement instructif et trop le point…