As an advocate of feedback, I wanted to share some comments from delegates at the SW Region training day last week. I gave two training sessions, one on 'Asking effective questions', and the other on 'Solutions not problems'.
Here's what they said...
It was Useful
Self-reflecting
Feedback from people who don't know us
Strengths
Common problems and solutions
Confidence boosters
Learning about yourself
Reinforcement
Focus
Knowledge, ideas, solutions
It was Interesting
Common interests
Similarities
Shared
Honesty
Insight into others
How to elicit information
It was Surprising
Speed!
Positive and contagious
Friendly
Open
Analyse others
Excited
Similarities
If you'd like a copy of the training information I used, simply e-mail Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Thursday 25 June 2009
First recognition award for the Women in FM special interest group
As the new Chair of Women in FM, I was very proud this evening to collect the first ever BIFM award for ‘Best Sector Forum/Special Interest Group’ on behalf of Women in FM.
You can find out more about the group, and the events we are running, at www.bifm.org.uk or call Liz Kentish The FM Coach for more details 07717 787077 coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
You can find out more about the group, and the events we are running, at www.bifm.org.uk or call Liz Kentish The FM Coach for more details 07717 787077 coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Monday 8 June 2009
The Things That Stop Most People Presenting in Public & How to Overcome Them
Gerald R. Ford said "If I went back to college again, I'd concentrate on two areas: learning to write and learning to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively."
Public speaking is the number one skill that's guaranteed to position you head and shoulders above the competition, yet it's frequently overlooked, according to female speaker, Patricia Fripp.
My own take on having the ability to give presentations is that it's probably the single most powerful thing you can learn to do that gives you the ammunition to say "If I can do that, I can do anything".
If you've ever marvelled at the abilities of a great presenter, the clever use of words to draw pictures, the confidence and charisma that exudes from the platform and the awe in which they are held, you'll agree with the above statements.
So why is it that when it comes to attending training courses, presentation skills are not the automatic first port of call? Could it be to do with that oft quoted (probably misquoted) statistic that speaking in public is feared more than death? Let's not go into an examination of quite how ridiculous that would be if it were true. After all, how many of you would really swap places with the guy in the coffin if you were asked to speak at a funeral?
There's no doubt that public presenting can get the old palms sweating, but given the benefits you'll get when you know you can do it well, it really shouldn't stop you. Let's examine the causes of nerves so you lay your fears to rest and get this most important of abilities added to your arsenal of talents, shall we?
First, examine why you're nervous. There's always a reason for nerves so examine what the reasons are so you can deal with the cause and go a long way to eliminating the symptom. Note that I say "go a long way to eliminating", the chances are that you'll always feel some nervousness which is when you need to remember that nerves are your friends because they keep your senses sharp & show that you want to do well.
Even seasoned performers suffer from stage fright, some had it so bad they could barely perform. Fortunately, the thought is usually worse than the task. Once you get started, you'll often find that your nervousness will disappear. I liken it to knowing that you're about to tackle a drive round London's Hyde Park Corner or Paris's Arc de Triomphe in rush hour. Thinking about it really freaks you out but when you're in the middle of it, you're too busy concentrating on not hitting anyone that it's only afterwards you get to think "Wow, I made it in one piece."
Some of the most common reasons I've found for people suffering from nerves are these:
Worry about forgetting what you're going to say
Worry that the audience will think you're a fraud
Worry about saying the wrong thing and offending somebody
Worry that someone will ask a question to which you don't know the answer
Worry that you'll get a dry mouth or get tongue tied
Worry that you'll finish too soon or run long
Some of the less common ones I've heard were "I'm worried in case there's a fire alarm halfway through my talk" and "I'm worried that the hem on my trousers will unravel in front of everyone whilst I'm speaking."
I could dismiss all these are "silly" or "invalid" and tell you that none of them will ever happen, but the fact is that they often will. (Yes, even the trouser hem thing's happened to me!). Looking down the list, you can see that there's a lot you can do to avoid these situations occurring: being well prepared, stating your qualifications in your introduction, knowing your subject matter inside and out, timing yourself several times during rehearsals, and so on (sorry, I don't have a magic bean to disable fire bells during speeches).
But so what if any of them still come to pass? What's the worst that can happen? Well it's not life or death, you know. You have to learn to keep your fears in perspective. And remember, the audience wants you to succeed. Nobody enjoys a bad speech.
Do what you can to be prepared and don't let fear of speaking stop you from gaining that most revered of all skills, the one that will impact every area of your personal and business life. Give yourself the very best opportunity of succeeding and you'll find the rewards are massive.
Do you have a major presentation coming up? For guidance and support call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 07717 787077 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Author Bio
Maria Davies is the UK's most successful female sales presenter who trains others to overcome their public speaking fears and use presentation skills to increase the audience share for their product or service by around 91%. Find out more about forthcoming seminars, worldwide e-trainings or speaker bookings at www.laddersofsuccess.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
Public speaking is the number one skill that's guaranteed to position you head and shoulders above the competition, yet it's frequently overlooked, according to female speaker, Patricia Fripp.
My own take on having the ability to give presentations is that it's probably the single most powerful thing you can learn to do that gives you the ammunition to say "If I can do that, I can do anything".
If you've ever marvelled at the abilities of a great presenter, the clever use of words to draw pictures, the confidence and charisma that exudes from the platform and the awe in which they are held, you'll agree with the above statements.
So why is it that when it comes to attending training courses, presentation skills are not the automatic first port of call? Could it be to do with that oft quoted (probably misquoted) statistic that speaking in public is feared more than death? Let's not go into an examination of quite how ridiculous that would be if it were true. After all, how many of you would really swap places with the guy in the coffin if you were asked to speak at a funeral?
There's no doubt that public presenting can get the old palms sweating, but given the benefits you'll get when you know you can do it well, it really shouldn't stop you. Let's examine the causes of nerves so you lay your fears to rest and get this most important of abilities added to your arsenal of talents, shall we?
First, examine why you're nervous. There's always a reason for nerves so examine what the reasons are so you can deal with the cause and go a long way to eliminating the symptom. Note that I say "go a long way to eliminating", the chances are that you'll always feel some nervousness which is when you need to remember that nerves are your friends because they keep your senses sharp & show that you want to do well.
Even seasoned performers suffer from stage fright, some had it so bad they could barely perform. Fortunately, the thought is usually worse than the task. Once you get started, you'll often find that your nervousness will disappear. I liken it to knowing that you're about to tackle a drive round London's Hyde Park Corner or Paris's Arc de Triomphe in rush hour. Thinking about it really freaks you out but when you're in the middle of it, you're too busy concentrating on not hitting anyone that it's only afterwards you get to think "Wow, I made it in one piece."
Some of the most common reasons I've found for people suffering from nerves are these:
Worry about forgetting what you're going to say
Worry that the audience will think you're a fraud
Worry about saying the wrong thing and offending somebody
Worry that someone will ask a question to which you don't know the answer
Worry that you'll get a dry mouth or get tongue tied
Worry that you'll finish too soon or run long
Some of the less common ones I've heard were "I'm worried in case there's a fire alarm halfway through my talk" and "I'm worried that the hem on my trousers will unravel in front of everyone whilst I'm speaking."
I could dismiss all these are "silly" or "invalid" and tell you that none of them will ever happen, but the fact is that they often will. (Yes, even the trouser hem thing's happened to me!). Looking down the list, you can see that there's a lot you can do to avoid these situations occurring: being well prepared, stating your qualifications in your introduction, knowing your subject matter inside and out, timing yourself several times during rehearsals, and so on (sorry, I don't have a magic bean to disable fire bells during speeches).
But so what if any of them still come to pass? What's the worst that can happen? Well it's not life or death, you know. You have to learn to keep your fears in perspective. And remember, the audience wants you to succeed. Nobody enjoys a bad speech.
Do what you can to be prepared and don't let fear of speaking stop you from gaining that most revered of all skills, the one that will impact every area of your personal and business life. Give yourself the very best opportunity of succeeding and you'll find the rewards are massive.
Do you have a major presentation coming up? For guidance and support call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 07717 787077 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Author Bio
Maria Davies is the UK's most successful female sales presenter who trains others to overcome their public speaking fears and use presentation skills to increase the audience share for their product or service by around 91%. Find out more about forthcoming seminars, worldwide e-trainings or speaker bookings at www.laddersofsuccess.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
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