workplace

Tips to Get Over Your Fear of Public Speaking

workingmother.com

Some people are born to engage a crowd – they're confident, cool, and collected, even while speaking publicly.

They can get right up there, deliver their spiel, and never seem to break a sweat. No fear, no frets, and no fumbles. If this doesn't sound a thing like you, you're likely lumped in with the rest of the folks who dread public speaking. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's also not your destiny. You can get over your fears and turn anxiety into accomplishment.

Face your fears josephcostello.ie

Prepare

If fear of public speaking already weighs on you, "winging it" will only make matters worse. No matter the topic, you must study up on the facts and figures, background, studies, etc. The more you research and learn, the better you'll be able to present the information. You need to know what you're talking about and that it's factual and informative.

As per Mayo Clinic, "The better you understand what you're talking about — and the more you care about the topic — the less likely you'll make a mistake or get off track. And if you do get lost, you'll be able to recover quickly. Take some time to consider what questions the audience may ask and have your responses ready."

Rehearse

Just like a stage actor rehearses his lines before opening night, you should practice your presentation before your "performance." Harvard Business Review suggests, "Enlist your friends to help you rehearse your speech. They can help review your material, ask you tough follow-up questions, or act like an indifferent audience."

The Balance adds, "Rehearse several times before the big talk. Time your presentation and always have back up material in case time is left over."

Practice may not make perfect, but you'll be closer to it.

Envision Success

When you're a ball of nerves, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But with a sunny outlook, you can effectively will your way into doing a job you're proud of. Mayo Clinic explains, "Positive thoughts can help decrease some of your negativity about your social performance and relieve some anxiety."

Huffington Post notes, "By being able to paint a concrete picture of what success looks like to you, it becomes less abstract and more obtainable to you." So, think about yourself standing up there, well-prepared, well-received, and realizing it wasn't so bad after all.

Breathe

Fear and worry can cause anything from sweaty pits to something closer to a panic attack. You need to concentrate on your breathing to calm yourself down and gain clarity and focus. The Balance recommends, "using deep belly breathing to reduce stress and build confidence."

CNBC expands, "Deep breathing before and during your presentation or pitch calms your nerves and adds power and strength to your voice. Deep breathing also keeps your voice centered and prevents dangerous uptalk, which undermines your credibility and confidence. (Allison Shapira, founder, and CEO of Global Public Speaking)."

Be Yourself

Authenticity and ease of yourself will go a long way. You want to connect with your audience, and how better to do that than by being you? Too much memorization and rigidity will cause you to come off as more of a robot than the real thing. Be conversational and friendly. Nobody is waiting/hoping for you to mess up, they just want to be engaged and enlightened.

CNBC advises, "Telling personal, true stories are the best way to impart information and inspire others. (Gary Schmidt, Past International President of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit organization that helps members improve their public speaking skills)."

You can do this!workingmother.com

Forget the fear and find your place front and center.

Related Articles Around the Web
public speaking
PayPath
Follow Us on

Workplace Phrases & Jargon We Need to Stop Using

We are creatures of habit, be it in our actions or through our words. And when it comes to words, some common ones threaded together need to be eliminated from the workplace. Commonly used (and often overused) workplace phrases and jargon are not only annoying, but can become meaningless when incorporated into conversation after conversation.

pexels.com

In fact, as per Independent, "A survey for Wonga.com found that office workers annoy their colleagues at least ten times a day with such phrases. A lot of office jargon seems to act as an intelligence amplifier. We feel that we sound brighter by using a jargon word instead of plain English. One way office jargon does this is by replacing plain, useful, straight-to-the-point-language with language that circumambulates the point."

If you aren't one of those to blame for keeping this practice going, then you've surely been on the receiving end, with an open ear that you wish was stuffed with a wad of cotton. Yet, we have become so accustomed to these phrases and jargon that it becomes something we expect to hear during work calls, meetings, and sales pitches, and read in emails and memos.

What gives? Can't we come up with something new to say? We don't use these phrases and jargon in other areas of our lives, so why are they expected and accepted at work? Before becoming the next person to jump on the irritating conversation-crushing bandwagon, take note of these common workplace phrases and jargon and vow never to utter the words again. You'll not only get your point across with more meaning since most of us have become numb to the sound of these, but co-workers, colleagues, bosses, clients, and staff will appreciate your flair for commanding the English language with a new way of communicating effectively and productively.

"Move the Needle"

You've surely heard this one before, if not once, then many times, as "move the needle" is a workplace favorite. And while the concept – "generate a reaction," as described by Microsoft – is an important one, why not more directly say, "generate a reaction?"

"Generate" is more powerful than "move," and in 99 out of 100 cases, there is no physical "needle" to refer to when it comes to assessing change.

How about saying, "Let's positively impact or move a project forward," as Cheesy Corporate Lingo writes. The direct and confident nature of such a statement will encourage the team to get to work and make change that is noteworthy and valuable.

So, let's move "move the needle" to the annoying workplace phrases graveyard.

"Thanks in Advance"

"Thanks in advance" is most commonly used in an email situation, but it is wildly overused and must no longer be the closer of an otherwise well-composed correspondence. Essentially, you are assuming that the person you are asking something of will automatically be on board to assist or comply. It is presumptuous and probably not what you intend to convey in the first place, which is thanks for reading my email and considering my proposition.

Academic Workflows on a Mac notes, "I find this trend bordering on offensive. When you ask someone to do something over email by the time they read to the end of the email they have neither done what you have asked nor have agreed. Another problem with this phrase is it implies that your obligation to say thank you is done and you don't need to express gratitude after the person actually does what you have asked them to do." They suggest swapping "thanks in advance" for a more fitting phrase such as,

  • "I really appreciate any help you can provide.
  • I will be grateful if you can send me this information.
  • Many thanks for considering my request.
  • In the meantime, thank you so much for your attention and participation."

So, thanks in advance for cutting this phrase out of your workplace lingo.

"Let's Touch Base"

According to Intelligent Instinct, "'Let's touch base' means roughly, 'Let's get together to review or gauge our current status'." Yet for some reason, saying "let's get together" isn't workplace-savvy enough to fit the bill.

Surely most people don't use this phrase at home – "Johnny, let's touch base after you do the dishes," or "After our Mommy and Me class, let's touch base at the coffee shop and plan Katie's surprise party," so why must we do all this base-touching at the office? Most of us aren't ball players, so there's no reason to round any bases.

As per Hubspot, "A Glassdoor survey revealed roughly one in four employees think 'touch base' is the most annoying buzzword. So, if you often toss it around, you might be irritating your coworkers, prospects, and connections."

Hubspot offers some less-annoying "Let's touch base" alternatives that are far straightforward and simple:

  • I'll call you at (date and time)
  • Can we meet for (X minutes) sometime (this week, month, etc.)?
  • Let's meet again in a (day, week, month, etc.)
  • Let's share our progress…
  • Let's catch up…
  • Please call me…
  • Please send me an update/ I'll send you an update…

See, it's easy to "touch base" without having to strike out in your conversation.

pexels.com

Some other doozies?...

  • "I Don't Have the Bandwidth" – "Something business people say to describe the resources needed to complete a task or project," as defined by Urban Dictionary.
  • "Where's the Value-Add?" – "Term used in service and retail industries, meaning to connect a service or additional product to a product at no immediate cost to the buyer. This cost is often included (read: hidden) in the base price, but is called out to make the customer feel as though they are getting more than they paid for," as per Urban Dictionary.
  • "Let's Circle Back" – "Connecting with folks on a business issue and letting things happen, then going back to them after a few days or after things evolve," as defined by Net Lingo.
  • "Think Outside the Box" - "To think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas," as per Cambridge Dictionary.

Reboot your workplace vocab and rid yourself of those phrases and jargon that are getting under everyone's skin. "To-the-point" is always better than "What's the point?"

pexels.com

Related Articles Around the Web
corporate jargon

Surprising benefits of working with your friends

unsplash.com

The old adage of never mixing business and pleasure may be smart for some, but there are plenty of perks that come from working with friends. Whether you take a position where a friend is already employed, or you get close with co-workers over time and form bonds, these relationships can improve your work life tremendously.

Good friends (and good jobs) are hard to come by, so if you can kill two birds with one stone (so to speak), you are one of the lucky ones. As long as you keep things professional and know your boundaries, having a buddy in business is a blessing. Here are some reasons why.

pixabay.com

You'll Be More Productive

While some may think working with friends would cause people to goof off more readily, the opposite is true.

According to Coca-Cola Company, "Having a work bestie is one of the strongest predictors of productivity (as per a Gallup poll). Friendships lead to a level of engagement that differentiate highly productive workgroups from mediocre workgroups. There's much less wasted energy and interpersonal obstacles."

Friends want to see friends find success and doing it together is even more meaningful and motivating.

Your Job Satisfaction Will Increase

Finding a satisfactory work-life balance can be tough, so when you get to see people you care about all day long, you'll be happier all around.

As Cuallet puts it, "It is good to feel excitement about going to work, as you want to share a story or experience with your friend, this can make your work seem simpler or less boring, and can help each other in the tasks to be done in their workday."

Coca-Cola Company adds, "We will often put up with a less than desirable job role if we love the people we work with and will want out of a 'dream job' if we don't feel like the people we work with support or accept us."

Additionally, as per Executive Lifestyle, "(Friends) can help each other deal with the inevitable workplace ups and downs in a more measured and positive way."

You'll Have More Trust

If you can't trust your friends, who can you rely on? Working with people who have your best interest at heart makes you feel more secure and stable, allowing you to focus on the big picture.

According to Executive Lifestyle, "Having a genuine friend in the workplace makes individuals more engaged with the job, more productive and more willing to push the envelope, because they know someone has their back. It makes us feel safer to take risks and is really important for boosting confidence and when you're confident that can lead to all sorts of positive work outcomes."

Instant Teamwork

The practice of teamwork is important in nearly any workplace environment, but it can take time to develop that bond and flow. When friends are already part of the picture, teamwork is already built-in.

As Cuallet notes, "Having a friend or group of friends will help you feel part of the team, talk about your problems and successes, foster a positive environment, benefit you individually as well as the company, creating a network of happy employees."

As per Coca-Cola Company, a university study found that, "Friendships outperformed acquaintances on all tasks because they were committed to communicating better while working and gave continuous feedback. Plus, they gave more critical feedback."

pixabay.com

Friendships are workplace-friendly indeed. Pal-up and see progress!

Related Articles Around the Web
careers

3 ways to stand out without being a show-off

pixabay.com

For the go-getters and high-achievers, standing out at work is in their DNA. Blending in and being average is not good enough for those who want to climb high to reach new levels in their careers. Whether you want to impress the manager or boss, be someone your co-workers look up to, or simply want to push yourself to be your best, standing out at work is the way to shine by proving your worth.

Keep reading Show less
career