I interviewed Daena on how she looks at nervousness. Daena Giardella is an actor, director, coach and consultant. She has been called one of the “trailblazers” of training and one-woman improvisational theater performances.   http://www.daenagiardella.com/pages/teachingcalf.html

What do you tell clients who say, “I am so nervous. I can’t do this talk”?

Your nervousness can be your best friend. Nervousness is energy that may contain a message from your innermost self. Your job is to understand what it’s trying to tell you. And then you can harness and transform it into passion and smart choices. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s an idea for sitting. Leland has these wonderful images that really show you the different ways people sit.  Remember, people watch you all the time. You want to look attentive and in charge. I also find the Alexander Technique has taught me how to relax more of my body more of the time. This helps me “think” clearer.

Recently I did a workshop on how to demonstrate executive presence. I asked the group, “How do you stand up straight?” They said, “Put your shoulders back. Lift up your chest, Push your head back.” I did as they said, and people started laughing. I certainly didn’t look very executive! So what is the right way to stand up straight?  There are various ways to answer this question.  However, having now studied the Alexander Technique for six months,  I believe it offers several guidelines and is an approach that gives you the best results and teaches you not to overuse your body. Two websites will give you a great introduction to the Alexander Technique.

Leland Vall, in New York, at freeyourneck.com/blog has some great images, including the ones reproduced here. He also has a a book.

If you are really concerned about your back and posture, I suggest you take some Alexander lessons.

Wendy Capland is the founder and CEO of Vision Quest Consulting which provides the ultimate in programs for executive leadership development for top executives and their management teams. She is also the founder of The Magic Parties, a community of women who gather to birth themselves in new ways. http://magicparties.blogspot.com/

How do you calm yourself before a presentation?
I am not nervous anymore. After all, I’ve been doing this for 25 years. I do certain practices before I talk. I take deep breaths and ground myself. If I can, I close my eyes and do a spiritual practice of settling into my body, running energy from my feet to the heavens and then from the heavens through my feet.  I then focus on being with my audience and deep into myself at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »

“I want to engage the audience.”

Jim came to a workshop and said he wanted to be able to connect to the audience and have them make comments and ask questions. Then he gave his work presentation.

He talked very fast, never pausing between sentences. He was hard to understand as he did not say the end of many words. If someone in the class wanted to ask a question, the person would have had to interrupt Jim.

What’s wrong with this scenario? Read the rest of this entry »

Plan Your Opening & Closing

Charlie Rose is Senior Vice President and Dean at City Year. Charlie has helped build the organization into a national model for youth community service organizations. He speaks several times each month to City Year’s Core Members as well as to community organizations around the United States.
1.  What are the ways you prepare yourself before speaking?
First I think very carefully about my audience and what I want to accomplish. Then once I have decided my purpose, I plan certain events I do every time I talk. I always do my stand-up/sit-down exercise. I ask the audience questions like stand up if you are an only child. Stand up if your name is consistently mispronounced. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve been asked to brief upper management on your project.You just updated your team for thirty minutes and have decided to use that talk for upper management.

Is this a smart or not so smart decision?

Not so smart. Most high level executives do not care to hear how you did the project, how long it took you and what you learned in the process. Read the rest of this entry »

You seem to lose your place when talking and do not know why. You look at your slides and your mind goes blank. You are considering putting many more words on the slides to remind you what you need to cover.

More words on the slide: a smart or not so smart decision? Read the rest of this entry »

Suzanne Enright, president of Kensu Leadership Group, Inc. tells how she channels her nervousness. Her consulting company designs and delivers programs to accelerate the development of global leaders, with a focus on high-potential leaders and their teams in Asia and the U.S.

Suzanne, what are your two best ways to prepare yourself before speaking?

Number 1: I mentally practice. Read the rest of this entry »

Talk fast to fit it all in, or condense and speak calm and connected?

Kuan walked into the room ready to present when the organizer told him, “Sorry, we can only give you 15 minutes and not 30 for your presentation.” What does Kuan do? Does he talk fast to cover everything he planned? Or does he cut back his information and only present what is essential? Read the rest of this entry »