The good, the bad and the ugly of public speaking…..

I am lucky, I love to present and public speaking does not phase me the way it does others.  I have had my share of presentations that have simply not worked, and other that have exceed all expectations.

My Love with public speaking started at high school, when I was chosen to represent my school in a speech completion hosted by the local Rotary club. My topic was one I felt very strongly about and had been highlighted in the media, and by several high profile rock stars.  Back then there was no internet to help with research; it was all done through newspapers, journals and TV news programmes.  So with help from my Mother (she was a teacher at the time) I was launched into my first every public speaking event, and I loved it.  The thrill of standing up and having people focused on you, and only you.  After winning the local competition, I was ready to go up against the big guns in Whangarei; I was excited and been practising like mad.  Then the ugly hit, I had been told the wrong day, deliberately by one of the local Rotary members. Why?  As it turned out they were upset that a girl from the wrong high school (me) had been identified as the one person who could win the overall competition, and they had never had anyone get that close from the their local high school.

After high school I went to Teachers Training College, it was then a separate entity from Auckland University, where I joined the debating team.  So not quite as bad as public speaking on your own (part of three member team) there was still the thrill of speaking and politely arguing in public. But it never quite given me the thrill that public speak did.

On I went into the work force, and while at the BNZ I was introduced to Toast Masters, which ironical covered the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly of public speaking.  It was here that I learnt to control my Mm’s, Uh and Aar’s, was made to ensure that I knew my speaking topics and subjects.  I also learnt what it was like to be given a topic on the night and have to speak for two minutes, without the support of planned speech, or the chance to research.  It really taught me how to think on feet.  Like most environments however there was the bad and ugly side, where those giving the feedback made it on occasion, personal and not constructive, but this was only on rare occasions.

Last year I was asked at the last minute to do a presentation to number of staff from around the country at company meeting   (bad) .  I had little or no time to prepare slides, so went without.  That was a brave and stupid call as few got disinterested during the presentation and started talking among themselves (ugly).  So I stopped what I was talking about and reminded the few that where intent on personal conversations, that I had given my time and that I would appreciate their attention.  They stopped and actual started following what I was talking about, and soon realised that my subject matter was important (good).  After I finished my presentation, many came up said they were surprised by handling of the few (everyone who had presented had let them carry on), and where excited and interested in what I had to say.

So there it goes the good, the bad and the ugly all in one presentation that was a last minute request, but it was my love of speaking that made it possible.