A big part of my job requires me to put together and give presentations on financial results, cost-saving measures, strategy etc. I do not consider myself a poor public speaker, so it is perplexing to me that I often find myself in situations where I have trouble clearly & effectively communicating my thoughts to the group. I ran across a website that has an archive of various executive coaching tips. Among them, there was a short podcast entitled “Sounding Well-Spoken,” which gives listeners suggestions on how to better articulate themselves.
- Performance improves after you’ve done something at least once. Think before you speak.
- One minute of thoughtful planning, increases performance ten-fold. Even if you are walking to a meeting, it is not too late to prepare your mind.
- Here are 3 questions to ‘think’ about before you speak:
- 1. What idea am I trying to communicate?
- 2. Exactly how many ideas are there?
- 3. What would be good one or two-word labels for each idea?
By asking yourself these 3 questions before you speak, you are mentally preparing yourself, which should help you become more articulate.
Please see below for the link to the website:
http://www.essentialcomm.com/tips/execcoachtips.html
I agree with all of that, Joe. It helps me a lot when I memorize at least the first sentence. Getting that first sentence out in a fluid and clear manner can put you at ease.
I really agree with the point about thinking before speaking. Any additional time that you can give to either keywords or structure usually pays off.