Public speaking, why is it so terrifying?
I recall a conversation I had about ten years ago with a mentor, she told me she was never nervous speaking in public, never ever. She just did it. She never worried about it and afterwards didn’t waste time thinking about it. As a novice in public speaking I couldn’t imagine ever getting to that place. In fact, it was not long after I had to address my workforce with bad news. I delivered but it took a toll on me, privately tears fell.
Since that day the path of public speaking has twisted and turned for me. I’ve gained in experience, no doubt about it. My confidence in my material has grown. I’ve had highs and I’ve had lows. The highs are often fleeting, the lows much harder to shake off.
Ten years on and it’s a different story entirely. I rarely worry about public speaking. As my mentor foretold, it just happens now. I ask myself what’s changed and it really is quite simple. I’ve learnt the audience is forgiving, always behind you, willing you to do well.
They’ve come to hear you speak because they are interested in what you have to say and yet they don’t know your material like you do, if you miss a line on your script who cares, they’ll never know, you can forgive yourself and shake it off.
Above all else I’ve learnt not to take myself too seriously. To be authentic, embrace my northern accent; overlook my nervous fidgeting and my tendency for evangelical delivery. I’m passionate about tackling the root cause of poverty and disadvantage; it makes me animated, excitable, a little challenging. It demands the banging of the pulpit and the inevitable calling for action. That’s me and I’m absolutely okay with that.
A sense of humour is useful too. I haven’t always been able to laugh at myself but as I’ve grown in confidence it’s got easier to do. I did a radio broadcast recently and I mentioned a charity called the NSPCA. To those who aren’t familiar with the NSPCA, it’s entirely fictional - accidental - a tongue tied combination of the NSPCC and the RSPCA which you probably recognise as household names! It was a tiny mistake in an otherwise perfectly reasonable radio broadcast. When I think of it, I don’t cringe, I chuckle.
I was privileged last week to share the stage at the prestigious Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts[1] with a great hero of mine, Sir Michael Marmot, FBA, FMedSci, FRCP is Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, author of the Marmot Review, Fair Society Health Lives[2]. If there was a time to freeze this was it.
But instead, I remembered what my mentor told me all those years go. Public speaking is a state of mind. You can choose to be terrified or you can choose to channel self-belief. And I do believe it is a choice we make. We are often our own worst critic. Talk kindly to yourself. Tell yourself you can and you will. Do you best and trust your audience has your back.
It doesn’t have to be terrifying. It doesn't have to be perfect. The more you do it the easier it gets.
[2] http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review