Presentation skills - managing fear
Featured in the Advanced Presentation Techniques training manual
By Clare Forrest & Margaret Zuppinger
Category: Meetings and Presentations
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
There is a misguided belief held by many that the more senior the person the less they share the fears and worries of us lesser mortals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps it is simply that senior managers become better at hiding such anxieties. It is certainly true that even experienced presenters and/or senior managers often dislike and, in some cases, fear public speaking. It is also true that most people, especially if they are at a senior level, don’t like to admit their fears publicly. Because of this, it would be advisable to confirm that those invited to this training activity are there because they have indicated privately to you a need to tackle this issue. Whilst fear of public speaking may seem irrational, it is very real to those who suffer. Some participants may wish you to follow up with them on a one-to-one basis after the training activity to reinforce the techniques used. After this training activity it is essential that participants confront their fear by giving as many presentations as possible. Experiencing a situation is rarely as bad as imagining the same situation.
You begin the training activity by talking about fear and how common it is in performers to encourage participants in self-disclosure. From this, you move into an explanation of where fear comes from and how changes in the brain – known as their ‘Pea brain’ – trigger distinct physiological changes that are unhelpful to the presenter. This leads naturally into practical exercises designed to help the participants manage their fear. These include thinking to change feelings, control of breathing and the benefits of movement or exercise. The final exercise is a relaxation session to reinforce the positive messages in the activity. You close the training activity by reviewing the key points and encouraging the participants to use the techniques they have been exploring to control their fear. They leave with an audio cassette to use in the weeks ahead to continue the process of reinforcement.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to explain to participants where fear originates and how and why it can have such an impact. Several simple, tried and trusted techniques are suggested for overcoming its worst effects.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 2 |
| Max Group Size: | 6 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:15:00 |
| No of Pages: | 24 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: Cushions, CD player, CDs (dance & relaxation music), Feeling confident audio tapes (1 per participant).
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers during managing challenging situations, managing yourself, and stress management programmes. It can also be adapted for one-to-one coaching.
Download the training activity, Presentation skills - managing fear as featured in the Fenman training manual; Advanced Presentation Techniques