Executive Presentation Skills

By: Ryan Callahan

We have all heard the stat that fear of public speaking is one of the average person's top fears, often ranking higher than death. If anyone can attest to this being true, it is me, even though I have a lot of experience public speaking. I was in drama in high school and led student orgs where I was required to speak at each meeting. Every time I step in front of a crowd, I can feel my throat tighten and my heart pounds (am I choking on my own heart? is that possible??). I feel like vomiting but also crawling into a ball and somehow discreetly rolling out of the room. It's awful. Unfortunately, the path of an administrator requires constant ability to speak in front of others and to do so effectively. I knew this was an area I needed work on and so when I heard about the executive presentation seminar, I was both excited to improve myself but also secretly wished an owl would peck my lips off the night before so I'd have an excuse to skip.

 

No such luck. I showed up to the morning of the seminar exhausted after deciding to skip on that useless activity called sleep in order to attempt to "perfect" my presentation for the day. The day was to be led by two alumni of the MHA program, Shane Cerone and Chris Klitgaard. I know I am going to sound like I am just sucking up to alumni here, but honestly, I can say those two made that day as great as it was. It could have been a really crappy, anxiety filled day or a boring day of lectures, but Shane and Chris did a great job creating an open, active learning environment. We were divided into two groups and took turns being videotaped while giving an impromptu presentation about ourselves and then a persuasive speech we prepared beforehand. Shane was very supportive, giving very honest advice on ways we can all improve. For instance, I need to slow things down and talk less like an auctioneer who just chugged an entire pot of fresh Columbian coffee. I definitely took away some great advice not only from Shane but also from watching my peers and the different yet effective ways they presented. 

 

I am very grateful that the Iowa MHA program organizes days like this, as well as for the alumni like Shane and Chris who are willing to take time out of their busy schedule to help us improve such a vital skill for our future. I can safely say that I learned some great techniques to crush any future presentations. Our own perception and negative thoughts we have about our public speaking abilities are often built up much bigger in our minds than they are in reality. That was definitely one of the biggest things I learned. So, next time I step in front of a crowd and feel my body begin to panic, I'll take a deep breath, step to the front and begin. There are definitely much scarier things to worry about.