You have to take action.
There was a man who wanted to become a better employee. He wanted to perform to the best of his ability. He created a dream board and posted it on his wall.
As he was sharing this, I told him, “That’s great. That’s powerful!”
Then I asked him, “Can you share with me one of your dreams?”
He replied, “Oh, I want to become an effective presenter. But I feel nervous every time I am told to present. The other day, my boss asked me to present at the town hall meeting next quarter. By the mere thought of it, I feel nervous.”
I looked at him and said, “It’s good you want to become an effective presenter. It’s ok if you feel nervous, that could mean you care about it. What are you doing now to prepare yourself and become a better presenter?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess you should tell me what to do.”
“Okay, did you read the book I suggested you to read?”
“Uhmm, it’s out of stock at the bookstore.”
“Really? Did you attend the workshop I shared on Facebook?”
“Uhmm, sorry, I forgot about it.”
“Hmmm, are you practicing with your close friends?”
“Uhmm, I’m afraid they might laugh at me.”
“What? Aren’t they your close friends?”
I leaned over and continued, “My friend, if you really want to enhance your presentation skills, you have to take charge and take action. Nothing will change if you will not take action. You start by interacting with your friends and officemates. Start reading a book – it doesn’t have to be my book, there are a lot of books out there! Attend seminars, trainings, and workshops – I myself have invested a lot on these things.”
He looked a bit sad but he was nodding so I went on and said, “Just like you I was so shy before. I do not even like to stand in front. I would turn red – yup, not just my face! My hands would be shaking. But I knew I had to overcome these. I knew I had to learn the skills so I took action. I voraciously read books. I attended learning events. I went to free events and paid events. I invested time, money and effort. And it paid off. I became a better employee. I got promoted twice in a span of three years. Now, I go around giving talks and trainings.”
I paused and let him ponder on what I just said.
Then he spoke these words, “You are right. I should start taking action. Of course, I know that nothing will change without action. I should really apply those three things you told me – interact more often, read books, and attend workshops.”
He smiled and said, “You have a public speaking workshop on Dec 8, right? Can I attend?”
“If you insist… why not.”
He laughed! He shook my hand and said, “Ok then. See you at SPEAK 2.0!”
Before I released his hand, I said, “I know you can be a better presenter. See you!”
(Chris Dao-anis, CPA, DTM is a communication and leadership trainer, inspirational speaker, and author of 4 books. He will be facilitating an intensive public speaking workshop entitled SPEAK 2.0 on December 8 Saturday 1-5pm at the Gestdan Centrum, Bokawkan Rd, Baguio City – near Mitsubishi and Pine Breeze Cottages. Walk In Rate is P850 but if you register now, it will be at P750 only. At the workshop, you will also receive a FREE copy of the book SPEAK: How to Craft and Deliver a Speech or Presentation w/ Competence & Confidence. Sign up now at http://bit.ly/SpeakBaguio or text your name and email address to 0945-761-6577.)