Paralyzed by Public Speaking? Help is Here

Before his recent spring break, my teenage son came to me with a few questions on giving a speech in his Modern Civilization course.  This was a prepared 6-10 minute speech in front of an intimate classroom of 20 students.  I felt a little anxiety zip through my bloodstream and I was not even giving the speech!  I felt anxious for him giving a speech.  Indeed, fear of public speaking has far-reaching tentacles. 

Gallup polls have reinforced the notion that people fear public speaking.  In fact, Gallup claims 40% of people rank public speaking as the greatest fear.  Some surveys have even ranked the fear of public speaking (glossophobia) above fear of death!  Jerry Seinfeld, in one of his infamous episodes, interpreted this as meaning that while at a funeral, more people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. 

We have all heard pre-performance jitters are not necessarily bad even when they feel lousy.  As a salesman, I’ve learned how to have my ‘nerves’ work for me, instead of against me.  It’s perfectly normal to be anxious before giving a speech, but if you are worried your fear of public speaking will be debilitating and overpower your presentation, here are a few helpful considerations:

The fight or flight response you are feeling is your body’s reaction to fear.  It’s there to help you in case you are actually in a dangerous situation.  Take a few slow deep breaths to calm and reassure yourself. Your audience is not a threat to you. 

Actually, the audience wants you to do well—they are on your side. But if you are uncomfortable, fumbling and awkward, the audience will feel the same way.  That’s why it is so important to be prepared.  Preparation is the key to alleviating a lot of your pre-speech anxiety. Don’t forget to concentrate on the purpose of your presentation.  What is your call to action? Keeping the end goal in mind will help you stay on track and curb anxious thoughts. Preparedness is often the difference between a solid speech and a flailing one. You simply cannot compensate for a lack of knowledge and rehearsal time.  I’d recommend you rehearse at least 10 times before the day of the presentation.  When you’ve put in the time and effort, you will be more confident and less anxious.  The first few minutes of your speech should be memorized and rehearsed well so you start off smoothly. 

Be passionate about your topic. If you really care about the subject and focus on your message, the anxiety and panic you are feeling will melt away and allow you to inspire your audience with a strong and clear voice. Another good thing about passion is it’s contagious and will help you engage your audience right off the bat.   

If you are still very anxious before beginning your speech, remember, it will be over before you know it. This can be said of most anything in life, and giving a speech is no different.  Knowing that something is temporary makes it more bearable, maybe even a little bit enjoyable.   

Before giving your speech don’t forget that you have an important message to deliver and the audience want to hear what you have to say.  Let your readiness and passion empower you.  Don’t let a little glossophobia get in the way of changing the world one speech at a time!

A. Alliance Collection Agency, Inc. is a full service, licensed accounts receivable management and debt collection agency providing highly effective, customized one on one management and recovery solutions for our business partners.  Founded in northern Illinois in 2005, we have been proudly improving the bottom-line on behalf of our business partners in and around Chicagoland for over 10 years.

 

Follow the Leader: Can Good Leaders Be Good Followers?

Rick Brammer, President of United Credit Service, wrote a great blog on leadership a few weeks ago. The study of leadership is close to his heart; first and foremost because he is a good leader. He recognizes that good leaders are also good learners.  They never stop growing and learning. 

I thought it may be interesting to explore a slightly different perspective on leadership: what can good leaders learn from being good followers?

I realize that the concept of following instead of leading is hard for many of us to swallow.  Yet, having good followers is the fulcrum on which good leaders lever their skills.  The fact is, too, that we all can’t lead all the time. Inevitably we are followers of someone or something and our ability to competently and skillfully follow a leader is as critical to success as leading. 

So, just as there are traits and characteristics that distinguish good leaders, are their traits and characteristics that distinguish good followers? 

An article by Gwen Moran in Fast Company titled “5 Ways Being a Good Follower Makes You a Better Leader” discusses traits shared by good followers and which, reciprocally, make them better leaders in their own right.

Awareness: Being a ‘bull in the china shop’ does not a good follower make.  Being aware of our actions, and the impact they have on others around us, is a key attribute.  Quoting Barbara Kellerman (a leadership lecturer at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government) Moran writes: “Being a follower teaches you how to be aware of the needs of other people as well as their potential to ‘make my life hell from one second to the next’…”  Good followers are aware of those things that improve relationships, make the people around them more effective and avoid roadblocks.

Diplomacy:  I have often heard it called the ability to get along in the sandbox.  Quoting Kellerman again: “Good followers learn how to get along with those who have differences while not ignoring those differences…because a leader or manager can’t afford to be oblivious to the attitudes of those around him or her…”  Being able to manage through potential minefields of strong opinions is critical to achieving goals. 

Courage:  Any conception that portrays a good follower as docile, subservient, or ‘sheep-like’ is just plain wrong.  Good followers have the voice to speak up in dissent regardless of consequences if a leader or organization is heading in a bad direction.  Among the five qualities this may be the most challenging.  Moran quoting Kellerman again: “…[this] requires the guts and strength of conviction that are essential to good leadership…It means being engaged. It means paying attention. It means having the courage to speak up when something’s wrong and it means having the energy and activism to support a leader or manager who’s doing things wisely and well,” she says.

Collaboration:  Recognizing the power in the team.  Although leaders often stand to receive the most credit for success, being able to work as part of a team, and lever the collaborative talents of coworkers, is the real force behind success.  If a team cannot successfully collaborate, this may make or break the influence of the leader to successfully lead the initiative to conclusion. 

Critical Thinking:  The ability to view a challenge from a variety of perspectives and intelligently incorporate useful criticism into a better solution.  Moran quoting Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., (associate dean of the faculty at the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont California): “In order to be a good follower, you need to be able to think for yourself.” Riggio says “Many of the same qualities that we admire in leaders—competence, motivation, intelligence—are the same qualities that we want in the very best followers.”

Isaac Newton once famously wrote: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”  Newton relied on the work and insights of Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe and Galileo, as Einstein needed Newton’s work to create his works of genius. And on to our present time. 

To become successful leaders, we need to master the art of being successful followers.

A. Alliance Collection Agency, Inc. is a full service, licensed accounts receivable management and debt collection agency providing highly effective, customized one on one management and recovery solutions for our business partners.  Founded in northern Illinois in 2005, we have been proudly improving the bottom-line on behalf of our business partners in and around Chicagoland for over 10 years.

Want Lower Healthcare Costs for your Employees? Decrease Stress

We all experience stress on the job.  It’s unavoidable and a natural part of life.  Most of us understand that appropriately managing stress on the job is paramount to our well-being. High stress levels have been linked to illnesses like depression, heart disease, alcoholism, and sleep disorders.  The alarming spike in the incidence of reported stress among employees in recent years and its impact on the bottom-line has made the management of stress an urgent business strategy for American companies of all sizes.

According to statistics from the American Psychological Association (APA), an astounding two-thirds of Americans say that work is a main source of stress in their lives.  Roughly 30% of workers surveyed reported ‘extreme’ stress levels on the job.

On-the-job stressors range from unclear job expectations and time pressures to noisy work stations.  A significant factor is a lack of accommodation for work/life balance, which can add to the stress load.   Whatever the root causes, stressed out workers tend to be fatigued, prone to mistakes and injuries, and are more likely to be absent.

Most significantly, according to the American Institute of Stress, stressed workers incur healthcare costs twice as high than for other employees.  The consequences of stress-related illnesses, from depression to heart disease, cost businesses an estimated $250 billion a year in lost productivity.  Work stress imposes enormous and far-reaching costs on workers’ well-being and corporate profitability, but the good news is, at least some of these costs are avoidable.  The risk for job stress can be reduced through smart, strategic action.

Stress fighting strategies need not be elaborate or expensive.  Simply planning ways to improve communication and recognize employees can be effective.  The National Institute on Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests companies evaluate the scope of stress in the workplace by looking at absenteeism, illness and turnover rates and performance problems.  From there, employee surveys or committees can help determine more specific stressors.  It’s very important to ask employees what strategies may provide remedies.

One effective and easy tool is a Health Risk Assessment (HRA).  The HRA is an online questionnaire provided to employees that will help identify risks for diseases and contributing lifestyle factors, such as stress levels.  According to the Mayo Clinic, the HRA enables workers to learn about their individual risks and can be an effective motivator towards making healthy lifestyle changes to reduce those risks.

The American Psychological Association suggests a range of ways a company’s culture can be changed to reduce stress.  A company can ensure that workloads are in line with workers’ resources and capabilities.  A corporation may design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation and opportunities for workers to use their skills. Clearly define workers’ roles and responsibilities while giving workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs.  A manager should also improve communication to help reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects.   It’s a great idea to also provide opportunities for social interaction among workers.

Establishing work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job and offering supportive services can help reduce stress on the job.  You may allow workers Flex Time and/or Job Sharing.  Some companies allow employees to work from home.  Researchers from Penn State University surveyed 13,000 employees and found that those working from home had less stress.  The prime reason is that working from home provides employees more control over how they do their work and it also helps workers better manage work/family demands.  A company can also provide longer lunch hours.  Extending the lunch hour may discourage snacking and fast food.  Adequate time for lunch may also encourage time for stress-reduction activities like walking.   Employers would be wise to offer a range of wellness activities like stress management workshops, exercise breaks, and onsite support groups.   An outside-the-box idea for reducing workplace stress is to bring a pet to work.  Pets have been shown to reduce stress in people.

No matter what stress management techniques are installed, the key to success is to have a continuing commitment to improving the health and well-being of all employees.  Addressing the management of stress can be a vital wellness strategy that makes for a healthier, happier workforce and a stronger, more productive company.

A. Alliance Collection Agency, Inc. is a full service, licensed accounts receivable management and debt collection agency providing highly effective, customized one on one management and recovery solutions for our business partners.  Founded in northern Illinois in 2005, we have been proudly improving the bottom-line on behalf of our business partners in and around Chicagoland for over 10 years.