Posts Tagged ‘Coaching’
What working with a speaker coach says about you
I was utterly surprised. So much so that I didn’t even object to what she’d just said.
I’d been coaching some speakers for an event and the coordinator said the committee planned to acknowledge me at the event but that they’d decided not to mention how I’d been involved. They didn’t want the speakers to be embarrassed that they’d had a coach.
Is working with a speaker coach embarrassing?
Read MoreMy #1 rule for public speaking. And its corollary.
Like much of the world, I’ve been watching the public discourse on Naomi Osaka’s departure from the French Open. I’m not a tennis player so my interest isn’t related to the sport itself. Instead, I’m processing the reasoning behind her decision.
I confess I don’t know the innerworkings of her story; I know only what’s been shared in recent days on various media outlets. She’s cited bouts of depression over the last four years, as well as anxiety over public speaking in press interviews.
Before I address the public speaking aspect, I feel compelled to speak on the former concern: Mental health is still a topic we don’t address openly enough as a society. There’s stigma and shame where there shouldn’t be. (Sidenote: I’d argue this is exacerbated within the church when we “counsel” someone struggling with mental health issues to simply have more faith. Resources here.) I’m grateful for the people (many athletes) who’ve courageously shared their battles with us, bringing the topic into the public forum. Let’s honor their stories—and those of so many who struggle silently—by responding with respect and compassion.
As it relates to the public speaking anxiety Osaka references, I offer an insight and a challenge for us all.
First, the insight…
Read MoreReclaimed: TEDxBoise 2020
In March, TEDxBoise, like so many other events, was postponed until April of 2021.
Not long ago, our board met again out of concern over the viability of having a spring 2021 event.
We decided to have our 2020 event after all. (Take that, COVID-19.)
It looked vastly different from the 400+ person event it normally is; we held it outside on the Idaho Shakespeare Festival stage with a very small (masked) audience last Saturday.
Read MoreWe’re all afraid of something
America’s top three fears—in order—are public speaking, heights, and bugs. While #1 holds no power over me, #2 has been a paralyzing fear since third grade when I refused to climb to the dome of the state capitol building in Denver.
When I started working with David Anderson on his TEDxBoise talk last year, I knew I’d be confronting my fear.
And it finally happened on Saturday.
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