Comments on: Style and Comfort

By: wnylibrarian

wnylibrarian — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:54:35 +0000

Very nice blog posting. I feel I’ve gotten better speaking in front of groups. Our users group has helped immensely, but those are relationships cultivated over time. 97 librarians that I talk to on a semi-regular basis via phone & E-mail. Having established those relationships I now feel less nervous speaking in front of all 97 of them at once now. I think, as in all things, speaking in front of large groups just takes practice. It’s never easy, but like a golf swing you’ve got to find out what works for you, and practice as often as you can.

By: Chris Randall

Chris Randall — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:13:50 +0000

Good essay. One of the things we did last winter at the Denver SQL Server User Group was “speaker training”, where members signed up to present a 10 minute talk on a subject of their choosing, and then received candid feedback from the other members.

The participants found it valuable, and we’ll repeat it this year.

By: Chuck Boyce

Chuck Boyce — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:19:52 +0000

Attitude is important. Don’t fear mistakes, expect them. I once read where Jack Nicklaus used to be emboldened after making a mistake because he’d felt he’d gotten it out of his system and could now settle down and start kicking butt.

The best technical presenter I have ever seen is Stephen Forte. He is self aware, but not hindered. He loves what he does and he loves learning. He is also fearless. If you get a chance, watch some video of him.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/428499/stephen_forte_uses_mysql_and_oracle_mdc_2007/

By: Thomas LaRock

Thomas LaRock — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:03:54 +0000

In reply to Paul Randal. that's a great idea Paul, let me add that to my list of things I want the Professional Development VC to help coordinate.

By: Jeremiah Peschka

Jeremiah Peschka — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:39:35 +0000

‘The first is that they are afraid of doing or saying something embarrassing’ – amen to that. I used to be nervous about that when I spoke. Then I decided to just be me when I presented. You know what? My presentations got better. Sure, I’ve sworn a time or two, and immediately apologized, but it’s always been when I’ve been very passionately discussing something important with the audience. I even uttered the phrase “This isn’t brain surgery, it’s more like civil war surgery.” Which, as you know, is something that’s likely to come out of my mouth.

Once I got comfortable with myself speaking, I realized that even if I do make mistakes, nobody is going to notice. People really just want to learn, so be comfortable, find a style that fits, and do whatever else it is that you said. Great article.

By: K. Brian Kelley

K. Brian Kelley — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:13:44 +0000

Agreed, be yourself. If you don’t, you’re just adding to your discomfort. And that will make you struggle all the more with the presentation, leading to a less than rewarding experience.

By: Paul Randal

Paul Randal — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:10:17 +0000

One other thing – try to find a mentor. A few folks at PASS asked me to watch them for 5 minutes and give them frank feedback, which I did. Maybe we should organize something like that for next year’s PASS?