Speak Easy: Conquering Your Fear of Speaking in Public

Do you get nervous when presenting at company meetings? Do you find it hard to make conversation at gatherings and social events? Do you lock up in awkward social situations? If so, this one day workshop is just for you! It’s aimed at anybody who wants to improve their speaking skills in informal situations. We’ll give participants the confidence and the skills to interact with others, to speak in informal situations, and to present in front of small groups.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

  • Enhance the ability to speak one-on-one with others.
  • Begin to feel more confident speaking socially or small groups such as meetings.
  • Practice developing these skills in a safe and supportive setting.

Course Outline:

Introduction and Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Good Communication Skills

To begin, participants will share communication opportunities that they feel they have missed in the past few weeks. Then, participants will explore barriers to communication and possible solutions.

Interpersonal Skills

This session will look at two key interpersonal skills: asking questions and listening.

Self-Disclosure

During this session, participants will learn about self-disclosure using the Jo-Hari Windows concept.

The Art of Conversation

Next, participants will learn about and practice the four levels of conversation.

Practicing Dialogue

This session will wrap up everything participants have learned so far into one exercise.

Re-Designing Yourself for Strength

During this session, participants will learn about the seven components of a good speaker.

Professionalism

This session will focus on presenting a professional image.

Maximizing Meetings

Next, participants will discuss fifteen ways to make the most of meetings.

Sticky Situations

This session will give participants an opportunity to identify situations that they have difficulty with, and to brainstorm some solutions.

Controlling Nervousness

During this session, participants will learn some ways to control physical and mental nervousness.

Tell Me a Story

To wrap up the day, participants will make a small, impromptu presentation.

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.