Three weeks ago I had to attend this presentation and facilitation skills training course at work. It was a two-day workshop run by the company’s internal training school to teach staff how to be better presenters and facilitators. As I’m required to conduct trainings on writing concisely in business correspondence as part of my job responsibilities, I have to attend this course before I’m allowed to conduct trainings.
There were seven participants in the two-day workshop and in the two days we were given pointers on the way we spoke and carried ourselves during our presentations and facilitation of activities. On the first day we had to deliver a 10-minute presentation from which we were judged upon – both strengths and weaknesses were pointed out. On the second day we had to facilitate an activity and give a 15-minute presentation; we were to incorporate everything we had learnt into the latter.
All seven of us from various departments in the company were nervous. I was nervous too, even though there were only seven people (including the trainer) in the audience. I told two close friends over msn that I was nervous, and they actually said that they can’t imagine me nervous ‘cos I’ve always come across as confident and chatty to them. And I was like huh, are you kidding me??? I was nervous as hell and no, I think I’m far from being confident and chatty. (In any case, the trainer could see my nerves in both presentations ‘cos he said so himself! And that’s something I have to work on.)
I figure that in front of my close friends, I must hide my nerves and shyness well. I think for me it’s really about who I’m with. I’m hardly the social butterfly; with strangers and some crowds I just clam up and say nothing. With close friends, I’m more chatty. And that’s probably why my two friends had the impression that I wouldn’t be afraid of public speaking. But hell yeah, I AM! It’s just funny sometimes how different people see you compared to how you see yourself.
The first training course that I’m to deliver is on 14 July and I’m feeling really nervous just thinking about it. Eeeeeks.