Key Takeaways

  1. Public speaking is a learned skill, not an innate gift; everyone can improve.
  2. Communication is a rules-based transaction that conveys meaning to another via verbal and / or non-verbal behavior.
  3. Fidelity (i.e. clarity and accuracy) is the goal of most strategic communication.
  4. The most effective strategic communicators focus on the 3 C’s: delivering content that is Confident, Compelling, and Connected.
  5. The most effective strategic communicators engage in transactional communication (with the audience) and meta communication (with one’s self) simultaneously, making realtime adjustments as needed.
  6. A personalized Anxiety Management Plan (AMP) is a useful tool for overcoming speaking anxiety.

Explore Further

optional exercises for further reflection and practice

READ

DO

  • Practice power posing for two minutes each day this week.
  • Review and practice visualization techniques before public speaking.
  • Download Headspace or a similar app to be more calm and grounded while speaking.
  • Record yourself on video delivering a 90-second impromptu talk in response to the question, “What’s the best thing you did between college and business school?” Don’t think too long about the question. Watch the video and see what you observe about yourself as a speaker.

Build Your Checklist

this list grows throughout the academic quarter
  1. Create my Anxiety Management Plan (AMP) and use when speaking publicly