Facing the Unknown Dynamic

All of us live and die on the basis of the relationships in our lives. By that I mean the state of them directly has a direct impact on our own well being. Whether it is a loved one, family member, friend, colleague or even a person with whom we have only limited contact with such as a check-out person at the local grocery store, the quality of those relationships shape our disposition, level of comfort, sense of self, and ability to navigate the challenges of any given day. This is one of life's truisms. I understand man of us what to do our own thing. be our own person, etc., but the fact is our dependency on others very much affects our ability to be the best we can be.    


Even though it may sound strange to say this, these observations apply to those of us who give pubic speeches as they do to any one else. Speaking before a room full of people, many of whom are strangers, is certainly not the easiest thing for any of us to do. Up there at the podium, we want to be interesting, informative, stimulating, inspiring and enjoyable. But here is the catch: it is hard to be any of those things with people we do not know or do not us. Few of us feel comfortable enough to be completely at-ease when we are surrounded by strangers. This is a genuine challenge for all called upon to speak before others.


The challenge for the speaker, then, is come up with a way that helps them feel more comfortable, so they can have a better shot at being the way they are when they are interacting with folks they do know and who know them. One way, of course, is to practice. Keep doing as many speaking gigs as you can and assume the more you do it the more relaxed you will be at it. In addition, the speaker should do all they can to break down that unknown dynamic that exists between them and members of the audience. Finding out as much as one can about the audience - its interests, concerns, wishes, etc. - and then determining how best to incorporate this information into your remarks is another effective strategy. The more one can do to take that unknown dynamic head-on, the better they will do as a public speaker.