One of the very best things I get to do in my job is watch my colleagues absolutely kill it. Last week, Ignite CSP had a big team of coaches at an engagement, and I got to see them do their thing at the highest level.
Ignite CSP senior coach Neela Muñoz was delivering the kick-off of “Presenting with Impact,” an introduction to Ignite’s three-part approach to communication skills. I have seen and delivered this presentation probably a hundred times, but there is always something to learn, especially when I get to watch someone else do it.
This time, Neela was talking about why the intention “to get it right” can undermine your talk. First, this intention is primarily self-serving. We want to get it right in order to protect ourselves from the feeling that we got it wrong, so we write out our speech and rehearse compulsively to ensure that we say all the words we planned, in the right order.
But as Neela pointed out: “Sometimes rehearsal serves to minimize fear rather than maximize connection.”
YES.
The default intention “to get it right” may protect us from fear, but it sabotages our ability to connect with the audience, be flexible in the moment, and transcend our material. It’s not an effective mindset to truly deliver a meaningful talk.
Instead, try practicing your talk with a strong deliberate intention, like “to light up the room,” “to inspire,” “to move to action.” This is a win-win: you’ve practiced, so you’re not going to forget what you want to say, and you’re still maximizing the connection with your audience.
h/t Neela!
