Get over Stage Fear and win the Performance Appraisal

TechnoparkToday.com>>  Vinay, a fresh graduate engineer starts his career with an IT company. He became an expert in Technical matters of the organization and proved his expertise in short span of time. New ideas and thoughts were spontaneous and helped Vinay. Even the team leaders started asking the opinion of Vinay in many instances. The Managers started listening to great stories about him. In short, Vinay became a hero among his peers and seniors.

Vinay was given an opportunity to speak out about his expertise to the core group of the company. He was welcomed by the Unit Head and was asked to speak in public system. Vinay came up and, may be as he listened to his own voice through mike for the first time, he was upset. When he looked at the large size of audience, he was totally blank. He was waiting for words, stammering and could not even finish a sentence, cut a sorry figure among the seniors.  He was totally down.

Later on, the Unit Head called him to his cabin and enquired the reasons. He explained all the points without any hesitation. The Unit Head understood the problem of Vinay and suggested him to attend a training workshop on “How to get over Stage Fear’. With much persuasion, Vinay joined a three-day session on “How to get over Stage Fear”. The Course changed his career and life altogether.

Every day after the session, Vinay assessed himself the reasons for his stage fear. “What will happen?” was his main concern for stress. “If I cannot utter any word, my image will go off.” Even if I could start talking, I am not found fluent and stammering for words? These were found to be some of the murmurings in Vinay. He was not quite happy about his grammar part too. Every participant was asked to look into the reasons for the Stage fear and they shared in the training session.

• How can I do justice in this short time of three minutes?
• Look at the size of audience- If I cannot utter any word?
• So many beautiful ladies- I have not shaven even.
• “So many pretty men, I should have worn my silk sari.”
• My father/ mother/wife /husband/employer/teacher seen among the audience
• The audience has more clever people.
• If someone picks up an argument with me?

Some of the participants shared and explained the effect of such frustrations on the body. As the speakers were not in a comfortable zone, their body reacted to the situations. It was very interesting to listen.

• Wriggling of hands
• Drum the fingers on table or podium
• Pressing the pen- on\off
• Scratch the hair
• Lean on Podium or table
• Remove spectacle, clean
• Fold or unfold or twist the hanky

Vinay completed the course successfully on ‘How to get over stage fear’ and understood the basic principle: everybody suffers from stage fear. So you cannot avoid stage fear or remove stage fear. It is always advisable to learn the technique of controlling it. What is the way out?  Speak, speak and speak out only?

Learning Points

• Grab every opportunity to speak
• Get your friends critically observe the performance and go for improvement
• Share the experience
• Make it humorous
• Don’t ‘by heart’ your speech.
• Concentrate on the ideas
• Ensure that every speech is well prepared
• Ensure that you prepare, prepare and prepare
• Walk slowly to the podium when called
• Take deep breaths
• Before begin look at audience
• Find some friendly faces. Address your first word to them