Off The Wall

With confidence…I can say the motivational poster on the wall, the eagle soaring through the air mid-flight, the majestic bridge over troubled water, the whale powerfully breaching the surface of the sea, all these beautiful images with encouraging phrases - these words on a wall - are not our sole answer to being confident.

Don’t get me wrong, the posters on the wall can be helpful, and if placed strategically and taken seriously, they can reinforce powerful messages and serve as a regular reminder of the importance of being confident. But if left alone…on that wall…on their own…the main benefactor is the person who owns the trademark of the image of the breaching whale, and whoever was savvy enough to snap that photo, add the good word(s), and copyright that whole deal, has some serious confidence!

With that mindset, and that level of unconditional confidence, let’s be “off the wall” by not just relying on the message on the wall, and in its place, let’s put some practical and tangible techniques into action. At Game On, we see every interaction, every encounter, every meeting, as an opportunity to present, and we believe some simple “good to do’s” can help us all improve. With that said, below are a few techniques we use as a checklist before we present. I share this with confidence, and with the hope it will help you in your journey to present…with confidence:

1. Room Check: Try to get to the room early, if possible. Be present and to take it all in. Visualize delivering your presentation with ease and picture the audience receiving the message with clarity. Most importantly, use this time to make sure the space and the set-up is the most conducive for a creative, safe, learning environment for everyone. Your confidence will improve…knowing the room has been checked.
2. Tech Check: If you’re using audio/visuals, screen shares, PowerPoint, etc, make sure the WIFI is strong, the cables and adapters are compatible, and all the technical aspects have been checked and ready to go. With this tech-check complete, and your peace of mind achieved, you can focus on your message, your presentation, and most importantly, focus on serving your audience. Your confidence will improve…knowing your tech has been checked
3. Audience Check: If possible, get to know your audience prior to the presentation and learn their needs, and know where they’re coming from and where they’ll be going to after your presentation. Being familiar with your audience’s demographics, background, responsibilities, and expectations, will allow you to meet them where they are, and help you make your message make sense to their desired outcomes. Your confidence will improve…knowing your audience has been checked.

As my Game On teammates and I continue to share content and resources for us all to hopefully improve our communication and presentation skills, and as we focus specifically on confidence over these next few weeks, let’s all do our best to move the message off the wall, bring all the beauty and positivity of the poster to life, and put it all into our interactions, into our presentations, and into everything we do….with confidence!

Breaching Whale On. Confidence On. Game On.