Presentation skills training is as much about how we think as what we say.
Henry Ford once said: “Whether you think you can, or you can’t – you’re right.”
Well, I’d like to see Henry walk to the moon. Or decaffeinate tea by hand. Or touch a rainbow.
Good luck!
That said, I’m happy to sacrifice technical accuracy for a really nice quote about mindset and the importance of a positive attitude.
I’ve spent nearly a decade delivering motivational workshops in schools and businesses, often focusing on the concept of mindsets.
With so many years delivering these presentations, I now find myself delivering presentation skills training.
I once considered that a jump from one area to another.
However, the more people I work with, the more I realise mindset and presenting confidently are absolutely linked.
More so than I ever realised before.
Mindset as a general concept is ultimately your attitude when approaching some sort of challenge.
When learning a new skill, presenting skills training included, there will be breakthrough moments and there will be setbacks. For everyone.
How will you react in that moment of failure?
It can be easy to give up.
To avoid the challenge of overcoming this setback.
This is a fixed mindset – believing that we are restricted to our current level.
The growth mindset instead focuses on how we are going to improve and learn.
There are four stages to learning that will put your mindset to the test.
Unconscious incompetence
You know so little about the skillset that you’re unable to identify areas for improvement and fail to notice mistakes.
This is when we do some learning about skills and techniques needed to improve.
Conscious incompetence
You’re aware of what you should be doing, but often fail to put into practice.
To be clear, you’re likely to have improved as you implement some of the new learnings, but you catch yourself making a mistake.
In presenting this can be very noticeable, and people wince or get angry with themselves once they hear it. This is a good sign.
We are starting to identify what needs to change.
Conscious competence
You’re now operating at a much higher level, but it’s taking a lot of focus and concentration.
As a result, another area starts to drop as you focus on the new skill. Again, this is a good sign.
We see it often during the practical elements of workshops.
Participants deliver their shiny, new presentations but it can feel ‘clumsy’. It’s simply working towards the next level.
Unconscious competence
We can implement these skills and techniques to a high level, with very little thought.
There will be other areas such as feedback or questions from your audience that will always require focus and concentration, but implementing the new rules for communication becomes more automatic.
This is a great sign.
To get started on your journey through these four stages with support along the way, get in touch to see how Pink Elephant can help you develop your growth mindset in the world of presentations.
Email us today to find out how we can help.
Photos in Presenting Mindsets: How to really think, before you speak by Pink Elephant Communications.
Presenting Mindsets: How to really think, before you speak blog written and edited by Stuart Fenwick.
