Lessons I learned (again) to stay calm when things simply go off the rails
Last week I had the opportunity to present internationally 3 days in a row. This included a half-day training for a senior team, one keynote and a panel presentation inclusive of moderating. I always struggle with jetlag but this was the least of my worries when it was time to deliver.
I discovered that although I was prepared well in advance, there is always the possibility that ‘life happens’ and throw a spanner in your well-rehearsed presentations.
Here are 3 lessons (not all new) that I would like to share with you that I successfully overcame and deliver at a high level, despite happenstances that were looming minutes before standing up and delivering.
Troubleshoot with a time limit
Things will go wrong no matter how prepared you are. In my recent engagements my laptop had the full dosage of computer gremlins and no matter what my IT guy suggested, including the trusty old restart, shut down, and my all-time favorite ‘plug it out and plug it in again’ (you get the idea). I gave myself 10 minutes to work through the issues with support (while praying for luck) and then moved on knowing I had done the best I could and so now it’s time to focus on the material, shift my mindset through deep breathing exercises and start thinking about what I want my audience/participants to achieve. Those last 5 minutes allowed me to be fully present and ready to allow myself to go into flow.
Have a redundancy plan
Get ready to be creative and do what is needed to get the job done. You see, working with double screens is my favorite way to present virtually and for the first time ever the double screens and my screen extenders were not ‘speaking to each other’. I had to become creative and adapt in the moment. That included using what was around me to make it work. I did not have the structure and safety of my office because I was using the screens of my young professional son who was travelling on business. Yes, Murphy’s Law! I was grappling with time difference and with no real hands on help I started stacking books and the Cheerios cereal box. It worked. I was able to present with my camera at the right level and might I add looked right on point. Yes, the whole experience was a lemons for lemonade thing.
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows about my belief in preparing and arriving early (virtually or in-person). Preparation builds competence and confidence allowing you to present with authority while having presence and connection. This continues to be my single most approach in everything I do so you can improvise, lean into the unpredictability of your work and have fun. Improvisation and fun was not always easy for me. I have worked on developing these skills this year (yes, improvisation is a skill) and they have become game-changers in how others experience me positively despite things going awry behind the scenes. I am not hurried and kerfuffle but calm and poised.
Life will always do it’s thing and we have no control over that but we do have control over what we choose to do next. Take a deep breath or two and try these approaches the next time that high stakes delivery appears threatened.
