Whilst many of us welcome the excitement that change in the workplace can bring, many resist and fear change and the duties they may be unexpectedly tasked with. It’s no surprise that many people dread being asked to speak publically on behalf of their company, but there are some steps that we can take to overcome our fears.
Step 1: Identify what you most fear. i.e. “My greatest fear is presenting to a large group of people”
Write down everything you think could go wrong, and what you are most fearful of. i.e. “What could go wrong if I gave a presentation?”
- I could forget my lines
- People will laugh at me
- I could faint, sweat, tremble
- I could not be able to speak
Step 2: Think of times when you have overcome a fear.
- What did you do
- How did you overcome the fear
- What was the result
Step 3: Take your greatest fear and develop a plan to overcome it. i.e. “What can I do to overcome my fear of presenting?”
- Join a debating group
- Go on a presentation course
- Watch how others do it
- Speak to them about how they do it
- Give a short presentation with people I trust
The keys to overcoming your fear are:
VERBALISE your feelings out loud
VISUALISE yourself doing what you fear most
PRACTICE what you know will make a difference
EXPERIENCE the total process by breaking the fear down into manageable parts.
‘The Dilemma’
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk rejection
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk rejection
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love. Only a person who risks is free.
Author unknown