🔊PUBLIC SPEAKING — an ART or SKILLS?
When was the first time I did a public speaking, was it after my Masteral in 2006 with PSITE/SSITE (topic: e-commerce)? That is something I could no longer remember. Even never imagine doing it as I was very shy standing in front of the class even just for recitation during high school days.
It was 2003 when I was given a chance to teach in Informatics Philippines (Robinson Galleria Branch) related to Red Hat Linux 7.0, I discovered that it was so natural for me to deliver a class presentation and story telling with co-IT professionals. I still remember those students from the government office (POEA) when they were starting to adopt and set-up an open source operating system in their environment. And I would say this is the moment I knew what I love to do. Sharing knowledge.
While there are so many top caliber InfoSec practitioners who are very good on their craft but cannot survive in a live audience. Are they just being selfish of sharing their knowledge with others? Do they have a stage fright? Or do they simply have a lack of soft skills or art for it?
Is public speaking skills or could it be a passion like art which we love to do every day; fishing, freediving, kite flying, meditation, baking, singing, painting, etcetera?
The Technique
Every passionate person that speaks publicly comes out every word from their mouth so naturally. You will never see them so tense and nervous. At least after a couple of times of doing it. In one out of 10 audiences, there will be someone who is better or experienced than you but remember they are there to learn something new or even share of what they knew. So don’t over think that which becomes your Waterloo (…wow that’s rhyming).
Mastery of the subject is the best that I can share. If you know your stuff, that’s all the audience care.
Experience is the Best Teacher
Gaining more knowledge and acquiring more experience makes one good speaker. You may not know all as “there are so many ways on how to call a chicken” the saying said. But your unique style is what distinct from the others is your bargaining power, your arsenal. Everything can be googled, but passion does not as it comes from the heart and not from the net.
So practice more often and actively participate in local talks as it will help you boost your soft skills confidence and eventually present in the international events.
Body Language
We do all have mannerisms; hand gestures, body movements, happy feet, statue posture, monologue syndrome, “pa-cute” effect, and even facial expressions. Be mindful of these as it becomes a bad habit and annoying to the audience.
Personally, I love walking around just like when I was still in the academe. I am not comfortable holding a microphone as I use them for expression. And I usually crack jokes to break the ice most especially after lunch or when the audiences are already bored with other speakers.
So be aware of this cause it either makes you awesome or gruesome in the stage.
Conclusion
The choice of words and the quality of your slide decks defines your presentation and what makes you as a good speaker depends on the lessons learned that marks to the audience. How you deliver your topic no matter how advanced it is if it did not make a positive impact on your spectators is meaningless.
The dialect you will use would depend on your audience and even place; technical, businessman, students, military, and others. But as much as possible, English would be the norms.
And to answer the question, is public speaking an art or skills? In my humble opinion, I would say it is both and may not be for all but it is worth trying. So I encourage every IT professional for your contributions as that what makes a man separate from the boys.
What about your thought on this, do you have story to tell :)?
💡Note: Article originally posted in Peerlyst — October 16, 2018