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miCroPhone e-news | Aug/Sept 2007 |
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miCroPhone
NIDA Corporate Performance
e-newsletter
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Dear <~~First~~>,
Welcome to the latest edition of miCroPhone, the new look NIDA Corporate Performance E-Newsletter.
This bi-monthly publication aims to keep you informed of upcoming training programs and to share valuable and practical information to enhance your next presentation or public speaking engagement.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us for feedback on this publication or to submit a story idea or simply tell us about your NIDA training experience.
In this edition:
1. We look at the Women in Business program - hear what Tanya Kelly, a previous participant, had to say on her
training experience
2. Meet Debra Lawrance, NIDA's senior Women in Business facilitator
3. Insightful presentation tips
4. Coming up - Sydney and Interstate training opportunities
Until next time,
The Corporate Performance Team |
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COURSE PROFILE | WOMEN IN BUSINESS
NIDA's Women in Business program is a two day communication and presentation skills course that enable participants to speak with clarity, present with conviction and reach their audience. It also addresses the differences in which men and women communicate in the workplace.
The program is offered in Sydney and can be customised for organisations interstate.
Tanya Kelly from Premier Media Group shares her experience of the Women in Business program. Read below to hear her story..... | |
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more info on Women in Business .. |
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What was it that attracted you to NIDA's Women in Business Program?
I had a dreadful experience with a PowerPoint presentation. I was asked to talk about reporting procedures to a group of my peers (all men) and I was aware that none of them were interested in the topic, nor did they have any motivation to comply with what was being asked of them. To be honest, I wasn't interested in the topic either. My presentation was woeful, I stammered, got lost, giggled and was an absolute mess. Working with the PowerPoint slides was distracting for me and knowing that nobody wanted to hear what I had to say (and neither did I) made me nervous and uncoordinated. I am usually competent and together at work, so I talked to my boss about it afterwards and asked if I could go on a presentation course. All the courses I looked at focussed on how to write a winning presentation, with little on the actual presentation skills. I know how to write a presentation, I just can't present it once it's written. The NIDA course was different because it focussed on presentation skills. I figured I was never going to be comfortable presenting this type of material, so I was going to have to learn to act as if I was, and who better to learn acting from than the people who teach Australia's finest actors? I was torn between the Corporate Performance and the Women in Business programs but went with Women in Business because I have experienced other issues as a woman in the workplace and hoped the course would help me to address these too.
As you know the Women in Business program addresses the differences between how men and women communicate & relate in the workplace, in your experience, can you share any challenges you’ve faced being a woman in business?
I regularly experience men talking over me and not listening to what I have to say. They also ignore my suggestions and then use them later as their own. I notice in meetings that the men talk loudly and more often and that in order to be heard I have to almost shout over the top of them. They also take up more physical space, leaning back in their chairs with their legs and arms apart. This isn't a stance that is acceptable for a woman at work (well, not in the type of jobs on my CV, anyway), so we tend to take up far less space, which makes us easier to ignore. When I watch the women in these meetings I notice that they are contributing but that no-one hears them, because they speak more quietly and are constantly interrupted. On one occasion my boss asked me to take a meeting in his absence. I turned up with the minutes from the previous meeting and had started to chair the meeting when a male colleague arrived late, physically leaned across me, talked loudly over the top of me and took over. I was horrified at his behaviour but unfortunately I don't think it's particularly unusual. Prior to the course I had tried to change my tone to be more assertive, for example in emails. I made statements about what needed to be done rather than asking tentative "How would you feel if we....?" type questions. I was told by my boss that I was being aggressive and that "you catch more flies with honey". I can't imagine that a male employee would ever be told that.
How did you enjoy the course and what experiences did you take away from the training?
I loved the course. It is the best course I have ever been on (and I've been on many). I know that's a bold statement but I learnt more from this course than I have learnt from all of the others put together. The voice training, the breathing, paying attention to my stance - these have all been immeasurably effective since. Watching myself on video was a horrendous experience. I had no idea I was holding myself the way I was. I was asked to walk up to a video camera and simply say, "Hi, my name is Tanya Kelly." I thought I did this in a confident and assertive manner. How wrong I was. When I watched it back on video, my entire body was screaming, "I'm so sorry for being here, please don't hurt me". It was a HUGE wake up call. I had no idea I came across like that. The games we played and the improv were great fun and very helpful in teaching me to just let go and stop worrying about looking silly.
How has this training been of benefit to your role in your business environment?
I have not yet had to present anything but I have made a huge effort with my voice and my breathing and I have noticed that when I consciously do so, the men stop and listen. I am very aware of voice and body language in meetings, so I see what the men do to take over and I am learning to play them at their own game, without behaving as if I were a man in the process. It still feels very unnatural and rude to shout for attention (I know I'm using my voice properly rather than actually shouting but it still feels as though I am) but it is effective. Learning to work with my physical presence, not to minimise it but to command attention with it is challenging but I'm finding it fun now. Now I've turned it into a role I'm playing, I can observe myself and critique my performance without beating myself up for not always getting it right every time. I am almost looking forward to the next time I have to make a presentation. I know I'll do just fine. | |
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MEET DEBRA LAWRANCE | WOMEN IN BUSINESS FACILITATOR
Debra Lawrance is a senior facilitator and will teach the next Women in Business program scheduled for October. Since graduating from NIDA, Debra has worked extensively in theatre, film and television and with nearly 30 years of industry experience she offers these thoughts -
“fear exists in many women's lives today, so subtle and subliminal that its presence is rarely identified; but I firmly and passionately believe that if women can clear a pathway to their authentic voice - with good breath support, resonance and articulation - hearing that voice in their own ears will create the courage to really be heard”.
Places are available in Women in Business which runs 4-5 October, 2007. Click here to download the application form or for more information visit Women in Business on our website. | |
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DEBRA OFFERS HER TOP PRESENTATION TIPS
1. Learn how to use your voice effectively in the workplace
2. Be deeply familiar with your content
3. Use simple, rich language to convey your message
4. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
5. Work on ridding the body of habit of self-consciousness | |
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UPCOMING COURSES | SYDNEY AND INTERSTATE
NIDA Corporate Performance have a broad range of programs which are founded on actor training techniques and provide communicators and public speakers with an improved set of tools for confidence, audibility, rehearsal, leadership and presentation skills. Public courses are run regularly in most state capitals throughout the year, and currently there are places available in the forthcoming programs in Sydney, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Check our course calendar for a complete listing of programs accross Australia.
Private Coaching and Customised Training options are also available. Contact us for more information.
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more info on Corporate Training .. |
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Contact Us | Privacy Policy
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NIDA CORPORATE PERFORMANCE
215 ANZAC PARADE KENSINGTON NSW 2033 | POST NIDA UNSW SYDNEY 2052 AUSTRALIA
TEL 61 2 9697 7560 | FAX 61 2 9697 7681 | CP@NIDA.EDU.AU | WWW.NIDA.EDU.AU | |
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