{"id":7674,"date":"2022-05-24T20:46:11","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T19:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/impro.org.uk\/?p=7674"},"modified":"2022-11-16T14:33:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T14:33:46","slug":"how-to-be-a-better-public-speaker-by-paying-attention-to-critical-variables-that-can-help-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/impro.org.uk\/how-to-be-a-better-public-speaker-by-paying-attention-to-critical-variables-that-can-help-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a better public speaker by paying attention to critical variables that can help you"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want\u00a0to\u00a0be better at anything, pay attention\u00a0to\u00a0the critical variables. That\u2019s the most brilliant insight from Tim Gallwey\u2019s\u00a0Inner Game<\/strong>\u00a0work.<\/p>\n

So\u00a0to\u00a0improve as a public speaker you need\u00a0to discover your critical variables.\u00a0Critical variables are aspects of your performance as a speaker that you can change and that relate directly\u00a0to\u00a0how well you are doing.<\/p>\n

In one of Tim\u2019s examples, he asks us\u00a0to, ‘Imagine you are throwing hoops\u00a0towards a target with eyes shut. How do you assess – before looking\u00a0to check – whether the throw was short or long, left or right?\u2019 He wonders whether we can tell from the speed at which our arm moves during the throw. If so, then arm speed would be a critical variable.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s add a coach\u00a0to\u00a0the mix. One of the coach\u2019s tasks is\u00a0to\u00a0build the\u00a0non-judgemental awareness of the coachee\u00a0towards any critical variable of the activity. An experienced coach may well have\u00a0enough technical knowledge\u00a0to\u00a0already know what some of those are: In some sports, for example, experts know that ball trajectory is more important than spin. In other cases, the coach and coachee work out\u00a0together what\u2019s most effective.<\/p>\n

For many public speakers, one critical variable is how nervous they feel.\u00a0How do you know that you are nervous? Perhaps there\u2019s shaking. If so, how much, on a scale of 1-10? If we can quantify at one level, we\u2019ll know when it\u2019s improved or worsened. And we can keep exploring for other variables\u2026\u00a0Can you detect your heart rate or hear your\u00a0tone of voice?<\/p>\n

If these internal states prove elusive, then direct your attention outwards. Consider the audience and their responses, particularly any interactions between presenter and audience.<\/p>\n

Early in your presentation you might look at the back rows and identify who is wearing glasses \u2013 a detail.\u00a0You can note anyone who has blue eyes. You might find the most scary person – or more helpfully if your perception of the friendliness of your audience is a critical variable – identify the friendly faces. Any of these are likely\u00a0to\u00a0help, because they draw your attention\u00a0to\u00a0what\u2019s happening in the presentation space.<\/p>\n

How often and loudly are people laughing? That\u2019s clearly an important metric for a comedian.\u00a0How many questions are they asking? That\u2019s worth counting if it\u2019s an indicator for you of interest or engagement or audience members wanting\u00a0to know more.<\/p>\n

In every instance, Gallwey advises keeping judgement suspended by confining your quest\u00a0to increasing awareness of what is; not what you think should or shouldn\u2019t be. That means favouring questions along the lines of ‘Where is x, y, z?’ Or \u2018What did you notice? In your body, in your shoulder?\u2019\u00a0Once that information is flowing, then next you can make choices. And by this point, it\u2019s the\u00a0player in charge, not the coach.<\/p>\n

This is a good fit with the Solution-Focused approach, in which there\u2019s less looking\u00a0to\u00a0the coach for approval or for technical\u00a0topic expertise, and more as a witness tasked with drawing attention\u00a0to\u00a0how various strategies are working for the client, and prompting the client\u00a0to\u00a0notice what\u2019s useful for them. The answers naturally vary from individual\u00a0to\u00a0individual, so it is dangerous for the coach (and the client for that matter)\u00a0to\u00a0have\u00a0too strong a sense beforehand of what will be right, as that may cloud our appreciation of significant, in-the-moment difference.<\/p>\n

What critical variables can you focus on to improve your performance? Find out how our Inspirational Presenter course<\/a> can equip you with a range of sophisticated techniques to make the most of your abilities, so you can excel on the platform and in front of any audience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you want to be better at anything, pay attention to the critical variables. That\u2019s the most brilliant insight from Tim Gallwey\u2019s Inner Game work…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[35,53],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to be a better public speaker by paying attention to critical variables that can help you - Paul Jackson Associates Ltd & The Improvisation Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/impro.org.uk\/how-to-be-a-better-public-speaker-by-paying-attention-to-critical-variables-that-can-help-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to be a better public speaker by paying attention to critical variables that can help you - Paul Jackson Associates Ltd & The Improvisation Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you want to be better at anything, pay attention to the critical variables. 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