How can you improve your public speaking skills in Emergency Management?

I often take the approach that I want to tell a story. I must first know what it is that I want to get across. Then like any good story there needs to be a beginning and an end, and by the end the whole story must be told.

Use anecdotes to get your message across. Making the topic relatable to the audience is key, so coming up with tangible examples and experiences that will support your presentation of information will help you.

Practice !!!! Outline the message you want to speak about. Share it with others in an organized fashion. Get the message out.

This element is probably the most important. If you pitch the message incorrectly then it will be completely pointless. Tailoring first the content and then the delivery is very important to make sure the participants feel there is value.

In many (most) cases there is not "one" audience. To illustrate two cases: a. in case of a corporate crisis, there are members of staff, clients, suppliers, shareholders, authorities, public groups, press&media, etc. b. in case of a public domain crisis, there is a very diverse "population", in different age groups, ethnic origin, etc. et. So preparing for an audience is related to content, vocabulary, way of communicating, etc. ... but also the likelihood that a single person might not suit all the audiences, because of level of technicity, professional background, age, communication style, etc.

Considering your audience is key. Now, this doesn’t mean that I would litter a speech with jargon just because my audience is a group of specialists. The overriding principles of good public speaking remain; keep your language clear and concise, consider the areas your audience are most concerned with, and build in enough time for complex points to be fully explained. We can sometimes feel like a stereotype of a public speaker by adopting the same style of every other politician, CEO, or press secretary. But this is because it generally is the best approach… speaking calmly, slowing your pace, and inserting pauses helps the audience to digest information (even if they don’t realise it). Imagine yourself in the audience and adapt as needed

Talking about a crisis and the consequences is a make-or-break in terms of trust. Being someone with real life experience usually is a major contributor to increase credibility and to make "the story" realistic. It is however not the most obvious solution, as communicators usually have a different background than those who have actual subject matter experience.

First, it is okay to say, "I don't know," followed up with, "let me look into that and get back to you." Do not fake it until you make it. No one knows everything. Second, know the topic well enough that you can present without the aid of electronic presentations. Projectors fail, laptop batteries die, screens fall over, etc. If you have to rely on your presentation to do all the teaching, you shouldn't be teaching. Third, give examples that relate. If you are teaching in the Rocky Mountains, maritime examples might not be appropriate.

You should develop your own style. Nobody enjoys listening to a robot. But developing style takes time and deliberate practice. Have a friend listen in and give constructive feedback to help spot the small distractors.

Being an expert does not make you a great public speaker. Less is more. Use pauses and silence to emphasise an important point. Use visual tools as a way of keeping your audience on their toes, not as a repetition of what you are saying. Use different mediums if it’s a long lecture. Encourage audience participation

Finding your style is one of the most difficult things to achieve especially when you are dealing with different audiences at different events. For me its the adaptability between different groups that really gets to me because sometimes my audience don't know anything about the topic and other times its people in my field that I am talking to. Adapt and change like a chameleon .............

The feedback is the best tool’s development, the communication skills enhancement basically improves by practice and receiving a constructive feedback, in my experience as I the chartered president of HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) Toastmasters club, we practice the improvement of communication skills in the club by presenting and delivering speeches, while over members are evaluating based on a well organized program. Therefore, without a constructive feedback there will not be a meaningful improvement.

True story _ learnt the best when I was videoed and then watched myself ... you learn a lot about what works and doesn't work when you see yourself from the audiences perspective - but after all that still be true to your personality and style.

The best feedback, and a "style" that was encouraged was auditing. You would have someone you know, in the same field, listening as part of the audience and evaluating the audience. This auditing provides you with honest feedback. I have had "enemies" audit me, but despite their disdain many would give honest feedback. If you can impress your "enemy" then you doing well. Getting someone more experienced and/or knowledgeable to audit you is a good way to get feedback on the level of your talk. Was it to high, to low, vocabularies, jargon, repetitive, etc.

Personally I have been able to improve all of the points mentioned above by participating in the Toastmasters club that I was associated with. I was able to gain confidence speaking in front of a room full of people. I would highly recommend the Toastmasters for anyone who has the privilege of presenting for any subject matter.

When was the last time you listened to someone speak at work, a conference, church, or another event and thought, "I hope they fail miserably?" You didn't, and neither do the people in the audience. They are rooting for your success! Remember Humility - Candor - Action - Patience... Be humble enough to know you can improve; Candid enough to believe you can improve; Action oriented enough to improve; and Patient enough to improve.

Public speaking is a learnt skill - all are capable of being confident and engaging, but it takes practice - join a debating society or an arts group where public reading and speaking are dealt with, family are at times the toughest critics - practice at home :)