Dare to speak - unlock your Public speaking skills
About
Do you think that public speaking is not for you?
Even if you don’t plan to speak at conferences or other professional events, knowledge of how to run effective presentations will help you in your engineering world, especially during your online team meetings. You will learn how to craft compelling messages that inspire and influence your colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
In my session, I will share tips on how to prepare yourself, your content and your audience in order to deliver an inspiring talk.
Attending this talk, you will learn about:
- knowledge of how to prepare your content for the talk to be inspiring
- tips on how to present it in front of the audience
- knowledge of how to engage your audience
By mastering the art of public speaking, engineers will be better equipped to communicate their ideas and drive success in their organizations.
Watch the full talk
Watch this WaysConf session, then continue with related talks or explore the current programme.
Talk in brief
Public speaking is an inevitable part of professional life, whether addressing three colleagues or a conference of hundreds. In this WaysConf 2024 session, Tomasz Manugiewicz explains how to unlock public speaking skills by shifting focus from external pressure to internal preparation. The presentation outlines two core pillars: emotional security and physical security. Emotional security involves self-awareness, accepting personal limitations (such as dyslexia), and adopting a "so what" perspective toward minor errors. Physical security is achieved through practical preparation, including early venue visits, hardware backups, simplified speaker notes, and managing one's "body budget" to preserve energy. By framing public speaking as a personal journey and focusing on authentic storytelling, speakers can overcome performance anxiety and deliver impactful messages.
Key takeaways
- 01
Internalizing Emotional Security
Performance pressure is generated within the speaker's brain rather than by the audience. Imagining the worst-case scenario and identifying specific feelings using tools like the wheel of emotions helps establish a secure mental state.
Watch from 2:10 - 02
Embracing Non-Linear Self-Acceptance
Accepting personal limitations and mistakes is not a smooth, linear process but a series of daily ups and downs. Acknowledging this fluctuation prevents speakers from becoming discouraged on days when their self-criticism is highly active.
Watch from 6:18 - 03
Minimizing Slide Typo Anxiety
Audiences rarely notice minor slide errors, and those who do typically do not judge the speaker harshly. Accepting personal traits like dyslexia allows speakers to remain calm and focused even when mistakes occur.
Watch from 7:16 - 04
Managing the Body Budget
Physical and emotional energy must be actively budgeted before a presentation. Speakers should be willing to reschedule demanding meetings or tasks on the day of a talk to preserve their cognitive resources.
Watch from 17:22 - 05
Structuring for the Attention Curve
Audience attention peaks at the beginning and end of a presentation, with a significant drop in the middle. Speakers should capitalize on this by designing a strong opening and an even more powerful, tangible conclusion.
Watch from 19:37
Read edited transcript highlights
These concise notes were edited from automatic captions and checked against the talk structure. They are not a verbatim transcript.
Demystifying the Audience Pressure
The intense pressure we feel when standing in front of an audience is almost entirely self-generated. While speaking to a crowd of a hundred people might seem daunting, it is often easier than addressing a tiny group because a larger audience increases the likelihood of finding engaged listeners. The anxiety we experience does not come from the people watching us; it is a product of our own minds reacting to the environment, such as worrying about microphone failures or unexpected technical glitches. Recognizing that this pressure is internal is the first step toward managing it.
Watch from 1:32Overcoming the Fear of Imperfection
During the presentation, a deliberate typo was placed on a slide to demonstrate how few people actually notice minor errors. Out of a large audience, only a handful spotted the mistake, proving that viewers are generally forgiving and focused on the overall message rather than minor flaws. Sharing personal challenges, such as dealing with dyslexia, can actually relieve pressure. When a speaker accepts their limitations and communicates openly, they no longer have to worry about pretending to be perfect, which significantly lowers their stress levels.
Watch from 7:16The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling
Drawing on the work of psychologist Brené Brown, courage is rooted in its Latin origin meaning heart, which translates to telling the story of who you are with all your heart. When we embrace vulnerability and share our genuine experiences, the fear of judgment diminishes. If a speaker is honest about their background and challenges, the audience connects with the authenticity of the narrative. This shift from trying to deliver a flawless performance to sharing a real story is a powerful tool for any presenter.
Watch from 9:00Rethinking Speaker Notes and Scripts
Relying on complex presenter screens or reading from large sheets of paper can destroy the connection between a speaker and the audience. Scripted speeches often increase anxiety because forgetting a single word can cause the entire presentation to derail. Instead of writing out full paragraphs, speakers should simplify their notes into high-level bullet points or use small cards with single key sentences. This approach allows the presenter to maintain eye contact and adapt naturally to the room without looking like they are reading.
Watch from 14:16Energy Management and the Body Budget
Managing physical and emotional energy is critical for a successful presentation. The concept of a body budget highlights the need to preserve cognitive resources before stepping on stage. For instance, after experiencing an intense morning helping a child transition into kindergarten, it is wise to reschedule demanding corporate meetings to recover energy. Squeezing too many high-stress activities into a single day drains the stamina required to connect with an audience, making active schedule management essential.
Watch from 17:22Capitalizing on the Attention Curve
Audience engagement follows a predictable curve, starting high, dipping significantly in the middle, and rising again at the very end. Approximately 70 percent of the audience is highly attentive during the opening, but this drops as people check their phones or lose focus. However, attention spikes back up to around 90 percent during the conclusion. Presenters must design their talks to exploit this pattern, ensuring they deliver a compelling opening and an even more impactful, memorable closing message.
Watch from 19:37