Any of us who are familiar with Critical Incident Response know how important our ability to communicate is. After experiencing a potentially disruptive event it is natural for employees to reach for any number of coping strategies to manage their stress. When responding we hope to let them know that a stress response is normal and offer them additional suggestions on managing their stress, but how do we do that when that same stress may be affecting their capacity to receive our message?
85% of people admit to experiencing anxiety when speaking publicly, being anxious is normal but appearing anxious can get in the way of sharing our message with the audience. Matt Abrahams, an expert on interpersonal communication and presentation shares tips for effective speaking in his video “Think Fast. Talk Smart”.
- Greet your anxiety: Acknowledging being nervous as a normal part of doing anything of consequence can stop your anxiety from spiraling out of control.
- Reframe speaking as a conversation, not a performance: Use conversational language and an inviting stance, have a structure for your information, but avoid scripting word by word.
- Stay in the present: Have techniques for focusing and warming up your voice prior to speaking. Stay mindful of your audience, and remember that counseling skills of warmth, empathy, and authenticity are more important for connecting with the audience than being a “perfect” presenter.
- Presentation Hygiene: Remember that self-care practices apply to you too. Appropriate diet and exercise, sufficient sleep, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol before speaking can go a long ways towards supporting your speaking abilities.
Using these techniques to enhance our abilities in Critical Incident Response can allow us to feel more confident and be more effective in our speaking, which in turn may help audience members to better understand and retain the important information we are sharing with them. Responding to employees after a critical incident requires skills in addition to those we use in therapy and continuing to hone those skills is a great way to better serve our clients.
About the Author: Tim Piers is a graduate student in Grand Valley State University’s MSW/MPA Program. He lives in Holland, Michigan with his wife and daughter.
