Public Speaking

As you might know, I participated at the European Public Speaking Championship in Aarhus, Denmark at the JCI European Conference in June this year.

I've always loved speaking in front of people. Since I was a kid, I've taken every opportunity to speak or perform. My largest audience ever was when I "graduated" from the humanist version of the Christian Confirmation course in Norway, I was 14 and held a very serious speech in front of about 1,300 other 14-year olds and their parents and families. I also always speak at family gatherings, everywhere I can I get up and speak. And I've been some in the media. I think I like communicating!

The most challenging thing with the speaking this time around wasn't so much the delivery. If I relax and I feel confident, my delivery is natural, engaged (because I care about my topic) and I use my voice in a natural manner. The challenging thing was the content, and the context. The content - I think I got that under control, the context - well...I'm working on that...

I had two breakthroughs in the preparation of the speech, and I will share them here.

Simon Bucknall (Champion 2008 & The Art of Connection) went through the content and structure of the speech with me and made me understand that I should only keep things I was genuinely passionate about, things I really mean and believe, and that contributes to the story. And to discard anything that either distracts from the main point (no matter how much I like the point), or that the audience don't strictly need to know in order to get the main point.


Caroline Hall helped with the same thing (I had done my best after getting coaching from Simon but there were still darlings to kill), and also coached me on body language. I get nauseous from speakers that move too much from side to side (and as we've learned from this book, its because people's fear reflexes are on and we think its harder to hit a moving target...) so I've really worked on standing still. Caroline told me that its ok to move, as long as the move fits my story (i.e. if its natural for me to step forward or walk to explain something), and if - when I walk to the left, as soon as I reach the left side, I look to the right to engage the public on the right too, and don't walk more than 3 times back and forth and always make sure I end up in the centre.

What I should have been coached on, if its even possible, is to not read emails right before going on stage, and to not get affected by emails from a disgruntled boss.

I had to give my speech twice, first round we were 12 speakers in an auditorium with a small audience that we looked up on. Second round we were three finalists speaking in small hall where we looked down on the audience, and the audience were considerably larger

What surprised me was how different the experience of speaking was from one to the other. The first one I was almost in a daze, I don't remember anything (except thinking it was uncomfortable to look upwards and that I was focusing on not looking too much on the judges), and it was great. No thinking, just doing!

The second time around I was conscious of every step and every move. It was horrible! "Should I walk forward now?" "Should I lift my left hand?" "What's the next word again?" Was it the situation or the emails from my boss? Probably everything, but its end result was a very nervous Solveig on stage.

And that's what the judges told me afterward too. They said that first time I spoke I did excellent, second time I was too nervous. I also asked what I can change to win in the finals in Osaka in November (of course I want to win!), and they said that the only thing I should change was to not be nervous....easier said than done....But I got some advice on how to do that (give cell phone to friend day before, have a cheerleader group, focus on smiling people etc...)

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I won! yay! In the picture to the left you can see I got my award from Roland and Bertold. Lesley, the girl to the left, National President JCI United Kingdom, came on stage with me, and I was trembling walking on stage. I wasn't aware before my name was announced how nervous and apprehensive I'd been about the whole thing. The whole rest of the evening I was like a balloon with no air, all the tension and nervousness relieved you think I should be happy, and I was, but my body was just deflated.

After the award ceremony I was overwhelmed by the support and love from everyone. Everyone came to congratulate me and in some way or another offer me help and support. Coaching, speaking practice, advice and most importantly of all their pride and support in me representing Europe in the World Finals.

Next step now is the World Finals in Osaka, Japan in November, where I'll meet the winners from Africa and the Middle East (a Syrian girl), Asia and the Pacific (a girl from the Philippines), and the Americas.  But right now - a little break from it all, then I'll look at my speech with fresh eyes and keep working on my nerves!