To Receive updates and information including our newsletter then please simply complete the form below
To Receive updates and information including our newsletter then please simply complete the form below
Amazing month training my coaching skills and MuayThai in the land is smiles. It's not what I teach in the corporate training sector but im sure adds to the mix in some way or another.
Today was spent at the Security Institute annual conference.
Great speakers and fantastic networking opportunities with other security professionals
#security #safety #counterterrorism #terrorism #threat #tonywillis #training
Had a great time on the Security Institute stand at the Security cleared expo today. It was a pleasure to meet so many people involved or interested in all aspects of security.
#business #security #travel #training #cyber #risk #counterterrorism
Will be on the Security Institute stand at the security cleared expo so if you are around and would like a chat or ask about the institute come and say hello t.co/TVYjhzRDzk
linkedin.com
October 12, 2018: Tony Willis MBA FCMI ASyI posted on LinkedInPublic Speaking
Controlling Your Breathing For Public Speaking.
We want people to be listening, empathising, understanding and responding to what we say not just sat there looking at their emails waiting for the next speaker.
Making an impact in the 1st minute or so of talking is key. If not then often, people are no longer listening. Like it or not we make snap judgements based on instinct and experiences. I know (partly as I am linked to some) that there are probably hundreds of experts and even a few "Gurus" on LinkedIn that will be telling everyone how to stand, not to use hundreds of slides to wave or not wave your hands about etc etc. However one of the base elements of someone actually listening and not simply ignoring what you say is do you seem genuine and interesting. Its why story telling is popular with business speakers politicians and comedians all of who aim to keep the audience listening.
With story telling not only do people become involved you also sound genuine and passionate and that makes not only what you say but how you say it seem interesting.
So do you sound right? Now when I say sounding right I do not mean your accent, language or anything like that I mean the way your voice resonates and how your audience reacts to that.
It doesn't matter if its a small team talk or a conference of 3000 delegates if your voice cracks and waivers due to stress then people probably wont listen. If you sound passionate and genuine then they will listen but you have to not only believe what your saying you need to sound like you do as well.
Stress is not a bad thing it is part of the system that ensures we survive and is meant to be beneficial enabling rapid reaction in the short term. As you are about to step on stage the chemicals in your body are reacting to the stress of your mind reacting to your fears. One of the side effects of this is a shortness of breath sometimes linked with a rapid heart rate.
Over time of course as you repeat this process you start to rationalise those fears so the impact becomes less. However its quite possible that a small change could impact you and the fears return. Say for example the tech suddenly stops working or you catch the eye of a celebrity or key player in your field.
Now would it not be great if you were able to control that response. This is the area of breathing control. Its not a secret and there are probably loads of videos on YouTube to show you how. I know in my sports work its absolutely key to success and as a coach of fighters for the past 20 years something I work on with all the competitors.
In the corporate world learning and understanding how to make a few discreet breathing changes before and during periods of stress to get you back at your peak performance is something that can make a huge difference. These exercises do not have to be obvious, once you learn them they can be done discretely you do not need to do anything that would make you look a bit weird.
Learning to assist your body cope with mental stresses is a vital topic but one most of us do not have enough time for until we approach the cliff edge. While studying in Beijing at the Hospital for Traditional Chinese Medicine I not only increased my knowledge of herbal medicine but also worked in the Qi Gong section. Breathing control and its influence on the mind and body is a key element of the whole body approach of many traditional medicine philosophies but in the west we seem to ignore that.
I am happy to share some of the simple breathing training that I offer companies in support of their staff on short video clips so if anyone is interested simply get in touch.
PS: The Chemistry
For anyone interested the chemistry around our bodies response to stress is actually quite fascinating and much more complicated than you may at first realise. Key things that most people recognise is the involvement of the HPA axis, the hypothalamus releases CRH which causes the pituitary gland to release the hormone ACTH which acts on the adrenal gland to release Cortisol and adrenaline. As blood sugar increase the pancreas produces insulin converting some of the glucose to energy and some to glycogen stored in the liver.