How can you use creative problem solving to improve your public speaking?

Public speaking is a skill that improves with practice and persistence. One can utilize creative problem solving techniques by identifying effective strategies, experiment with different approaches, and continuously enhance public speaking abilities. Every person is different, with a different set of strengths and weaknesses, thus experimenting different approaches would effectively highlight individual's strengths and weaknesses, enabling public speaking precise practice with focus on identified weaknesses.

As a pastor, I want to avoid a "rut" in my preaching. As I work on my foundation (theme, objective statement, and rationale), I find myself at times taking a different approach. I try hard to avoid the "I am right and I will say this" approach and that will often lead me to find a different angle, especially if I'm stuck. There have been times I have been so stuck I have closed down that effort and picked it up another day. I want to be prepared, engaging and interesting, but not too far "out there." In that way, creativity can be a blessing, but I must not allow it to be a curse.

At the national critical care symposium (NTI), my colleague and I submitted Creative approaches to Quality Initiatives. We structured our outline with top challenges in the ICU setting. We were pleasantly surprised to find the room with a large enough audience that was all struggling with the same challenges. They enjoyed hearing of how we rolled out initiatives. How we overcame barriers and really engaged the staff. We even dressed according to one of our March Madness themes to capture their attention. The Q & A session seemed to be helpful for participants to think about planting the seed in their settings. Rounding out the presentation with data to show the proof is in the pudding really gives you credibility.

When creating a presentation, structuring content and engaging the audience can be challenging. Techniques like storyboarding, reverse engineering, six thinking hats, or FAST offer innovative solutions. Storyboarding helps plan your story's flow, while reverse engineering starts with the outcome in mind. Six thinking hats encourage diverse perspectives, and FAST simplifies your message. These methods aid in evaluating content, planning delivery, and focusing on key elements. They foster creativity, ensuring your presentation effectively communicates your message and captivates your audience.

A powerful presentation can turn a good speech into a great one. But with so many design choices available, how do you create slides that enhance your message and engage your audience? Here are some key tips to help you craft a presentation that complements your speech perfectly. 1. Know Your Audience 2. Keep it simple and concise 3. Embrace Visual Storytelling 4. Use the Unique Style and Attitude 5. Practice your best timings 6. Use Animations and transition the most 5. Get Feedback and focus on more relevant points to move on

Once upon a time I used to have panic attacks every time I had to give a presentation in university as part of my undergraduate studies. For me it was terrifying! What helped me is preparation. Really knowing my stuff. Practicing the presentation over and over. So if my nerves started to get the better of me, I could go back to my rehearsal in my minds eye & remind myself that I've got this. I always had talking points to fall back on too, in case I lost my train of thought during the presentation.

You need to fully preparate yourself and believe in your message. True. But then, when delivering a message, the worst thing you have to confront is yourself and not having the right mindset. It happens. You get up on the stage or set on your camera (if remote) and you start thinking "what if I can't engage them?", "what if I can't connect with them?". Then you suddenly see someone in the audience that confirms all your fears... That's the one... That's the one you need to touch. I make it my purpose to make eye contact with that person and motivate that person so I'm worth everyone's time. Being prepared, knowing your topic inside-out, allows you to be flexible on how to deliver it... bend it to touch the most sceptical person in the room.