Repeated practice is key; rehearse your speech multiple times, focusing on refining your tone, body language, and delivery. At the same time, seek out opportunities to speak, even if they seem intimidating, such as leading meetings, presenting at workshops, or participating in discussions. Each experience builds confidence and hones your abilities. Simulating real scenarios, like practicing in front of a mirror, also helps you identify areas for improvement. Set measurable goals for each speaking opportunity, focusing on specific aspects like pacing or eye contact, and track your progress over time. Most importantly, celebrate your small wins along the way, as each step brings you closer to mastering the art of public speaking.

I have always sought feedback, even though it was initially hard to accept and follow. At times, it felt challenging to embrace constructive criticism, but I realized that it is the only way to grow. By taking feedback seriously and incorporating it into my practice consistently, I have seen significant improvement. This dedicated approach to applying feedback has truly yielded great results for me.

I appreciate the sandwich strategy feedback. Something good, less good and good again. People are very fragile not only in their ego but in self confidence as well. It can ve easily triggered and sometimes even shattered. Therefore, I chose the feedback people wisely. People whose advice I welcome or accept as I fully ackowledge the fact that it will help me grow!

If I'm struggling to improve my public speaking skills with feedback from colleagues, I focus on turning that feedback into actionable steps. First, I ask for specific examples of what needs improvement, whether it's my tone, pacing, or delivery style. Then, I practice in small, manageable ways like rehearsing in front of a mirror, recording myself, or presenting to a trusted friend for fresh insights. I also look for opportunities to strengthen my skills, such as joining a speaking group or taking a course to gain new techniques. Feedback is just the starting point but by combining it with consistent practice and an open mind, I can grow into a more confident and impactful speaker.

There are two ways to view public speaking, either as a skill or as an authentic expression of our whole being. If it is the former, we seek feedback focused on specific aspects e.g. tone, pacing or delivery. Seeing public speaking as an expression of our whole being, we can seek feedback to help us grow as a person. By focusing on public speaking as a skill, we miss the real breakthroughs in presentation that can only come from becoming a “better” person. What holds us back in public speaking will hold us back elsewhere in life. By seeking feedback about our entire personality, particularly the blind spots (what others can see about us but that we are unable to see) we can achieve bigger and more lasting improvements in public speaking.