How can you overcome communication anxiety when speaking to senior management or in public?

Practice, practice, practice! I cannot stress enough that practicing will improve your delivery and make you more confident. Also, remember that even the most seasoned speaker (like myself) gets nervous before speaking. It's natural. I take deep breaths, while envisioning myself delivering an awesome presentation. If a mistake happens, don't harp on it, most audience members wont notice. Continue on like a pro!

Communication anxiety is nothing but the insecurity in our mind. Out of my experience I have figured out that one can not get rid of it until and unless you create a clear perception of the other person whom you're communucating with. If you have communication anxiety, then the first thing you need your brain to believe in is that the person you're communicating with is also a human, and that person will definitely understand your point (maybe you'll have to struggle explaining) but that person won't kill you. Another major point is to overcome the fear. If you're anxious that you may lose your job, or people will laugh at your wrong pronounciations then overcome it by becoming stubborn and communicating anyway!

Aristotle used to say, and I firmly believe and follow; that "The speech is always about the audience". Thus its just not about senior management. It is for ALL places. Imagine you are invited to speak at an event with avg. age 60+ and you are trying to inspire them on maintaining fitness by playing Football or Rugby. Are you relevant? Aristotle, continues to implore by saying that "The one who thinks he can speak what he wants not what the audience wants; he is the most NAIVE speaker" And that definitely isn't what we as speakers would like to call ourselves. Isn't it?

1. A thorough preparation: know your audience, know your content, know your goal “ what you want to achieve for this presentation “ 2. Practice, rehearsal by yourself, record, or in front of a trust friend. More often you do, the less stress you ll have. 3. Start small, it’s like a skill, the more you use it, the more you analyze after, the more you ask for feedback, the more you can improve your skill. 4. Accept nervous, it’s a feeling, comes and goes, it’s like sky diving, once super nervous, twice nervous, 3 times, hmmmm ok. Your brain learns and adapts. 5. Keep calm, even you make mistakes, so what? people are born to make mistakes and grow from mistakes

What I believe is communication anxiety is natural, and even experienced speakers feel it. The goal is not to eliminate it entirely but to manage it effectively so that it doesn't hinder your performance. With practice and persistence, you can become a more confident and effective communicator. There are a few strategies one can use to help manage and reduce this anxiety: 1) Shift your focus from being perfect to delivering a clear and meaningful message. Nobody expects perfection. 2) Don't be afraid to take a moment to collect your thoughts. Pausing can enhance the clarity and impact of your message. 3) Engage in mindfulness or relaxation exercises to center yourself before the presentation.

One thing that I have found very helpful is to first compile my thoughts and messaging and then combine the points that seem to be redundant and eliminate filler words. I tend to lose interest myself when points become too wordy so I like to be self-aware when I am the one speaking.

Even the most seasoned professional public speakers practise their speeches. Don’t just run through your points silently in your head, verbalise them! That’s the only way to know how the words will roll of your tongue, if you need to re-order your points for better flow, and how to have a strong start and a clean finish.

Nothing new. Right? Yet most don't do it. It is like common sense. But hey, common sense isn't common either. While some may argue that if we rehearse too much or everything, we are no longer natural while we speak. To answer that, I would say that rehearsal is extremely critical for best performance. At the same time, leave room for innovation and extempore. Otherwise we not be ale to connect to the audience well.

Use simple, clear, and relevant visual aids that engage the audience. Ensure notes are brief, organized, and easy to read, helping you remember main points and transitions. But don't read from your notes unless you want to bore the audience.

It's important to recognize that feeling anxious in challenging situations is absolutely normal, and speaking to senior management or speaking in public certainly falls into that category. Give yourself permission to experience this stress. This compassionate mindset helps you attain a more relaxed state of mind, ultimately enabling you to bring out your best when communicating.

Trust in the work you’ve put into your presentation. If you are presenting slides you prepared and making statements that are yours, there is no one better to present it than you. If you are stepping in for someone else, then you should spend double the amount of time rehearsing till they feel like your own. Calm your racing heart by taking deep long breaths. The first few will be short and shallow, but aim to stretch the inhale over 5 counts and exhale over 7 counts.

NERVOUS ? Is nervousness BAD ? After winning 50+ awards in public speaking contests and many key not sessions etc. I still feel nervous when I go on stage. And I am happy that I am nervous. Because I believe that Nervousness means, 'You want to do well'. And this nervousness of mine has helped me deliver my best almost every time. Deep Breathing, Going slow with Rate of Speech and keeping a Smile on your face; can transform your nervous energy to a brilliant performance.

Regarding managing emotions and stress, be positive to accept any feedback. Discard any negative thoughts that may affect you, so you learn from every situation and move on.

Approach senior management as if they are your mentors. Whether or not you report directly to them, there is much wisdom to be gained. Allow time in your presentation for them to offer their thoughts, suggestions, considerations. They are often privy to more information, have a clearer idea of the big picture, and can perspective we may not have otherwise considered.

Seeking and accepting feedback is often challenging when your nerves are high. Although it is one of the most important things when making an impression with a senior leader. Seeking feedback is easy, but accepting it as room for growth can be hard. Feedback can sometimes feel like a criticism when it is actually meant to help you grow and improve. Senior leaders often notice and appreciate how people accept feedback and it leaves an impression. Acknowledge their opinions and feedback, and think of them like a mentor that only wants to see you improve, not tear you down. Each time will be easier to accept feedback.

Never argue with the feedback giver. He / She must have felt it, for what they are sharing. Whether we agree or Not. Its OK to just listen to the feedback and see if there is anything that you feel can be worked upon. If No, Leave the thought. If Yes, work upon it. SIMPLE.

Always set the context for why we are having this presentation or discussion. Senior management handle a lot of different issues and their mind could still be ruminating over a previous discussion. Quickly set the context why your topic deserves their undivided attention for the next 15 mins.

Here is one more thing for you to consider: Always ready few talking points with you and opening with good news while communicating with senior managers once you’ve met them in an unexpected moment. Start small step, this can help you overcome the anxiety gradually.

Don't aim for perfection. Understand that not every social interaction or communication needs to be flawless, and it's okay to make mistakes or have awkward moments.

It is important to outline at the start the why of the meeting or presentation. Senior leaders have a lot of things on the go, and they need to understand the why and their role off the hop. It is best to use concise language, be prepared for lots of questions so they can understand how to take action. I often try to reduce my "artsy" descriptive language, use statistics or something relevant to my topic, make an effort to keep on track and let them know the what, why and what I need from them or what they need to do. It is always best to go in with a few solutions & openness for their solutions. I have found its better to come with a solution then to just leave it to them, as sometimes they don't have capacity or time to think of one.