What do you do if your nerves get the best of you when presenting to your boss?

Name your shortcoming, to overcome them! I have found the very best way to slay dragons is to bring them into the light - the spoken word has so much power. All this cloak and dagger I must project perfection at all times is a trap and unattainable.

Getting nervous in front of your boss can be completely avoided by learning to manage the feeling of nervousness. Make the interaction more conversational and inclusive like “we”, “us”, what do you think ? what’s your perspective? Thieves kind of conversation release tension and make the atmosphere more conducive.

While preparation is key to successfully communicating your point, it's also crucial to remember that a conversation doesn't have to be a stage production. You don't need to memorize a speech word-for-word because it can become a crutch that limits the dialog and throws you off track if there are any interruptions. It's better to create an outline of talking points and know the material well enough to improvise the delivery in the moment. This leaves you more adaptable to questions and other guiding elements or disruptions and makes the communication feel more natural and organic.

Prepare your content but also prepare to be able to speak in public. Knowledge on the topic and good public speaking skills are different. Practice the art of speaking in public by using the nano speech framework. The nano speech can last 10 seconds or 10 minutes, and can help you make every day conversations relevant public speaking practice. - Open - Main point - Story - Close Deliver this every day during your conversations and work meetings to build daily public speaking reps. This gets you comfortable in the art of public speaking. With the content of your presentation, you already know your stuff, you then just need to put it into the nano speech framework.

The biggest way to prepare for your next presentation is found in your last presentation. What did you take away from that instance? Not sure? You should always journal your experience after you are done. Write down exactly what went well and what didn't. What were you doing specifically? How did the audience react? These are things you want to believe you'll remember for next time, but nothing solidifies it like journaling. Even if you never read the journal, the act of writing it down will help the lessons sink in. Throw out the journal if you need to, just make it.

While presenting to your boss..make sure to keep the conversation meaningful and to the point..set clear goals and be confident..being nervous is natural but if you are well prepared and know about the objectives..it's become easy for you as a presenter...be positive and be confident!

Being nervous is not the same thing as lacking confidence. Your narrative matters. When your heart is racing, when you have sweaty palms, that is preparing you to deliver at your best. Back yourself because you know your stuff. You wouldn't be presenting if you didn't know anything about the topic. Build positive experiences in the lead up to your presentation for both your topic and speaking - both are different so you need to scale up your confidence in both.

WHY are you nervous when presenting to your boss? Find out your reason/s. Some people feel nervous because they are AFRAID they may fumble or make mistakes. Well, it's all about BEING FAMILIAR; not just with your presentation content, but WITH YOUR BOSS. You MUST INVEST TIME to get to know his/her communication style, approach towards work, management & leadership style. Even his/her tone & voice. With such familiarity, you will be more confident to deliver your presentation. One effective way is to schedule regular sessions (1-on-1s) to help you familiarize yourself with his/her presence. The more time spent with your boss, the more familiar & comfortable you will feel. Your self-confidence will take over slowly with such familiarity.