Presentation Tip: Managing The Moment Before

I recently had the privilege of watching a powerful film called?Sing Sing, which chronicles the true story of inmates at the famed Sing Sing prison who participated in a program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). The story (which is enacted primarily by actual inmates in the RTA program) focuses on a character named Divine G (played by the brilliant Colman Domingo) who is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. He finds his purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men.? I was deeply moved by the reminder of how the essential elements of acting—learning to trust oneself and others, and to be emotionally vulnerable—can change people at their core.? This was certainly the case for me as a professional actor. ?

The Moment That Highlighted A Key Performance Concept

One moment in the film stood out enough to make me surreptitiously reach for my phone and take notes in the dark theatre. ?It occurred during a rehearsal of a play performed the RTA company.? The director was working with one of the actors, Divine Eye (Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, playing himself) a new and wary member of the acting group, on his monologue from Shakespeare’s?Hamlet.?The actor slouched his way through the monologue, bringing a street sensibility and physicality that belied the royal bearing of the character. ??The director told the actor he needed to leave the stage and re-enter from the beginning of the speech, with awareness of ‘the moment before.” As he explained it, characters entering a stage enter in character, with a knowledge of where that character has “been” the moment before they step onto the stage.? Loosely translated, this meant that Divine Eye needed to consider his circumstance as the character, Hamlet, as well as activate a princely bearing befitting his title prior to stepping into the spotlight and playing the scene.? In the film the actor did just that, and it transformed his performance.? Suddenly he felt and looked like a king—shoulders back, head high, alive in his power. The scene--and his transformation-- brought me to tears. ?And it also took me back to my own acting class experiences in New York City, with teachers who had helped me understand the same concept of the moment before that Divine Eye had embraced:

That sounds interesting, Eleni, but how does the concept of The Moment Before apply to my my work as a leader, a communicator, or a speaker? ?

Well, the way I see it, what you do and think?the moment before?you step into a meeting or a speaking engagement determines the fullness of your presence and performance.? If, in?the moment before,?you are willing to consciously relax, center and?energize your body (shoulders back, head high), remind yourself of your worth and value, and re-connect with what you are there to do (your intention or purpose) you will bring a more impactful charismatic presence to the meeting or presentation.

It takes so little time (less than seven seconds to make a first impression. Which is why being aware of what you are thinking and how you are behaving prior to stepping into a meeting or onto the speaking platform really matters. Thoughts create beliefs, which create behavior. Whether they’re negative or positive, your thoughts and beliefs are powerful. Which means if you are waiting in the wings thinking I wish I were less anxious and more prepared (instead of I’m prepared to the best of my ability and believe in my message and in my ability to share it”), you stand a good chance of giving a substandard performance (and also creating a first impression that lacks confidence).?

How you manage?the moment before?can make all the difference in your ability to manage the conversation or presentation that follows. So next time you are poised to step into a meeting or presentation, let yourself think and act as the relatable, confident leader and speaker you already are?in the moment before?—and see for yourself how impactful that one small shift can be when you step into your spotlight moment.

Want to explore maximizing your abilities as a speaker and communicator? Let's talk!