Sometimes all it takes, is a good justification to overcome a challenge

In May of 2005, I found myself in a meeting room at the Amdocs Competency Center with 40+ Junior and Senior leaders. I don’t remember the exact time, but it must be approximately 4 pm because everyone had a cup of tea in their hand.

I sat there waiting for my turn to give the presentation.

My plan was simple:

• Start the presentation
• Blow their minds away
• Conclude

If I nailed this presentation, it would put me on a path to becoming a team lead - every junior developer’s dream.?

“I will now call on Mr. Vishal Madan to give his presentation.” the facilitator said.?

It was at this exact moment that my confidence decided to abandon me.

When I forgot regular Windows shortcuts

I started fumbling with the laptop connected to the projector, struggling to display the right file on the screen. The regular Windows shortcuts I usually knew, like the back of my hand, had vanished from my memory.

I was pressing Alt + Tab furiously to find the right file to present. I found myself opening irrelevant folders and even accidentally projected the wrong document for everyone to see. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I located the presentation I was supposed to show.

By this time, my heart was thumping, and I could feel my face getting red.?

I took a deep breath.?

‘Things would go smoothly now’, I told myself.

They didn’t.

When 30 minutes felt like 30 hours

I found myself rambling about minor details, completely missing the mark on the topics that truly mattered to my audience.?

The audience looked confused. As for my manager, his face was a mix of feeling sorry for me and feeling embarrassed.

Time had slowed down. 30 minutes had turned into 30 hours. But eventually, it was over.?

I had successfully accomplished the mission of making a fool of myself.?

That potential team lead position??

Yeah, I could say goodbye to that.?

If I can't even present a topic, how would I be fit to lead a team?

I went to the canteen afterward to drown my sorrow with a cup of tea. I felt very inadequate, and I had crippling self-doubts. ‘Becoming good at giving presentations’ seemed like a distant dream.

I brought presentation skills or public speaking to the top of my challenges and I had to overcome this challenge as soon as possible.

But then I needed a justification, an assurance to myself that I can do it.?

One of the justifications to myself, that have always worked is

"If a specific gentleman can do it, why cannot I?".         

In most cases, for extra assurance, the gentleman picked up for comparison was a dimwit, silly, stupid as@#$%le, who despite their limitations, was acing the thing, I had a trouble with.        

The same tricked for me this time as well with a slight difference.

The specific gentleman I took as an example here, was me, myself from 1994, when I was in my final year diploma.

I wasn’t always bad at public speaking

I had presented my final year project to a class of 60+ people. Ofcourse they were not junior or senior leaders, but honestly more harmful to the reputation if something goes wrong.

You can never afford to make a fool of yourself in front of such a notorious group.

Why didn't I tremble back then?

It was the same me, minus 3 additional years of education and 5 years of professional experience.

Things were clear when I started comparing the situation

The transparencies ( back then we would have project presentations on transparencies ) were created by me. I was familiar with each and every word on it.?        

The topic was the final year project, which I had built from scratch.        

The Audience consisted of my professors with whom I had a great rapport and though a notorious bunch, the rest of the audience were my class-mates and my friends.?        

Basically nothing was unfamiliar to me there.?

But during the 2005 presentation

Everything was unfamiliar!

The presentation I delivered was actually an old one, handed down to me by someone else. My manager had given me the topic, and the laptop I used to present on was not mine. Also, I did not know most of the people in the audience.?

And that’s when I found my answer. Somehow, the younger version of me had taught me a valuable lesson.

A new journey began

I started with baby steps, with topics I was familiar with. I dictated the rules - I would present presentations made by me and use my own laptop. Additionally, I would present to an audience where a large number of familiar faces outweighed the unfamiliar ones.?

If the audience was mostly strangers, I'd make a point to mingle before starting. I'd introduce myself, learn a few names, and break the ice a bit.

It wasn’t always easy

I couldn’t always pick the topic, presentation or use my own laptop. Sometimes, I had to talk to people I’d never met before.

And honestly, it does not matter after a certain experience of public speaking.

However I do use some tricks even now after around 19 years to that past incident.?

• I reach the venue before anyone from the audience arrives.
• I personally try to attend to each and every person that has come for my presentation.
• Get their names, their organizations, where have they come from, what are they looking for in the presentation.
• I even connect them with others who have already settled.

Basically I do whatever it requires to create a familiar audience for myself.

So that's how I overcame one of my biggest challenges, with the most simplest justification to myself.

There are 2 more justifications that I use to overcome challenges but those are for future posts.

Now or Never        

What's the worst that can happen        

Thanks for reading !!

I would like to hear your stories of you overcoming challenges and some of the justifications or formulas you have used !!