Public Speaking Strategies for Project Professionals: Putting Yourself on the MAP

Project management practitioners are increasingly required to demonstrate proficiency in public speaking. Project management practitioners are tasked with addressing audiences of all types and sizes. A typical project manager can find him or herself chairing team meetings, providing updates to senior management, and negotiating with sponsors — all in the same week. Does the prospect of speaking before an audience get your heart racing for all the wrong reasons? Instead of finding the experience exhilarating, do you find yourself dreading the moment when you are called upon to speak? In this article, we explore strategies to help you be articulate when you need it the most. Knowing the message; the ability to assess the audience and meet its needs; and, the preparation necessary to ensure personal effectiveness are the foundations of the strategy. Using relevant examples, we will explore simple, practical, and effective concepts to help you put yourself on the MAP.

As your name is called to make a presentation, your stomach starts to flip and your knees shake beneath you. You can feel beads of sweat gliding down your back. Feeling faint, you are grateful to see the lectern come into view as you walk toward it. In seemingly slow motion, you move toward the front of the room. Your heart is pounding as you grip the lectern. Your knuckles slowly turn white. …