MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 22, 2009 — Why is speaking anxiety at the executive level becoming more and more of an issue? Why don't executives have their butterflies flying in formation?
"It's not business pressures," says Anett D. Grant, president of Executive Speaking, Inc., a global speaking coaching company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. "Executives thrive on turning business around and making sales."
"What is causing today's stage fright increase," says Grant, "is the confluence of changes in speaking demands that is hitting executives all at once."
One change is the career leap that young fast trackers are experiencing. With so much restructuring, rising young stars are being thrust into bigger and bigger roles, brighter and brighter spotlights. The speaking style that worked so well before suddenly seems too frazzled, too frenetic. These executives feel the pressure and start talking faster and faster with more and more energy until they reach the wall of anxiety. They've always felt extremely confident – but now suddenly they feel out of control.
Another one of the changes that is causing speaking anxiety is the spontaneity of today's speaking situations. "It's all about now," says Grant, "being articulate in the moment – no preparation, not even time to put together the PowerPoints." In today's environment you have to be able to deliver compelling messages instantly – in the hallways, in meetings, in webcasts. And to add to the complexity, executives today have more and more data that comes in just minutes before key presentations and changes everything. "The crutches of PowerPoint and preparation rehearsals are gone," says Grant. "For more and more executives, speaking anxiety is suddenly popping up."
Another one of the changes that is causing speaking anxiety is the challenge of speaking to audiences addicted to emails. In every meeting today, even at the highest level, blackberries are vibrating, ringing, providing irresistible temptations to glance away and see what's happening. Keeping audiences engaged has never been more challenging. "The feelings of being isolated, irrelevant, and insignificant," says Grant, "are giving rise to more and more feelings of anxiety."
Another one of the changes that is causing speaking anxiety is the diversity of today's global business audiences. In the old days in American business, an executive could relax at the beginning of a presentation by telling an old-boy joke that he'd just heard. He would then get an audience response that made him feel better. But now the American Old Boys Club is being replaced by global audiences of men and women who may not appreciate or even understand the traditional joke opening. "Without that reassuring audience laugh," says Grant, "executives have to master their anxiety themselves – and in many cases the results are just not funny."
And finally, one of the most significant causes of speaking anxiety is lack of training in terms of the process of speaking. Executives have learned how to put together PowerPoints, where to put their hands, and how to manage eye contact. Great basic tools. But executives lack exposure to the concepts and tools regarding breathing, phrasing, voice, relation, rhythmic builds and gesturing. "What's amazing is how much time executives spend working on their golf swing," says Grant, "and how little time these executives spend mastering their speaking skills. It is no wonder anxiety is increasing."
For more insights into the causes and cures for speaking anxiety, contact Anett D. Grant at 612-338-5748.
Executive Speaking, Inc. coaches leaders from around the globe from companies including PepsiCo Inc., General Electric, DHL, Pfizer, MasterCard, Verizon Communications, Honeywell, SABIC, Novartis and Societe Generale.
Website: http://www.ExecutiveSpeaking.net
# # #