I’ve often thought about the viscerally jarring experience of being a passenger on an airplane during turbulence. When this happens, I immediately begin scanning my surroundings for signs of safety. I’d be curious to know if you do this too? For me, I usually start by looking at the flight attendants, studying them closely. Do they look calm, confident, even grounded? Seeing those composed flight attendants often helps me calm down significantly.
Secondly, I start listening attentively to the announcements coming from the cockpit. What does the pilot’s voice sound like? More often than not, thankfully, the pilot has a tone that feels steady, reassuring, filled with experience and a broad perspective that is going to guide us through this.
Yes, as a passenger on a plane, I look to the guides and the experts to exhibit safety and that allows my body to relax and to know that I am in good hands.
I think this experience can have some powerful similarities to what it’s like being an audience member and listening to a speaker. Across many different contexts– a Commencement address, a wedding ceremony, a panel discussion— audience members arrive in their seats, unsure of what to expect, and looking expectantly at the person standing before them.
The person standing before them, like a flight attendance or a pilot, is their guide through the unexpected. The person standing before them is the person who will be leading them through what lies ahead. The person standing before them will communicate whether this is an experience of panic, something to be nervous about, or an experience of groundedness, perspective, wisdom.
As speakers or presenters, we are the pilots for our audience. We are the ones to communicate direction, perspective, and yes, even calm.
This can feel like a tall order for the speakers out there! And as speakers, we don’t always feel the steadiness and expertise of a pilot or a flight attendant! But today, I want to give you this idea as something to simply keep in mind as you prepare for your next speaking event. How can you communicate to your audience the idea that “You are safe with me”?
You are safe with me. We all deserve to know that and we all deserve to feel that– and as speakers, we are given the privilege to stand before a group of people and let them know that they are safe with each of us.
Spotlight on: Commencement Speaker Coaching: University commencements are one of the most visible and high-impact gatherings of the academic year – and the opportunity to speak on such a public stage can be both thrilling and overwhelming. I offer impactful, strengths-based, and supportive public speaking coaching packages for student Commencement speakers, higher education professionals, and administrators to help prepare them to take the stage. Email me at hello@julieavisrogers.com or click here to book a free exploratory session to discuss your specific needs (scheduling, budget, and goals) and how I can help this year’s Commencement be a day of excitement, confidence, and ease.
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