Work presentation - just can’t do it

[driftingintheair]

I’ve been in a new job for nearly 5 months and despite being an Admin position (a very specific type of admin - not generic) I am in a team that comprises the SLT, Directors, a PA, and a few other very senior staff - then there’s me. In the pecking order of things I am at the lowest end of the organisation.

The organisation is spread across 4 sites and I am based at one by myself whereas everyone else on my team is at another site. I’ve only seen my manager in person 6 times since I started, and in an average week I might get one email from her, if that. So, I don’t know her that well and I’m not sure how she will react to my suggestion.

In January it was announced that people in my team have to give an 8 minute presentation to the SLT - about your role, what’s happening, challenges and improvements you are making etc. Fair enough I guess but I simply cannot stand up and give an 8-minute presentation, even if I put a PowerPoint together to help me. Never in my working life have I been told to give such a thing to anyone, let alone the SLT.

I am happy to put a PowerPoint together to send them to read, but I simply cannot stand up in front of people. Eight minutes is a long time when you have never done this before. I have no career aspirations in this organisation so I don’t see it as an opportunity to get my profile out there etc. I realise some people would love this sort of thing if you are looking to climb the career ladder but I’m not.

DH was initially ‘oh it will be fine,’ but he’s seen how stressed I am about it and has conceded that the rest of my team are very senior staff who are used to this sort of thing, whereas as I am an admin nobody and am horrified. DH is well used to giving presentations to hundreds of people so he wouldn’t be fazed in the slightest, so he said talk to my manager about it and see if you can come to a compromise.

I don’t want my manger to think I’m pathetic - I had review feedback last month where she said I am doing ‘a fantastic job’ etc, so this is absolutely not me being lazy. The thought of standing up for so long actually makes me rather resign.

How can I professionally word this to my manager so that the SLT would hopefully compromise but still get the information they would like to hear about?

One thing I would do is clarify whether they actually expect you to do this.

If you are in an administrative position (as opposed to a strategic or management role) you may not be expected to present at all, and might have been copied into the message for information rather than because you are expected to do it. If e.g. your predecessor knew this was how things work in your organisation and your manager is not that communicative, it is possible no-one has realised you have understood you are supposed to present when doing so is not actually part of your role.

OP, you must know it doesn't make sense to think of giving up your job for the sake of eight minutes.

Do talk to your manager. There will be ways round it - and if they still insist, say you would rather resign than go through it. If they still insist, you can go through with it.

Longer term, you voukf build your confidence by going to a Toastmasters club. Betavlockers can help with on the day nerves - at least, i was on rhem when i finally passed my driving test.

Call in sick on the day
Start looking for a new job

I agree with this. Ask for clarity from your line manager which then could lead to you saying you've never done one before.
It can be nerve wracking but think of it as telling a group of mates what you do at work with maybe a diagram. Definitely keep it simple, people appreciate that

OP, ignore the posters who are minimising your anxiety about this.

Based on what you have said about your experience, your role, and the other roles in the team, I think your position is completely reasonable. If you were looking to grow into a role where presentations skills are needed, that would be different. But there is absolutely no reason for you to have to perform a one off activity for which you have no experience, no training, is making you hugely anxious, and can easily be avoided.

I agree with the PP who suggested that you ask to deliver the information that's been asked if you in a report instead.

Saying you’d rather resign seems really sad and extreme. You wouldn’t’ve been asked to do this if the managers didn’t think you would have something valuable to contribute.

I was in your shoes not so long since. I had a stammer in school, (the sort where the jaw goes really tight, horrible) I have trained myself out of it so it only affects me occasionally when I am tired. It’s held me back at work though, avoiding external courses to get out of the creeping death introductions round the table bit. Then I was asked to do a short talk about something specialist and I couldn’t get out of it without letting people down. My tack was to tell myself what I would tell one of my kids (which people never told me) that everyone feels nervous, everyone wants you to do a good job, your words are valuable and important, prepare really well and BREATHE. After a few minutes it would be over.
I wrote everything down, - telling them what I was going to tell them, telling them in bullet points, summarising what I had told them and giving chance for questions. It was fine. I now regularly represent my company at those very courses I used to avoid, and do talks about a charity too.
Give it a go. You’ll feel great when it’s over.

Ask your doctor for propananol, take 2 10mg tablets 39 mins before you present to kill nerves and jitters. Write out the things you want to say and then say them. You’ll be AMAZED how quickly the 8 mins flies by and you’ll be on such a high afterwards!

OP who says you have to stand? A lot of people present while sitting if it’s more casual or informal.

Write yourself a script, sit there and then read it out. Are you okay to read in front of others?

Also, don’t put yourself down like that. Everyone is important in the company and what you say matters.

They aren’t evaluating your presentation skills - they want to know the content. Focus on that.

Have you asked what the objective of the presentations are or what it's hoped the presentations will achieve?

I'm not sure the answer will help your nerves, but as a retired trainer, I don't see how you can possibly design a presentation when you don't know what the objective might be.

The way you present your set up at work, I think there may be two possible objectives. One might be to help others refer questions/requests to the right person. Or it could be because there are some people grumbling about the size of the team.

Without clarity on what you are required to achieve by a presentation, I don't see how you can possibly make a presentation succeed.

I totally understand and I used to feel like this years ago before it became a regularish requirement of my job. Sounds like that is never going to be the case for you so I would write an email to your manager and follow up in a 121.

I'd say I'm not comfortable giving a presentation and have attached a short report / PowerPoint / whatever alternative you're must comfortable with, as an alternative.

Hopefully they'll accept that and it will be the end of it (fingers crossed!). If there is any pushback, I'd respond by saying you've never had any presentation training or experience and hope they understand that you hadn't been aware that presentations were likely to be a requirement of the role. Honestly you probably would not have applied for it had you realised as the idea of presenting makes you very uncomfortable!

I'd leave it at that and try and keep it light and assertive. I.e. you're being clear that this is non-negotiable for you, but you're also not getting into details of the level of stress/anxiety this is inducing.

Look at the number of responses on here suggesting ways for you to do the presentation, despite how clearly you've said that's not an option for you. Should give you an idea how clear you need to be in your email to your manager.

Also don't resign, or even think about doing so! Just be firm and clear. You're not being unreasonable given your role and experience. Good luck.

Hi Manager,

Regarding the upcoming presentations - I’m very happy to prepare a PowerPoint covering my role, progress, and challenges. However, I have no experience at all with delivering presentations, and standing up to present for 8 minutes would be incredibly difficult for me, to the extent that I honestly would not be able to manage it.

Would it be possible for me to share a report or annotated slides with the SLT instead, or explore another way to present the information?

I am very keen to support what’s needed, just in a way I can manage.

Thanks very much for understanding,
Driftingintheair

@driftingintheair take the presentation bit out for a minute, could you sit down with someone, get a coffee and spend 8 minutes talking about your job?
Presenting doesn’t have to mean formal, stood up, PowerPoint, it could be a chat over a coffee - I guess it depends on your organisation and the culture but you have options on how to meet the brief

It sadly makes perfect sense if you feel like OP does. I know exactly how she feels. And I’m normally a chatty person, I can talk to anyone. It’s impossible to understand for most people, but please don’t minimise it. Beta blockers is probably the only thing that will help you. And force yourself to talk very slowly.

If you can, sit down facing the presentation just like everyone else and noone will at least look at you.

I would assume that you have been advised for information i.e. you need to make sure the equipment is ready etc. Why would they want you to do a presentation? It may be because they did not want your role to be minimised. Just speak to whoever is running it and tell them that you have no intention of standing up and making a presentation but you are there (as usual) to support the rest of the team, get the equipment ready and make sure refreshments are on hand. Tell them - don't ask them!

If you can, sit down facing the presentation just like everyone else and noone will at least look at you.

And anyone who has hearing difficulties won't be able to hear you either.

True. Maybe OP knows if anyone has hearing difficulties at her work though.

Create a video presentation at home. On the day, stand up in front of everyone, introduce yourself, then play your vid. Done!!!!

bachs rescue remedy is useful for situations for this.

I was going to suggest this. Our IT director did this recently and everyone loved it

This is a good suggestion. In my organisation, people are able to do this if they can't attend in person/aren't available at the time/have anxiety. Captions can be added and checked and you can have a couple of attempts. You can embed video into the PowerPoint.

Propranolol and practice will see you through! I present a lot and hate it but swear by these two things

Do you get very anxious? My friend was able to get beta blockers prescribed for this. But as a first option definitely talk to your manager for support.

You can do it. Just stand up and talk. Yeah it's a bit scary but lots of things in life are.

A good way of getting through these situations I always find is to look to the person who does that thing very badly or you think is just broadly very incompetent and think "well if Kevin the office shit can do it then I definitely can!"