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?

But the request itself isn’t unreasonable - to discuss what you do, challenges etc. They are looking for OPs insight. I don’t think it’s wrong to assume that an adult working an a professional / services role could do this. It’s totally scary if unfamiliar but totally doable. The issue is OP has no confidence and seems to belittle her role.

I understand this - I am similar - but have done presentations in the past. I was off sick recently and mentioned them as a trigger in my back to work. I also rarely do them as part of my job but the fear was pretty bad.

I think I will be asked to do them at some point in the future though, and I think its rare you have got to 50 and not done them in your working life. Its pretty commom - what if you get a new job and again are asked to do one? Even if not part of your job description it is a reasonable request.

I understand as they terrify me but accept I will have to do them at some point in the future.

This is a cute idea, though just wanted to say to not use “I don’t like Mondays” with it being about a school shooting.

Personally I think no-one should be made to feel pressured into giving a stand-up PowerPoint type presentation (particularly without training or support and practice), that seems to be a nasty way to make someone feel disempowered / helpless (sadly a student took her own life rather than give a presentation).

While it's true that most cases of public speaking anxiety can be overcome or managed I don't think your first attempt should be in a formal work setting. I hope you find it easier than expected to get out of this one, or for accommodations to be made (do it as a recording, or in some other format, or have your manager present for you). That said I do agree with @Chemenger's post, it is a nice high after you get through it.

I'm unfazed by presentations now but well remember the terror when I was younger, anxious for days before, unable to eat anything on the day beyond polo mints or tic tacs! For my line of work (academia) I did need to overcome it. I didn't go down the propranolol (beta blocker) route just practised with friends and by myself, then small tutorial groups. That said I still can't do the 'go round the room and introduce yourself' and generally refuse. Weirdly I'm completely fearless at telling people that I'm not going to do it (I don't understand that either) ;)

Jo

Worth asking if you can write something instead. I’d just be honest and say that you’ve never given a presentation and are panicking at the thought of it. You’d be able to get key points across much better in writing.

failing that, I have a job where I have to present a couple of times a year to big audiences. I use propranolol to hide my nerves. You’ll still be terrified but people don’t see it.

Oh dear. I have learnt something today 😏 All those years dancing to that song and I never knew.

Propranol. You can buy it from on line pharmacies. 40 mg will totally take the edge off. 80 mg and you will enjoy the talk. Be wary if you have asthma, these are beta blockers and slow the breathing. These are the go to drugs for doctors when they have to give a talk. I have taken these for years for public speaking.

Everyone hates public speaking, but you get better at it every time you do it until it becomes second nature.

I bet public speaking skills would help you elsewhere in your life too - there's lots of scenarios that it's useful for. I was like you and petrified of public speaking, but now I can do it fairly easily. It's literally just practice. The nerves beforehand are always worse than actually presenting - if I was your close friend I'd tell you to just do it rather than backing out.

OP doesn’t seem worried at all about the content? It’s presenting that’s the issue.

If that's the case and she knows her stuff then it's half the battle. That and practice, practice, practice.

Can you pre record it then just stand there and press play. Maybe acknowledge that this is excruciating for you so this is your compromise. They'll understand.

See it as an opportunity to talk about your role, what you do and the outrageous expectations of the role over and above your role

Well said, I cannot believe the number of people saying just do it. If you can't, you can't and you shouldn't have to.

Some people really don’t get how speaking to groups can affect people, it’s not a question of ‘just get on with it, its just speaking’.

I’m better at it now, but in the past I’ve felt faint with the stress of it, whilst speaking. And this is just an internal few minutes, not to external people. I also get a thing where my throat closes up with nerves and I get hoarser and hoarser. I still get that quite often (in interviews as well as public speaking) and just have to keep going and kind of touch my throat and give a little cough as if to imply I have a cold or something. It’s excruciating. Plus random blushing.

@Dunkou Someone very senior in one of my old jobs once confided in me that she sips water, when speaking/presenting for that throat reason. I had no idea that it was because she was nervous, I genuinely thought she became hoarse when speaking.
And I was also shocked that she would be nervous at all, she’s extremely confident and competent

It’s funny (but also not funny) how being nervous can physically affect us.

Do you want to be able to give the presentation @driftingintheair ?

Or do you want to find a way to avoid doing it?