What I Learned from (Finally) Applying a Growth Mindset to Public Speaking
If only I had realised earlier that public speaking was a skillset, not a natural talent…
When I was eight years old, my teacher taught the class to play the recorder. She told us one day that she was forming a recorder group, but I decided not to join.
Several weeks later, the teacher announced that the recorder group would be playing for the opening of the new school hall. That sounded cool, and so I asked if I could join the group after all. She gave me a piece of music and told me to practice. But she warned me that I had missed too much and it would be almost impossible to catch up.
I really wanted to play the recorder at the opening of the hall, and so I went home and practised all weekend. The next week my teacher tested me and told me that I was good enough to be part of the group!
Carol Dweck’s famous book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success explains that people with a growth mindset have a thirst for learning, love a challenge, and believe that they can improve through commitment and hard work. Conversely, people with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence and talent are innate and can’t be changed.
My experience with the recorder group taught me the value of having a growth mindset, although of course didn't label it as such. I learned that hard work and effort produced results! There was also the satisfaction of surprising my teacher!
But I Didn’t Apply the Lesson Consistently
I wish I could say that I applied a growth mindset to every aspect of my life after the recorder experience. The truth was that I recognised the value of hard work to get better at things I was already good at.
I had taken to the recorder quickly and backed myself to improve with practice. Similarly, working hard helped me excel academically. But I also made snap judgements about things that I did not believe myself to be good at — such as art and team sports — and put little effort into developing those skills.
Public speaking was one of the things on my, can’t do’ list. I knew that I was good at writing. But for many years, I believed that I did not have the ‘gift of the gab’. I thought that great speakers were naturally talented — born not made.
I Finally Realised that Public Speaking Was a Skillset, Not a Natural Talent!
Eleven years ago, I joined Toastmasters, not to become a great public speaker, but to get over my nervousness of public speaking. Weirdly, I did not think much about developing skills. I just felt that doing more would increase my confidence.
While this was true, I also found there was so much to learn. I realised that public speaking involved a set of skills that I could learn and apply!
The realisation that I could improve by studying good technique was momentous. It helped shift my focus away from repressing nervousness towards something much tangible.
When I first started Toastmasters, I talked too quickly, said ‘um’ a lot, and avoided looking directly at audience members. The content of my speeches was OK, but a little dry. And I relied too heavily on notes.
I am now much better at storytelling. I can speak conversationally to the audience with limited reference to notes. And I have cultivated stage presence — pausing instead of saying “um”, making eye contact with people in the audience, using emphatic gestures, and moving comfortably.
Impromptu speaking was one of my biggest hurdles. As I improved my prepared speaking skills, I still dreaded the impromptu speaking sessions.
While I am still better at prepared speeches, I have discovered that impromptu speaking can also improve with practice! I have learned strategies like pausing before answering, or turning the question to my advantage.
I have learned how to structure my ideas better. Using techniques such as PREP (point-reason-example-point) or STAR (situation-task-actions-result), helps me tackle questions where I have lots of ideas but have trouble expressing them coherently.
I have found that frequent practice reduces the nerves and helps me think more clearly. Part of the problem previously was that nervousness would make be ‘go blank’. It wasn’t that I lacked ideas, but I couldn’t bring them to mind under pressure.
I have also discovered that people who seem to be very good at thinking on their feet are probably more prepared than you think. They are speaking about topics they know well and have spent time predicting and practising answers to challenging questions. As Winston Churchill famously said,
I am just preparing my impromptu remarks.
Receiving Feedback was Invaluable
I learned through studying others, self-observation, receiving feedback, and listening to the feedback given to other people.
Toastmasters are trained to provide encouraging feedback with a suggestion or two, sandwiched between several ‘commendations’. This method helps ensure that feedback is positive, supportive, and not overwhelming.
Early in my Toastmasters journey, I received some incredibly helpful feedback. Someone told me that I came across a bit ‘scary’!
Now granted, this did not exactly fit the Toastmasters formula. It was a bit blunt and lacking in examples of what I could do to change. But it led to an important realisation for me — that when I am nervous, I look very earnest! And because of my direct communication style, this can be intimidating.
I have since worked hard to lighten-up my delivery. For me, this has meant remembering to smile, connecting with the audience, being more expressive, and softening my voice.
I was telling someone recently about the feedback, and she looked surprised. She said that she couldn’t imagine finding me scary. I told her that she hadn’t seen me presenting ten years ago!
Tips for Applying a Growth Mindset to Public Speaking (or Something Else on Your ‘Can’t Do’ List)
If you feel motivated to improve your public speaking skills, this is the approach I recommend. While I have tailored these suggestions to public speaking, they apply pretty well to any aspect of self-improvement.
Find a safe place to learn and practice
Improving your presentation skills requires doing it! Find a friendly audience, such as at a public speaking course or a Toastmasters club.
Eduardo Briceño, in his TED talk, How to get better at the things you care about, explains that we need a ‘learning zone’ — where we can make mistakes without consequences. Operating only in the ‘performance zone’ is risky because the stakes are high — if we fail, there are likely to be consequences.
Make a long-term commitment
I am now a public speaking coach. I encourage my clients to be ‘realistic and ambitious’. They need to be realistic about what they can achieve in eight weeks. But I also encourage them to be ambitious about how good they could eventually become.
You should see results quickly, but you will also appreciate how much you have to learn. At times you may plateau or regress, but it is a bit like going to the gym. Consistency and focused effort will produce results.
Welcome and apply feedback
People with a fixed mindset tend to interpret feedback as criticism. Having a growth mindset means welcoming and considering feedback. Hopefully, the feedback you receive will be sensitive and constructive; even it is not, learn to appreciate it for what you could learn.
You won’t agree with all the feedback you receive. But review all feedback and decide what you will take on board.
For example, I tend to stand still when I am presenting. I feel that it provides some gravitas. I used to get feedback that I should move more. I ignored this for a long time and even tried to explain to people that I had made a personal choice to stand still.
Eventually, I realised that I looked rigid and frozen to the spot! The solution was not to move but relax my posture. I now ensure my legs are not locked out — I have a slight bend in my knees, and I don’t thrust my shoulders back. What I learned was that the feedback was relevant, although I did not apply the recommended solution.
If you feel like you have reached a plateau, ask for tough feedback. Encourage people to give you feedback they might not otherwise share. You need to be ready for this type of feedback, but it can be the most rewarding.
Study others who excel
Observe what other speakers do to help you learn good technique. The TED platform is a great place to start. There is even a TED playlist on how to make a great presentation. You can take inspiration from others while developing your own style.
Refrain from comparing yourself unfavourably to others
While you should study strong speakers, try not to judge yourself against them. Speakers you perceive to be better are also more experienced. And even if they are more naturally talented, that simply means you have to work a bit harder.
Winston Churchill was not a born orator. He spent many hours preparing his speeches and had some spectacular failures. Of course, he is not remembered for these!
One of the favourite questions Toastmasters like to ask as an impromptu speaking topic is, “What advice would you give to your 12-year-old self.” My advice would be to understand the value of believing that you can get better at something you suck at!
I don’t consider myself an expert speaker. I still have a lot to learn. But I have improved tremendously. And it has taken a shift in mindset to achieve this. I have stopped believing that the ability to present well is somehow genetically pre-determined. I am sure genetics plays a role, but anyone can lift their performance dramatically by acquiring the right skills.
Commit, practice, ask for feedback, and learn from others but don’t compare! Do this consistently to put public speaking (or something else) on your ‘can do’ list!
