Stand up and speak

It's bizarre to think back on it now but there was a time when I used to feel a bit nervous about speaking in meetings. In fact, I don't think I even went to a 'round the table' work meeting until I'd been working for maybe three years. I can remember when I first started to chair meetings, that I'd prepare my agenda beforehand and feel a bit anxious. By the time I stopped contracting, though, in 2004, if you plonked me in a room with a dozen people and asked me to lead the meeting, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

When I started my own business and I was facing that daunting challenge of how to acquire new clients, I signed up to a breakfast networking group called BNI. It met early in the morning and, as part of the session, you had to stand up and address the rest of the room for 60 seconds, promoting your business. I don't think I ever relaxed to the point where I enjoyed it but my nerves steadied after a few weeks and months, and I even stopped rehearsing what I was going to say in the car on the way there. (I never stopped being envious of those people who appeared to be able to simply stand up and speak off the cuff, though.)

But much as I disliked it, it was good preparation and practice. I don't think I'll ever be a great public speaker but I've learned how to prepare for various situations. Today, in Barcelona, I was giving a presentation about some software that we've written. I had fifteen slides - mostly pictures and bullet points - and fifteen prompt cards (which Steve kindly cut out for me last night). The cards just had some notes of things that I needed to remember to say and, in some cases, my link through to the next slide.

It went pretty well, I think, and once I was in full flow I came close to actually enjoying myself. There were maybe two dozen people in the room and they asked some questions afterwards that indicated that least some of them had been paying attention. It was definitely a relief to have it finished, though, and once it was done it became apparent just how much it had been preying on my mind for the last few days.

So it was that I had a far more relaxed afternoon, and Steve and I chatted with the handful of interested people who came to talk to us at our stand. (And, for clarification, a handful was a good amount.) After a bit of 'speed networking' - I know, I know - we headed back across the plaza to the AirBnB, freshened up and then took a cab into Barcelona to meet up with the Minx, who flew in today and who's renting her own place in the heart of the city.

It was a lovely evening. We drank sangria brut, ate tapas, chatted and relaxed. And thanks to the 4G, when the kids FaceTimed me, I was able to give them a quick guided to tour of the street where the restaurant was situated. All in all, it was a good day.