Since we call ourselves "Confidence Builders" I thought it logical to dive into how we actually build confidence by dissecting the 3 segments of our meeting structure: Prepared speeches, Impromptu speaking and Evaluations. I will unpack each of those experiences throughout our meeting and give insights into how they build confidence.
What does "confidence" mean?
from Latin confidentia, from confidere ‘have full trust’
The state of feeling certain about the truth of something.
A feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.
Friendly reminder: try to maintain a healthy level of humility – know there's always room for growth and improvement. We always have something to learn from those around us. It's easy to get stop growing, thinking you've reached your limit of potential. Confidence is knowing this very fact and living in a more humble way.
Prepared speeches segment
Prepared speeches get us comfortable with people looking at us... being the "center of attention"...this where we start to build a "presence."
At first, this experience may seem scary and intimidating, but since we are in a supportive environment it allows us the freedom to:
Discover and hone our own personal speaking style
Grow as individuals and therefore as a community
Gain the confidence we need to succeed in many areas of our lives
If we want to learn how to lead and land an important discussion, this is the best way to learn how. If we need to have an important talk with a loved one or partner we can better do so due to our experiences here. Giving speeches helps us formulate and articulate the messages you want to convey.
Impromptu speaking segment
Learning how to be comfortable when caught off guard can improve our confidence – we start to trust ourselves that we know how to react.
Having fun and being yourself is key!
Speaking off the cuff taps into our imagination and creativity, allowing us to embrace the unique aspects of ourselves which ultimately helps build our confidence.
Evaluations segment
As an evaluator, we observe body language, listen closely to the story and keep the speech objectives in mind when formulating the evaluation.
Having an evaluation framework in our toolkits (like the sandwich method: praise/critique/praise) helps build our confidence. We become comfortable giving feedback, even when it's critique.
The speaker receives both praise and areas of improvement – some of this critical feedback typically validates what the speaker perhaps already felt, but it's still important to hear to get that validation. The new tips shed light on things we didn't even know we were doing – these tips are like gold nuggets!
As audience members, we also have an opportunity to evaluate speakers. Those little slips of paper are also like gold-especially the ones that have items filled out on the right side. Those nuggets for improvement are invaluable – they are the ones that help us grow and improve.