16.06.2021

Nearly half of UK workers are nervous about delivering in-person presentations again

Public speaking podcaster Viv Groskop and impact guru Esther Stanhope gave their tips on easing back into office life.

The UK is taking steps to ease back into pre-Covid life and for many this includes venturing back into the office after working from home for almost 15 months.

Up until last year, only being able to meet via video call may have seemed like an alien concept, but it’s now the norm. With many having become accustomed to living without speaking face-to-face, the thought of presenting to multiple people in a stuffy meeting room - rather than a living room - will require a big mental adjustment.

VBQ Speakers surveyed people who worked in UK offices before Covid-19 and are planning to go back. Of those surveyed, 39% feel nervous about being in an office environment around other people once more. Nearly half (40%) said they are feeling uneasy about presenting to people in a professional environment again. This included leading meetings, presentations, client pitches, internal pitches and speaking at conferences.

A further 40% are nervous about having to attend face-to-face meetings again.

To help those feeling apprehensive, VBQ Speakers got advice from Viv Groskop - host of chart-topping public speaking podcast ‘How to Own the Room’ - who says she has seen “an avalanche of angst about returning to face-to-face life”.

1. Be flexible

Be flexible about how meetings happen and be guided by what people feel comfortable with — not what you think everyone should be doing. It’s not going to be ‘normal’ (whatever that is) so why pretend?

2. Give plenty of feedback

We have all just about got used to using digital platforms and ‘owning the Zoom’ and now we’re supposed to ease back into office life? Nobody seems to quite know what this new ‘hybrid working’ is going to look like.

The best thing to do is to make this return an official, no-holds-barred, open dialogue. Use it as a trial period with plenty of opportunity to give feedback - expect it to be bumpy and messy.

3. Nerves are normal

Anxiety is to be expected, especially after such a long time in a virtual environment. We feel fear when we’re venturing into the unknown.

Particularly with public speaking our brains go into fight, flight or flee mode and we get flustered and start sweating or stuttering - and the past year of remote working will have exacerbated this feeling for many: It’s ok. It’s normal.

4. Remember to breath

When it comes to any type of presentation - whether it be to one person or 100 - stand tall, hold your head held high, breathe out (through the mouth slowly) and then in through the nose, as this reduces the stress hormone (cortisol). If you feel fear, it will evaporate after a few seconds, if not after a few minutes.

5. Keep it clean

Don't be afraid to be forthcoming with your boss or senior management if you feel uncomfortable about lack of social distancing or communal cleanliness. Returning to a pre-Covid routine means that regularly that things like regular hand washing and sanitising may become less of a priority, but it's important to keep it up to keep everyone in the office safe.

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