Speaking in front of a crowd, especially peers, can be both challenging and rewarding. When i initially was promoted to management I remember feeling nervous about leading weekly safety meetings. I didn't want to say the wrong things or embarrass myself. But communication skills are skillsets that can be honed and iv even seen instances where very shy individuals learned to become capable communicators.

For me the most difficult issue in delivering a presentation is probably overcoming anxiety, and the level of stress is contingent on who I am presenting too. If it's a local meeting, and the audience are people at my facility, it's not an issue at all. However, if it's a presentation to peers or upper level it can be stressful. According to Bovee & Thill, "being nervous is actually a good thing; it means you care about the topic, your audience, and your career success" (pg. 466). This is true because I do care about the people that I work with. One of the most appropriate suggestions to help with anxiety in giving presentations is to "know your material and practice until you're comfortable with it" (Bovee & Thill, 2021, pg. 478). In my experience, the best thing to help me overcome this initial stress is to make sure I gather excellent information. This provides me with material to back up the topic, and it adds credibility to me as a professional. It also makes the process less stressful once I get things outlined, know my material, and know what I'm going to say.

The easiest thing for me is "gathering information" and that is because I enjoy researching topics and finding credible information. Oddly, this step makes the remaining steps of a work assignment fall into place. This also applies to academics, while I am gathering information I'm making notes, and creating an outline of the assignment that will guide me as I start the writing process.

References

Bove, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2021). Business communication today (15th ed.). Pearson.

Question1: Guided Response

Respond to at least two of your classmates. In each response, address the following:

• Compare any feedback discussed, considering especially if the comment seems to ring true for your own experience as well.
• Discuss the growth strategy that your peer identified and how it compares to your own.

Your responses should each be about 100 words. Please read all your classmates' posts, whether you are responding or not. You may respond to more than two classmates in this discussion.