"Opened Dawes" Podcast Ep 6: Stay Calm and Carry On!

Show Notes

This is the podcast of  “Opened Dawes” Live, which runs weekly as a live video show on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn at 11 am on Tuesday mornings so that we can throw open the doors and welcome you in for a relaxed sharing of information, tips, thoughts, and answering any questions about public speaking and presentation/communication skills you may have.

So, make sure you set the reminders for the shows on Facebook or YouTube (links below) as they are scheduled online and get involved.  The stream is designed to be interactive, with comments/questions able to be shown and attributed on screen.

This week’s show looks at the impact of things going awry, how you manage it, and how you minimise its impact.

Considering public speaking is stressful and nerve-wracking enough for most of us, the impact when something fails or goes off-track can be debilitating!  But we can be like swans, looking serene on the surface whilst paddling furiously under the water.  There is also a point when you must stop trying to resolve and making the best of the situation.  We look at the best ways to stay calm and carry on.  Join in the chat with your own experiences and how you dealt with it or would do next time.

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This show can be watched live (and previous shows recorded) from the following locations:
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https://www.facebook.com/OpenDawesTraining/live

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www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwlPiWylgEDLrwemI8ZZjw (or search YouTube for Open Dawes Training and click subscribe to be notified)

Thanks to:
www.opendawestraining.co.uk
www.chrisdawescomms.co.uk
www.opendawestraining.co.uk/connect

What is "Opened Dawes" Podcast?

Open Dawes Training is a public speaking, presentation and communication skills coaching company, with the key motivation of the company being to help people open doors that they may not even know exist yet, with increased confidence, willingness, and skills to present and speak in front of/with others. The podcast is taken from the live weekly "Opened Dawes" Live video show, where founder Chris Dawes dives into the key areas that make the difference with "public speaking", whether that is for those who are too nervous to do it or those who want to "up their game", whether that is for presentations, presence and participation in meetings, delivery of training, sales pitches, demonstrations, or even just communication with others in the best possible way. Chris Dawes: "My key ethos when I formed the business is that we are not, and should not be trying to create the mythical blueprint of the "perfect presenter", but unlocking each person's own personality, growing their confidence, helping them to be in control, organised, and of a quality that will make them become asked to do it more often, and no hesitation in their acceptance to do so. Apparently, public speaking is a soft skill, but it is a soft skill that gives your core skills a voice! Everyone owes it to themselves, and it is priceless to all of us that get to listen to them share their knowledge, experiences, passions, enthusiasm, and opinions. It gets them, their organisation, and their product/service recognised and appreciated, and helps us to grow and become more empowered from what they have to share."

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let's dive into this episode of

Opened Dawes Live.

Good morning. Welcome to Opened
Dawes Live free time again, big

shout out to Hodges net. Great
guys they've been helping me

with with setting up the online
training and, and all of the

marketing to go with it. Thanks,
guys for all of your hard work.

So it is Episode Six, I can't
believe that episode six of

Opened Dawes Live. And the title
for this is to stay calm and

carry on. And it's one of those
ones that genuinely is from

experience. Things happen,
things don't go according to

plan. And it happens a lot. And
you got to try to make sure it

doesn't define what you're going
what you know what you are doing

and about to do and with the
enthusiasm and the way that

you're feeling about it. It's
really not the end of the world.

But we paint it to feel like the
end of the world that we had.

And I know that feeling,
especially as a sufferer of

anxiety is that I really, really
can struggle with it, where I'm

just kind of like, Oh my gosh,
it's all gone wrong. But that

the way you react is the way
that will make it really look

and feel wrong. And it will make
you ironically feel even worse.

So it really is about making
sure that you you do stay calm

and carry on. Please do put if
you're watching put comments in

questions, your own experiences,
as we start talking, if it sort

of resonates with you, and you
can really link with it, you

know, please do add it, we're
able to put them up on the

screen, if appropriate. And
it'll be great to hear from you.

But there's kind of two distinct
areas that that we cover quite a

lot with people is that there is
how to protect yourself from

unfortunate situations or the
unexpected arising. But there's

also how you deal with it if
something does go wrong. And I'm

going to start with that one in
reality. I mean, it's fairly

obvious with what I've already
said, where I'm going to go with

this. But all sorts can happen,
whether it's that your

presentation suddenly fails, the
projector, the screen, your

laptop itself, completely fail,
you've lost your notes, you've

spilt coffee over your notes,
you suddenly walk in and you're

about to have this training
session this meeting or you're

going to give a presentation or
speech and there's builders

drilling through a wall, that
suddenly means you've got that

noise. There's this kind of what
I was gonna say it's a fine

line, it's not really a fine
line. But it sounds like it

would be is that what you don't
want to do is leave it as the

elephant in the room is just you
try to ignore that it's even

happening. But don't make an
excessive fuss about it.

Apologies, that's probably not a
fair word to say. But you don't

want to make a big big deal that
suddenly makes everyone else

kind of go Oh, gosh, wow, that's
that's really bad. That's

really, really unfortunate.

Instantly, by the way, if if it
is clear that something's gone

wrong, don't forget there will
be empathy for you. People react

better to human beings, they can
certainly put themselves in your

position. So don't lose sleep
about it. If it hasn't gone

exactly to plan. This isn't a
production that's going out on

on TV or the big screen or
something where it's got to be

absolutely perfect on the nail.

It really isn't people will kind
of accept that something's gonna

happen. But if you suddenly go
are are no are this is all gone,

or this are this is terrible. I
can't believe it. This is ruined

everything. Oh, I'm sorry that
you're sorry, I'm so sorry, I've

ruined it all for you. It's not
going to go down? Well, there's

no need to make it that much of
an issue. Equally By the way,

don't sit there spending half of
your time or even more trying to

resolve an IT issue. Or, you
know, a physical issue, whatever

it might be, don't try spend an
excessive amount. If you try to

resolve whatever the issue is.

And within a handful of minutes,
you become clear that this isn't

going to get resolved. Switch
your thinking from How can I get

this resolved? To How can I do
this without what's gone wrong?

So can I do this presentation?

Without the slideshow, for
example, just as the most

obvious one. Can I do this
without a microphone because the

microphone is not working?

Right? I need to now make sure
that I'm project you know what,

instead of sitting on standing
on this stage, the whole time, I

might come down in amongst
people, I'm gonna make sure that

people can hear me one way or
another. You change the way that

you project. Rather than be
mindful that you're on a mic. I

suddenly go.

I'm really sorry that the slides
aren't there. I'm going to be

able to work through and I'm
going to speak to in a minute

about how to protect yourself
from from situations. I want to

get everybody's email address at
the end This and I will send the

slides through to you or I'll
send a handout to you or you've

already got a handout or
whatever, don't panic, it's

verbally going to be delivered.

Just as a couple of simple
examples that could go awry.

Equally, it might be that your
laptop on the slides are working

fine. But the screen it's
supposed to be on isn't. So they

can't see it. It is what it is
just just go with it. My advice,

acknowledge it and go all I'm
ever sorry, appears like we've

got a problem with the screen or
with the mic. Give me a second.

I'm just gonna see if I can sort
this one out and have humility

during it go. Typical, isn't it
no matter what we do? Get people

on side. I'm sorry, we're
waiting there. But it's always

me, it always got a good. Let's
have a look. Let's see, if we

get we got experts in the room
by any chance, you know, just

make it part of the show, is my
honest advice. That's what I

tried to do inside is, you know,
as I look out the lake, out my

window from my office, is that
and in fact, it's gone now. But

there was a swan there a moment
is the perfect metaphor. look

beautiful, don't say nice and
serene, as they're going across.

Their feet are going like this.

That's me, always, it's me. You
know, you're trying to look like

you're in control, you're trying
to give them what they need. But

you're probably gonna that will
try to keep it that way. But

remember, they know they can put
themselves in that position,

they're going to feel
empathetic, sympathetic, all of

the above. But you don't need to
drag it down. So just

acknowledge right? I'm ever
sorry, this is it, make it part

of the show, try to resolve it.

If you can't resolve it, just
take a deep breath and go,

right. It's no good. I'm ever
sorry. No matter what

preparation I've put in, we've
lost that one. So we're going to

have to make do without that. So
let's go on this journey

together. With without all the
tools I was expecting, right, I

will get it through to Okay,
let's go. And then Off you go.

Now, some of you may be sat
there thinking well, if for

example, it's my slides is the
exam is what you experienced,

that you've lost the ability to
use them or show them or

whatever it might be. That's one
of the areas that I would

recommend in terms of keeping
yourself prepared for the

unexpected. And that is, print
out your slides. print them out

not to give out just one copy
will do just print out your

slides. And, and have it in your
bag, just in case, you still

need to refer that if you're not
a person that's referring to the

slides at all, then obviously
you don't need to worry. But my

point being is have something
there, if you are going to show

something on screen, have it
there available in hardcopy so

that you can still refer to it
hopefully, and I've had times

when, when I've given repeat
presentations or training is

it's sat in my bag, and it's
never come out. It's probably

got doggy isn't everything and
it's still in my bag. But I am

relaxed knowing that if I found
myself in a situation, and

especially if you're relying on
somebody else's hardware, if

that situation arises, I'm okay.

I don't need to panic about it,
I can switch it. And that is a

big way that I live all of my
commentating my my presenting of

any type, whether it's the
camera, whether it's on a stage,

it doesn't matter what it is, I
will over prepare when I'm

hosting awards nights and I've
got you kind of have a bit more

of a script with that one than
then the bullet points that I

like to do for presentations,
you have more of a script. And I

will have I tend these days or
very Bonnie to do short anyway,

on the on an iPad, you know we
stand with the iPad for like the

Sky Sports Center or something.

And, and I'm able to go through
it there, I will still have two

printed copies of it. One will
be in my tuxedo jacket inside

pocket. One will be up in my
hotel room. So that if I need to

because I'm now there with
however many hundreds of 1000s

of people dependent on the the
the event of their I'm okay. I'm

going to relax I'm going to get
on I'm going to do this as it's

supposed to be done. And I'm
going to enjoy it. And if that

happens, I just go off note that
the iPads failed, right? Let me

bring out the piece of paper.

There we go. And I've just got
everything I need to refer to.

Other things that I would
suggest in terms of protecting

yourself is some basic things.

Get yourself there early.

Honestly, I try I tend to get to
a venue certainly at least half

an hour earlier than I actually
need to and I don't mean half an

hour before I'm due to start but
if I'm there saying you know

what? I need half an hour or
maybe an hour if it's a bigger

event to set I'll actually get
there an hour or an hour and a

half before. Because I would
rather go through everything,

set it all up, everything's
fine. And then have to go and

kill time and have a coffee. I'm
now decompressing. I'm now

running through in my mind
everything else. But if I turn

up late, or with minimal time,
I'm on edge before I even start,

if you think that panic feel I
need to quit to get this done.

Oh my gosh, now the TV's not
working, or the project is not

working. My laptop's not
working, I can't open the

slides, whatever it might be, on
now panicking. And I don't know

if you've ever done this, if you
ever been desperate for the

toilet, when you arrived back to
your house, and you try to get

that key in your keel. You just
can't get it in, can you because

you're panicking, I've got to
get in, I've got to get in. It's

almost like the panic makes it
impossible to do anything. So

remove the panic, get yourself
there nice and early, get

yourself set up, and then relax.

If you use all that time, it's
fine. I've given myself that

extra time to do it. In terms of
things like the presentation,

I've already said about having
multiple hard copies. I also

have a memory stick with that
presentation on as well. So it

means that not only if I
suddenly need it on my laptop

separately, but what about if
I'm suddenly using somebody

else's laptop or computer? Or
mine fails? Completely? Right?

Yeah, can we use your laptop?

Great, let's plug that one in.

Bang meme, excuse me memory
stick in. And I'm now able to

get going with that
presentation. Because I've

copied it over. And I've always
by the way recommend just in

case you weren't aware of this
is that quite often, you'll find

that it's better if you actually
copy that presentation over onto

that laptop rather than trying
to run it directly. They are

better these days the access
rates. But I find it a lot

better just copy it over so that
I'm doing it all locally. I

would also say if that happens,
open it up before you project to

anything, open it up, start
presentation and go through it

make sure that it behaves on
that person's laptop, as well as

in the same manner as it would
on yours. They could have a

different version of Microsoft
Office or something else or

whatever it might be. You want
to make sure it behaves how you

expect it to pay. The last thing
you want is the googly thrown at

you midway through your
presentation that goes that was

not what I was expecting. Just
go through it, make sure.

Another side point, by the way
is that when you finished it,

delete it from their laptop.

That's your intellectual
property. That's your

presentation as your training
causes whatever, get rid of it,

move it off there, that's not
theirs to keep unplugged your

memory stick, put that back in
your bag, job done, you've done

everything you needed to do, and
you're off and you're running.

And by having that in my bag
again. I think I might have you

I have used it once. But it
still sits in my bag with

whatever. So I've created
whatever presentation whatever

material I might want equally
any videos or, or anything else

that might be a part of my
presentation. It's on there. And

I go, you know what, it's not a
problem. If my laptop fails, or

whatever else. It's not an
issue, I've got another way to

do this. So I'm going to relax,
I'm not going to worry about it.

Just stay calm, explain what's
happening, move on with it,

don't spend all the time
worrying about it, move on, get

going. If you suddenly find that
another issue that can happen is

that you start running out of
time. So whether you are over

running, maybe legitimately that
people aren't as good

interactive session, and they're
getting involved and you

suddenly go wow, you know, I've
got to finish now. I always am

aware before I do anything,
okay. I'm going to run out of

time. And by the way, it could
also be an unfortunate one that

the person before you has
overrun. And it isn't always the

way that you still get your
allotted time move there because

they kind of go I'm sorry, you
need to you need to lose 1015

minutes off of yours. What?

Okay, work out beforehand, what
can you lose from your

presentation, your speech, your
training program? What can I

lose? And I would always try to
have something most obviously

towards the end that I can get
rid of. But also within the

middle or possibly a little bit
earlier, go right? You know

what, I'm just going to suddenly
skip over that. And I'm not

going to do that. Or I'm going
to do an abridged version of it.

So it could be that as well. You
still do it but a very abridged

version to buy yourself back a
little bit of time. If you know

in your mind, you know what,
worst case scenario,

I can lose or a bridge that that
and that. If you don't have to

then happy days you just deliver
what you're delivering. But if I

do have to get rid of those
bits. I'm not bothered if

someone goes Chris, I need you
to lose 510 minutes. Yeah, all

right. No problem. Do this.

Everything's right. And it's all
about making yourself stay calm

and carry on. And I know that's
probably a patented sentence.

And I'm not trying to negate it
is literally as it is you just

stay calm, and carry on and do
it. If there is an organizer for

your event, and you're traveling
to that event, I would always

also say, have that person's
contact details available. Now,

that could be it's on your
mobile phone with an easy way to

suddenly do it. It could be it's
on a piece of paper, you

suddenly get held up in the car,
on the train on the walk between

one you know, between station or
whatever, whatever happens if

you can just relax and go, yep,
no problem, right. I'm so sorry,

I am on my way, I'm going to be
three minutes late. Please. Keep

them warmed up, keep the crowd
warmed, I will be there. If I am

driving, and I'm suddenly held
up and I'm like, ah, their

contact details are on my
laptop. And I now need to pull

over either on the hard shoulder
shouldn't really do or off and

onto some lanes or into them the
service station or something

like that. And then fire up my
laptop, right, there's

inflammation right now phone,
I've now just wasted another 510

minutes easily. And I've added
to my stress, everyone accepts

things happens as long as I've
given myself that extra time.

And I've still lost it because
of this. I'm happy. I know, just

stay relaxed. And those people
no going I'm ever so sorry, I've

been held is a nightmare. I
don't know what's going on, I

actually left myself an extra
hour. And yet I've just it's all

whittling away. Now. Of course,
we come back to my comment about

give yourself that buffer. And
you're relaxed, it is all about

making yourself feel relaxed and
in control, look relaxed and in

control. So it is very much
about what you do beforehand to

remove some of your concerns.

Your be as in control of the
uncontrollable as you can be

preempt some nightmare
situations, it will enable you

to just go It's okay. It's not a
problem, if I haven't got it. If

that goes wrong, I've got this
that I can fall back on, I'm

allowing more time so that if
that happens, I'm still going to

get there on time, I'm allowing
myself more time to set up in

case something goes wrong or
isn't a plan. I mean, that's the

said before talking about, you
know, making sure you've got the

right equipment, you know, I
take spare leads and plugs and

all sorts of things. I'm not
going to go into detail, we go

into that a lot more in our in
our training courses, but it's

you know, making sure you're in
control. But if something still

goes awry in front of your
audience, you're human, they're

human, don't make an X an over
song and dance about it. But

don't leave it as a hollow
elephant in the room,

acknowledge it. Try to resolve
it for a limit. If you're

suddenly going, this ain't
happening, there's no way around

it, even with the caveats that
I've put in place to help me

overcome this. Nope, it's not
happening, right? I'm ever so

sorry, I think we're gonna have
to call an end to that one, I'm

going to have to do it without
this or instead this way, or

whatever it might be. and off
you go. Because remember

something, if you are there
speaking, it's the words coming

out of your mouth that are more
powerful than anything else,

everything that you're using
outside of it, think of them as

aids, if if they're more than
aids to you, then you've got it

the wrong way around more often
than not, you need to be able

to, you know, if they needed to
see something on the screen,

describe it, when you would
normally be speaking you

wouldn't necessarily describe
it, because it's there, it's on

the screen, you can see that. So
I'm going to now refer to this,

if it's not on my screen,
through a technical fault, or

whatever. I will describe it to
them. So what would normally be

up on the screen is that we'd
see a photo of this. And there

will be this show in here and
this show in there. And what

that shows us is dead. And then
I'm able to bring in and weaving

the content. So they are aids
they should not make or break

whether that is presentations,
images, videos, equipment,

including microphones, if you
think about it, microphones are

there to make it easier to be
heard. So it is an absolutely

vital and so therefore you can
go Hello JP good to Good to see

you, mate. Thank you for the
like it's you're able to carry

on.

And as soon as you are able to
kind of go Yeah, do you know

what i can? I know what I'm
talking about. I've got a piece

of paper that goes remember
this, this, this, this and this.

And you'll have if you've
watched any of the other lives

and bits and pieces that we do,
I'm a massive believer is

stepping away from scripts and
just having content to go oh

Want to remember to mention talk
about this, this, this and this,

that I know, and how I flare it
up the sizzle, I give it the

humor, the the engagement that
will change every single time I

talk about it. So I don't need
to write anything down equally,

therefore, I don't need anything
there. I don't need anything

there. I'm going to deliver it
in a way that works. If they do

need to see it afterwards, I can
send it through to them. All

right. So that's, that's my
advice. I hope that that was

useful for you or you've been
acquired a bunch this time and I

know that varies from from time
to time, do jump onto Open,

Dawes training.co.uk forward
slash Connect. The reason why

it's the forward slash Connect
is really good is it's a landing

page that's just got a whole
load of buttons that are

different ways that you can
connect with us. There's free

downloads that you can get that
can help you with different

elements. There's some of the
courses there's the YouTube

channel, the Facebook page,
subscribing to the to the the

monthly newsletter, which
includes tips, articles, and

things like that. All sorts of
bits and pieces that are there.

Hello, Jordan. Hello, mate.

where's where's the rocket gone?

He's not there watching Jordan.

Hi, Ben. Good to see you
watching thank you mate for the

like. But go and have a look.

There's loads there as well as
our paid for courses that these

days as you will have seen from
the little ad at the beginning,

as well as face to face
training. We've also got online

training that includes videos,
audios, and face to face

training, ongoing mentoring,
download keepsakes, mentor

groups as well, where we
actually do the peer assessments

from each other where you can do
presentations, we'll go into

details about extra things.

There's an academy group, that
members become part of an

equally we've also got people
that do whether it's one to one

or group face to face training
are also able to have the online

training. So it's all sorts of
things. Hey, guys, you're all

rushing in Dave Rogers, Jeff
Kendall. Greetings, guys. So

thank you so much for joining in
with us. At Jordan says, I guess

I've joined at the end you have
made but if anybody does that,

don't forget, once this is
finished, and it's uploaded, you

can watch it back afterwards.

They're all there. And you can
still ask me questions or make

comments. It's not a problem
that this is designed to be

helpful for you. They have
subjects next week, for example,

there every Tuesday at 11
o'clock. By the way, if people

have a suggestion that the 11
o'clock isn't great, and

there'll be a better time, if I
see a number of people

suggesting an alternative time
I'm open to having a look at it.

But next week, I'm going to
think I'm going to do the one

that's going to be titled focus
on the snow, not the trees. And

by that I mean for dealing with
nerves is it's all about where

you we focus too much on what
could go wrong. You know, we're

talking about the stay calm and
carry on here. But it's all too

easy to focus what could go
wrong. And if you're scanning

through the trees, and you're
going don't look at the trees,

don't look at the trees, or you
can see the trees. But if you

look at the snow, you can see
your route through it. So it's a

big play on that one. There's
something you know, I still get

nervous. I've just the
commentary team for American

speed fest at Brands Hatch was
an amazing event with limited

but we still had 4000 each day
and terribly nervous, terribly

worried about what could go
wrong, you know, jump into

engaging with the crowd. And of
course, it could all fall flat.

But it's like tough, don't think
about what could go wrong. Let's

think about what could go right
for them and for you and all of

that sort of stuff. So that's
next week show. please do join

us once as soon as I program it
up, hopefully you'll get

notifications that set a
reminder because it will ping up

to tell you that we're going
live at 11 o'clock. And you know

that that's the plan to keep
those going but go to as I say

Open Dawes Training dot code at
UK forward slash connect and see

all the other ways that you can
actually engage with Open Dawes

Training, multiple different
ways that you can get what is as

well we're CPD accredited. For
those that that's important too,

as well. But thank you so much
for joining us everybody. Much

appreciated. And I look forward
to seeing you next Tuesday.

Hopefully, cheers. Have a
cracking week.

Thank you for listening to
Opened Dawes Live. I hope you

enjoyed it and it was useful.

Remember, go to Open Dawes
training.co.uk forward slash

Connect, to find out more about
how you can interact with us and

how we can help you