Hardest Problem of Public Speaking

May 2021

Let me kick off this conversation with a question. In your view, what is the most challenging aspect of expressing yourself to others?

Over the past three months, I’ve embarked on a journey of discovery, interviewing over 30 individuals and engaging in casual conversations with hundreds more. Throughout these interactions, two common themes emerged as prominent hurdles in self-expression.

1. Building Bridges: Connecting with the Audience

The first theme revolves around understanding and engaging with diverse audiences. One interviewee confessed his struggle to connect with people from different backgrounds. A flurry of questions clouded his interactions:

What topics should I bring up?

How am I being perceived?

Are they truly understanding what I am trying to convey?

Another individual shared his experience of grappling with nerves during presentations. Despite understanding the importance of audience engagement, his anxiety left him preoccupied with his next sentence, and he struggled to read or connect with his audience.

A third participant, who hailed from a technical background, often found himself at a loss for non-technical words that could be understood by a broader audience.

2. Thinking on Your Feet: The Challenge of Impromptu Speaking

The second major challenge centered around impromptu speaking – the ability to swiftly generate thoughts, articulate them off-the-cuff, and deliver a clear, concise message.

This facet of communication poses a significant challenge for non-native English speakers, who often need additional time to translate thoughts from their mother tongue. But it’s not only those for whom English is a second language who find impromptu speaking daunting.

A lady from Alabama shared her experience, illustrating that even native speakers struggle with this aspect of communication. She confessed that her thoughts tended to race ahead of her words, leaving her speech in a constant game of catch up.

These revelations are a stark reminder that communication is an art, one that requires practice and patience. Understanding our audience and mastering impromptu speaking are two significant stepping stones on the path to effective self-expression. It’s my hope that by bringing these challenges to light, we can all learn from each other and gradually overcome the obstacles standing in our way.

So, let’s talk. What’s your experience with expressing yourself? And how do you overcome the challenges you face?