1. Do I feel good in front of an audience? When you're "on," it feels good. It feels right. You're at your best when you feel good, and being at your best makes you and others feel good. It's a feedback loop provided by your biology to let you know that you're in the flow of life. Any struggle, pushing, fighting, goes against the flow and is off course.
2. Is my audience feeling good? The same rule in #1 above, applies to your audience. If you're having fun and feeling good, it's contagious. You're audience will pick up on this. When you are connected to your audience and they feel your positive feelings, your energies converge and you grow together.
3. Am I rediscovering myself as I speak? Speaking in public, and hearing your own voice and words, is a process of self-discovery. When we slow down and speak from our passionate heart, we are in touch with ourselves, and what we say is often quite surprising. This is very different from the fast-paced, mind-chatter that we are used to hearing inside our heads. The heart is always more revealing. Speaking from our heart before an audience is a high-speed personal growth experience.
4. Are my words coming through as if they were from another source? The excitement of being on stage, the energy of your audience, and the group consciousness is all directed to and through you. Maintaining the observer position allows you to witness the flow of energy, emotions and thoughts, and with this, your soul is presented with an opportunity to speak. Take it. When you relax and speak from your heart, you will be surprised to see that your soul shows up. And what your soul says is always perfect for you and for your audience in the moment.
5. Is my speech almost poetic or prose-like? When your soul is speaking, your voice tone, cadence, and rhythm will be different than your usual dialogue. This deeper self is in service to delivering your message. And the message is from a higher source. No wonder it sounds like poetry. Your energetic self communicates with fewer words more efficiently. Your audience "gets it" and so do you.
6. Is my voice peaceful, direct, harmonic, and clear? When you're speaking from an authentic place, you feel no fear. You speak from deep in your belly, from your natural soul voice, without the distraction of "filler" words. You speak your truth as it occurs to you in the moment without apology. You are the conductor and your words the symphony.
7. Do new creative ideas of the "group mind" arise from nowhere? When you operate from your authentic presence, every performance will be different, even when presenting the same information. We are all different people every day, at least in subtle ways, and our different audiences bring a unique blend of energy to the room. When we are attuned to our environment, and ourselves, we will express new creative ideas and insights that are even new to us. You are at the source of creation.
8. Are most of the participants onboard? When you're speaking, you can tell when your audience is with you and when they're not. There are of course non-verbal cues and there are subtle energetic cues. When you are attuned to your audience, you feel their support, you know they are getting what the came for.
9. Are the silences powerful and synchronistic? The use of silence in your presentations is a powerful tool. Without space between the notes, music just isn't possible. When you stop at appropriate times, there is a quality to the silence between your words-a fullness-that let's you know what you say is resonating with your audience.
10. Do I feel my energy expanding beyond previous boundaries, including others in the group? There are times when people align, open, and unite in such a way as to experience the "group mind". This is a tangible and accessible entity. Learn to be open to, appreciate and create this in your relationships. Let the universal group mind lead your energy and awareness beyond your perceived boundaries. When this happens, your authentic presence is bigger than life!
These are subtle questions - you obviously can't stop and think about the answers in the midst of a group session, but you can get into the habit of using these questions to evaluate each group situation. The more you do this, the more conscious you'll become of what distracts you from being an authentic performer, allowing you to improve the next time around. Soon, there will be nothing in the way - your authenticity will simply be a part of who you are as a public speaker.
About the Author: Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is a Business and Life Coach and Infoprenuer, who works with individuals to realize their own personal or business dreams and with leaders frustrated by typical problems they experience in groups. Subscribe to Steve's free weekly ezine for group leaders at http://www.masterfacilitatorjournal.com/ezine.html and check out his virtual university - packed with information for group leaders and participants at http://www.FacilitatorU.com. Contact Steve at mailto:contact@facilitatoru.com.