people and performance

39March 2013 LGAT News 39March 2013 LGAT News

people and performance

Speaking in front of others can be terrifying. The Book of Lists has repeatedly reported that the fear of speaking in public is the most frequent answer to the question “What scares you most?” In fact, people rate speaking anxiety 10-20% higher than the fear of death, the fear of heights, the fear of spiders, and the fear of fire. As comedian Jerry Seinfeld once joked, “At a funeral, people would rather be in the casket than deliver the eulogy.” The fear of presenting in front of others is real and can be very limiting – in terms of career growth and interpersonal relationships.

The good news is that with practice and persistence, nervous and novice speakers can become more confident and compelling. The goal is not to overcome your anxiety. Rather, the objective is to find a few strategies or techniques for managing your fear. Managed speaking anxiety can be beneficial in several ways: it helps you to focus on your speaking task, provides you with energy, motivates you to care about your communicative outcomes, and encourages you to prepare. Of course, reaping these benefits requires you to adjust and adapt to your fear.

Here are five easy-to-implement anxiety management techniques. With practice and persistence, these techniques can lead you to become a more confident, less anxious presenter.

Breathe – Take time to breathe slowly and deeply. “Belly breathing”– filling your lower abdomen by inhaling slowly through your nose and filling your lower abdomen – can reduce your nervous symptoms (e.g. lowering heart rate, calming your jittery stomach etc.). Additionally, to quiet the mental noise that anxiety often causes, slowly count to three as you inhale and then again as you exhale. Focus your attention on the counting. Repeat this type of breathing several times.

Acknowledge your jitters – The physical, emotional, and mental anxiety reactions you likely experience prior to speaking are typical. These sensations do not show anything beyond your body’s normal response to something that is displeasing. Avoid giving these natural responses special significance. In fact, you can greet or accept these reactions by saying to yourself “Here are those anxiety feelings again. It makes sense that I feel nervous; I am about to speak in front of people.” This type of acknowledgement is empowering and dampens your anxiety response.

Expect success – Too often, speakers worry about making mistakes and messing up, rather than embracing their speaking opportunity. When you think that you have a great chance to share your ideas, you are likely to feel

positive, which in turn, makes you more empowered and relaxed. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to give a good presentation. You are using self-fulfilling prophecy to obtain a positive outcome.

Focus on your audience – You likely start preparing a presentation by thinking “here’s what I need to tell my audience,” and then proceed to develop and ultimately deliver your thoughts and ideas. When you prepare a presentation from your perspective, you likely pass over critical bits of information and fail to pull your audience into the content. Others label this self-focused approach “the curse of knowledge.” Simply put, you often know too much about which you present. A better, more thorough approach to your presentation would be to begin by asking the question: “What does my audience need to hear?” While this approach initially sounds similar to “here’s what I need to tell my audience,” the difference is striking. By embracing an audience-focused approach, you will not only engage your audience more – since you’re giving them what they need, but you will take the spotlight – and stress – off of yourself, which will allow you to be less nervous.

Be conversational – Presenting to others is different from performing. In performing, you place a tremendous amount of pressure on yourself “to get it right.” A less stressful and more engaging approach is to see your speaking as a conversation. How do you become conversational? First, when you practice, don’t stand up and deliver in front of a mirror or camera. Practice by sitting at a coffee table, or at a coffee shop with friends or family, to talk through your speech. Second, include the word “you” frequently when speaking. “You” provides a direct, verbal connection with your audience and leads to a more conversational tone and approach. You can also use audience members’ names if you know them. When you converse, you connect with people through using their names. Finally, consider starting your presentation with a question to your audience. Questions – whether or not they are rhetorical – are highly effective conversation starters.

Taken together, these five speaking anxiety management techniques can definitely help you feel confident, calm, and competent in speaking up without freaking out!

Matt Abrahams is a passionate, collaborative and innovative educator and coach who teaches Strategic Communication and Presentation Skills at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and De Anza College. He is also co-founder of Bold Echo Communication Solutions, an industry- leading communication consulting practice. Matt recently published Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, a book written to help the millions of people who suffer from presentation anxiety. To learn more, visit BoldEcho.com, or NoFreakingSpeaking.com.

MATT ABRAHAMS, CO-FOUNDERBold Echo Communication Solutions

Speaking Up without

Freaking Out: Five Techniques to Calm Presentation Jitters

people and performance

LGAT News March 201340

people and performance

LGAT News March 201340

Given the nature of their work, it is inevitable complaints of ‘misconduct’ will be made about councillors and council employees.

While the Integrity Commission has power to investigate any complaint of misconduct, it does not investigate every allegation. Rather, it considers if there is a more appropriate body to handle the matter. If so, the complaint will likely be referred to that body for action. In most cases, an investigation by the Commission would be a disproportionate response.

Except for the most serious and complex cases, misconduct complaints against public officers in councils will be referred by the Commission to the Local Government Division of DPAC1, or to the General Manager of the Council for action. Where the complaint is about a General Manager or Councillor, it may be referred to the Mayor. The General Manager or Mayor might delegate responsibility for dealing with a complaint to a subordinate, or an independent person.2

What does the Commission expect when someone is tasked to deal with a misconduct complaint?

An appropriate response can vary in scope and complexity. A complaint might not need comprehensive investigation. Some preliminary inquiry may ascertain the best approach – and may even result in no further action. Some complaints may be resolved by identifying and explaining relevant policy. Others may require gathering exhibits and conducting interviews. What first appears a serious allegation might be resolved quickly; yet an alleged minor transgression might involve a high degree of complexity and considerable effort.

Each case must be addressed on its merits. Legislation or mandatory guidelines may dictate how an investigation should proceed.3 However, the following tips provide some guidance and represent good practice generally.

• Considerthetermsofthereferral

The fact a complaint has been referred by the Commission does not mean it warrants exhaustive investigation – it may be referred ‘for such action as [the person] thinks fit’. Alternatively, the Commission might suggest a course of action.

• Contactthecomplainant

Identifying complainants’ concerns may avoid unnecessary work. The complaint may not express the real grievance. It might be directed against an individual, yet the issue might involve processes. By communicating with the complainant, the complaint

will be better understood and may reveal that the matter has been dealt with previously.

• StayintouchwiththeComplainant

Maintaining communication with a complainant not only assists in identifying the allegation but offers assurance that the matter is being addressed. The complainant should be told of the outcome of the complaint.

• Taketimetoscopeandplan

Consider whether the matter raises systemic or workplace issues, policy or procedural deficiencies, and/or behaviour issues. This helps determine how the matter might be best resolved: i.e. Does it warrant a formal investigation, or a managerial response?

• Ensurethereisproperauthorisation.

Whoever deals with the complaint must have adequate authority to make any necessary inquiry. For instance, if the General Manager delegates a council employee to deal with a complaint, an appropriate written direction or authorisation should be issued.

• Remainobjectiveandkeepanopenmindatalltimes

Do not presume you know the answer, or that the complaint lacks merit. Let the evidence guide you.

• Prepareawrittenplan,andreviewitregularly

The plan should identify each proposed step in the process, what documents need to be gathered and who should be spoken to. The plan should note why each step is relevant.

• Maintainappropriateconfidentiality

Confidentiality protects both a complainant and the person against whom an allegation has been made.

• Preservedocumentaryevidenceandrecordinterviews

Best practice is to audio record interviews. Whether or not a transcript is prepared, the audio recording should be preserved. If the interview is not recorded, send the notes to the person interviewed for any comments or corrections they may wish to make.

• Planinterviews

Conducting an interview can be as stressful for the interviewer as it is for the person being questioned. Planning reduces the likelihood of relevant issues being overlooked.

DealingwithMisconduct:What the Integrity CommissionExpectsDIANE MERRYFULL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERIntegrity Commission

people and performance

41March 2013 LGAT News

people and performance

41March 2013 LGAT News

• Asageneralrule,interviewthesubjectofficerlast

This is not an inflexible rule. Sometimes it can be appropriate to seek an immediate explanation. However, the better course is to identify all the issues and evidence before approaching the subject officer.

• Ensureeachsubjectofficerisaffordednaturaljustice

All allegations should be put to the officer and any response must be carefully and objectively considered.

• Don’tbeafraidtoasktheIntegrityCommissionforguidance

The Commission is able to provide guidance at any time.

• Protectyourownintegrity

An investigator is an impartial fact-gather: he or she is not a prosecutor or a defender of the agency or the subject officer.

The agency’s response must be adequate and reasonable, appropriately documented and respond to the real issues. As a minimum, the Commission expects that:

• Therelevantissueswereidentifiedandaddressed;

• Reasonableinquirywasmadetoascertainrelevantfacts;

• Relevantwitnesseswereinterviewedanddocuments gathered;

• Anysubjectofficerhasbeenheard;

• Therewasappropriatecontactwiththecomplainant;and

• Thepersonwhodealtwiththecomplaintwasappropriate (given the nature and seriousness of the complaint and the investigation) and objective.

It is in the interests of any person accused of misconduct, the council and the complainant, that any complaint is dealt with in a robust, transparent and defensible way.

1 The Director of Local Government retains investigative responsibilities

under the Local Government Act 1993, and in many instances will be

the ‘appropriate person’ to deal with a complaint. The Commission

routinely liaises with the Director.

2 Finding a suitable person to deal with a complaint can be problematic

for smaller councils, which may not have sufficient personnel or

capacity to contract an investigator at commercial rates. It may be

possible to ‘borrow’ an officer from another council, or temporarily

engage a retired councillor or employee. Where the Council experiences

difficulties, it should liaise with the Commission.

3 For instance, investigations under the State Service Act 2000 must

comply with Commissioner’s Direction No. 5.

Nic Hansen0418 127 317nic@totalturfcare.com.auABN 94 095 462 301

32 Harvest Lane, Old Beach 7017

Ph (03) 6263 6666Fax (03) 6263 5565

GOVERNMENTCOMMERCIAL

SCHOOLSCOUNCILS

RENOVATIONCONSTRUCTIONMAINTENANCE

DRAINAGEIRRIGATION

CONSULTANCYTECHNICAL REPORTS

-SPORTS TURF MAINTENANCE-

PRESENTLY UNDERTAKING SAND SLITTING ON OVALS FOR

INCREASED WINTER DRAINAGE.

people and performance

LGAT News March 201342 LGAT News March 201342

Leaders at your DepotANDREW REIMER, MANAGING DIRECTORLG Performance Tasmania, a division of High Performance

Leadership development programs often do not include leading hands and team leaders in the outside workforce. Consequently, the managers of maintenance and capital works at council are often pulled back and forth reacting to operational issues. “They just don’t have the courage to make decisions”, a recent manager said about his project leaders. It is not courage they lack; they lack the confidence in themselves as leaders of their team.

There is often a construction mindset at the depot which focuses on technical and engineering expertise. This can work against depot managers who need to be more strategic in order to take their team and projects forward. These managers have project and team leaders at the depot who are stymied by interpersonal conflict, customer service or rate payer problems which don’t have a “technical” solution. Until these informal leaders have the skills to maintain productive work relationships with their team mates, as well as problem-solve within their range of authority, the depot and their managers will be held back.

Additionally, if only the depot managers have leadership skills, up-and-coming team members and leading hands eventually seek growth opportunities elsewhere. So, retention of talented staff requires an investment in people skills and practice in non-technical, day-to-day approaches. While these informal leaders are not managers, they are at the first stage of people management on projects or works crews. Ultimately the productivity of the entire outside workforce depends upon them.

An undeveloped team leader will not only defer decision-making and problem solving to their manager, they will also cause day-to-day people issues. When someone is a project leader based solely on technical expertise, two common symptoms emerge:

1) The team leader will try to support their team by telling them exactly what to do and then will struggle with the consequences. This micro-manager style can be called the ‘little Hitler’ approach, as some team leaders come on stronger when their instructions are not followed.

2) The team leader will try a best mate approach by diplomatically keeping old mates on-side and even ‘doing it for them’ when they struggle. There is little feedback and almost no accountability; this team leader will be stressed by the inability to delegate.

Neither approach is positive for council.

Development programs for team leaders and leading hands need to be customised for people unaccustomed to meetings. They should focus on emotional intelligence, communication, reaching mutual agreements with team mates and providing frequent feedback. They may need to include skills in customer service, as often these team leaders are on the front line. Short and sharp sessions in the morning are best rather than after work in the shed. Of course, reinforcement by depot managers is crucial for the implementation of new techniques.

To improve the productivity of the depot and its managers, the leading hands and team leaders need, through cooperation and effective delegation, to step up and help their team push in one direction. They need to have confidence in themselves and their decisions. People management skills help retain talented younger staff as well improve good customer service to the community.

TofindoutmoreaboutHighPerformance,visitwww.high-performance.com.au.

people and performance