Presenting with Impact

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, affects 77% of the global population. The European Young Engineers (EYE) Management Team learnt about this shockingly high statistic through the ‘Storytelling – Presenting with Impact’ workshop organised by the EYE External Relations Department. This workshop was executed in collaboration with GrassRoots Education, a learning and development subsidiary of RS Components.

During the workshop, the EYE Management Team were introduced to fundamental concepts of communicating ideas, including the structure of a speech, attention-grabbing openings and how to prioritise impact. One of the key concepts in giving a speech is its Purpose, Agenda and Desired Outcomes (PAD). By actively addressing the PAD of a narrative, it forms a solid backbone of a great speech. Public speaking is a skill we can master through practice. Therefore, we are encouraged to gradually shift from the comfort zone and work towards the growth zone (see figure below).

After the theoretical introduction, we were given the opportunity to deliver a short speech on a random topic and to showcase an impactful opening. In all activities, excellent and personal feedback were offered by our peers and the GrassRoots Education team.

Overall, it was an excellent workshop, and we look forward to the second instalment with a further collaboration with RS-Components. The next session will build on the principles introduced in this session.

If you are also interested in shaping and spreading the voice of young engineers, join the EYE volunteering team. Leave your comfort zone as we help you reach your growth zone!