Always prepare. Always.

It was one thing to identify the problem but quite another to rectify it. Every spare moment he had outside his official duties was spent on practising and doing exercises that he had been set. What those seven months imposed upon the Duke in toil and effort has never been adequately understood by the nation. – Of King George VI in The king’s speech | page 70

I have a slight speech impediment. Possibly not the best opening sentence to my first (and brand spanking new) blog, but it’s true … so I may as well put it out there.

Presentations, to the stutterer, can be a rather daunting thing (to put it mildly). And today I messed up. I wasn’t well enough prepared. I knew my topic (marketing thinking comes quite easily to me) but realized that perhaps it is exactly when I am most familiar with a topic that I should spend even more time structuring my thoughts beforehand. You see, how else will my mind know what information to pick from the myriad of marketing marvels vying to be mentioned, while simultaneously (and rather desperately) trying to navigate through the ‘struggle letters’?

No. I'd prefer not to feel this awkward again. This stutterer needs to be so familiar with the basic structure of her presentation that she is able to see it in her sleep. Only then will she be afforded the degree of flexibilty necessary to comfortably, and spontaneously, fill in the gaps.

Fortunately I needn’t write the presentation off as a complete disaster. Those on the receiving end were an incredibly participative, intelligent group who managed to keep the momentum going with their interaction (Team LDP – you’re fantasmagorical), but my take-home remains unchanged: Always prepare. Always.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone (Dad’s one of the greatest impromptu speakers I know) but in my world – at least for the moment – I best forfeit the sleep before sacrificing prep time. And I’m fine with that.

On an exciting note, the rest of the day’s presentations (courtesy of Ben) helped me realize, once again, how very passionate I am about communication. She is, to me, completely beautiful.