Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Overcome The Fear of Public Speaking And Enhance Your Career: Part I

Author: Heather Fork, MD, CPCC

The fear of public speaking is listed right up there with the fear of death. And even if we are accustomed to speaking in front of others, this highly valuable skill can always be improved upon. The famous billionaire investor, Warren Buffet, embarrassed himself early on in his career when he became too nervous to offer a toast during a prestigious Washington dinner. Yet this self-made man refused to let failure define him. He went on to become a confident and sought after speaker - not to mention rich and famous.

Almost every job description lists good communication skills as a requirement and this may also include public speaking. Honing these abilities is a worthwhile investment of time and can give you a competitive edge in your career transition. Since it takes practice to be comfortable speaking in front of large groups, it is ideal if you can get ample experience before an important event. Even if your work does not involve doing presentations, you will gain confidence and find abilities you were unaware of through practicing these skills with others.



In this two part series, I am going to provide you with information about how you can enhance your speaking and leadership skills through a fantastic organization, Toastmasters International.
http://www.toastmasters.org/

Toastmasters has clubs all over the world, with many cities offering an abundance of clubs to chose from. You may be thinking you don’t have time to do one more extra thing, but an advantage of Toastmasters is that the groups meet at a variety of times: before and after work, during the lunch hour, and various days of the week. You can attend once a week or once a month. By just showing up, there are always opportunities to practice different types of speaking. In my next post, I will give you an insider’s view into what goes on in the meetings.

About the author:

Heather Fork, MD, CPCC, is owner and founder of the Doctor’s Crossing. As an ICF certified coach, she works with physicians who are seeking to renew and reinvigorate their careers and avoid burnout. She helps doctors tap into their natural abilities and passion to create new and inspiring opportunities within clinical medicine or through non-clinical options. Knowing that too many physicians are suffering from stress and burnout, Dr. Fork is dedicated to improving physician well-being collectively, as well as individually.  

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