The manager and oral presentations: from conference room to convention hall

Public speaking is a skill that can prove to be of considerable value to health care managers, yet a great many managers have not been trained as speakers and thus tend to avoid speaking situations or approach them with fear and doubt. However, any working manager can become an effective speaker through conscious effort to do so. The keys to developing one's ability to deliver effective oral presentations are preparation and practice. Preparation includes knowing one's subject and one's audience, appropriately organizing the material, learning how to present information according to what one wishes to convey or accomplish, learning how to utilize visual aids, and working to improve one's manner of using language in a public setting. The same guidelines apply whether the manager is speaking to a small audience in a conference room or a large audience at a conference or convention. Beyond following the guidelines for appropriate preparation and delivery, regardless of scope of presentation and size of audience, success and a degree of comfort with public speaking come with practice, practice, practice.