I often hear this especially before I speak on stage. While it appears like smooth and flowing in the moment, there was A LOT of work before getting up to the front/stage.
Among the work I do; Speaking, Coaching and Facilitation, only for Coaching I can walk in without any preparation.
I dare not do or dare think of not planning for speaking and facilitation.
Why is planning essential? It’s not just about having a clear structure and flow, it’s about crafting experiences that resonate, educate, and inspire the audience/participants.
Planning is not just about the content. Its also about anticipating the needs and dynamics of our audience. Its paramount to delivery that we take into account the dynamics of audience. Understanding the background, age distribution and understanding of the objective can either make or break the effectiveness and how productive a session is.
Planning is also about being congruent with the session and allows immediate adaptability and flexibility to move things around should the need arise. This has happened a lot to me especially for speaking where timing is cut short by organizer due to unpredicted circumstances.
In my journey as a speaker and facilitator, planning has been a big part of my delivery. It has allowed me to navigate the complexities of human interaction, ensuring that each session is not just a presentation or process journey, but a journey we embark on together.
Whether we’re stepping onto the stage, leading a workshop, or guiding a team through a process, remember: the strength of our impact lies in the depth of our preparation.
