Enter my Glee channeling (Glee's job involves lots of training and she appears to be comfortable with it for some crazy reason - damn extroverts!). So Wednesday brought the first 2 sessions but alas - I didn't have to present until the 2nd 2 sessions scheduled for Thursday. Ahhhhh, sigh of relief. I'll wait to practice until Wednesday night so I can avoid it as long as possible (just like speech class in college). La-di-da...Wednesday afternoon I'm still living in denial until I turn a corner at 5pm on Wednesday. That's when I was attacked with horrendous news: server problems mean Erika must present tonight! Haha, funny joke guys. No. Really. No! REALLY???
PANIC!!!!
Less than one hour to prep for the 6pm Asia call. Lovely. What? You're recording this session for anyone to reference throughout the year? YEAH - thanks for turning the pressure up EVEN MORE. Fine!
Many, many, many sweat beads, voice shakes, and finger trembles later, the call is over. PHEW! (Good thing asians are quiet and don't ask any questions!) Thursday morning at 7 comes way too soon and all the anti-persperant in the world can't calm me down. That's fine. I can do this, I can do this. FINALLY! Done. Only one more to go - Friday afternoon in person.
So I still had to attend Thursday night's session but I was able to completely relax knowing that my part was over and I was simply there for assistance. This time the fact that it is recording is much less intimidating! Blissful Erika in the room simply catching up on email and doing a little online shopping. It's super silent and the lead lady is leading. Enter the faint echo of the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme.
OHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I ruffle through my bag as quickly as possible, (just them good ole' boys....) but not before the damage is done (they don't mean you no harm...). Turns out I found yet another way to get glares shot at you like needles in a conference room. Go figure: in a conference room that I can never seem to get reception in, a call from my brother who hardly ever calls, and on the one and only day in as long as I can remember that I actually have my volume up (I used it as an alarm as I was completely paranoid about sleeping in past my mandated 6am wakeup to train) I'm in a silent meeting that's being recorded!
So moral of the story - check your cell phones before each meeting!! Thanks for the southern interuption Jake - you made my day!!!!
And for those of you still reading and concerned about the training I had left - well it's done and I'm still alive. But kinda like my dad purposely messing up in the kitchen at the beginning of their marriage, well hopefully MS will no longer ask me to present! ;)
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3 comments:
I'm so glad that you training presentations are over. It's such a huge sigh of relief when you're done. I have to give a training course next week, and like yourself, I've been trying to be in denial. But I think I need to start worrying about it tomorrow.
I've given many training classes in the past at my old company, and got quite comfortable with them because I knew the software so well and it gave me confidence that I knew it better than anyone else in the room. But now I'm at a new company with a new product, and I don't feel completely comfortable. And it will be to a lot more people. I think it will be about 150-200 people!!!! In the past, it's been more like 50 people, and I new most of them. I hate presentations to people I don't know because it makes me feel like they're scrutinizing everything I say. I'm so much more relaxed if I know them. I'm dreading this. And to make matters worse, my presentation is the very last one, next Wed morning (our Conference/presentations start Mon morning). So I have to sit through the whole conference worrying about my upcoming presentation.
You know Erika, literally every single time I have to give a presentation, I think about you, and I remember in college how much we both had a fear of presentations and put off our public speaking class as long as possible. So as much as I hate doing them, it brings back fond memories of the two of us in college ;)
You make me feel so successful... Successful at fooling you. Of course I get nervous and am always scared to DEATH about the potential questions. However, the key is "Don't let them see you sweat!" So, pull out that Secret Clinical, swallow the fear, and get your ass up there and kick it!
On that note, I am in Richmond and will be presenting training to a group of 20+ who know WAY more than me, but hey, doin' my job. For added fear, my new boss will be in the room and she knows way too much about regulations and education requirements.
But, all this said... I am not afraid of speaking in front of people. I am terrified of looking stupid.
On a positive note, I got to travel, eat a very nice Italian meal, and spend time getting to know the person who may determine my career with ST.
Oh my ULC girls - thank you!! I think of you BOTH everytime I have to do any public speaking. But I must say that I think you are both posers! You both say you get nervous - but then you do amazing and don't look nervous at all! Punks!! ;)
Of course Jenn you're taking it to a whole new level with 200 people!!! How did it go??? I'm sure you were anxious the whole time, but I was also think that you might be lucky in that all the attendees would be bored and leaving by then ;)
So thanks for the fond college memories guys!!!! :)
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