Lights, Curtain!

My first big public "performance" was today. Mousewoman had asked me to come train her senior staff (SVPs, VPs) on some topics where she felt I could raise their overall level of understanding. The idea was to increase their expertise, but I positioned it more as wanting their advice on how this "training" would play in the field offices or with the managers in their departments. I think it felt better to them that way. :)

I had met about half the room already, so was not a total stranger, and several people I hadn't met knew who I was and what I am supposed to be doing - sort of.

I prepared this PowerPoint thing and practiced it twice in my new office space (sans furniture, which is coming Thursday. A woman who sits near me said "I like your Zen approach to decorating your new office." Yeah - it's empty! I know...)

Anyway, during rehearsals, I hated what I was saying. It didn't sound right at all. Awkward, stumbling, nervous. Ugh. But, as is typical, when the audience starts filling the seats in the theatre, the actor's blood is up! And when it was my turn in the footlights, there wasn't a trace of nervousness, and the performer "switch" came on. All the transitions were smooth, remarks funny, etc. I wowed 'em in Poughkeepsie! :) Well, more like 3 hours from Poughkeepsie, but... you get my meaning. Even got a little applause at the end - at a staff meeting, yet! Unheard of.

So, I think I made a decent impression. Afterwards a couple of the execs came and signed me up for their upcoming staff meetings and a countrywide meeting of key managers coming in for training. Fun! I love this stuff. Almost as much fun as singing. :)

And, you know... the singing really has helped me deliver talks and training like this, just like it does in the classroom when I teach at church, or preach occasionally. There's a knack to phrasing - and use of ........... the dramatic pause ............ that does drive a point home. Or at least grabs the audience's attention, and holds it. It did today, especially considering it was right after lunch. Very participatory. I got lots of suggestions on how to adapt the talk to other audiences.

It was grueling, though. 2 solid hours of standup. I was exhausted afterwards and just entered data into spreadsheets for the rest of the day, to unwind from the "performance". I'd been worrying over this thing for 3 weeks, and finally it's done. A good day.

Starting tomorrow, then, I can concentrate on house hunting without this hanging over my head. The process of buying begins in earnest Thursday morning. Deb will spend two days with the realtor, and then I get brought in over the weekend to help make (emphasis on "help") make the final call. Hopefully we 1) find the right house, 2) make an offer that gets accepted, and 3) send her home the proud owner of two homes. =:O For now. Ai! Ai! Ai! We need to sell as well as buy...