Expectations surrounding the pedigree of facilitator you expect to be standing in front of you during a presentation skills workshop are understandably high. However it’s fair to say that there are plenty of people carving out a living in this caper who hold true to the adage “those who can do, those who can’t teach.”
Peter Kingston, In Corporate Pty Limited
Expectations surrounding the pedigree of the facilitator you expect to be standing in front of you during a presentation skills workshop are understandably high. However, it’s fair to say that there are plenty of people carving out a living in this caper who hold true to the adage ‘those who can do, those who can’t teach.’ However, if the person teaching your course has made a life of teaching actors to perform, does this not turn the adage on its head?
Peter Kingston, the presenter of Presentations Plus, is highly qualified to bring out the best from participants in terms of the quality of their performance. He is a highly experienced theatre director whose productions have been enjoyed by audiences at Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre and companies throughout Australia. A National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) trained actor, Kingston was previously Head of Theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in Perth and is a former Head of Directing at The National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. He is a former artistic director of the Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney and Black Swan Theatre Company in Perth. His accreditation in Workplace Training (Certificate IV), seems a mere formality after perusing that CV.
The promise: course content
Presenting is much more than standing up in front of a group of people to perform. Responding to a telephone enquiry is a presentation; whenever there is more than one person in the room you are presenting. The effectiveness of a presentation depends not only on how you harness your nerves, but also spontaneity, listening skills, eye contact and spatial awareness.
People attending a presentations skills workshop often seek solutions to perceived shortcomings – how to get more voice projection for example, how to be less nervous, or how to develop their presence – that affect their job performance, sometimes their career.
With guidance, this course promised to focus on our assets and also deal honestly with what came up at the time. We were promised improvements in confidence, presence and impact through the lens of presentation skills, but we were warned the course was not presentation skills alone. Ultimately, we were told, the course would be about how people influence and impact others, how they own their expertise and how, in a competitive business environment, they can be more authentic.
Other promised outcomes included: increased personal effectiveness on the job; increased competence and confidence in presentation skills; improved performance and effectiveness in the company; and development of leadership and executive potential.
The delivery: what we got
With the above in mind, we piled into a meeting room for the first of two half-day sessions, our choice time. Peter did suggest a full day would be better, but was more than happy to tailor his offering to our needs. A group of nine, we represented management, sales and editorial. For those used to a more structured, even classroom style approach, they were in for a rude shock. While handouts covered off much of the basics of presentation, these were definitely a takeaway and not part of the learning experience.
After checking in our expectations, we spent most of the first afternoon simply speaking with Peter and each other and focused on introducing ourselves to each other. Following this, Peter very gently asked us what we thought of each presentation. What did we like, what didn’t we like?
Then the onslaught began. As we examined each speaker’s introduction Peter ever so gently asked the subject matter of the moment: “Who are you speaking to now?” for those who struggled with eye contact and body language; “Are you comfortable speaking now?” to those who’d clearly rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy at a funeral; “What did you say last time? I drifted off.” To those who needed more animation or tone.
And on it went. This was more like group therapy than any other presentation course we’d previously seen. One by one, we were gently pulled apart by Peter’s uncanny ability to put his finger on exactly what was holding us back. We were then given very direct instructions on what we needed to do and made to do it again and again until we got it right. There was not a generic technique delivered during the entire course, though everyone benefitted from what others were being told. The whole experience made us feel both singled out and personally coached all in a safe group setting.
How we rated it
As you can see from the evaluation sheets summary, the scores were nearly solid five out of fives across the board. Open-frame feedback indicated that participants were far more affected by the training than simply learning a few performers’ tricks. Participants were genuinely affected by their experience and were questioning who they were and what they were presenting to the world.
Single things identified by participants as useful included: engaging with the audience; awareness of physiology; breathing; the value of preparation and practice; and an ability to be oneself.
Presented by Peter Kingston, In Corporate Pty Limited; Cost: $280 per day, per participant (maximum 15 participants)
Telephone: 02 9280 1333; Email: [email protected]; Web: www.in-corporate.com.au
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