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Difficulty in presenting at work.

GreedyGreenGuy

Hello everyone,

My job requires me to present data and talk both informally and formally to my departmental colleagues and broader colleagues.

I struggle alot with any kind of informal talk, often saying things to fill the gaps (that may or may not actually be there...) and struggle even more when I have to react to an informal situation where the attention is on me. I would freeze and feel very uneasy and would want to run away and hide - obviously not an option so I end up looking very unprofessional to those that do not understand the reason behind my actions.

Though I struggle anyway with presenting, I feel more comfortable presenting informally using data and little to no informal talk. I am aware of the awkwardness this can cause to those others that are involved in the discussion which makes things a little harder too.

Does anyone else have to face this issue too? How have you dealt with it? Have you found any presenting classes helpful? I would be glad to hear your story.

Kristian.

  • Hello Trainspotter,

    Thank you for replying to my post.

    Have you either; told colleagues of the obstacles you face or thought of telling them before a presentation, or in any formal circumstance to help others, and yourself, understand why you may come across a little 'different'? I have thought of doing this but I'm not quite sure of how to approach the situation - I don't want people to think I'm unable to fulfil my role or that I am inadequate in some way. Constant questioning and no action. Though, I have explained the obstacles I face to some people when in a social situation and it's made me feel much more comfortable. I just it could be done in a formal situation without any repercussions - there shouldn't be any but we pretty know there will be some judgment(S) made.

    I completely understand your feeling when you're asked to introduce yourself to a group of strangers, or not even strangers at all! My heart pounds like crazy and I constantly think something will go wrong or that I'm asked a question and I have to act normally; laugh on cue, make a funny response (if required) and constantly think about what I'm saying. It's so tiring!

    Very interested to hear if you or anyone else has been on any presenting courses or any other kind of course that has helped your control over these situations...

  • I suffer very much from this.

    I am all right if I have a presentation in front of me, with pictures or slides that I have prepared, I know exactly what to say and feel I say it right.  But my ad lib skills are very poor.  I have to work from a script even if I have written the script myself.

    Without a prepared script, I bumble along, thinking I must say something and just add stuff that either makes no sense to other people or repeat myself or totally dry up.  I must sound terrible to others. I have a very bad stammer in these circumstances although this is not very apparent in my normal speech.   Wherever possible I have to write it down, exactly as I want to say it.  My reading skills have improved over the last forty years so I can read out my stuff without too much problem although it probably still sounds as if it is being read.

    But I find it well night impossible to get up  and 'say a few words' about something without preparation.  And if in a group of strangers (which I hate being anyway) and told to 'introduce ourselves round the table' I just wish that I wasn't there at all, I am so embarrassed and don't know what to say even though it is only my name and my position that is required.

    I believe this is caused by stress, but it is something that does not get any easier.

    Whether this is caused by my ASD I don't know.  But it certainly is exacerbated by it.  I think the old adage ' it is better to keep your mouth shut and have everyone think you are stupid than open it and remove all doubt' is very apt in my case!