We are all capable of much more than we think
Summary
Originally published on Adur & Worthing Councils — Our Stories, Your Councils, 1st October 2018 A month ago I was asked to give a public talk as part of Brighton Digital Festival at Colonnade House. While I was a bit apprehensive, I appreciated that I had been asked, so I accepted the challenge. ...
Originally published on Adur & Worthing Councils — Our Stories, Your Councils, 1st October 2018
A month ago I was asked to give a public talk as part of Brighton Digital Festival at Colonnade House. While I was a bit apprehensive, I appreciated that I had been asked, so I accepted the challenge. I’ve stood in front of peers for presentations, facilitated workshops, delivered stand up training and pitched for work before — but somehow this started to feel different. This time I would be speaking directly to the public. I’d be representing not just myself but also the work of my team and effectively the councils. The pressure was building…
Thankfully my supportive manager agreed to help me write and present the talk. We decided to speak about innovation at the councils and how service design has changed over the years, and titled our talk ‘Legacy to Digital: The Journey’. I started listening to the audiobook ‘Bulletproof Public Speaking’ for tips and guidance on public speaking. With the date scheduled several weeks away and a full workload to take my mind off it, I started to feel more comfortable.
I took the opportunity of a long weekend away in Lulworth Cove walking my dog Milo to start thinking about what I was going to talk about.
The day of the talk arrived, and I can honestly say that I was nervous — but it’s OK to be nervous! Clare Halstead, Creative Hub Manager at Colonnade House gave us a tour of the workspaces in the building as part of the open day. It was fantastic to see how many creative people are working in Worthing (and also took my mind off what I was about to do!)
As Kevin Rowe (Digital Development Manager) stepped up to start, I knew I’d be speaking soon. He explained how the councils used to work with legacy systems that dictated processes to our services. I then explained how the councils are changing that, and how the Platform allows us to redesign services around customers’ real needs using customer centred design. Within a flash and a round of applause later, I had done it — I had given my first talk to the public. I felt a huge sense of achievement.
We both enjoyed the event and gained some valuable public speaking experience. My message to anyone worried about public speaking would be to keep pushing yourself — we are all capable of much more than we think.
