September 2018

WARWICKSHIRE MEANS BUSINESS

Communications skills are key to success in business

"Employers value staff who excel at communication - learning to speak publicly is a great way of mastering this key skill."

When it comes to running a successful business, communication skills are essential.

A survey carried about by LinkedIn revealed communication as the most in-demand ‘soft skill’ (personal attributes that allow an individual to interact with other people) among potential employees. Successful entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson and Warren Buffett credit communication as vital in their own success, Branson in particular has emphasised the importance of being a storyteller when promoting a businesses.

How can one hope to develop this skill? Warren Buffett says learning to speak publicly was a revelation, indeed the only diploma Buffett displays in his office is from a public speaking course:

“I was terrified of public speaking in high school and college. I couldn’t do it,” Buffett once told the BBC. “I don’t have my diploma from college or from graduate school, but I have my Dale Carnegie [training provider] diploma there because it changed my life.”

Public speaking develops communication skills as an individual must interact with an audience in an engaging, clear and concise way. Crucially it also develops the confidence that is characteristic of industry leaders.

As with any skill public speaking becomes easier with practice but opportunities to do so at work aren’t always forthcoming, while practising outside your job can frequently mean addressing a room full of empty chairs.

For those looking to develop their public speaking joining a group offers a platform to develop this key skill outside work, to a receptive and supportive audience. In Warwickshire it is exactly this environment offered by Leamington Spa-based Spa Speakers.

Part of the Toastmasters International network of public speaking groups, Spa Speakers is Warwickshire’s only (at time of writing) officially sanctioned Toastmasters group. Its mission is to help individuals overcome their fear of public speaking by encouraging them to deliver speeches at their regular meetings.

With over 50 members, making it one of the biggest groups in its area, it is one of a number of clubs in the midlands, with Coventry-based Godiva Speakers and Solihull’s Heart of England Club closest neighbours. Many business people join to help them with their career development.

Spa Speakers divide their bi-weekly meetings into two halves, with the first half dedicated to pre-prepared speeches: upon joining each member is enrolled on a structured educational programme comprising a number of speeches which they must deliver using criteria dictated by the programme.

‘Table Topics’ dominates the second half of meetings, during which members must get up and think on their feet by presenting a short impromptu speech on an assigned topic. The challenge forces members to perform under pressure, without the luxury of preparation.

Learning and developing is key to meetings: those who deliver speeches are evaluated and provided with feedback from fellow members, identifying areas for improvement. Members are also invited to help run meetings by taking on one of a number of roles such as timekeeper, grammarian, sergeant-at-arms and ‘ah-counter’, who keeps tabs on verbal crutches; symptomatic of the less experienced public speaker. In doing so members can develop other skills such as: time management, organisation and listening.

So why should Warwickshire businesses care? Recently-elected club president Joy Kurian explains why organisations should encourage their employees to join a club like Spa Speakers:

“Given the abundance of information nowadays, getting across a clear and concise message has never been more important. Here at Spa Speakers we offer members a supportive environment in which they can develop a range of key skills and communication is chief among these.

Each speech requires careful preparation and consideration of the subject matter. The feedback received afterwards is vital for highlighting areas for commendation, as well as areas for improvement.”

Spa Speakers meets regularly at the Helen Ley Centre in Leamington Spa every other week. Guests are able to attend a couple of meetings for free in order to see whether it’s for them. More information (including how to join) is available via the Spa Speakers website: www.spaspeakers.co.uk.

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