Episode #118: Naomi Osaka's Public Speaking Lessons

Congratulations to tennis star Naomi Osaka for winning the Australian open and rising to Number One ranking globally. Japan loves to see Japanese athletes doing well, so this new ranking is a first for Japanese tennis and a big deal here. I looked at her press conference and her acceptance speech and what a contrast. In the press conference she was asked totally ridiculous, moronic questions from some of the journalists, starting from the first one (!) and it didn’t phase her in the slightest. She was very comfortable with herself and who she is, so she sailed through those rough waters extremely well. What a contrast though to Naomi on the podium. There she was obviously uncomfortable, umming and ahhing, struggling to get through it. She mentioned in the press conference that she was panicking up there on stage. What does this mean for the rest of us?

We can think of what Naomi is doing with what we are doing in our work. Her life is filled up with technical work. These consist of the various shots required in a tennis match and hours a day are poured into perfecting these shots. However when she is required to receive the trophy and say a few words, she admits herself she has received no training for this component of the work and she is panicking as a result. This win isn’t the first time I have seen her mentioning that she isn’t very skilled at public speaking.

We might be doing the same. The technical skills we are working on don’t include tennis groundstrokes etc., but will include law, medicine, engineering, IT, accounting, etc. Technical people are also prone to neglect to get public speaking training and similarly are thrust into the limelight, when they have to represent their expertise, section, division, firm, industry etc., at some event. Like Naomi, they have been concentrating on the technical aspects of their work and have not prepared for this foray into the world of giving presentations and consequently have come up short.

Usually we don’t have such greatness thrust upon us at the tender age of 21 like Naomi, but it will come. Maybe in our late twenties or in our thirties we will have to stand up and speak in front of others. She has the luxury of many years ahead of her to get comfortable with public speaking as a tennis star but the rest of us are a bit older and the need is more pressing. What are we doing about it?

Public speaking training has so many benefits, such as taking the stress out of the occasion. That is one of the key benefits Naomi would enjoy because clearly she is feeling the stress. It diminishes her capacity to enjoy her big moment when they hand her the massive trophy. The game itself and the joy of the win have all fled from her mind. All she is focused on is how fast can she get out of this situation, so that she can feel more at ease.

For the rest of us it is the same. If you have to present in front of others, it can be stressful, uncomfortable and a burden. Looking at all those beady eyes staring back at you is disconcerting. You are not enjoying any of this and mentally are looking for the nearest exit. If you know what you are doing however, it can be extremely enjoyable and a pleasure. Once you get to that stage you want more opportunities to speak. The first time I experienced a crowd lean into to me when I was speaking was a tremendous feeling. Wow, I have this audience in the palm of my hand. It was exhilarating. I cannot imagine how rock stars calm down after hours of fans screaming at them and pushing out so much energy toward the performers. Anyway, the times I have tasted just a small sample of that “lean in” energy, it has been unforgettable. It is like a drug – you want more.

Technical knowledge is no suit of armour against audiences when speaking, so we need to be forearmed by accessing training. We need to know our subject matter competently and well, but we also need to access a professional capacity to present it to an audience. Our personal brand is tightly linked to how well we can do this. Naomi is a superstar because she is number one in the world, yet she is leaving so much opportunity on the table, because she doesn’t know yet how to build an even bigger support base, through her ability to get her message across clearly and confidently.

We are doing the same, if we just rely on our expertise in our subject area and we don’t go and get training on how to present properly. Imagine you need some engineering work done. You go to a presentation on a technical subject and there are two engineers speaking. One is bumbling and spluttering, while the other is professional and articulate. You will go the one most capable on stage, when you want engineering work done. This is the same for all professions and yet so many professionals deny themselves this opportunity to get an advantage over their rivals. The key is to get trained and add this professional capability to your existing areas of expertise. The best time to do this was yesterday, and the second best time is to day.