Mastering the Unexpected

Participant Profile

For doctoral candidates and postdocs of all disciplines.

Objectives

This two-day workshop uses improvisation and free-speaking excercises as concrete tools to prepare speakers for unexpected situations that occur during online presentations, meetings and discussions. Practical techniques help participants to step out of their comfort zone and to develop their authority, focus anxiety, prepare for challenges and become more self-reliant.

Content

The first day of the seminar begins with verbal and non-verval communication training, connecting breathing to thinking, in order to relieve panic in stressful situations. This is followed by training with improvisation excercises to help presenters maintain focus and composure and to cultivate quick thinking and problem solving. Participants are given free-speaking excercises in order to train quick thinking, staying focused, engaging an audience in a topic and maintaining authority. Strategies are then then discussed an practiced in order to deal with disruptions during the impromtu talks. 

In the second session, participants will explore various challenges in meetings as well as in online Q&A sessions. Techniques are trained in order to handle akward situations. Role-play situations are tailored, practiced and discussed in the role as presenters, meeting facilitators and Q&Q moderators.

Methods

The training is tailored to individual participant questions and uses role-play to investigate proposed scenarios and to train coping strategies, which can be applied in virtual and non-virtual situations.