I had to ask a rather embarrassing question midway through a lecture last week.
I was teaching commercial communication to Master of Studies students in Entrepreneurship at the Cambridge University Judge Business School.
The weather was hot, and I was getting uncomfortably sweaty…
As you can probably see from this picture.
We had bonded as a group…
And so I asked whether they would mind if I changed into my shorts.
I should emphasise, it was when I had set them an exercise, and I left the room to do so!
The question caused much hilarity, but everyone was very kind and gladly agreed.
Which meant I taught the rest of the session feeling far more comfortable…
And I think everything went better for it.
It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that in a lecture.
To be frank, I was a little hesitant about raising the question of changing my jeans.
After all, it’s hardly standard Cambridge teaching practice!
But, and here’s the point of this blog:
Although I wanted to dress well, to show the group respect, and try to appear professional from our first moments together...
I did bring a pair of shorts in my rucksack, in case I felt the need to change.
Because we were getting on well, and the session was going happily, I felt able to ask the question about putting on my shorts.
Which brings me to the importance of contingency planning when you’re presenting.
Particularly for important moments, such as this.
It was the first time I had taught on the Master of Studies programme, and I wanted to make a good impression.
But the shorts were a comfortable standby contingency, in case of need and opportunity.
Whenever I'm teaching, presenting or speaking, I always think about contingencies.
They range from the most obvious, that your slide show works.
To cover that, I always arrive early, and give the IT a thorough test.
I also bring a copy of the presentation on my phone, and on a memory stick too, as well as sending it to the organisers in advance.
Another contingency point: Will there be water available?
I’ve taken sessions where there are no refreshments readily to hand, so I always bring a large bottle.
Because I have a tendency to get hot, I also take an atomiser of my favourite cologne to every event.
A quick spray beforehand helps reassure me that I’m going to smell reasonably pleasant.
Rarely do you have to resort to your contingency plans.
But when you do, they can be a lifesaver.
Or certainly a performance enhancer.
Even for something as quirky as changing into your shorts, to cool down and ensure you give a good show!
