Press coverage
The Source Magazine Winter 2008/9
Can you imagine what it’s like to be at ease when you’re the centre of attention? Nope – neither could I, which is why I said ‘yes please’ to a sampler session with public-speaking facilitator (and ex-Editor of the fabulous Spark magazine) John Dawson. I’ve been hearing on the grapevine for years that his six hour workshop called ‘Speaking Circles’ has really changed people’s lives and I thought I’d give it a go with mine. Speaking Circles is a way of dealing with stage-fright – not only in work presentations and meetings, but also when you’re in social groups and one to one. John is the only facilitator in this country. “There are lots of courses and books out there on public speaking” he says, “but not many of them deal with the scary issue of stage fright. If they do, the usual kind of advice you get is to breathe deeply, run up and down on the spot, or imagine the audience is naked. Here in ‘Speaking Circles’ we look more at the head stuff about why we get scared in the first place, and how it relates to everyday issues to do with our self-esteem”.
To John, stage fright boils down to something he calls ‘The Theory of the Wobbly Tray’. There are eight of us on the day I turn up for my session and it quickly becomes clear (and I won’t tell you how or it’ll spoil the fun) that most of us there are carrying the big wobbly tray he describes. Wobbly trays are where we put the bad stuff we’re thinking about ourselves when we get up in front of an audience: ‘Do I look OK? Am I boring?? Are They Going to Like Me??? (My wobbly tray is the size of a double-seater shopping trolley). As we speak, we’re struggling to balance our trays and at the same time scanning the audience for clues that our worst fears are correct. Blank faces and … (heaven forbid) a yawn, is all the confirmation we need to prove that we’re boring and awful. That’s when we fall apart.
Does this sound familiar? According to John there are lots of us wandering around with these thoughts every day, some of us worse than others. “I have had people that couldn’t be in their own wedding photos” he says, “or couldn’t bring themselves to speak at their parent’s funeral. These issues can really stop us all from being able to take part fully in our own lives”. For the remainder of the afternoon, John teaches us clever ways to become more relaxed, confident and connected with an audience or group and how to protect ourselves from the self-sabotage that always gets between us and our full glory. In the end all eight of are comfortable with standing at the front and full of plans for how to take the lessons home.
I can’t say I’m going to relish public-speaking from now because, as John says: “We’re not trying to do Martin Luther King stuff, we’re just trying to be ourselves”. But I’ll definitely try to do things he suggests, like become an inverse paranoid (which is when you assume support unless proved otherwise, rather than the other way around). “I’ve been doing this for eight years” says John “and I’ve decided to spend more time at it because it’s about helping people to take part in their own lives and on their own terms. Apart from anything it’s fantastic to work on the stuff that reminds me of what I need as well”. Thanks John - it’s a relief to know we’re all in the same boat.
Letter December 2008
Dear John,
Anyway I wanted to let you know that at our recent Ruby wedding celebration I stood up in front of 120ish of our friends and relations and did a speech and actually enjoyed it and made lots of people laugh, it was quite heady and I don't think I will ever be as nervous if there is a next time. Of course it was down to the course I did with you in the summer, my main reminders to myself were "assume support", "make eye contact", and "let your words land". So many people came up to me after and couldn't believe I had ever had a problem with public speaking, and revealed that they had the same problem, it really was a revelation! I made a point of telling them about Speaking Circles.
So thank you John, I can truthfully say you've changed my life, how glad I am that I did your course.
Hope you are thriving in your new role!
Love Sue
Course Feedback
a lot of the more current feedback has been used on other web pages
I had been doing public presentations in a safe way for about 4 years, but I had a subject in me that I was passionate to talk about and I knew it would help others, if I spoke out about it. What I needed was a way to express the message, from the heart, so people felt moved by it and could understand it emotionally. A short course with John helped me gain this capability. A while after his course I delivered a presentation to 200 of the toughest people in the country. I made them laugh, brought tears to their eyes and had them nodding their heads in agreement. This ability to express ourselves - fully - is one of the most amazing feelings available to us. Don't pass up the opportunity.
Neil Fellowes
Director
www.CommunitySoul.co.uk
Just wanted to thank you again for Fri's session which was a very powerful way to spend a day. You are a very effective 'facilitator' and what you facilitate is, as far as I got towards understanding it, more than effective - it seems fairly fundamental to all human exchange. Bit difficult not to sound pompous! But you managed it.
Mark November 2008
John has a very calming and welcoming presence. He’s a very engaging speaker and practices what he preaches. The course helped me to get to the root of the issue.
Sophie April 2008
Very good, met my expectations. Enjoyed it very much.
Laura April 2008
I’m so glad I made myself do this! Its taken a lot for me to come and I’m so glad I have.
Felt like I was believed in.
Gemma April 2008
Excellent process, sensitively managed and unfolded.
Michael April 2008
A completely different approach to public speaking - teaching you to be yourself as opposed to being a “presenter”.
Mike April 2008
John was excellent, brilliant coaching
Helen March 2008
John embodie what he teaches, which acts as an inspiration and as a model and gives a wonderfully safe place for people to learn how to be themselves.
Lena January 08
Very simple yet effective means of talking to audiences. Wish I’d known about this when I was younger.
Chris November 07
I think you do an excellent job of putting people at ease, walking your talk and making it feel like fun.I think you should charge more!
Philip October 2007
The “back-to-basics” unpressured approach was great. Took a while to learn what there was to learn - that its about taking stuff away - rather than adding stuff. A hard thing to “teach” but it worked well.
Steve October 2007
Very useful course. I think it will help me a lot in the future. I recognise that something has changed on a fundamental level.
Nick June 2007
It felt safe and supportive. The delivery was excellent and sensitive. Thank you.
Di June 2007
Very human and real, affirming, good boundaries with time and people, felt safe.
Diana June 2007
Clear, contained, encouraging welcoming, warm expansive and heartfelt.
Clare June 2007
Wonderful course, helped me be more aware of my stuff which stops me connecting with people
Phil June 2007
A fabulous workshop. I didn’t think I would feel this good at the end.
Kate March 2007
A great day - thank you. Helped me face my fears.
Rachel March 2007
You made me feel very at ease, nurtured and individual and gave me the confidence to grow.
Libby March 2007
I am proud I forced myself to come, I will definitely recommend it, I have increased my confidence in and out of work.
John, Nov 2006
It was an excellent course. It was very gentle and it was amazing how such a safe space was created so quickly. I thought this would be a harrowing experience but I really enjoyed it and would readily do it again.
Vanessa, Nov 2006
I like the willingness/ability to encompass everyone’s needs yet boundaries were held respectfully too. Just wanted to say thank you so much. I have waited a long time for such an opportunity.
Kim October 2006
I recommend this course to anyone who is fearful of public speaking as it has enabled and empowered me.
Lavinia July 2006