When I was in high school I can’t say I enjoyed or had a knack for public speaking, but I got a lot of practice by being in a public speaking organization (Junior Statesmen of America), so I’m pretty comfortable standing in front of a group. This practice has helped me when I need to provide training on a specific product or topic. Over the years I’ve learned that most of the time, when a participant comes to a training, they have a few questions they would like answered. Instead of forcing them to wait for me to cover the topic in my normal training, I try to get those questions answered immediately so their mind can focus on what I’m explaining vs. always having their questions in the back of their minds.
This self-developed concept came to my mind while reading the Safety First article. I like to think that it is another way to make my audience feel safe that their questions will be answered and that I am knowledgable in the topic.