If you’re in the University of Leeds 2025 Aurora cohort and are coming to my blog on the back of the talk I gave today, then hello! 👋 I hope you found it useful. Thank you for listening and for your thoughtful questions afterwards.
After the Aurora programme finished, I wasn’t intending on speaking about my experience. I felt that I didn’t have much progress to report, so no one would be interested in what it had been like for me. However a conversation with my mentor made me reflect on something I’d done at work in a new light, and helped me recognise that whilst the changes that come from Aurora might not always be big and showy, they still need to be talked about.
I decided to “bite the bullet” and volunteer and the talk was earlier today. I feel like it went well so here are a few things that I believe helped me deliver something that I was proud of.
To script or not to script
I am easily distracted and prone to rambling, so having a script really helped. I practiced it lots, but still read from it and ad-libbed a few bits where something occurred to me. If I sounded “natural” it was because I’d written it in the way that I speak, and talked it through many times.
With a script I was able make sure I covered everything I wanted to talk about, and have the reassurance that if my train of thought had been de-railed, I had something to get me back on track.
If I want to push myself, what would I do next time? There may be cases where I’m not online and having two A4 sheets to read isn’t really feasible. I think jumping directly to unscripted would make me more nervous in my delivery and more likely to ramble. Instead I could try writing a rough script initially, then narrowing it down to a few bullet point prompts so I’m not so reliant on reading it word for word.
In person vs online
I find online presenting much easier than in person. I prefer being interviewed online, deliver monthly training through MS Teams and I am confident with technology so it comes quite easily to me. So when I discovered that the Aurora session I was speaking at would be online I was delighted!
For me, distractions are much worse in person. Often you’re in a new space, with new background noises, and as people are looking at me, I worry about fidgeting or my posture. Having the control of my space, wearing headphones and not having to worry about my presence is really helpful to me.
I made sure that I was reasonably presentable (brushed my hair and put on a smart jumper), that my set-up was working (notifications muted and notes open on screen) and that I had a glass of water. I told my co-working husband that I was presenting and not to be disturbed. I even took off my activity-tracker wristband so it didn’t distract me. These small things made me feel more in control of my environment and more confident on the day.
If I want to push myself, what would I do next time? If I was asked to do an in-person presentation I’d want to visit the room beforehand. I’d wear something comfortable but smart to give me a boost psychologically. I’d also want to be more practiced, so I could manage with just a few bullet points on hand in case I ran off course.
One Aurora suggestion that my fellow speaker employed at an event recently was speaking to just one person in the audience, and I think that would help me from being distracted by a host of new faces.
Story telling inspiration
I actually wrote the main structure of my script very quickly (within a day or two), as I had a spark of inspiration and ran with it. Whilst I didn’t consciously think about it in terms of story-telling, looking back, I can see that I used a narrative arc of being reluctant to speak, then realising why it was important to do so. This gave me a framework to hang my key points in a way that made logical sense to the listener.
What would I do if I wasn’t inspired? I could look more closely at the points I wanted to make to see if there was a theme, then think about what narrative arcs could be used to link them. Perhaps starting in confusion and moving into clarity, inaction into action or reluctance into reassurance.
Preparation time
From the day I volunteered, I had three weeks to prepare. Whilst I wrote the bulk of my script quickly, I chose to take a break from it for a few days, before revisiting it to re-read then edit it. I did this several times which allowed me to come back to it each time with fresh eyes. I also used Microsoft’s Read Aloud feature to read my words back to me to check they made sense. Having longer might have been less helpful as I might have over-edited, or begun to pick it apart.
I met with the meeting organiser the week before, which allowed me and my fellow speaker to confirm that we didn’t have too much overlap, agree speaking order and work out presentation slides. This gave enough time to make final tweaks and reassured me that I was covering the right things.
What would I do if I had less time to prepare? With less time I’d still find it important to write notes, but they’d likely be bullet points of key things. I’d probably have to dispense with forcing a story-telling element (if it didn’t come naturally) and just think about making sure I make sense to the audience. Outside of the content, I’d prioritise things that would help me feel more in control and less distracted, like being comfortable in my clothes and clearing time immediately beforehand to go through my notes one last time and not be rushed.
See the opportunity
One more thing that I believe contributed to my talk going well was that I recognised this as an opportunity. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the process so much if I’d have been forced into giving a talk, or if I couldn’t have learned anything from doing so. I knew that all the attendees were Aurorans, and in a similar position to me, so I figured that they would have wanted me to do well, and not to be nervous. With a supportive audience and a topic I was enthusiastic about, it was the perfect opportunity to practice my presentation skills and push myself out of my comfort zone. I felt so energised afterwards!
And finally…
Thanks again to all of the 2025 Cohort of Aurorans who reacted or posted kind words on Teams and reached out to me afterwards. You’ve made me “a speaker” and I hope that your Aurora experience is a positive one. Who knows? You might be the one volunteering to talk next year!