Speaking with composure

How can you express an idea clearly in a meeting despite nerves and interruptions?

1250 € per session, excl. VAT

In short

This half-day session of 3 hours introduces the foundations of confident speaking: preparing a short message, controlling your voice, using eye contact and responding without rushing. Participants alternate between role plays, observations and further attempts, then choose a workplace situation in which to continue practising.

Why this training?

In a meeting, a relevant idea can become difficult to follow when the pace of speech increases, sentences become longer or the conclusion remains implicit. Working on a brief message and an explicit request helps make your contribution understandable. Confidence does not mean eliminating all nerves or adopting an extroverted personality. The training focuses on accessible behaviours: taking a moment before starting, articulating clearly, looking at your listeners and resuming your point after an interruption. Ongoing case study: At « Avelune Conditionnement », a fictitious company, a team needs to change the time of its coordination meeting. Each participant presents a proposal in two minutes, explains its value and responds to a colleague who is concerned about wasting time. Participants rotate between the roles of speaker, listener and observer. Applying the learning at work: Within the following seven days, choose a low-stakes meeting and prepare a two-minute contribution. Rehearse aloud, use a breathing cue and ask a colleague for feedback on the clarity of your message. Note one successful behaviour and one adjustment to try at the next meeting.

Objectives of this training

  • Structure a two-minute contribution around one main message.
  • Formulate an explicit opening and conclusion.
  • Adjust your pace, volume and pauses to be understood.
  • Answer a question while maintaining your train of thought.
  • Give feedback based on observed behaviours.

Who is it for and what are the prerequisites?

Roles and tasks concerned

  • Employees who hesitate to speak up during team meetings.
  • Professionals who occasionally need to present a proposal or a progress update.

Prior skills

  • No experience of presenting to a group is required.
  • Be able to identify a workplace situation in which you would like to contribute more.

What you will work on

  1. Observing your speaking habits

    Objective: Identify a strength and a difficulty in the way you speak. Signs of nerves; distinction between personal sensations and visible behaviours; rules for respectful feedback.

  2. Building a message that is easy to follow

    Objective: Organise a short proposal without writing a script to recite. Opening, central idea, concrete example and final request; keywords to recover your train of thought.

  3. Establishing a calm presence

    Objective: Experiment with simple physical and vocal adjustments. A stable stance, comfortable exhalation, articulation, pauses and eye contact across the group; seeking a natural way of speaking.

  4. Staying on track when others react

    Objective: Respond to a simple objection without rushing. Listening, a brief silence, rephrasing and a concise response; the option of acknowledging missing information.

What you take away

  • Personal outline for a two-minute contribution.
  • Cue card: breathing, posture, voice and eye contact.
  • Completed observation checklist with an area for improvement.
  • Practice plan for an upcoming meeting.

Method and assessment

  • Short teaching inputs followed by simulations and role plays based on the ongoing case study.
  • Structured observation and peer feedback using a shared checklist.
  • Guided debrief: what worked, what will be adjusted and individual commitment.
  • Preparation: Choose a recent occasion when you spoke and note what helped or hindered your expression, without including confidential information. Prepare a simple topic to present in one minute; use only fictitious or anonymised cases and materials authorised by the organisation.

Observable criteria: The contribution presents an identifiable main idea and an explicit final request. ; The participant keeps to the two-minute format during the final attempt. ; The voice is audible and a pause marks the transition to the conclusion. ; The response to the interruption restates the question before returning to the message. ; The feedback cites a specific behaviour rather than a judgement about the person..

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to feel comfortable in front of a group?

No. Initial attempts take place in pairs or groups of three, progressing towards a meeting simulation.

Do the nerves need to disappear?

No. The aim is to speak despite some tension, drawing on brief preparation and practical behaviours.

Are the speaking exercises filmed?

No recording is needed: feedback is based on direct observation and a paper checklist.

Will we work on long speeches?

No. The session focuses on brief contributions in meetings and answers to simple questions.

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