What’s the first thing…

What’s the first thing you do to prepare for a presentation?

Open a PowerPoint file? No! Think again…

If the aim of any presentation or pitch is to move your audience from one place to another, it makes sense to know who you’re taking on a journey.

But what does it actually mean, to know your audience?

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A few months ago, I decided to take up a regular exercise class again.

The pandemic had cut short my previous classes, and I was making do with dog walks to stay fit. But it wasn’t enough.

I definitely need the discipline of a class, so I set about finding one that suited me.

A form of exercise I could do (dodgy knees rule out anything impactful)… and that I’d enjoy.

So, off I went in search of that perfect combination.

After trying yoga classes that flowed too fast, and tai chi which was not for beginners, I arrived at Postural - a method based on classical dance that takes place in a ballet studio.

First things first, a personal evaluation by the physio to identify any body parts that would need taking care of in the sessions.

Then a one-on-one with the teacher to practice the exercises. She took me through her signature moves, showed me alternatives, and reassured me she’d keep an eye out and guide if necessary.

I took my first class. And since that day, haven’t missed one.

Thing is, in that space I feel completely seen and heard.

In a setting where the teachers recognise that everyone is different, and our bodies don’t fit a template.

Where we are welcomed, do a proper warm-up, go through a different sequence each time (to my kind of music), and do a relaxation wrap-up.

And where they teach us much more than just a healthy posture.

I definitely walk out of there feeling different. Connected with my body.

And that yes, I am in a new and better place.


Who will you be speaking to this week?

And how will you make them feel seen and heard?

Photo: Leading a Communicating with Impact workshop for environmental professionals as part of the Young Leaders Programme at the European Forest Institute in Barcelona, October 2023