"Houston... we have a problem!"
Today I had the opportunity to participate in a “live” webinar presented by Branding Experts and Business Consulters – Dan Weedin and Betsy Jordyn. The content was superb and informative and I highly recommend their upcoming webinars.
So, with anything “live” comes the possibility of something not going as planned. Murphy’s Law always seems to rear its head at the most inopportune time. That was not untrue this morning. This particular event was very well attended with participants logged in from all over the country. The broadcast was to start at a specific time and everyone was eagerly logged in to hear from these experts. Except… technology was NOT cooperating! The dreaded black screen of death loomed on the monitor.
What impressed me though was the candor and collectedness of our hosts amid this techno-controversy as communication was restored.
Every day in our own lives, we are faced with this same type of “live” dilemmas. How we react when we experience controversy is the difference. Here are some tips to stay cool under pressure:
Take deep breaths. After the incident has happened, take some deep breaths and calm yourself down. This will help you avoid saying or doing anything else that could add to the embarrassment factor. Take a minute to calm down, and then proceed.
Not the end of the world! Unless the catastrophe was so egregious that someone’s life was actually in danger the outcome probably isn’t life shattering. Chill out… You’ll get over it!
Don’t take yourself so seriously. Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. The easiest way to get over an embarrassing moment is to just laugh at yourself. After all, nobody is perfect! This way, it's easier for others to laugh with you rather than at you. If you approach this embarrassing moment with humor, it will turn out better in the long run.
Don't make a spectacle of yourself. The worst thing to do when an embarrassing moment happens is to make the problem even bigger. When an embarrassing moment happens, never get defensive, shout, or run away on the brink of tears. The bigger a scene you make out of the moment, the more it will be engraved into people's minds.
Learn from it! Okay, so you've been embarrassed, but take it as a lesson and learn from it. Did your presentation fall flat? What could you have done better to captivate your audience? Did you stumble while giving a speech? Research how to calm your nerves before giving a presentation. There's almost always a lesson that can be learned from your embarrassing moment.
Dan Weedin @ www.danweedin.com
Betsy Jordyn @ www.acceleraconsultinggroup.com
Or you can join Dan and Betsy's next Branding webinar here: http://weedin360.com/betsy-dan/
© 2015 Rick Hern - Results NOW! Consulting - All rights reserved.
