Grow Remarkable

Good communication and presentation skills are muscles, but in our working and daily lives we rarely get the chance to stretch them. That leaves many of us at a real disadvantage in the workplace.

For some women, our only experience of presenting is communicating in mixed-gender groups, where the male style, male voice, or male energy often rewards those who speak the loudest and with the greatest certainty.

As women, one of our strengths is knowing what to be certain about and what to be curious about. We don’t need to practise being men; we need to practise being the best version of ourselves.

A women-only presentation and conversation club allows us to build these skills organically, which means they are more likely to last. Starting now takes the pressure out of performance when the stakes are ones we really care about.

Practical Information

Fridays
4:00–5:00 pm
Free

Starts: Friday 10 July
Ends: Friday 14 August

The Sisterhood

This group is for friends of Blue Noun and the local community. 

It is a drop-in group, but let me know on WhatsApp if you are attending. There are only 8 spots each week.

The more often you come, the more opportunities you will have to speak, practise and listen.

For the purposes of this group, “women” includes women and people who identify as female or non-binary.

About Blue Noun

Helping people feel more confident speaking is my day job.

Through Blue Noun, I work with adults from around the world who are learning English as a second language.

I invite people to experience language while feeling relaxed enough to think clearly, speak naturally, and enjoy the conversation. As that happens, the brain learns to trust.

The Blue Noun Hub has been designed around that idea. It is a professional but welcoming space where people can practise new skills without the pressure that often comes with setting academic goals.

I won’t be teaching anything. 

Ultimately, I don’t teach in a traditional sense. I help people see what they can already do and learn that they can trust their voice. This club is a process which will do this, not me. 

→ Discover Blue Noun’s Work 

Need to know

Structure

We begin at 4:00 pm sharp and finish at 5:00 pm.

Everyone shares a 3-Word Story* (Describe the day/week/how you feel in just 3 words). 

Everyone is invited to take part in an “Off Your Chest” round table, where each person speaks for two minutes about something that has been bothering them. (It is a good way to raise the energy, clear our minds)

Each week, two people will be invited to give a presentation of up to 20 minutes on a subject of their choosing.

The aim is to refine information delivery by experimenting with structure, pace, pauses, the weight of your arguments, and how you engage your audience. (You set your own targets). 

We will close with the invitation to take a conversation card. There will be space to answer it immediately, or take the question away as homework.

About Your Role

Listening is an essential communication skill. It is about creating space to receive others, and also about developing your own skills by watching how other people communicate. You are not simply waiting for your turn to speak.

Feedback is not about fixing the content of a presentation or giving advice on the subject itself.

Instead, we will share ideas about what could have been clearer, celebrate what worked particularly well, and offer suggestions that strengthen the structure, delivery and communication of the speaker’s message.

Choosing a Presentation

This is a great opportunity to practise presentations for work, but I also encourage people to mix in presentations on subjects that are less important.

Presentation skills are often easier to develop when everything feels pleasurable. Share your favourite recipe.

Or argue for something non-professional. You might present on why everyone should read a particular book, the effect of social media on your family, or any other subject you care about.

We all have many things we could talk about for twenty minutes. We’ve just never had a space before.

Communication

This group will be organised through a dedicated WhatsApp group.

The WhatsApp group will be used to share reminders, presentation slots, conversation cards, and any updates. It will also give members an easy way to let the group know if they are unable to attend or if they would like to volunteer to present.

Free Speech Can’t Squash Others

You can talk about whatever subject you like, in whatever language you like.

The only limit is that your freedom to speak must never take away someone else’s right to feel welcome, safe, respected, or able to express their own opinion.

Objectives

• Fit low-stress professional skills growth into the chaos of summer.
• Enjoy ourselves.
• Discover who we can be.
• Be a more confident, calm public speaker by September.
• Spend time with cool women.
• Empower women in their lives and careers.
• Start a chain reaction of good things.

Further Information

Blue Noun promotes 3 Word Stories, because they demonstrate that very little language can carry a surprising amount of meaning.

→ Read about the origins of Blue Noun’s Three-Word Story Challenge.

→ A Message for our Strathearn Community