Umm... So, Whatever…..Just stop it!
One of the single biggest focusses of presentation skills is learning to reduce pause statements like the word “uhm”/“Erm”. Even a small pause for thought during a presentation is better than filling the space. Often that pause can be used for affect.
The newest problem I have observed, is the word “So”, and it SOOOOO needs banned from the presentation and discussion lexicon. There are times to use “So”, but you can get away with not using it at all. I encourage it.
In a recent managed offsite team transformation event, the SNC team did an observation of the usage of “so”. The team in review was a highly educated team of diverse time in the workforce. In 45 minutes of discussion the word So was used an average of 2.1 times per minute! 1 of the senior members used the word to start or end, a minimum of every other sentence, especially after a pause.
Why is it poor form? Because it is simply a filler for not being properly focused on the words, sentence or discussion at hand. How do we fix Uhm’s and So’s?
1) Concentrate on what you are saying
a. Think about the sentence you are about to say, ensure it does not start or end with So.
b. Correct yourself before starting
2) Get more creative with the words you use
a. Creative word usage is attractive.
i. Example: “when you get the chance…”, becomes: “when you have the opportunity…”
3) Don’t be afraid to stop mid-word and pause to realign the sentence.
4) If you think you are an offender in this case, take the action with you and your teams to increase the performance of your discussions and presentations.
a. Challenge them to never use over emphasized fillers.
5) Get creative with your vocabulary, synonyms for words you use too often.
a. How many people are tired of Agile and Innovation!?
Take the time to become a better speaker, use pauses to enhance the effectiveness of your presentations. Leverage the pauses to make sure you do not fill-word. You will Sooooreap the benefits.