Making an impression (but not in a good way)

ByElizabeth Harrin Last updated: General

In February 2011 I fell off the stage while giving a presentation.

I was talking about using social media on projects to PMI’s UK Chapter, giving The Presentation With The Mixed Feedback that I also delivered at the PMI Global Congress in Washington the year before. The event was hosted in the wonderful Thomson Reuters auditorium, although it was daunting to know that I was using the same podium as the Prime Minister, as the company hosts many important media events there as well.

The stage in the auditorium is free-standing, and it doesn’t reach back to the wall. I was too short for people to see me over the podium and my open laptop, so I stood to the side of it. That meant I couldn’t quite see my laptop screen, so every so often I took a step back to remind myself of my notes, displayed via PowerPoint’s Presenter Mode.

But I took one step back too many.

Time froze as I teetered on the edge, losing my balance. I like to think I descended with the grace of a gazelle. I didn’t want to land on my backside in a pile of cables, especially given that I was wearing a pencil skirt. In that split second before I went completely over, I focused on a gap in the equipment lying behind the stage, and aimed there.

“Lovely venue, but there’s a big hole there,” I quipped, as I walked up the stairs at the side of the stage to regain the podium. “OK, I was talking about the geography of your team…”

I don’t remember reading anything about how to deal with that in my favorite book about public speaking (Confessions of a Public Speaker), so I just pretended everything was completely fine, while inside cringing with embarrassment.

At least they will remember me, if not what I was actually talking about. Note to self: next time, take a stool and stand still.

Elizabeth Harrin wearing a pink scarf

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years.
Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects.