Course: The Art of Impromptu Speaking

Course Outline: "Speak On Your Feet , Practical Impromptu Speaking for Busy Professionals"

Target audience and level (randomised)
- Emerging leaders, client facing specialists and technical experts moving into leadership roles , intermediate level.
- Typical participant profile: mid level managers, project leads, senior analysts, account directors based in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane who need to communicate clearly in meetings, town halls and one on ones with little or no notice.

Preferred duration & format (randomised)
- Intensive blended programme: One full day, face to face workshop (6.5 hours) followed by three 90 minute virtual skill clinics delivered fortnightly (total contact time ~11.5 hours).
- Rationale: front load experiential learning in person; follow up clinics consolidate practice and accountability.

Delivery mode (randomised)
- Hybrid: face to face core workshop delivered in either Sydney or Melbourne (rotating cohorts); virtual clinics delivered live via meeting platform with breakout rooms and recorded practice for review.

Practical constraints and logistics (randomised)
- Price per participant: AUD 895 incl. GST (group discounts available for cohorts of 10+).
- Cohort size: 12 to 18 participants per cohort to maximise practice time and quality feedback.
- Locations: face to face delivery planned for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane; virtual clinics accessible nationwide (Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Geelong, Parramatta included).
- Accessibility: all materials provided in advance as transcripts and downloadable workbooks; captioned recordings for virtual sessions.
- Equipment: facilitator provides timers, prompt cards, a randomiser app and video recording for practice review; participants require webcam/headset for clinics.

Why this programme matters , short case for investment
- Communication underpins leadership. Many capable people lose influence because they can't order their thinking quickly or deliver with authority. We're firm believers that spontaneity without structure is wasted energy; conversely, a little structure makes spontaneity persuasive. Yes, you can train spontaneity , and yes, structured practice is not hypocrisy.

Learning outcomes (behavioural and measurable)
By the end of the programme participants will:
- Demonstrate three reliable impromptu structures (e.g., PREP, Problem Solution Benefit, Past Present Future) and apply them under timed conditions.
- Reduce average hesitation length at speech openings by at least 30% in a timed assessment (baseline to follow up).
- Use deliberate vocal and physical techniques to project confidence (assessed via facilitator rubrics) and achieve a median rating improvement of 1 point on a 5 point presence scale.
- Respond to challenging questions with composure using bridging and reframing techniques , measured by roleplay scoring and peer evaluations.
- Create a 90 day personal practice plan and commit to peer accountability with at least two practice sessions per fortnight.

Core programme structure (modules and timing)

Pre work (1 week before face to face; ~60 to 90 minutes)
- Micro learning module: "What happens in your brain when you speak without prep" (short video + 5 minute reflection).
- Baseline self assessment: perceived strengths/weaknesses, two recorded 60 second impromptu responses to random prompts (upload to LMS).
- Short reading: overview of three core frameworks.
Purpose: arrive prepared, with a baseline recording to measure progress.

Day 1 , Face to face workshop (6.5 hours)
Session 0 , Welcome and immediate warm up (20 minutes)
- Quick burn micro prompts to break the ice; establish safety and norms.
- Facilitator sets expectations and explains assessment approach.

Module 1 , Mindset and physiology (50 minutes)
- Content: normalising anxiety (adrenaline as ally), breathing and grounding techniques, micro routines to reset in between turns.
- Activity: 3 minute guided breath and posture routine; immediate 30 second impromptu opening.
- Outcome: participants learn to convert nervousness into energy.

Module 2 , Simple but powerful structures (75 minutes)
- Teach three go to structures: PREP (Point, Reason, Example, Point), Problem Solution Benefit, Past Present Future.
- Short exercise: map three topics to each structure in pairs, 60 second delivery each.
- Facilitator tip: teach the skill of "sizing" , how to compress ideas for 30, 60 and 120 seconds.

Break (15 minutes)

Module 3 , Thinking clarity and mental mapping (60 minutes)
- Tools: rapid clustering, the five sentence blueprint, signal phrases.
- Exercise: 60 second planning window then 90 second delivery. Peer scoring with simple rubric: clarity, structure, relevance.
- Opinionated aside (contentious): too many training programmes fetishise spontaneity; we favour teaching people how to think in templates first. Some will call that "forcing" creativity , I call it giving people a useful skeleton.

Lunch (40 minutes)

Module 4 , Storytelling & the power of short anecdotes (60 minutes)
- How to craft a 30 to 60 second anecdote that lands (context, action, outcome, learning).
- Practice: participants craft and deliver an anecdote drawn from their work; facilitator coaches tags for relevance and economy.
- Outcome: each participant leaves with two ready to use anecdotes.

Module 5 , Vocal and non verbal delivery (50 minutes)
- Techniques: pacing, pitch, purposeful pauses, bandwidth of gesture, opening posture, eye contact in hybrid rooms.
- Fast drills: pause practice, volume control, emphasis on phrase warm ups.
- Activity: 45 second impromptu with feedback focused only on delivery (no content coaching).

Module 6 , Handling questions, interruptions and hostile prompts (45 minutes)
- Frameworks for answering: acknowledge, bridge, answer; deflecting with dignity; using the "I'll take that offline" well.
- Roleplay: rapid fire Q&A carousel in small groups. Time bound responses with peer scoring.

Wrap & immediate feedback (15 minutes)
- Commitments: each participant creates a simple personal practice commitment and signs up for a buddy in cohort.

Post day deliverables
- Participants upload a 2 minute recorded "after" response to first baseline prompt for comparison.
- Feedback: facilitator provides a short written summary and recommended focus areas for each participant.

Virtual Clinics , Follow up consolidation sessions (3 × 90 minutes, fortnightly)
Clinic 1: Focus on mental agility and advanced frameworks
- Warm up with 2 minute improv rounds.
- Introduce lateral thinking prompts (odd combinations, ethical dilemmas).
- Small group rotations with facilitator coaching; video capture for self review.

Clinic 2: Delivery refinement and media style practice
- Focus: camera framing, vocal variety for remote audiences, maintaining presence in virtual meetings.
- Activity: 90 second "elevator speeches" to mixed audiences (senior exec, Customer, sceptical peer).

Clinic 3: High stakes simulations and feedback
- 3×6 minute simulated panels: media style interview, unexpected executive Q&A, client objection handling.
- Use of rubrics, peer scoring plus facilitator scoring. Final individual development plan consolidation.

Assessment and measurement strategy (detailed)
- Pre/post self efficacy survey using validated items (confidence in delivering unprepared remarks; 1 to 7 Likert scale).
- Baseline and follow up timed recordings: same 60 second prompts; scored blind by facilitators on a 6 point rubric across structure, clarity, delivery, and relevance.
- Peer evaluation: average of peer scores across at least three assessments.
- Manager observation: optional short 360° micro survey 6 to 8 weeks after programme asking managers to rate observed changes in clarity and responsiveness.
- Quantitative targets: aim for median score increase of 1.0 on facilitator rubric; 30% reduction in "start up" hesitation (measured in seconds); 70% of participants score "improved" or "much improved" in post programme self efficacy.
- Qualitative evidence: participant reflections, annotated video samples, two man