Strata Owners

AGM’s – Overcoming that Negative Self-talk

1 minute 30 secodns
October 25, 2024

Holding an AGM is different in the post-COVID world, with online or hybrid meetings now being the rule rather than the exception. However they are held, an AGM still represents the best opportunity a strata manager has to showcase their work and demonstrate their leadership. Despite this opportunity, many strata managers do not think of themselves as public speakers and are not trained in the art. One of the techniques of a good public speaker is to overcome negative self-talk (that conversation you’re constantly having in your head), which can undermine the speaker’s confidence. 

Everyone has dark thoughts from time-to-time, but even those people prone to mental illness can learn to change their thinking and unlock greater confidence and power. The process is called ‘reframing’, and it involves catching yourself every time you experience negative self-talk and changing your thinking about that negative self-talk.

Some examples related to public speaking and managing meetings are:

You think… Another way of thinking…
“These people are smarter than me.” These are smart people, but I’m the only one here that’s a full-time strata manager.
“I can’t afford to make a mistake.” Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how you recover that impresses people.
“Everyone will think I’m incompetent and we’ll lose our management contract.” Yes, sometimes committees change managers but that can happen for a whole lot of political reasons relating to the committee. Mostly people here want me to succeed so that their life is easier.

Michael Teys advises strata management businesses on improving profitability through professionalisation and streamlined operating systems.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a strata lawyer and academic and has owned 11 strata management agencies throughout Australia. He has a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) and Bachelor of Laws. He lectures and writes widely about strata management issues in Australia and internationally.