Lots of times as a child
My parents were Jehovah's Witnesses, so from a young age I regularly stood on a stage and gave presentations.

Fast forward many years to where I was doing a job and they were trying to get me to leave, but I dug my heels in and continued to search for another job as I had been doing since the first day in the job - it took nearly three years BTW.

Every two or three months, a group of employees came in to head office and were shown round. Each section gave a short informal presentation. Over the two years that I had worked there I had sat through several of these and watched a dozen or so bored people trying not to yawn, checking their watches and wishing they were back in their own offices.

My office had recently been reorganised and it was the first time the woman who had been promoted from a Scale 1 part time position over my head to have a go. I was looking forward to it as she had wormed her way out of the previous two and her boss had filled in for her. Just over an hour before the visitors were due, I was called over to see the boss and was told that it had been decided that I should do the presentation.

I returned to my desk and scribbled a few notes and then went back to work. Fifteen minutes before they were due I went to the loo and snuck out for a cigarette and was back at my desk in plenty of time. I got them all to get closer and began.

For the first time ever they did not look as if they would rather be elsewhere, I got a few laughs and a generous round of applause at the end of it. My three colleagues joined in enthusiastically and several of the visitors came over to thank me too.

Afterwards my colleagues all came up and congratulated me. The best bit for them was the look on the faces of the three bosses standing in the doorway.

It was good to know that a Jehovah's Witness upbringing has some use!
(whiskas loved by 8 out of 10 cats, Sun 21 Aug 2011, 0:27, Reply)