The peer evaluation was taken at the end of the second semester at ICL. This was assessed based on the group activities, presentations and research work. I worked with the same team for two courses, Leadership and Business Professionalism, and received below feedback from one of the team members.
“I am really impressed with the effort you have put into the research work, the quality of the critical analysis, and the clear organisation of the content. Your project work clearly reflects your creative ideas and innovative approach. However, I felt that your presentation delivery could be improved, rather than depending on the notes. Making eye contact and engaging with the audience is important when presenting in the professional arena. Therefore, I believe that Chalani could make her presentations more impactful and confident by improving eye contact, tone, and body language”
Sathika Liyanage
While observing my preparation work, research work, critical analysis, and clarity of my content, she suggested that I improve my delivery style. She highlights that I relied too much on my notes and avoided eye contact with the audience. Sathika has recognised that my tone is not as strong as I maintain during our day-to-day discussions. The tone could have been more varied to highlight key points and maintain audience engagement. Another point mentioned was poor body language, which gives a confident and natural way of presenting.
This feedback offered a fresh way of looking at my presentation style. I always prioritise in-depth analysis and a creative way of writing as I believe that the quality of information is the main factor of an academic work. However, my peers helped me to identify that the presentation is equally important as content in the professional context. This feedback directly impacted my future career goal as a Merchandising Manager, as presenting with confidence is important to retain stakeholders. Speaking is connecting people, not just conveying the information.
After receiving this feedback, I evaluated my own style and took a positive approach to improve my presentation skills. I started practising how to deliver the content in an engaging way without relying on notes. I focused on maintaining eye contact with the audience and practised varying my tone to highlight the key areas in my speech. I have not yet had any opportunity to present to a larger audience after receiving feedback. However, in the next presentation, I will apply these suggestions by speaking in confidence, maintaining eye contact, and using varied tone and body language to enhance delivery.
To develop further, I plan to use a language learning app such as Promova and join public speaking sessions such as Toastmasters. These are helpful for receiving feedback on our performance and creating opportunities for further development. Further, I plan to develop my presentation skills by participating in speaker sessions, which help define delivery techniques, how to address for diverse audience, build confidence, and engage with listeners through storytelling.