Half of UK bosses have had a bad experience of speaking in public, according to a new survey.
The survey, published by communications consultancy Aziz, shows that 58 per cent of business leaders believe that public speaking is the most daunting business activity they have to undertake.
The results also reveal that 42 per cent have had a bad experience while giving a speech.
Research indicates that most bosses find the art of public speaking significantly more problematic than complex business issues.
63 per cent would find a media interview difficult and 48 per cent say they would have difficulty addressing a large conference, while 64 per cent of businessmen find the preparation of business plans easy and 55 per cent report ease in handling financial data.
Khalid Aziz, chairman of Aziz, said: “The need for top UK business leaders to speak in public has become so prevalent, and so important, that it is a concern to see that the elite of UK business continues to suffer angst at the prospect.
“The image and reputation of a company can be made or broken at high profile events such as conferences or during media interviews, so it is imperative that business leaders are equipped with the skills that enable them to speak in public with confidence.”
Other difficult tasks for employers proved to be managing difficult interpersonal relationships with their employees (35 per cent) and dealing with redundancy or disciplinary issues (25 per cent).
