When you’re giving a presentation and nervousness kicks in, it’s tough to be brief. But, your audience expects you to state your conclusion and stand behind it, not ramble on aimlessly. You can only do that if you zero in on the purpose. When you prepare for your talk, work backwards. Before you put anything down on paper, know the …
workplace
Make Your Cube a Better Place to Work
Many people spend more time in their office than they do in their bed. You deserve a comfortable workspace. Here are three ways to make your office a place where you can accomplish your best work:
Get Your Project Going Fast
It’s challenging to launch a new project, especially if you’re battling layers of bureaucracy. Don’t fight the red tape. Instead, work around it to make things happen. Here are two ways:
Don’t Let Latecomers Ruin Your Meeting
No matter how well you’ve prepared your meeting, things will go wrong. One of the more common disruptions is attendees showing up late. If people belatedly walk in, try these three things:
To Reduce Stage Fright, Prepare
Good preparation reduces performance anxiety. Next time you need to present to an audience, follow these three steps:
Always Use Meaningful Words
Meaningless phrases, such as “To be honest” and “Like I said,” often creep up in meetings and presentations. Using these expressions undermines your credibility. Try replacing this filler language with meaning by doing the following:
Overcome the Awkward Silence
Discussions during meetings can be feast or famine. Either you can’t get a word in edgewise or no one speaks up. Next time your meeting falls silent, try these tactics:
Command Attention like an Executive
Executive presence is not an innate quality; it is a set of behaviors that you can learn over time. Whether you are a natural wallflower or a social butterfly, you can enhance your presence by doing the following:
Get Comfortable with Collaboration
We praise collaboration for improving problem solving, increasing creativity, and spurring innovation. Done correctly, it does yield all these benefits. But it can also be scary. Here are three facts you have to accept, and embrace, about collaboration before it can work:
Get Your Colleagues’ Attention
To capture any audience’s attention, you must frame your message properly. Whether you’re making a presentation, composing an email, or talking with your boss, here’s how to convey your idea:
Stop Your Career Anxiety
If you’re unhappy in your job, you are not alone. Plenty of people — many with stable, high-paying, interesting jobs — feel lost in their careers. If you experience this anxiety, try these three things:
How to Save a Meeting That’s Going Nowhere
We’ve all been stuck in long meetings that bounce aimlessly from one topic to the next. Instead of rolling your eyes, take control. Be brave enough to propose a solution: