Fine-tune your body language
Your body language can often make a stronger impression than the words you say or the work you do, notes Caroline McMillan. This is true especially in the conference room. Here are a few tips.
Category: Communication
4 ways to speak forcefully: Power presentations
Before you address an audience of one or 100, know your goal and prepare an outline to stay on track. Start with simple ideas and add complex points (evidence, details, case studies) gradually. Consider the pros and cons of four formats:
Make your writing far more readable
Is that a memo you’re typing or the Gettysburg Address? When documents look like one big block of text, it’s time to deploy formatting techniques to make your words more scannable and easier to digest.
Are double words allowed?
Microsoft Word’s grammar check alerts you when you repeat a word, but is repeating a word always wrong? Bonnie Trenga, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, says no. Here are several examples to illustrate when it’s perfectly fine to repeat a word.
4 tricks for sending clearer messages
Use these four techniques to polish your image as an effective communicator.
Most reliable interviewers: Admins
Bosses today value input from the receptionists and administrative assistants who come into contact with candidates during the interview process. What’s worth passing along to your boss?
Tame your fears of public speaking: expert tips
Speaking in public can be a nerve-wracking experience for many people. But you can learn to manage your nerves, says Darlene Price, speaking coach and author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. “Fear is what drives nervousness,” she says.
Express emotions the right way
If you find yourself losing control at work, it’s important to step back and see what’s really happening—as hard as that can be to do in the moment.
Make your point calmly and quietly
It’s easy to become frustrated at work, but yelling won’t help you get your point across. Instead of screaming, use a calm tone and focus on the situation at hand, recommends Amy Levin-Epstein.
1-Minute Strategies: November ’12
Create PDFs on the spot … Keep track of the boss’s flights … What you can learn from free LinkedIn stats … End conversations gracefully … Strengthen your secret questions.