Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

  Before making your next presentation, consider these tips from Michelle D. Gladieux , author of the new book, Communicate With Courage :  Succinct stories that illicit emotional response are great hooks. Vary your voice to capture attention: modulate volume, rate, pitch, pace, and tone. Comparisons and analogies are powerful. Ask questions, such as, “What does what I’m sharing remind you of?” Use the questions to help your audience, smell, or sense what you’re describing. Repetition builds retention. State your most important point more than once. Move while you present. Make eye contact, a true show of courage. It’s a vital connection. If you don’t meet your audiences’ gaze, they are not likely to believe you. Pause occasionally to let all the great information you just said sink in. Add pictures and quotes into your presentations.  And, finally, ask others about what you did well and could have done better after you speak.

“Raising your game as a communicator is one of the best ways to make a difference in the world, but it takes courage to open up to others and invite others to open up to you” says Michelle D. Gladieux , author of the new book, Communicate With Courage: Taking Risks To Overcome The Four Hidden Challenges .   Gladieux explains that those four hidden challenges and sneaky obstacles that can keep you from becoming the best communicator you can be are:  Hiding —Fear of exposing your supposed weaknesses. Defining —Putting too much stock into assumptions and being quick to judge. Rationalizing —Using “being realistic” to shield yourself from taking chances, engaging in conflict, or doing other scary but potentially rewarding actions. Settling —Stopping at “good enough” instead of aiming for something better in your interactions.  According to Gladieux, these challenges all have something in common. They require taking risks—to reveal yourself, question your beliefs,...