Public Speaking – Delivering Your Speech

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood. William Penn A few simple steps can help you improve the delivery of your presentation: Start off strong by preparing an opening that will capture the audience’s attention. Learn how […]

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Public Speaking – Overcoming Nervousness

Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed Michael Pritchard It’s OK to be nervous. In fact, it’s probably a good thing. If you are very calm before a presentation, you may be underestimating the difficulty of your assignment. If you’re calm because you consider the topic an easy one (a “no brainer”), you […]

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Public Speaking – Being Prepared

Preparation serves several important purposes: It boosts your self-confidence. It reduces the chances of something going wrong. It creates an impression of you as a competent, diligent person. It makes it easier for you to give a polished, professional presentation. The saying goes that those “who fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. Only by preparing […]

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Public Speaking – Organising the Content

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. Vincent Van Gogh The key to creating a well-organised speech or presentation is to keep your audience in mind. Start with something that will capture their attention and give them a clear idea of your topic. Organise the body […]

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Public Speaking – Identifying the Task That Had to Be Performed

Your task description will be the organising principle for the rest of your presentation. Most of what follows will be an account of what you did to complete the task. One way to come up with a simple, clear task description is to imagine you are writing it for a teenager. How would you describe […]

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Public Speaking – Preparation Part 2

When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt. Henry J. Kaiser Preparation part 2: Identifying Key Questions and Concerns If you have a good understanding of your audience, you can probably predict the key questions and concerns they are likely to have. You may not be able to give the audience the answers they would […]

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Public Speaking – Preparation Part 1

According to a survey by the Sunday Times, 41% of people list public speaking as their biggest fear. Forget small spaces, darkness, and spiders – standing up in front of a crowd and talking is far more terrifying for most people. However, mastering this fear and getting comfortable speaking in public can be a great […]

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Skills in Emotional Intelligence

Developing successful Emotional Intelligence begins by understanding your emotions and their meanings. With this understanding, you must uncover productive ways to manage your emotions, then use them to the benefit yourself and others. How to accurately perceive emotions The words that people say are only half of the message they are trying to get across. […]

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The Role of Self-Motivation and Empathy in Emotional Intelligence

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.” Self-Motivation Andrew Carnegie said it best with his quote “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” Self-motivation is an essential […]

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Emotional Intelligence – It’s All About You!

Self-Awareness Being ‘aware’ of one’s self is the ability to accurately perceive one’s skills and knowledge, value and responsibilities. It is being confident in what you have to offer, whether it is personally or professionally. Self-awareness is not only important for one’s self-esteem, but it is also the first step to the process of full […]

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