SPEAKING TO A FOREIGN AUDIENCE Thorough preparation is essential when making a speech, or a presentation  in countries where English is not the main language.             If possible, get to know your audience first, their customs and habits, before you prepare your presentation.  You must be adaptable and flexible and…

  GETTING THINGS DONE Overcoming Procrastination   The world is cluttered with unfinished projects that have been put aside to do later when we have time.             The longer we put off  difficult tasks the harder they become. We say – we are too busy, or the job is  too big to start now. Why…

 Improving Recall How many speeches can you remember? Who spoke at the last  meeting you attended? What did they tell you?             Having carried out well over 100 recall exercises, (in  many countries) I realised the spoken word is a poor way to instruct and to teach. The results of these exercises have been disappointing.…

 REACHING AN AGREEMENT Successful leaders need well developed negotiation skills. So plan your negotiation strategy with care.           The ability to ask simple questions and listen intently to the replies are very important when trying to reach an agreement.           If necessary find out the traditional negotiation requirements of other cultures. Seek advice before you…

  BE YOUR OWN BOSS   To start your own business and succeed you must fulfil a need. Finding that need is your starting point.             It is easy to start a business but to keep it growing takes much work, skills and persistence.             To set up your own business you need a competitive…

 GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE Opportunity knocks for those who are prepared to build their confidence and take a few risks. Many people have achieved great things when they have increased their self-confidence.             If you accept new responsibilities and  challenge yourself to accomplish new tasks, you can gain confidence to do the things you didn’t previously believe…

  ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER You need to plan and work hard to achieve a successful career. Success is not doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things extraordinary well.           There are four keys to success – tenacity of purpose, what you know, who you know and the necessary resources. Success is a journey not…

 SPEAK RIGHT Next time you make a presentation tell your audience something new and helpful. Make your talk entertaining and interesting. Share your feeling and emotions.             A speech is like a journey. It has a purpose, a map and a destination.             When preparing a speech keep in mind the fleeting nature of oral…

 WRITE RIGHT This year make an effort to improve your communication skills. Here are some of the secrets you may not have learned at school.           Unless your writing is easy to read many of your readers will not finish reading it, or misunderstand your message.           Bait your messages at the start to hook…

 STARTING AFRESH   A happy New Year to you!  A New Year is a time to erase old habits and begin new ones.             It’s amazing what you can achieve if you believe you can. Set your sights high this coming year and never allow past experiences to prevent you achieving great things. Five of…