When you are giving a presentation, the most important times to get your audience's attention are at the beginning and the end. In our work with hundreds of presenters, that is a key area where they fall short. In order to make an impact at the beginning, you need to know your audience and start with a clear statement of what they will get from your talk. Then, don't just let your presentation wind down with a "Thank you. Are there any questions?" Leave your audience with a Call to Action so that they go out ready to do something with what you just told them.  Our clients tell us that, when we teach them how to do these two things, it makes a dramatic difference in their ability to deliver effective presentations.

 More and more companies are facing the challenge of mergers and acquisitions. The task of integrating two diverse cultures can seem overwhelming. You can help by bringing groups together to first, identify the differences and then, find ways to leverage the strengths of each organization. This  can be the beginning of a useful dialogue that opens the door to future communication. In our "Team Building" workshop, we explain that one of the initial phases of forming a team is called "Storming" where things can seem to get worse before they get better.You don't want to shortchange that part of the process. So, expect resistance, and create a vehicle for each group to air its concerns. Then encourage people to move beyond their differences and recognize the benefits of working together.  Please see our "What's New" column for our latest workshop dealing with this topic.

Do you ever feel like you're in a Juggling Act with multiple responsibilities, mounting pressure and changing priorities? In our workshop on "Life Balance" we give participants the luxury of spending some time focusing on themselves. Periodically, it's a good idea to take a step back and look at all the things you are currently juggling. Are there some things that you can drop right now? Are there a couple of worthwhile or fun things you'd like to pick up? We can become so busy taking care of all of the people in our lives, that we forget it's important to do something to take care of ourselves. So, today, why not schedule some time for you?  Do something you enjoy, something that makes you laugh, something that is different from your day-to-day routine. When we are refreshed, we can get a lot more accomplished, and we're more pleasant to be around too!