My do’s and a few don’ts for giving an engaging presentation whether it is for small group of 25 or a group of 250:

• For small audiences – always ask general enough questions to get multiple answers

• For all audiences – use a microphone or a lavaliere (just attended a session – no one could hear the speaker)

• Share a few relative stories and ask for confirmation (Has this happened to you?)

• Move toward the audience when you want to make a point

• Work both sides of the room

• Get the audience to move around at least once per hour

• Always have fun with the audience

• Do not stand in the way of the projector light

• Do not allow your volunteer stay in front of the projector light

Overall, set the presentation up as a win for the speaker as well as the audience. When situations happen, like starting late or dealing with a faulty projector remain calm, flexible and prepared.

In a recent NYT business section, there was a question was brought up about a great candidate (The applicant had the experience, knowledge and qualifications the company needed). However, when the applicant’s resume went to the senior leader involved in the actual hiring, (This person would report to him), it was noted that the resume contained many misspellings.

The senior leader opted not to interview this person but his staff felt the misspellings should not matter. The critical issue became that if this person was careless with spelling mistakes, he might also be careless with project details.

A resume is a reflection of the sender. You only have one chance with a resume, especially with very successful organizations because they have many people desiring to work for them.

In my career prior to starting Personal Images, I can honestly say I have worked with more bad bosses than good ones. These are managers who yell, make unreasonable demands and expectations and/or run around like policemen watching your every move.

My experience has been and continues to be, to find a way to navigate around them. This means maintaining a low profile and minding your p’s and q’s. If a boss is completely unreasonable, move to another part of the organization, if possible.

If it is important to your career to stay with this boss, then you must learn to develop a thick skin and learn from this person, meaning all the good things about him/her while trying not to focus on the negative. It is about management and not about winning with this type of manager.

Recently in workshop for a Fortune 100 client, the questions came up on how people stay engaged when working from a home office, especially for months on end.

1.Dress as if you are going to the office in business casual attire. Not in pajamas or clothes you would clean the garage in. Dressing up will make you feel professional especially in an isolated setting. Ugly is working in your pajamas. It starts out feeling good but ends up making you feel unaccountable.

2.Do not eat lunch in your home office. Dining out keeps your socialization skills active.

3.Talk to folks in the office. Use FaceTime or Skype so you are on decision makers minds for any projects that may be good for your career mobility.

4.Take on special projects that will keep you visible with leadership.

Recently, my sister celebrated 15 plus years in remission. We had more 100 people for the open house. However, we neglected to make a toast to her before we cut the cake. It is always better to make a toast in the beginning and in our case, when most of the group had arrived. We could have also made another toast later, celebrating her health and thanking the guests for sharing this very special time with us.

When toasting while in other countries, it is very special if you can make a toast in that country’s language:

China: Wàn shòu wú jiang (longevity and health)

Spain: Saluda (health)

Russia: Za vas (here’s to you)

There is always room for improving processes that go into making a great project. Not long ago, I worked on a project that a few years later would be upgraded. When being reworked, the new team began to tell me all the processes that did not work in in the first iteration. I never said anything even though I worked on the first effort which came out well. I thought, things change and nothing really needed to be said about the prior project. Change happens, handle it with grace.

Working with a client to help him strengthen how he communicated with senior management, we decided to have another member of his firm sit in to give some feedback. Every time we started, his colleague interrupted to share his point of view how my client could do it better.

This went on for about 40 minutes when I finally asked all feedback be given after the taping was over. The rules were that he could only use this phrase “This is how you can strengthen” not, “This is not the way to do it”.

The reality is that when you are inclusive, it empowers the person being coached. It does not take them down. Empowering boosts confidence and confidence encourages folks to try new methods of action and thought.

Often, clients fight that perception is reality. They don’t understand what their brand is and most importantly how their brand is perceived and the fact that what is really important is what is perceived.

Perception has a life of its own. Recently, in speaking with a client about a potential hire for her team, all she could remember was that this person was wearing ridiculously high heels! She felt this individual was only interested in fashion and not truly a business person. Changing the perception of the potential hire from a not-so-serious business person to a professional who took herself seriously, necessitated quite a mind shift in the interview.

PowerPoint is a wonderful tool to use when making a presentation. It adds a visual context to your message and hopefully adds clarity to the point you are driving. At the same time, PowerPoint can confuse the message and become handicap to the speaker.

For a twenty minute talk, the maximum number of slides used would be 30 and most of them would be picture visuals you can talk to.

Years ago, I attended a presentation given by two CEOs. (Their companies were my clients at the time.) One CE0 had too many slides for a 45 minute presentation. Many of the slides were in small print and graphs that no one could make out. The other CEO, who spoke immediately after, only had one slide with visuals that transitioned in when he was making a point. The audience was much more engaged with the second CEO even though the points both CEOs were making were the same (albeit from different viewpoints).

Which presentation would you have liked to attend?

It is often said that our eyes are the window to the world. They are also are how folks read you. Eye contact is critical when first meeting someone because it shows engagement and that you are focused on what they are saying. It also will help you remember names and something about them.

Eyes, when looking down, up, to the right or to the left, do not send a good message. In some cases, it shows nervousness and even deception in a reply.