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Course Connections

Launch of 8th Annual Course Connections Events!

networking events

NINE and DINE in a New Format!

COURSE CONNECTIONS is a one-of-a-kind event combining the art of networking with the joy of playing golf. Join us on Thursday, May 30th for the launch of the 8th Annual Season of this incredible series.

Newbies! We want you! Driving range practice is one thing. PLAYING is THE REAL THING!

Warm up on the range with Mike Miller, PGA Professional at Montclair Golf Club, followed by playing, hacking or just advancing your ball through 9 holes followed by a FANTASTIC Cocktail Hour of networking, light bites and camaraderie on The 19th Hole!

HOW TO MAKE GOLF A NETWORKING TOOL

Consider These 3 Questions:

  1. Have you ever thought that you are you missing out on some great networking opportunities that take place on the golf course?
  2. Have you wondered about the correlation between playing golf to being successful in business?
  3. Would you like to be introduced to or play the game in an intimate, private setting with one of the top golf professionals in New Jersey?

If you have answered “YES” to any of these questions OR are a business professional OR in career transition, then please join me, Susan Ascher and Mike Miller, PGA professional at this special event:

COURSE CONNECTIONS DETAILS:

DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 30TH
WHERE: Montclair Golf Club, 25 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, NJ – a Platinum Club of America and one of the top 100 Country Clubs nationally.
ATTIRE: Proper attire for this event includes Bermuda shorts (no more than 2 inches above the knee), Capri pants, or a skort. Shirts may be sleeveless and collared or sleeved and un-collared. Golf shoes or sneakers are required.
CLUBS: Bring your own golf clubs, or we can provide them for you the day of the event. Any questions, please email Susan Ascher at susan@susanascher.com.

If playing golf is not your thing, come join us on the terrace for more great networking, cocktails and light fare after golf!

ITINERARY:

  • 2:30-3:00 pm Lace Up/Meet Up
  • 3:00-4:00 pm Golf Instruction
  • 4:00 pm 9-Hole Scramble
  • 6:30 pm Networking/The 19th Hole

COST:  

  • 1 Ticket for May 30th: $179.00 (Includes Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Scramble, Networking, Cocktails and Small Plates).
  • **FEATURING A NEW PACKAGE DEAL**
    3-EVENT COMBO DEAL: $299.00 — Includes 1 Ticket to all 3 Course Connections Events on Thursday, May 30th, Thursday, July 25th and Thursday, September 26th. (Includes Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Scramble, Networking, Cocktails and Small Plates for All 3 Events).
  • $79.00 p/ticket (Includes Networking, Cocktails and Small Plates Only).

 

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW!


Golf & Networking




Networking Only



HERE’S WHO ATTENDS OUR CONNECTION EVENTS:

> Master Networkers
> Accountants
> Attorneys
> Entrepreneurs
>Wealth Managers
> Bankers
> Sales Consultants
>Corporate Executives
> Executives in Transition
> Small Business Owners
> Anyone who wants to learn to play the game of golf
> Anyone who values quality networking

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT COURSE CONNECTIONS:

“I have attended many of Susan Ascher’s networking events and Course Connections is one of my favorites. Not only do I get to work on my golf game with expert tips from Montclair Golf Club’s pro, but I also get to make some great connections at dinner. Susan always keeps it fresh and new. Can’t wait for the next event!”

“Thank you so much for throwing another great event Susan. We love being part of your network of friends and I enjoyed meeting some really great people and having a lot of fun on the course with my great group (who shot par for the 9 holes as a team) not that we were keeping score or anything. Looking forward to great connections and future events.”

“Susan has created the perfect environment to bring professionals together to learn about and grow each other’s businesses through Course Connections. The positive energy of the tribe of master networkers she’s assembled makes for easy conversation, fruitful discussions, and most fun of all – a relaxed atmosphere to improve your golf game with pointers from the pros and actual course time to play with your new contacts.”

COURSE CONNECTIONS SPONSORS:

 

Culinary Connections

An Amazing Success at Kings Cooking Studio!

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A GREAT SUCCESS!!

Thank you to everyone for making last Thursday’s POWER Culinary Connections event an amazing success! A new and different format, and the reviews of having it at KINGS Cooking Studio were RAAAAVE! Thank you to Judy Spires, CEO of KINGS, for opening your kitchen to us, and to Theresa Merges, Joette and Ernie for orchestrating such a great experience!

Special thanks to Marie Robinson, Chief Operating Officer AND Chief Transformational Officer for Capri Holdings, for joining us as our POWER Culinary Connections guest. Marie’s story, from ‘BAMA’ to her US Army tour, from Walmart to her current role at a $6 Billion+ fashion company representing three iconic brands: Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace is inspiring!

Thank you to my sponsors, without whom I could not make this happen:  Vince Egan, Benjamin Edwards, our WINE SPONSOR, Peter Cirignano, Peapack Gladstone Bank, Wendy Taffet, Enjou Chocolat (wow on the specialty chocolate Choo Shoes and the Versace and MK coins), Ken Krysinski and Vic Ventura of Socialfix for all of the great videos and photography, and to our NEWEST SPONSOR, Paula Ferreira of MAZARS USA, a global audit, accounting, advisory, tax and legal services firm.

PHOTOS FROM CULINARY CONNECTIONS:

(Click Photos to Enlarge)

 

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SAVE THE DATE

As usual, I am already planning our three upcoming Course Connections events, which will be held Thursdays: May 30th, July 25th and September 26th at Montclair Golf Club.

We meet at 3pm, have a warm-up and instruction before playing a NO PRESSURE 9-hole scramble. Cocktails, lite bites and NETWORKING on the terrace follow! NEWBIES WELCOME. Come for golf and networking or JUST NETWORKING.

SPONSOR WANTED

And if you would like to sponsor one or the package of 3 golf events, I am always looking to expand our reach! Sponsorships are wonderful institutional advertising, (PLUS I become YOUR sponsor) and AFFORDABLE, so don’t be afraid to inquire! Actively seeking a law firm to add to our list of great sponsors! You can email or call me for more info!

THANK YOU AGAIN!

Susan Ascher

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT CULINARY CONNECTIONS:

Thank you Susan for an extraordinary event and the opportunity to do some interesting networking with great professionals! I had a great time and got inspired by Marie’s story and professional career!
– Monica Aguilar

Last night was great! Thank you for putting together such a clever, fun, insightful evening!
– Liz Maynor

“Great event last night, truly.  Thank you! When I hit the road and sat in the driving rain and traffic coming from Newark, I thought about how nice it would be to go home! Boy am I glad that I made the commitment to you (and to me) to come because I would have missed a wonderful time meeting great folks.”
– Lori Chapin, Attorney, Sedgwick, LLP

OUR CULINARY CONNECTIONS SPONSORS:

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Solopreneur

5 Ways to Succeed as a Solopreneur

tips for solopreneurs

Becoming a solopreneur grants you complete control over numerous aspects of your career path. You get to choose the type of work and the projects you want to work on, you have the ability to set your own work schedule, and you avoid having to answer to someone else – you are your own boss. However, the path of a solopreneur also invites bigger risks that can impede your ability to succeed. Guarantee your success as a solopreneur by following these five tips.

1. Develop a Purpose and Goals

When you start out as a solopreneur, you should have a clear purpose that will guide you throughout the growth process. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the purpose of my business?
  • Who is my audience?
  • Why does my audience need my service?
  • What do I have to offer that potential competitors do not?

In addition to a strong sense of purpose, you should also develop tangible business goals to give yourself some structure and direction. Establish goals you will reach on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis that will guarantee the growth of the business.

2. Learn From the Experience

Even though you start out in business with a specific set of skills, it may not be enough to prepare you for the specific challenges and demands of running a solo venture. Keep an open mind throughout your career and use both your successes and failures as learning opportunities to improve your service.

3. Use Technology to Help

Running a business by yourself can overwhelm you with tasks, particularly those that do not match your skillset. Take advantage of the numerous technological resources at your disposal. Use applications to assist you with tax management, scheduling, and more. If possible, use automation when it comes to online marketing campaigns, invoices, email, client management, and other aspects that may consume more time than needed.

4. Learn to Collaborate

Just because you are a solopreneur doesn’t mean you will not collaborate with other people throughout your career. Establishing strong partnerships with clients is important, as they can provide a reliable work stream, a positive reputation for your service, and an assistance resource for more complex or elaborate projects. Also, make sure to interact with other solopreneurs or people with similar interests and concerns. When you maintain relationships with other peers, you can learn from them, provide them with your own knowledge, and open yourself up for necessary support.

5. Remember Your Humanity

When you are operating as a solopreneur, it can be easy for clients to think of you as a company, rather than a single human being. While you need to work with clients to maintain your business, you should remember that you are also a human being with needs and limits. Make sure that you receive pay according to the labor you provide and the inherent value of that labor. Additionally, just as you should hold yourself accountable for mistakes, be aware of when you need to take a break from work and celebrate after a success.

Choosing the path of a solopreneur has its share of difficulties, as you will essentially engage in responsibilities that entire companies undertake. If you have a sound business strategy and follow the suggestions above, however, you will significantly increase your chance of success.

Additional Resources:
https://startupnation.com/grow-your-business/roadmap-success-solopreneur/
https://smallbiztrends.com/2015/10/solopreneur-tips.html
https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/5-things-successful-solopreneurs-always-make-sure-to-do.html
https://www.thedailypositive.com/how-to-be-a-successful-solopreneur/

 

Culinary Connections

POWER Culinary Connections – April Installment

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL POWER
CULINARY CONNECTIONS!

You are cordially invited to attend a special edition of our hit series, POWER Culinary Connections, on Thursday, April 25th from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Kings Cooking Studio located at 778 Morris Turnpike in, Short Hills. POWER Culinary Connections is an exclusive networking event for professionals from all walks of business. Our community of master networkers are passionate about making the right connections while enjoying great wine and food. Bring your appetite and lots of business cards!

SPECIAL POWER GUEST:

Marie Robinson

Join Marie Robinson, Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer of Capri Holdings, (think fashion brands Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors) as she shares her compelling story of what it takes to be a transformational leader in the New Millennium. A graduate of The University of Alabama, Marie began her career as a United States Army Logistics Officer, and her incredible journey has included significant senior leadership roles in branded companies like at Toys “R” Us, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, and Wal-Mart Stores where she led supply chain, logistics and operations spanning continents from the United States to Europe to Asia.

KINGS COOKING STUDIO:

With a nod to Marie Robinson’s Southern roots, Chef Theresa Merges creates a menu which leads us through a personalized cooking session (where we participate as much or as little as we wish) while educating, entertaining and demonstrating recipes that are on point with current trends. Using fresh local and sustainable ingredients, Theresa will promote her farm to table philosophy of Kings Cooking Studios. After networking, nibbles and dinner, we walk away with a souvenir booklet of the fabulous recipes we have enjoyed.

EVENT DETAILS:

POWER CULINARY CONNECTIONS

WHEN: THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 • 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: Kings Cooking Studio, 778 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills, NJ
Kingsfoodmarkets.com/cooking-studio
COST: $159.00 p/ticket

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS:

POWER CULINARY CONNECTIONS IS NOW SOLD OUT!!

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

“A huge thank you, Susan. And thank you to each of you lovely and generous people who attended Thursday’s celebration of living a thriving life. What an energized evening it was, and I am still feeling it.”
– Cynthia Murphy

“Thanks so much for hosting another great event last night Susan! Great location and fantastic food only equaled by the excellent company.”
– Ken Kryzinski

“I cannot thank you enough for last night! I really had a nice time and met some wonderful people.”
– Susan King

Career coaching Job search

Transitioning Back to Work After an Extended Absence

Extended absences from work are fairly common in today’s workplace. From the joys of being a stay-at-home parent to the challenge of long-term illness, heading back to work after an extended absence can be difficult. Whatever the reason for your absence, when it’s time to head back to work, there are a few things to keep in mind for the transition.

Choose a Focus

When coming back to work after an extended absence, it is important to focus your efforts. Should you concentrate on what your college major was, or do you have work experience that would lead you into your previous field? Your resume should reflect the experience that relates to the field of your desired job. If your degree was in Marketing but you found you didn’t enjoy that field, consider jobs where marketing experience is a plus but not the end job. Likewise, if you found yourself unhappy in your past jobs, use those experiences to target your efforts at finding another one.

Consider Your Soft Skills

Hard skills are evidenced by degrees or agility – typing speed, speaking a foreign language, or earning a secondary degree are all good examples. Soft skills aren’t as quantifiable, but they are often equally important. Look for a job that uses these natural skills and create a resume that reflects them. Sometimes, these soft skills aren’t apparent until you reach the interview stage, so, when you get there, be ready to discuss them.

Attend Professional Events

Research your area to find professional opportunities. These could include workshops, clinics, conferences, classes and more. Make sure you record these on your resume as professional development so any potential employer will see you are enthusiastic about your choice of career and that you are up to date with the latest information. Any program that gives you a certificate or a certification at the end is especially relevant.

Make Connections in Your Field

Attending these professional events is a great opportunity to network with people in your chosen field. Be honest and open about your job search. Someone may hear your story and end up having the perfect connection for your situation. Both professional and social connections are important. You never know who will have a connection with exactly the right person for your dream job.

Get Professional Assistance

A plethora of resources are available to job seekers looking to get back into their careers, but sometimes it takes a knowledgeable eye to find them. From professional resume builders to career coaching, turning to someone who knows how to help you shine could be a crucial step, especially when you’ve been out of the game for a while.

Reentering the workplace after an absence – whether it was your choice to leave or not – takes some adjustments in thinking. It’s unlikely that you will score your dream placement overnight, so accept that it may take some time to find the right spot and practice patience during your hunt – it’s a necessary skill no matter what field you are in.

Additional Resources:
https://www.vocationvillage.com/how-to-re-enter-the-workforce-after-a-long-absence/
https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/planning-return-work-don-t-make-1-mistake-ncna861341
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/working-moms-return-to-work-resume-3544854

 

Culinary Connections

Culinary Connections – January 2019 Installment

FINE DINING AND EXCLUSIVE NETWORKING AT IL CAPRICCIO!

Join us on January 31st, from 6-9pm, at Il Capriccio, a highly-regarded restaurant offering authentic, gourmet Italian food in Whippany, New Jersey.

Culinary Connections is an exclusive networking event for professionals from all walks of business. Our community of master networkers are passionate about making the right connections while enjoying great wine and food.

Come join our sponsors, Terry Tatetossian, Ken Krysinski, and Anthony Rossi of Socialfix, Vince Egan, Benjamin Edwards, Stuart Vorcheimer and Peter Cirignano, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, Travis Epp, Eisner Amper, and Karolina Dehnhard, Budd Larner; and your gracious host, Susan Ascher. We’ll enjoy lots of great food and fabulous conversation. Bring your appetite and lots of business cards!

SPECIAL POWER GUEST:

Marci Hopkins

Marci started her career at Fox Cable Group, where she quickly climbed the corporate ladder, serving multiple roles within the Programming and On-Air Promotions departments. Ultimately, Marci was given the opportunity to move to Los Angeles to serve as the Director of On-Air Promotions for FX Network. There she married and started a family. She then moved cross-country to New Jersey. Marci was missing her creative calling and decided to move in front of the camera. This led her to train with John Pallotta, Acting Coach, in New York City, followed by training at Actors Connection, Actors Technique, along with improvisation training at The PIT. Marci saw immediate success in front of the camera and was hired for several Discovery ID Network programs, some Independent Films, Indie Films, web series, commercials, and TV Pilots.

Marci then found her true calling and harnessed her talents for acting, television programming, and community leadership while also spotting a trend and created a talk show titled Coffee with Marci. With the huge push by Facebook to grow its video business, Marci found that Facebook was the best platform to connect with her audience. The show was later made available on NJ on Air, an application for Apple, Android, and Roku.

Coffee with Marci helped others share their businesses and nonprofits, but she realized that there was so much to learn through each guests story. She saw that there was a need to help others on a larger platform. She then created Wake Up With Marci where each guest has a story of healing and triumph. Marci wants to spread hope and happiness through this new platform which can be seen on CBS WLNY 10/55.

EVENT DETAILS:

Hors d’Oeuvres, Dinner & Networking at Il Capriccio

WHEN: THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 • 6:00-9:00pm
WHERE: Il Capriccio, 633 Rt. 10 East, Whippany, NJ 07981 | 973.884.9175 | www.ilcapriccio.com
COST: $159.00 p/ticket

Due to the nature of this very special event, attendance will be capped at 40 attendees.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW!


Choose Tickets



WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

Another fantastic evening with Susan Ascher, Vince Egan and Karolina Dehnhard, Esq. and their supporters and friends at Culinary Connections. I’ve met so many interesting and inspiring people at these elegant events which combine amazing food with excellent conversation! Thank you Susan! An evening well spent with new connections and long-time friends!
– Lori Chapin, Attorney, Tanenbaum Keale

Susan, I am so happy and grateful to be a part of your world. The environment you created last night is uniquely powerful in that you provided an atmosphere in which strangers showed themselves and showed up to serve. This is unusual! Do you realize how special last night’s event was? And, you do this over and over. It was a fun, expansive evening, full of amazing individuals who are contributing in significant ways. Kudos!!! I felt like I was part of a think tank, making great things happen. Thank YOU, Susan!
– Cynthia Murphy

It was a fabulous night, as always, when you host an event. I am very grateful to you for including me! It was lovely to meet everyone and I look forward to seeing you all again.
– Susan M. Rochelle, A.I.A., Architect

Leadership Leadership coaching

Strategies to Improve Your Leadership Skills

Leadership requires a delicate balance of strategy and skill to create an environment that inspires productivity. Not every leader approaches a problem in the same way, but plenty of effective strategies exist to help you get the most out of your employees. Here are a few ways to expand your leadership skills this year.

Understand Your Leadership Style

In 1939, Kurt Lewin and a group of researchers defined three main styles of leadership. They found many differences among the types and one, in particular, produces the best response from team members. The three styles are:

  • Authoritarian (Autocrat)
  • Participative (Democratic)
  • Delegative (Laissez-Faire)

Authoritarian leaders provide direct instruction about objectives and how to accomplish them. Authoritarian leaders use a simple command and control model with little or no input from other group members. It works best in situations where there is little time for creativity, but can seem bossy and demanding.

Participative leaders are typically the most effective. They offer guidance for group members but also seek input and ideas from others. While a project may take longer with a participative leader, each group member feels like an important part of the process and has more meaningful contributions to the results.

Delegative leaders offer very little guidance. They usually sit back and hope that someone else will take the lead. Their groups are the least productive, and members make demands from each other that result in arguments. They are unable to help with cooperation or to help the project progress.

Understanding where you fall within these three leadership styles is the key to advancing your strategy. You will be able to determine what is helping your style and what is hindering your progress. Once you know, you can develop the skills you need to make you a more effective leader.

Discover Employee Strengths

Each person on your team has a particular strength, and it is your job as the leader to discover and encourage these strengths. When each member of the team uses their strength, it can make your company stronger and more efficient. Design your goals with these strengths in mind so that everyone has a piece of the solution. Taking the time to discover and encourage these strengths shows your employees you care about them and believe they are a valuable asset to the team.

Be Passionate and Positive About the Work

Passion and positivity are contagious. When group members see your enthusiasm to start a new project, they will follow suit. Encourage the same passion and positivity in others, giving deserved praise and being genuinely thankful for contributions from the group. The positive attitude will spread, making your group work more efficiently.

Be an Effective Listener and Communicator

An important part of being a leader is listening and communicating with team members. The only way to ensure you are getting the most out of your employees is through listening to their feedback and ideas. When you can take these ideas and communicate them effectively to the rest of the team, you can foster teamwork and keep everyone working together. Non-verbal communication is also an important skill. Watch for queues and clues from your team to make everything run smoothly.

Don’t limit yourself to one leadership style, especially if one doesn’t feel natural to you; a mixture of styles usually brings the best results. Once you have identified the style that seems most intuitive to you, start including elements from other styles into your strategy, strengthening your team and your production.

Additional Resources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-become-a-better-leader-2795324
https://www.inc.com/firas-kittaneh/how-to-improve-your-leadership-skills-for-different-scenarios.html
https://www.industryweek.com/leadership/how-step-your-leadership-game-2018

 

Culinary Connections

Thank You for a Truly Special Evening!

Oh What A Night!!

Thank you ALL for making Culinary Connections on November 29th the most awesome to date!

Thank you to Sally Glick, CMO of Sobel & Company for being our POWER Culinary Connections guest, and for all of the great connections she has provided to so many of us!

Special thanks to my sponsors, without whom I could not make this happen: Karolina Dehnhard, Budd Larner; Vince Egan, Benjamin Edwards; Stu Vorcheimer, Peapack Gladstone Bank; Travis Epp, Eisner Amper; and a HUGE THANK YOU to Ken Krysinski and Vic Ventura of Socialfix for all of the great videos and photography. Ken and Vic: You ROCK!

GREAT FRIENDS & NEW ASSOCIATES

I was blown away by all of your gratitude, successes, and some of the connections you have made. And the greatest gift of the season was hearing how much ENERGY you all felt in the room and of course, being with all of you at this special time of year.

Many of you wrote and called to personally thank me which made my heart sing all weekend! One of my favorite quotes, stolen from Zig Ziglar:

“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Obvious to me that we are a group of GO GIVERS!

PHOTOS FROM CULINARY CONNECTIONS:

(Click Photos to Enlarge)

SAVE THE DATE

As usual, I am already planning our next Culinary Connections, which will be in February or March, and feature Marci Hopkins of Wake Up with Marci, WakeUpWithMarci.com.

INTERESTED IN A SPONSORSHIP?

Please be in touch if you would like to sponsor this upcoming event. I am always looking to expand our reach! You can email or call me for more info!

THANK YOU!

I wish you all of the blessings and cheer of the season and a most abundant 2019!

Love,

Susan Ascher

 

 

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT CULINARY CONNECTIONS:

“Thank you for having me last Wednesday! I really enjoyed the culinary portion of the event as well as the networking.”
– Richard Sodeke, Media Sales Associate at Felix

“What a lovely evening last night.  I loved that we were standing in the kitchen  watching the handsome chef with his adorable French accent, cooking delicious food that we could eat immediately.  How often does one get that opportunity to see behind the scenes, other than on television where it sometimes seems scripted?  The event was beautiful, the location  was stunning, and the camaraderie in the room – priceless!”
– Eileen Berman, eileenbergman.com

“Great event last night, truly.  Thank you! When I hit the road and sat in the driving rain and traffic coming from Newark, I thought about how nice it would be to go home! Boy am I glad that I made the commitment to you (and to me) to come because I would have missed a wonderful time meeting great folks.”
– Lori Chapin, Attorney, Sedgwick, LLP

“Thank you for a great event! I adored your friends and clients.”
– Denise Gaffney, Area Development Manager, Etcetera; Regional VP, National Association of Professional Women

“The Restaurant Serenade installment of Culinary Connections was excellent – great food and wine as well as great new faces to share it with. I look forward to the next Culinary Connections event in April and joining the Course Connections group in the spring.”
– Marty Eide, Attorney, Markel Corporation

OUR CULINARY CONNECTIONS SPONSORS:

 

Public Speaking

How to Relax and Prepare for Public Speaking

Despite its prevalence in the corporate world, public speaking is a difficult skill to master. Standing in front of a room full of people and speaking about a topic is a common fear for many people from all industries.

So how can a person not only get over their fear of public speaking, but refine his or her skills to become a public speaking expert? Here are a few tips that can help novices polish their next speeches and feel more comfortable while giving them.

Prepare (Make Sure You Practice)

Improvising a speech isn’t such a great idea – an unrehearsed, ill-written speech will bore the audience and harm the speaker’s credibility. Solid preparation is key for a stunning presentation.

First, identify the audience that will be listening to the speech. Are they friends, family members, coworkers, upper leadership, board members, or executives? Each audience type will require a different presentation purpose. For more professional settings, for instance, tone down the informal aspects of a speech and highlight moments that teach, inspire, and motivate.

After writing the speech or outlining the presentation, rehearse. Make sure to take time in the days leading up to the speech to practice a few times a day. You can practice a speech during a commute, while you’re on a plane flying to a conference, or during a morning exercise routine. Practicing in front of other people will help a presenter build confidence and reduce nerves, as well as provide an opportunity to hear feedback to make the presentation stronger.

Use Gestures, Expressions, and Body Language

If a presenter is standing still, not moving his or her hands, slouching, or wears a blank-faced look, the audience becomes bored. If a presenter is talking about a happy subject and frowning, or talking about a sad subject and smiling, the audience can become confused. The presenter then loses credibility – and no one will remember the presentation.

Incorporating gestures and practicing open and positive body language will help a presenter retain credibility and excite the audience. A presenter should always:

  • Stand or sit up straight – no slouching!
  • Make sure that the facial expression matches the words
  • Make eye contact with the audience
  • Incorporate hand motions and gestures to emphasize their speech

Speak Slowly and Clearly

Lots of presenters are so nervous about their speeches that they tend to speak as quickly as possible to get the speech over with. The problem? The audience likely has no idea what the speech was about!

Nerves tend to make us speak faster. When giving a speech, it is important to speak slowly and take time with the words on the page, presentation, or notecards. The audience needs to hear those words, and they won’t be able to if the speech goes by too quickly. Don’t be afraid to take pauses for emphasis or to breathe.

Take a Deep Breath

Before the speech, make sure to take time to relax, decompress, and de-stress. Pre-speech nerves can carry over into the speech itself, leading a presenter to shake, speak too fast, fumble over words, and otherwise show the audience that they’re nervous.

Do breathing exercises, listen to calming music, drink a cup of hot herbal tea or water, and meditate. Everything will be okay with some solid preparation and relaxed nerves!

Additional Resources:
https://www.inc.com/brent-gleeson/20-tips-for-mastering-art-of-public-speaking.html
https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/27-tips-to-be-a-better-public-speaking
https://abovethelaw.com/2018/08/5-tips-to-improve-your-public-speaking-skills/
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/17/elle-kaplan-8-simple-ways-great-public-speakers-overcome-their-fears.html

 

Leadership Leadership coaching

5 Ways to Build a Better Team

team building

You’ve probably experienced it – the sinking feeling when your supervisor places you on a team to work on a special project. Instead of celebrating the fact that you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with others, you bemoan the fear that you’ll end up doing all the work. How do we go from dreading team projects to actually making them a powerful resource for our businesses? Five basic characteristics need to be present for this to happen.

1. Establish a Clear Purpose

If team members don’t understand the purpose of the team, how are they going to work effectively? Without a clear definition of what goals the team should accomplish, it will flounder and not produce the results you want. Breaking the overall purpose down into measurable goals helps the members see a path to success.

2. Commitment Needed Too

Beyond purpose, commitment is equally valuable. Once members understand the vision of the project clearly, are they still willing to work toward it? In your effort to establish greater commitment, try telling them how accomplishing this purpose will benefit not just the company, but them as well.

3. Delegate Responsibility

Members need to be an active part in achieving goals in order to feel valued on the team. Delegating tasks is a practical way of creating this value factor. When members know they have authority to make decisions in their given area of expertise, they receive a sense of belonging from the team. This belonging is invaluable, because it creates trust between the team leader and the members.

4. Foster Diversity

If your team consists of members who all fit into the same mold of life, chances are you’re not going to have many innovative ideas at work to achieve your goals. Diversity brings different viewpoints to the team and is invaluable when brainstorming or problem solving. What’s the point of having a team if all of its members think alike? The unique contributions of each member should merit a place on the team.

Diversity does bring opposing opinions, but by creating a framework for sharing feedback, these differing thoughts become positive means of growth for the individual and the overall purpose of the team.

5. Prioritize Friendships

Friendship is going to be the glue that holds your team together through all of the stressful moments. Prioritizing work relationships is vital and allowing those relationships to exist outside of work will solidify a team. Try talking about each member’s weekend, or what each person likes to do outside of work. These relationships will be your saving grace during stressful times because members will pull together as friends, not just as coworkers.

We often take for granted that we know how to function well as a team. Most of us have been involved in teamwork since elementary school. The problem is that most people aren’t aware that different factors actually do influence the efficacy of a team. Whether you’re a team leader, a member of a current team, or you are establishing one, put these four principles into practice and watch your team grow and succeed.

Additional Resources:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/313771
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-team-building-1918512
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-better-teamwork-1919225