Communication

Faced with the prospect of giving a speech or presentation, many of us are gripped with panic. But there's no need to be paralysed. Here's how to overcome it and return to normal.

Is it just me, or are people increasingly disinclined – or unable – to just say "NO". This behaviour appears to have become a social and cultural phenomenon which has permeated throughout our lives, both at work and outside it.

You may think you're a good listener, but how often do you really listen before reacting? How long does it take until you jump in with a quick solution or retort?

A presentation , like any performance, requires its practitioners to know their stuff; pull out all the stops; make contact with anyone watching and listening and quit while the going is good.

Not all business-speak is jargon – some of it can even be useful. The trouble is, there's so much nonsense spoken in workplaces these days that it's easy for valuable concepts to be tarred with the "office-speak" brush.

Misunderstandings at work cost businesses in the U.S and UK a staggering $37bn a year. So where does the problem lie?

Many meetings are not dialogues. They do not invite contributions. Their style discourages openness. Their structure does little to capture collective and individual opinions. Here are some practical ways to get out of the meeting rut and have meetings them matter.

The first concern of any presenter must be to find a way for as many members of an audience as possible to get hold of your package of ideas with ease and discover what's inside.

Thanks to the internet and other technology, doing business in other parts of the world is easier than ever before. But if you don't know the culture or the language of that country, you could end up in big trouble.

Middle managers are a much maligned as a breed. But they serve a vital role in keeping deeply distrustful workers and senior management talking to each other.

Mary has recently moved into a management position where she is plagued by a colleague who bad-mouthed the previous person in her position and now she is saying the same things about her. Charles Helliwell has some advice.

Few of us has a problem with shouting at sports events, singing along with bands or talking animatedly across crowded bars. But when it comes to giving a presentation, most of us drop through the floor with embarrassment.

Diane's unit is plagued with poor morale and disorganization – a large part of which is due to her lazy boss. Dr Rob Yeung has some suggestions to help her deal with him without upsetting the applecart.

When you're not experienced, being on the receiving end of a heated conversation can be tough. But verbal challenges can be addressed tactfully and professionally as long as we've thought through a process for how to do it.

Open and honest communication is far more valuable than cash when it comes to keeping staff happy.

After an incident with a member of her staff, Katy is being given the cold-shoulder by her team as well as staff from other departments. Penny de Valk, CEO of the Institute of Leadership & Management, has some tips on how to handle a tricky situation.

It's no good ranting and yelling if you want to win an argument. What you need is a strategy.

We all need help to prepare and deliver better presentations. One effective - if unexpected – way to do this is to harness the energizing power of day-dreaming.

Here's a wonderful life-and death story with a difference which underlines that however hard you try to achieve something, it can often be impossible without good communication.

New web technology has the potential to transform the dull old office intranet, if only employers were brave enough to let their workers loose on it.

As every good actor knows, it is only by whipping your facial expression, speech patterns, articulation, inflection and stance into shape that you will ever tame the terror of talking.

The knowledge economy is being replaced with the networked economy. If you want job security or a meteoric career, building effective networks is one of the best ways of getting them.

I received a handwritten postcard recently from a supplier of mine last week. It had a real impact on me and reminded me that sometime, doing things the old way is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

Bibles, visits to strip clubs, haircuts, even betting slips – there is no end to what employees will try to claim as genuine work expenses.

Bullying others into submission is no way to go about being a manager. What you need to learn is how to get people on your side with a bit of gentle persuasion.

It's a fact of life that almost every audience will contain people who simply do not take to the presenter. So to minimize this problem, you need to find out about the mindset and culture of each group before you meet them.

Paula's boss simply refuses to deal with any problems or issues that arise in the office. What can she do to break down the wall of silence and start some honest communication?

It's not just sneezing or yawning that can be catching. Many managers perform poorly when trying to deal with staff who are difficult or not delivering.

The web is full of stories of managers doing dumb things, but one that stands out is this tale of a manager who is addicted to clichés.

The hatred of the business meeting seems universal. But there are ways of becoming ameeting master - and they don't take years of zen-like study to achieve.

What's your story? Study just about any inspiring leader and you will find someone who can tell a story that drives home a point – all the way down to a person's core.

One unfortunate side effect of our busy working lives that it is easy to lose sight of workplace relationships. As a result, we forget that our personal and professional success depends as much on the quality of these relationships as it does on how effectively we perform our tasks.

Being a salesman can be a tough job. You have to stand in front of potential customers and do anything and everything to convince them to buy your product. That means having confidence in whatever it is you are selling - which isn't always possible.

It is a fundamental truth of effective presentations that a clear and coherent message will only stem from one who is rooted in knowledge, keeps in good shape and makes their presence felt.

Having trouble understanding your boss? You're not alone, because managers the world over use phrases that, to the rest of us, make very little sense.

Employers who go out of their way to help their managers communicate better make more money for their shareholders and have a more committed, engaged workforce.

Even when he's presenting to a small group of friendly colleagues, Bijahn's voice dries in his throat. Voice coach Janet Howd has an entertaining solution.

No matter what the issue - be it a merger, acquisition or crisis - there are five ways that your CEO can communicate with employees and achieve positive outcomes each time.

The "white noise" of e-mail is one of the main reasons organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to get important information through to their staff. So what's gone wrong? And how can organisations and individuals see their way through the electronic fog that is choking our ability to communicate.

Is your inbox overwhelming you? Is it full of other peoples' problems? Are you drowning in urgent messages, all demanding to be answered yesterday? Do you sometimes wish that the whole email revolution had never happened? If the answer is "yes", you need to listen to this week's Working Week podcast.

Regional differences have long been an issue in many European countries, especially in places like the United Kingdom and Spain where regions have long sought or achieved autonomy. But how do those differences and emotional reactions to ethnic pride affect the workplace?

To ignite an audience you need to get both your vocal and bodily energy right. But unless the quality of your material is also good, you won't be able to keep the flame alive.

Are executives running out of stupid phrases to throw around the office? The Corporate Cynic says that he is starting to notice that the managers trot out the same old clichés over and over again.

Mark Twain believed that a good impromtu speech takes about three weeks to prepare. He was dead right. The only way to ensure your presentation will stand up to an audience is rehearsal and preparation.

Adam is supposed be an intermediary between people his office and product specialists located globally. Yet his colleagues - and even his boss – are increasingly bypassing him. Rob Yeung has some advice.

Professor David Bach discusses the effect on competitiveness of nonmarket strategy – the way that companies manage relationships with governments, regulators, NGOs, the media and society at large.

Here's another example of how a lack of communication from senior management can so easily leave those below them hopelessly confused.

If you are involved in employee communication, how can you ensure that you are able to measure whether your employee communication tools are really measuring employee engagement?

In Peter's workplace, those with a good story tend to be rewarded rather than those who really deliver results. So how can he and others deal with workplace situations and policies that compromise their integrity?

Adam has an important presentation to give in two days time but a heavy cold has left him virtually voiceless. Is there anything he can do to get his voice back? Actress and vocal coach Janet Howd rides to the rescue.

On this week's Working Week podcast, Wayne is joined by writer and management journalist, Phil Whiteley, co-author of a new book, How to Manage in a Flat World. They discuss how managers can communicate and motivate in today's flattened companies and how this might develop in the future.

On this week's Working Week podcast, Wayne is joined by writer and management journalist, Phil Whiteley, co-author of a new book, How to Manage in a Flat World. They discuss how managers can communicate and motivate in today's flattened companies and how this might develop in the future.

Our addiction to the mobile phone has become so chronic that we are in danger of forgetting how to be intimate with others as well as ourselves. In fact for many people, being on the phone seems to have become a vindication that they exist.

In an example of research that hardly needed to be funded to know what the outcome will be, a study from the UK has revealed that checking e-mail regularly at the office increases stress levels and diminishes stress levels. Wow - I never would have guessed that!

How do people balance the need for variety with the need to concentrate enough on individual projects to make successes of them? That one of the questions to ponder this month, along with some interesting techniques for conflict resolution.

For the business person, personal broadcast media such as blogging and podcasting are very attractive: They are both inexpensive and can be targeted to specific audiences. In fact, there are few reasons NOT to embrace them.

Wireless and mobile technology may have revolutionised the workplace, but what continues to drive business isn't gadgets, but good old-fashioned face-to-face communication.

I'm all for a rise in civility in the workplace. So too is Steve Harrison, chairman of management-consultants Lee Hecht Harrison, who has written a book called The Manager's Book of Decencies.

If there is one epidemic that has permeated the world of business more than any other, it would be that notorious infection, the buzzword – those made-up nonsense words that seem to only have any meaning to managers.

To deliver an effective presentation, we must make sure that the way we say what we have to say is well rehearsed and distinctly pronounced.