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14 Practical Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• May 11, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever felt complete dread and fear at the thought of stepping up to deliver a presentation? If so, you’re not alone. The fear of public speaking is more common than you might think, but with the right presentation skills , it’s a hurdle that can be overcome.

In this article, we’ll help you master basic confidence-building techniques and conquer advanced communication strategies for engaging presentations. We’ll explore how body language and eye contact can make or break your connection with your audience; delve into preparation techniques like dealing with filler words and nervous habits; discuss tailoring content for different audiences; and much more.

Whether you’re prepping for job interviews or gearing up for big presentations, being prepared is key. With adequate practice and the proper attitude, you can crush your speech or presentation!

Mastering the Basics of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are not just about speaking in front of a crowd. It’s also about effective communication, audience engagement, and clarity. Mastering these skills can be transformative for everyone, from students to corporate trainers.

Building Confidence in Presentations

Becoming confident when presenting is no small feat. But fear not. Even those who feel jittery at the mere thought of public speaking can become masters with practice and patience. Just remember: stage fright is common and overcoming it is part of the process towards becoming an effective presenter.

Taking deep breaths before you start helps calm nerves while visualizing success aids in building confidence. Also, know that nobody minds if you take a moment to gather your thoughts during your presentation—everybody minds more if they cannot understand what you’re saying because you’re rushing.

The Role of Practice in Enhancing Presentation Skills

In line with old wisdom, practice indeed makes perfect, especially when improving presentation skills. Consistent rehearsals allow us to fine-tune our delivery methods like maintaining eye contact or controlling body language effectively.

You’ll learn better control over filler words through repeated drills. Plus, the extra practice can help you troubleshoot any technical glitches beforehand, saving you the sudden panic during your actual presentations.

Remember that great presenters were once beginners too. Continuous effort will get you there sooner rather than later.

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Body Language and Eye Contact in Presentations

The effectiveness of your presentation can hinge on more than just the words you say. Just as important is your body language .

Impact of Posture on Presentations

Your posture speaks volumes before you utter a word. Standing tall exudes confidence while slouching could signal nervousness or lack of preparation.

If there’s one lesson to take away from our YouTube channel , it’s this: good presenters know their message but great ones feel it through every fiber (or muscle) of their being. The audience can sense that energy when they see open body language rather than crossed arms.

Maintaining Eye Contact During Your Presentation

Eyes are often called windows to the soul for a reason. They’re communication powerhouses. Making eye contact helps build trust with your audience members and keeps them engaged throughout your speech.

Avoid staring at note cards or visual aids too much as this might give an impression that you’re unprepared or uncertain about your chosen topic. Instead, aim to maintain eye contact between 50% of the time during presentations. This commonly accepted “50/70 rule” will help you exhibit adequate confidence to your audience.

If stage fright has gotten a hold on you, take deep breaths before you start speaking in order to stay calm. Make sure that fear doesn’t disrupt your ability to maintain eye-contact during presentations.

If body language and eye contact still feel like a lot to manage during your big presentation, remember our golden rule: nobody minds small mistakes. It’s how you handle questions or mishaps that truly makes a difference—so stay positive and enthusiastic.

Preparation Techniques for Successful Presentations

Presentation skills are like a craft that requires meticulous preparation and practice. Aspects like visual aids and time management contribute to the overall effectiveness of your delivery.

The first step towards delivering an impactful presentation is research and organization. The content should be well-researched, structured logically, and presented in simple language. This will make sure you deliver clear messages without any room for misinterpretation.

Dealing with Filler Words and Nervous Habits

Nervous habits such as excessive use of filler words can distract from your message. Luckily, there are plenty of strategies that can address these issues. For instance, try taking deep breaths before speaking or using note cards until fluency is achieved. In addition, practice regularly to work on eliminating these verbal stumbling blocks.

Avoiding Distractions During Presentations

In a digital age where distractions abound, maintaining focus during presentations has become an even more crucial part of the preparation process. This video by motivational speaker Brain Tracy provides insights on how one could achieve this level of focus required for effective presentations.

Maintaining Confidence Throughout Your Presentation

Confidence comes from thorough understanding of the chosen topic combined with regular practice sessions before the big day arrives. Make use of note cards or cue cards as needed but avoid reading from them verbatim.

Taking control over stage fright starts by arriving early at the venue so that you familiarize yourself with the surroundings, which generally calms nerves down considerably. So next time you feel nervous before a big presentation, remember—thorough preparation can make all the difference.

Engaging Your Audience During Presentations

Connecting with your audience during presentations is an art, and mastering it can take your presentation skills to the next level. Making the message conveyed reach an emotional level is essential, not just conveying facts.

Understanding Your Target Audience

The first step towards engaging your audience is understanding them. Tailor the content of your presentation to their needs and interests. Speak in their language—whether that be professional jargon or everyday slang—to establish rapport and ensure comprehension.

An effective presenter understands who they’re speaking to, what those individuals care about, and how best to communicate complex ideas understandably.

Making Complex Information Understandable

Dense data or complicated concepts can lose even the most interested listener if presented ineffectively. Breaking your key points down into manageable chunks helps maintain attention while promoting retention. Analogies are especially useful for this purpose as they make unfamiliar topics more relatable.

Audience Participation & Questions: A Two-Way Street

Incorporating opportunities for audience participation encourages engagement at another level. It allows listeners to become active participants rather than passive receivers of knowledge.

Consider techniques like live polls or interactive Q&A sessions where you invite questions from attendees mid-presentation instead of saving all queries until the end.

This gives you a chance not only engage but also address any misunderstandings right on spot.

• Treat each question asked as an opportunity—it’s evidence someone has been paying attention. Even challenging questions should be welcomed as they demonstrate an engaged, thoughtful audience.
• Encourage participation. It can be as simple as a show of hands or the use of interactive technologies for live polling during your presentation. This keeps your audience active and invested in the content.

Remember, your presentation isn’t just about putting on a show—it’s about meaningful interaction.

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Presentation Skills in Specific Contexts

Whether you’re nailing your next job interview, presenting an exciting marketing campaign, or delivering insightful educational content, the context matters. Let’s take a look.

The Art of Job Interviews

A successful job interview often hinges on effective communication and confidence. Here, the target audience is usually small but holds significant influence over your future prospects. Body language plays a crucial role; maintain eye contact to show sincerity and interest while open body language communicates approachability.

Bullet points summarizing key experiences are also helpful for quick recall under pressure. This allows you to present your chosen topic with clarity and positive enthusiasm without relying heavily on note or cue cards.

Pitching in Public Relations & Marketing

In public relations (PR) and marketing contexts, presentations need to capture attention quickly yet hold it long enough to deliver key messages effectively. Visual aids are valuable tools here—they help emphasize points while keeping the audience engaged.

Your aim should be highlighting presentation benefits that resonate with potential clients or partners, making them feel as though ignoring such opportunities would mean missing out big time.

Educational Presentations

An educational setting demands its own unique set of presentation skills where deep understanding trumps flashy visuals. You must make complex information understandable without oversimplifying essential details—the use of analogies can be beneficial here.

Keeping the audience’s attention is critical. Encourage questions and participation to foster a more interactive environment, enhancing learning outcomes for all audience members.

Tips for Becoming a Great Presenter

No single method is suitable for everyone when it comes to speaking in public. However, incorporating continuous improvement and practice into your routine can make you an exceptional presenter.

Tailor Your Presentation to Your Audience

Becoming an excellent speaker isn’t just about delivering information; it’s also about making a connection with the audience. So make sure that you’re taking setting, audience, and topic into consideration when crafting your presentation. What works for one audience may not work for another, so be sure to adapt your presentation styles according to the occasion in order to be truly effective.

The Power of Practice

The art of mastering public speaking skills requires practice —and lots of it . To become a great presenter, focus on improving communication skills through practice and feedback from peers or mentors. Try to seek feedback on every speech delivered and incorporate those pointers in your future presentations. Over time, this cycle of delivery-feedback-improvement significantly enhances your ability to connect with audiences and convey ideas effectively.

If you’re looking for examples of good speakers, our speech breakdowns on YouTube provide excellent examples of experienced presenters who masterfully utilize speaking techniques. Analyzing their strategies could give you great ideas for enhancing your own style.

Finding Your Style

A crucial part of captivating any audience lies in how you deliver the message rather than the message itself. Developing a unique presentation style lets you stand out as an engaging speaker who commands attention throughout their talk. Through — you guessed it — practice, you can develop a personal presentation style that resonates with listeners while showcasing your expertise on the chosen topic.

Your body language plays a pivotal role here: open gestures communicate confidence and enthusiasm towards your subject matter, two qualities essential for keeping audiences hooked. Similarly, using vocal variety adds dynamism to speeches by emphasizing points when needed or creating suspense during storytelling parts of your talk.

Cultivating Passion & Enthusiasm

Showcasing genuine passion for the subject helps keep listeners engaged throughout even lengthy presentations. Sharing stories related to the topic or expressing excitement about sharing knowledge tends to draw people in more than mere data recitation ever could.

Recognize that everybody is distinctive; don’t expect identical results from every speaker. The path to becoming a great presenter involves recognizing your strengths and working tirelessly on areas that need improvement.

FAQs on Presentation Skills

What are good presentation skills.

Good presentation skills include a clear message, confident delivery, engaging body language, audience understanding, and interaction. They also involve effective preparation and practice.

What are the 5 steps of presentation skills?

The five steps of presenting include: planning your content, preparing visual aids if needed, practicing the delivery aloud, performing it with confidence, and finally post-presentation reflection for improvements.

What are the 5 P’s of presentation skills?

The five P’s stand for Preparation (researching your topic), Practice (rehearsing your talk), Performance (delivering with confidence), Posture (standing tall), and Projection (using a strong voice).

What are your presentation skills?

Your personal set of abilities to deliver information effectively is what we call your presentation skill. It can encompass public speaking ability, clarity in speech or writing as well as visual communication talent.

Mastering presentation skills isn’t an overnight process, but practice and perseverance will put you well on your way to becoming an effective speaker.

You’ve learned that confidence plays a crucial role in effective presentations, so take deep breaths, make eye contact, and keep your body language open. As always, preparation is key. Tackle filler words head-on and get comfortable with visual aids for impactful storytelling.

Remember the importance of audience engagement — it’s all about understanding their needs and tailoring your content accordingly. This way, complex information turns into digestible insights.

Above all else: practice! After all, nothing beats experience when it comes to improving public speaking abilities.

• Last Updated: May 9, 2024

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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Home Blog Education Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Getting the perfect presentation design is just a step toward a successful presentation. For the experienced user, building presentation skills is the answer to elevating the power of your message and showing expertise on any subject. Still, one can ask: is it the same set of skills, or are they dependable on the type of presentation?

In this article, we will introduce the different types of presentations accompanied by the skillset required to master them. The purpose, as always, is to retain the audience’s interest for a long-lasting and convincing message.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Presentation Skills

Persuasive presentations, instructional presentations, informative presentations, inspirational presentations, basic presentation skills, what are the main difficulties when giving a presentation, recommendations to improve your presentation skills, closing statement.

Effective communication is the answer to reaching business and academic goals. The scenarios in which we can be required to deliver a presentation are as diverse as one can imagine. Still, some core concepts apply to all presentations.

 We define presentation skills as a compendium of soft skills that directly affect your presentation performance and contribute to creating a great presentation. These are not qualities acquired by birth but skills you ought to train and master to delve into professional environments.

You may ask: is it really that evident when a presenter is not prepared? Here are some common signs people can experience during presentations:

• Evasive body language: Not making eye contact with the audience, arms closed tightly to the body, hands in pockets all the time.
• Lack of interest in the presenter’s voice: dull tone, not putting an effort to articulate the topics.
• Doubting when asked to answer a question
• Irksome mood

The list can go on about common presenter mistakes , and most certainly, it will affect the performance of any presented data if the lack of interest by the presenter is blatantly obvious.  Another element to consider is anxiety, and according to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, 73% of the population in the USA is affected by glossophobia , which is the fear of public speaking, judgment, or negative evaluation by other people.

Therefore, presentation skills training is essential for any business professional who wants to achieve effective communication . It will remove the anxiety from presentation performance and help users effectively deliver their message and connect with the audience.

Archetypes of presentations

Persuasive presentations aim to convince the audience – often in short periods – to acquire a product or service, adhere to a cause, or invest in a company. For business entrepreneurs or politicians, persuasive presentations are their tool for the trade.

Unless you aim to be perceived as an imposter, a proper persuasive presentation has the elements of facts, empathy, and logic, balanced under a well-crafted narrative. The central pillar of these presentations is to identify the single factor that gathered your audience: it could be a market need, a social cause, or a revolutionary concept for today’s society. It has to be something with enough power to gather critiques – both good and bad.

That single factor has to be backed up by facts. Research that builds your hypothesis on how to solve that problem. A deep understanding of the target audience’s needs , concerns, and social position regarding the solution your means can offer. When those elements are in place, building a pitch becomes an easy task. 

Graphics can help you introduce information in a compelling format, lowering the need for lengthy presentations. Good presentation skills for persuasive presentations go by the hand of filtering relevant data and creating the visual cues that resonate with what your audience demands.

One powerful example of a persuasive presentation is the technique known as the elevator pitch . You must introduce your idea or product convincingly to the audience in a timeframe between 30 seconds and less than 2 minutes. You have to expose:

• What do you do 
• What’s the problem to solve
• Why is your solution different from others 
• Why should the audience care about your expertise

For that very purpose, using engaging graphics with contrasting colors elevates the potential power of your message. It speaks professionalism, care for details, and out-of-the-box thinking. Knowing how to end a presentation is also critical, as your CTAs should be placed with care.

Therefore, let’s resume the requirements of persuasive presentations in terms of good presentation skills:

• Identifying problems and needs
• Elaborating “the hook” (the element that grabs the audience’s attention)
• Knowing how to “tie” your audience (introducing a piece of information related to the hook that causes an emotional impact)
• Broad knowledge of body language and hand gestures to quickly convey your message
• Being prepared to argue a defense of your point of view
• Handling rejection
• Having a proactive attitude to convert opportunities into new projects
• Using humor, surprise, or personal anecdotes as elements to sympathize with the audience
• Having confidence
• Be able to summarize facts and information in visually appealing ways

You can learn more about persuasive presentation techniques by clicking here .

In the case of instructional presentations, we ought to differentiate two distinctive types:

• Lecture Presentations : Presentations being held at universities or any other educative institution. Those presentations cover, topic by topic, and the contents of a syllabus and are created by the team of teachers in charge of the course.
• Training Presentations : These presentations take place during in-company training sessions and usually comprise a good amount of content that is resumed into easy-to-take solutions. They are aimed to coach employees over certain topics relevant to their work performance. The 70-20-10 Model is frequently used to address these training situations.

Lecture presentations appeal to the gradual introduction of complex concepts, following a structure set in the course’s syllabus. These presentations often have a similar aesthetic as a group of professors or researchers created to share their knowledge about a topic. Personal experience does tell that course presentations often rely on factual data, adequately documented, and on the theoretical side.

An example of a presentation that lies under this concept is a Syllabus Presentation, used by the teaching team to introduce the subject to new students, evaluation methods, concepts to be learned, and expectations to pass the course.

On the other hand, training presentations are slide decks designed to meet an organization’s specific needs in the formal education of their personnel. Commonly known as “continuous education,” plenty of companies invest resources in coaching their employees to achieve higher performance results. These presentations have the trademark of being concise since their idea is to introduce the concepts that shall be applied in practice sessions. 

Ideally, the training presentations are introduced with little text and easy-to-recognize visual cues. Since the idea is to summarize as much as possible, these are visually appealing for the audience. They must be dynamic enough to allow the presenter to convey the message.

Those key takeaways remind employees when they revisit their learning resources and allow them to ruminate on questions that fellow workers raise. 

To sum up this point, building presentation skills for instructional presentations requires:

• Ability to put complex concepts into simpler words
• Patience and a constant learning mindset
• Voice training to deliver lengthy speeches without being too dense
• Ability to summarize points and note the key takeaways
• Empathizing with the audience to understand their challenges in the learning process

The informative presentations take place in business situations, such as when to present project reports from different departments to the management. Another potential usage of these presentations is in SCRUM or other Agile methodologies, when a sprint is completed, to discuss the advance of the project with the Product Owner.

As they are presentations heavily dependent on data insights, it’s common to see the usage of infographics and charts to express usually dense data in simpler terms and easy to remember. 

Informative presentations don’t just fall into the business category. Ph.D. Dissertation and Thesis presentations are topics that belong to the informative presentations category as they condense countless research hours into manageable reports for the academic jury. 

Since these informational presentations can be perceived as lengthy and data-filled, it is important to learn the following professional presentation skills:

• Attention to detail
• Be able to explain complex information in simpler terms
• Creative thinking
• Powerful diction
• Working on pauses and transitions
• Pacing the presentation, so not too much information is divulged per slide

The leading inspirational platform, TEDx, comes to mind when talking about inspirational presentations. This presentation format has the peculiarity of maximizing the engagement with the audience to divulge a message, and due to that, it has specific requirements any presenter must meet.

This presentation format usually involves a speaker on a stage, either sitting or better standing, in which the presenter engages with the audience with a storytelling format about a life experience, a job done that provided a remarkable improvement for society, etc.

Empathizing with the audience is the key ingredient for these inspirational presentations. Still, creativity is what shapes the outcome of your performance as people are constantly looking for different experiences – not the same recipe rephrased with personal touches. The human factor is what matters here, way above data and research. What has your experience to offer to others? How can it motivate another human being to pursue a similar path or discover their true calling?

To achieve success in terms of communication skills presentation, these inspirational presentations have the following requirements:

• Focus on the audience (engage, consider their interests, and make them a part of your story)
• Putting ego aside
• Creative communication skills
• Storytelling skills
• Body language knowledge to apply the correct gestures to accompany your story
• Voice training
• Using powerful words

After discussing the different kinds of presentations we can come across at any stage of our lives, a group of presentation skills is standard in any type of presentation. See below what makes a good presentation and which skills you must count on to succeed as a presenter.

Punctuality

Punctuality is a crucial aspect of giving an effective presentation. Nothing says more about respect for your audience and the organization you represent than delivering the presentation on time . Arriving last minute puts pressure on the tech team behind audiovisuals, as they don’t have enough preparation to test microphones, stage lights, and projector settings, which can lead to a less powerful presentation Even when discussing presentations hosted in small rooms for a reduced audience, testing the equipment becomes essential for an effective presentation.

A solution for this is to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Ideally, one hour is a sweet spot since the AV crew has time to check the gear and requirements for your presentation. Another benefit of this, for example, in inspirational presentations, is measuring the previous presenter’s impact on the audience. This gives insights about how to resonate with the public, and their interest, and how to accommodate your presentation for maximum impact.

Body Language

Our bodies can make emotions transparent for others, even when we are unaware of such a fact. Proper training for body language skills reduces performance anxiety, giving the audience a sense of expertise about the presented topic. 

Give your presentation and the audience the respect they deserve by watching over these potential mistakes:

• Turning your back to the audience for extended periods : It’s okay to do so when introducing an important piece of information or explaining a graph, but it is considered rude to give your back to the audience constantly.
• Fidgeting : We are all nervous in the presence of strangers, even more, if we are the center of attention for that moment. Instead of playing with your hair or making weird hand gestures, take a deep breath to center yourself before the presentation and remember that everything you could do to prepare is already done. Trust your instincts and give your best.
• Intense eye contact : Have you watched a video where the presenter stared at the camera the entire time? That’s the feeling you transmit to spectators through intense eye contact. It’s a practice often used by politicians to persuade.
• Swearing : This is a no-brainer. Even when you see influencers swearing on camera or in podcasts or live presentations, it is considered an informal and lousy practice for business and academic situations. If you have a habit to break when it comes to this point, find the humor in these situations and replace your swear words with funny alternatives (if the presentation allows for it). 

Voice Tone plays a crucial role in delivering effective presentations and knowing how to give a good presentation. Your voice is a powerful tool for exposing your ideas and feelings . Your voice can articulate the message you are telling, briefing the audience if you feel excited about what you are sharing or, in contrast, if you feel the presentation is a burden you ought to complete.

Remember, passion is a primary ingredient in convincing people. Therefore, transmitting such passion with a vibrant voice may help gather potential business partners’ interest.  

But what if you feel sick prior to the presentation? If, by chance, your throat is sore minutes before setting foot on the stage, try this: when introducing yourself, mention that you are feeling a bit under the weather. This resonates with the audience to pay more attention to your efforts. In case you don’t feel comfortable about that, ask the organizers for a cup of tea, as it will settle your throat and relax your nerves.

Tech Skills

Believe it or not, people still feel challenged by technology these days. Maybe that’s the reason why presentation giants like Tony Robbins opt not to use PowerPoint presentations . The reality is that there are plenty of elements involved in a presentation that can go wrong from the tech side:

• A PDF not opening
• Saving your presentation in a too-recent PowerPoint version
• A computer not booting up
• Mac laptops and their never-ending compatibility nightmare
• Not knowing how to change between slides
• Not knowing how to use a laser pointer
• Internet not working
• Audio not working

We can come up with a pretty long list of potential tech pitfalls, and yet more than half of them fall in presenters not being knowledgeable about technology.

If computers aren’t your thing, let the organization know about this beforehand. There is always a crew member available to help presenters switch between slides or configure the presentation for streaming. This takes the pressure off your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on the content to present. Remember, even Bill Gates can get a BSOD during a presentation .

Presentations, while valuable for conveying information and ideas, can be daunting for many individuals. Here are some common difficulties people encounter when giving presentations:

Public Speaking Anxiety

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects a significant portion of the population. This anxiety can lead to nervousness, trembling, and forgetfulness during a presentation.

Lack of Confidence

Many presenters struggle with self-doubt, fearing that they may not be knowledgeable or skilled enough to engage their audience effectively.

Content Organization

Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience. Artificial Intelligence can help us significantly reduce the content arrangement time when you work with tools like our AI Presentation Maker (made for presenters by experts in presentation design). 

Audience Engagement

Keeping the audience’s attention and interest throughout the presentation can be difficult. Distractions, disengaged attendees, or lack of interaction can pose challenges.

Technical Issues

Technology glitches, such as malfunctioning equipment, incompatible file formats, or poor internet connectivity, can disrupt presentations and increase stress.

Time Management

Striking the right balance between providing enough information and staying within time limits is a common challenge. Going over or under the allotted time can affect the effectiveness of the presentation.

Handling Questions and Challenges

Responding to unexpected questions, criticism, or challenges from the audience can be difficult, especially when presenters are unprepared or lack confidence in their subject matter.

Visual Aids and Technology

Creating and effectively using visual aids like slides or multimedia can be a struggle for some presenters. Technical competence is essential in this aspect.

Language and Articulation

Poor language skills or unclear articulation can hinder effective communication. Presenters may worry about stumbling over words or failing to convey their message clearly.

Maintaining appropriate and confident body language can be challenging. Avoiding nervous habits, maintaining eye contact, and using gestures effectively requires practice.

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery

In virtual presentations, maintaining a personal connection with the audience can be difficult. The absence of face-to-face interaction can make it challenging to engage and read the audience.

Cultural and Diversity Awareness

Presenting to diverse audiences requires sensitivity to cultural differences and varying levels of familiarity with the topic.

In this section, we gathered some tips on how to improve presentation skills that can certainly make an impact if applied to your presentation skills. We believe these skills can be cultivated to transform into habits for your work routine.

Tip #1: Build a narrative

One memorable way to guarantee presentation success is by writing a story of all the points you desire to cover. This statement is based on the logic behind storytelling and its power to connect with people .

Don’t waste time memorizing slides or reading your presentation to the audience. It feels unnatural, and any question that diverts from the topic in discussion certainly puts you in jeopardy or, worse, exposes you as a fraud in the eyes of the audience. And before you ask, it is really evident when a presenter has a memorized speech. 

Build and rehearse the presentation as if telling a story to a group of interested people. Lower the language barrier by avoiding complex terms that maybe even you aren’t fully aware of their meaning. Consider the ramifications of that story, what it could lead to, and which are the opportunities to explore. Then, visualize yourself giving the presentation in a natural way.

Applying this technique makes the presentation feel like second nature to you. It broadens the spectrum in which you can show expertise over a topic or even build the basis for new interesting points of view about the project.

Tip #2: Don’t talk for more than 3 minutes per slide

It is a common practice of presenters to bombard the audience with facts and information whilst retaining the same slide on the screen. Why can this happen? It could be because the presenter condensed the talk into very few slides and preferred to talk. The reality is that your spectators won’t retain the information you are giving unless you give visual cues to help that process. 

Opt to prepare more slides and pace your speech to match the topics shown on each slide. Don’t spend more than 3 minutes per slide unless you have to introduce a complex piece of data. Use visual cues to direct the spectators about what you talk about, and summarize the principal concepts discussed at the end of each section.

Tip #3: Practice meditation daily

Anxiety is the number one enemy of professional presenters. It slowly builds without you being aware of your doubts and can hinder your performance in multiple ways: making you feel paralyzed, fidgeting, making you forget language skills or concepts, affecting your health, etc.

Meditation is an ancient practice taken from Buddhist teachings that train your mind to be here in the present. We often see the concepts of meditation and mindfulness as synonyms, whereas you should be aware that meditation is a practice that sets the blocks to reach a state of mindfulness. For presenters, being in the here and now is essential to retain focus, but meditation techniques also teach us to control our breathing and be in touch with our body signals when stress builds up. 

The customary practice of meditation has an impact on imagination and creativity but also helps to build patience – a skill much needed for connecting with your audience in instructional presentations.

Having the proper set of presentation skills can be quite subjective. It goes beyond presentation tips and deepens into how flexible we can be in our ability to communicate ideas.

Different presentations and different audiences shape the outcome of our efforts. Therefore, having a basic understanding of how to connect, raise awareness, and empathize with people can be key ingredients for your career as a presenter. A word of advice: success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and patience to build communication skills . Don’t condition your work to believe you will be ready “someday”; it’s best to practice and experience failure as part of the learning process.

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18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills

Communication skills are some of the most utilized and the most sought after in the workplace. They’re essential for leaders and individual contributors to hone. Looking at our largely remot and hybrid work environments, great communication skills make the difference between connected, agile teams, and teams who fail to collaborate, stay aligned, and achieve common goals. 

The good news is that improving communication skills is easier than you might imagine. Here are some basic principles worth following in order to communicate better.

5 types of communication to develop

You and members of your team may have been working remotely for some time now. Whether you are in an office daily, at home managing from afar, or in a hybrid workplace between the two, you’ve likely leveraged more than one communication type.

For businesses to thrive long-term, it is important to develop communication skills that span each type. Here are the five most common communication types to focus on improving.

• Oral communication: Thoughts are shared through speech. Examples include presentations, one-on-one meetings, and virtual calls.
• Written communication: Thoughts and ideas are shared via the written word. This can be with emails, hand-written notes, or signage.
• Non-verbal communication : Information is shared without the use of written or spoken words. Examples include facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, and gestures.
• Active listening: Unlike the examples above, active listening is about receiving information. When someone is listening actively, they might ask questions to understand the information better, but refrain from focusing on their response so much that they fail to hear the speaker.
• Contextual communication: Information i s s hared with mutual, potentially un s poken, under s t anding s of variou s factor s s uch a s interper s onal relation s hip s and the environment.

What is effective communication?

The most effective communicators clearly inform others and actively listen to them at the same time. They can accept input – both verbal and non-verbal – while also expressing their thoughts and opinions in an inclusive way.

Regardless of the communication style , effective communication involves a connection with others. It is a dance with a partner that moves, at times, in ways we did not predict. This means the most powerful skill you can leverage is being in sync with your audience. It involves understanding and speaking to its needs, and then responding to real-time feedback. It means having the conversation that your audience wants to have.

But achieving all of that can take some practice.

Below are some effective communication strategies to help you listen and communicate better.

How to improve communication skills

The best messages are often simple.

There’s no value in delivering any kind of communication, whether written, verbal, formal, or casual, if the message doesn’t come across clearly.

Communicating concisely — while maintaining interest and including everything your team needs to know — is a high-level communication skill.

Here are some ways to communicate better.

1. Keep your audience in mind

Your audience will naturally be more interested and engaged when you tailor your communications to their interests. Piquing their interest by speaking directly to what matters to them will naturally engage their desire to understand and interact with the information.

2. Don’t use 10 words when one will do

Even the most engaged and committed audience will eventually get bored. Keeping your message simple and concise will make it easier to understand and retain. Remember, you already know what you’re going to say, but they’re hearing it for the first time. Keep it simple.

3. Consider the best method to deliver your message

If the information you’re conveying isn’t urgent, consider sending an email or a memo. This is especially important when communicating expectations . Written communication will give your audience more time to review it, think it over, and follow up with questions. It will also give them a handy record to refer back to.

4. Get them involved

If you’ve ever worked as an instructor, manager, trainer, or coach, you’ll know that there are few better ways to learn new information than to teach it. Ask them for their input or to take a role in explaining new concepts and policies to their colleagues.  

5. Leverage face-to-face communication when possible

Communicating face-to-face adds multiple layers of information to an exchange, whether between two people or two hundred. Often, there’s a synergy created with in-person communication that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere. Here are some tips to make the most of face time with your team:

6. Make eye contact

If you’re wondering whether or not your message is getting across, few metrics provide as much feedback as eye contact . You can easily tell if the person you’re speaking to is understanding you, is distracted, worried, or confused — much of which is lost in digital communication.

7. Ask for feedback 

Not sure they got it? Ask! A powerful technique is to ask people to repeat back their version of what you just said. Often, this can improve retention, immediate understanding, and minimize misunderstandings later on. You can also ask them to reach out to you with helpful ways that you can improve your delivery in presentations and other forms of communication.

8. Read non-verbal cues

There are various types of nonverbal-cues . Yawns, fidgeting, and looking around the room are usually clear signs that your audience is thinking about something other than what you’re trying to convey. If you notice this, don’t take it personally. Try asking them to share what’s on their mind, recap previous points they may have missed, or adjourn for a later time.

9. Minimize distractions

If you’re chatting with someone (or a group) face-to-face, keep distractions at bay by leaving unnecessary electronic devices out of the space. Keep the attendance limited to just those who need to be there, and avoid scheduling at a time when people are likely to focus on something else (like just before the end of the day or right before lunch).

How to improve online communication:

Online communication is rapidly replacing office spaces as the primary location of doing business. Especially if you’re used to working with in-person teams, it may be challenging to adjust to having meetings, conversations, and even people that collaborate with you or report to you digitally . Since online communication presents a unique way to interact, here are some things to keep in mind: 

1. Stick to a time limit

Online meetings can be even more difficult to focus on, since they incorporate the distractions of a nearly-unlimited number of settings. Keep the meetings short and to the point, and be especially vigilant about minimizing (potentially) marathon Q&A sessions. If needed, follow up through asynchronous communication methods to protect everyone's time.

2. Be mindful of the other person

Generally, the person presenting is the only one who can give the meeting their full attention. Especially when working from home, assume that participants have multiple demands for their attention and structure the content accordingly.

3. Recap important details

A lot of nonverbal and interpersonal cues can be lost over a digital connection. Ensure understanding by recapping the key points. You can either do a quick review in an online meeting or a brief summary at the end of a lengthy email.

4. Don’t forget to respond

Be sure to respond to each communication with a quick acknowledgment, even if it’s an informal one. Although you may have received the message, it’s likely that the person on the other end will have no way of knowing unless you let them know. A couple words or even a “like” will usually do the trick.

5 extra tips to sharpen your communication skills

In general, if you’re looking to strengthen your communication skills , the following tips will help you succeed no matter the situation you find yourself in (or the audience you find yourself with):

• Be approachable. If your teammates feel intimidated or worried that you may not respond well, they’re less likely to come to you with information.
• Be patient. Not everyone communicates the same way. Taking the time to be sure you’ve understood the other person and communicated clearly can pay dividends.
• Be self-aware. It’s okay if you’re still developing your communication skills, nervous, or having a bad day. It takes time — and practice — to become a skilled communicator.
• Check for understanding. Don’t be afraid to invite feedback or ask questions to ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
• Switch out the messenger. Allow other team members or leaders to develop their communication skills by empowering them to lead discussions and meetings.

How to be a better active listener

There is much talk about the beauty of active listening , but many people aren’t sure how it translates into actual behaviors. One of the main challenges to active listening is the preoccupation with a response. Many people are busy formulating a perfect answer, which leaves no bandwidth to engage with the input. To get out of this habit, which is not really in service of the speaker, consider the following steps.

Rethink how to add value

You may think that adding value to an exchange is mostly about what you say. But that is not always how others perceive it. Most of us value responses that help us think through our own ideas, that clarify our assumptions or point out possible blind spots. We often don’t need a listener to be brilliant or impress us with their own data. Instead, we may value most how they helped us sharpen our thoughts.

Paraphrase without judgment

If you find yourself preoccupied with responding, try changing the focus of your response. Instead of aiming to add your own thoughts, task yourself with giving a summary that withholds your opinion or judgment. As you listen, make it your goal to give a concise summary, perhaps clarifying the speaker’s initial language.

Bonus points for repeating sticky language that the speaker recognizes as their own (“so you were frustrated with the project because the deadline was an uncomfortable high ?”)

Ask questions that help speakers think

The next step from paraphrasing is to ask questions that move the needle. Much like the way a coach listens, these questions push speakers to go deeper into their own thinking, to clarify their expression or consider possible concerns. You can play devil’s advocate by pointing out inconsistencies or language that seems unclear. All of these are true gifts to a speaker and help you stay focused on listening.

Interrupt politely

Active listening isn’t mindless indulgence, and not all interruption is rude. Sometimes speakers get lost in the weeds, providing depths of detail you don’t need. Interruption can help them stay relevant – and be rewarded with more engagement.

Most speakers don’t mind being cut off by a question that lets them keep talking. Much harder, especially for introverts, is to interrupt someone in a meeting and end their floor time. Be sure to:

• Validate the speaker (“Thank you for bringing that up.”)
• Use a warm and polite tone. Get feedback from others on how you sound and come across.
• Refer to shared interest (“I’d just like to make sure we get to hear from everyone about the project.”)

Tips to keep audiences engaged when you speak

Be relevant.

As we are flooded with information, many audiences will not be impressed by data. In fact, the desire to cover all bases or anticipate all possible questions is a common reason for wordiness.

To keep listeners engaged, especially in virtual meetings, you should carefully curate content for relevance. Ask yourself: How does this information affect my audience? How may it help them with their work? Is this level of detail helpful to understand my main message?

If you have no clear answers to these questions, consider cutting the content.

A hallmark of executive presence, concision is the ability to express your ideas in as few words as possible. Listeners appreciate this, as it shows your preparation and respect for your listeners’ time. In addition, concision signals confidence: the confidence to do less, to say something once, and trust that it lands.

Especially in virtual meetings, where the feedback loop can be flat, many speakers struggle with being concise. They may repeat themselves “just to make sure” or use more examples to make a point clear. But this kind of “more” can often be less, as audiences disengage, having gotten the point the first time.

Concision is a leap of faith. The faith in your own preparation and that your delivery is clear. In virtual meetings with cameras turned off, it becomes harder to keep this faith. For your own self-care as a speaker, you may want to ask your audience to be fully present and turn cameras on — and then reward them with your confident delivery.

Leave spaces for the audience to fill

One way to slow yourself down and check in with audiences is to pause after making a point. Not just a second to catch your breath, but an actual space for silence. Both virtual and in-person, it leaves an opening for your listeners to fill, providing you with real-time feedback as to what they need next. How granular do they want you to get? Do they actually have the questions you were going to answer? Or are they taking your ideas in a whole new direction?

We often feel wary about silence, as if it means that something is wrong. But things happen in silence, and you may be surprised what your listeners offer when given the chance to jump in. However they fill the space, you may get valuable hints as to how to sync and proceed. And that is when communication becomes dancing.

Treat pushback as openings, not obstacles

You may believe that by making a compelling case, you should be rewarded with instant buy-in. Which of course, almost never happens. As your proposals are challenged you get frustrated, perhaps even defensive, as you try to explain why you are right. Soon lines are drawn and both sides double down, and you find yourself stuck in a rut.

To avoid such a shutdown of your ideas, you may want to rethink how you experience pushback. Most new ideas aren’t embraced the way they are initially proposed, and your audience may not need you to have ready-made answers to all their questions. Try to view your pitch as an opening volley, and the pushback as guidance to have the talk that you need to have. Instead of reflexive defense, ask follow-questions to validate and explore the concern.

Final thoughts on effective communication strategies

As a leader and manager, you have tremendous power to set the tone for how your team communicates. While it can be easy to fall into bad communication habits, especially when transitioning to an increasingly digital interface, a shift in the way one individual communicates can open the doors for a radical shift throughout an entire workplace. Building effective communication skills takes time, but the effects are worth the effort at every level of your organization.

Enhance your communication skills

Discover tailored coaching to master effective communication for professional growth.

Nicolas Gattig

Better Up Fellow Coach

Feedback in communication: 5 areas to become a better communicator

Foster strong communication skills to enjoy professional success, improve your interpersonal communication skills with these 6 tips, upward communication: what is it 5 examples, the 5 business communication skills worth perfecting, member story: developing communication skills and owning the spotlight, communication is key in the workplace. here's how to improve, we need to talk (about communication styles in the workplace), what is nonverbal communication 10 different types (with examples), similar articles, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, active listening: what is it & techniques to become an active listener, effective communication in relationships: 10 tips to improve it, 11 communication skills every leader should have, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, empathic listening: what it is and how to use it, 6 presentation skills and how to improve them, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Ever wondered what sets a great presentation apart? It’s more than just the words you use. Think about this, voice modulation, or how you say things, plays a substantial role at 38%. Your body language like hand gestures or eye contact, or how you carry yourself, takes a commanding lead at 55%.

Surprisingly, the content—the words you speak—only contributes 7% to a successful presentation. This interesting fact reveals that being an impressive presenter is like having a special recipe. It’s not just about what you say but how you present yourself. 

In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of presentation skills, and here’s the exciting part—we’ll make the learning process enjoyable by exploring games and activities that can transform you into an outstanding communicator even in front of a large group. Let’s explore the elements that can make you a standout presenter on your professional journey!

Importance of Presentation Skills

In the professional world, the ability to deliver a compelling presentation goes beyond sharing information; it’s about creating a memorable impact on your audience.

Here’s why presentation skills are important:

1. Communication Mastery

Presentation skills are at the forefront of effective communication. It’s not just about what you say; it’s how you say it. A well-delivered presentation ensures your message is heard and understood, fostering clear and meaningful communication.

2. Professional Credibility

A skilled presenter commands professional credibility. The ability to articulate ideas with clarity and confidence instils trust and respect from colleagues, superiors, and stakeholders. Credibility is a cornerstone for career advancement and building strong professional relationships.

3. Influence and Persuasion

Presentations are powerful tools for influencing and persuading others. Whether pitching a proposal, leading a team meeting, or advocating for a project, effective presentation skills enable you to sway opinions, gain support, and drive initiatives forward.

4. Career Advancement

Professionals with polished presentation skills often find themselves on a fast track to career advancement. The capacity to deliver compelling presentations positions you as a valuable asset to the organisation, setting the stage for leadership roles.

5. Confidence Building

Mastering presentation skills significantly contributes to building confidence. The more skilled you become at presenting, the more confident you feel in expressing your ideas. Confidence is contagious and can inspire confidence in others, creating a positive and dynamic work culture.

Now that we understand the pivotal role presentation skills play in professional success, let’s dive into engaging activities that can serve as effective tools for improvement.

Activities To Enhance Presentation Skills

These activities go beyond traditional training methods, offering a dynamic and enjoyable way to refine your presentation prowess.

Explore the following activities to elevate your skills:

Activity 1: Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a unique presentation style that challenges individuals to communicate their message with precision and impact. Originating from Japan, the term “Pecha Kucha” translates to “chit-chat” in English, and the format was first introduced in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham . Here’s how Pecha Kucha works:

20 Slides, 20 Seconds Each: 

Presenters create a slideshow with precisely 20 slides. The catch? Each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds. This strict time constraint adds an element of urgency, compelling presenters to deliver their message succinctly.

Concise and Focused Content

With only 20 seconds per slide, presenters must convey their content in the most essential and impactful points. This format discourages information overload and encourages a clear and focused presentation.

To excel in creating a Pecha Kucha presentation, consider the following tips:

Thematic Consistency: Maintain a consistent theme or message throughout your 20 slides to ensure coherence and a unified presentation.

Powerful Visuals: Prioritise impactful images, diagrams, or concise text on each slide to enhance the visual appeal and complement your spoken content.

Scripted Timing: Practise your presentation to synchronise with the 20-second time limit per slide. This ensures a smooth and well-timed delivery during the actual presentation.

Succinct Messaging: Craft concise and memorable messages for each slide, focusing on the main points to avoid overwhelming the formal audience with information.

Engaging Transitions: Plan smooth transitions between slides to keep the audience engaged. The rapid pace should feel natural and purposeful.

Feedback Seeking: Seek feedback from peers or mentors to gather insights on your Pecha Kucha presentation’s clarity, impact, and effectiveness.

Activity 2: Gush About Something You Don’t Like 

In this unconventional activity, participants are tasked with passionately speaking about something they don’t like. The challenge lies in transforming a negative subject into a positive and engaging presentation.

The objective is not to dwell on criticism but to practise the art of constructive communication and find positive aspects even in seemingly unfavourable situations.

Key Elements of the Activity:

Positive Framing: Participants must employ positive framing, emphasising constructive aspects or potential solutions related to a disliked subject. This requires creative thinking and the ability to reframe perspectives.

Expressive Communication: The activity encourages a person to maintain a passionate and expressive tone while discussing a disliked topic. This helps develop spontaneity and enthusiasm, key elements of engaging communication.

Audience Engagement: Engaging the audience is crucial in this activity, which also acts as an ice breaker. Participants must capture attention by injecting humour or providing relatable anecdotes, ensuring the presentation remains interesting despite the negative subject.

Improvisation Skills: The unpredictability of this activity fosters improvisation skills. Participants must think on their feet, respond to potential audience questions or objections, and navigate the presentation with adaptability.

Benefits of Gushing About Something You Don’t Like:

Participating in this activity provides several benefits. It cultivates the ability to find positives in challenging situations, fostering a constructive mindset. Expressive communication skills are honed through the challenge of maintaining enthusiasm, even when discussing a disliked topic. Engaging the audience under these circumstances enhances overall presentation skills, and the fun exercise sharpens improvisation skills by navigating unexpected turns.

Ultimately, this activity transforms negativity into an opportunity for growth, allowing participants to develop a positive and adaptable approach to communication challenges.

Activity 3: Photo Story

The Photo Story storytelling activity is a creative and engaging way to enhance presentation skills by incorporating visual storytelling. Participants are tasked with creating a presentation using a series of carefully selected photos as visual aids.

Each image becomes a piece of the narrative puzzle, and the presenter must seamlessly articulate the story, connecting each photo to the overarching message.

Visual Narrative Building: Participants select a sequence of photos telling a story. The challenge is to ensure that each image contributes meaningfully to the narrative, creating a cohesive and interactive visual journey.

Storytelling Skills: The activity focuses on developing storytelling skills. Presenters must describe the images and weave them into a compelling story. This enhances the ability to convey messages in a narrative format, making presentations more memorable.

Emphasis on Visual Communication: Photo Story underscores the importance of visual communication. Participants learn to use visuals effectively, recognising the impact of images in conveying emotions, themes, and key points. This skill is transferable to other aspects of presentation design.

Audience Engagement through Imagery: Engaging the audience is achieved through the power of imagery. Participants must captivate their audience by explaining the significance of each photo, fostering a deeper connection between the audience and the presented content.

Benefits of Photo Story:

Engaging in the Photo Story activity yields numerous benefits. It enhances storytelling capabilities, making presentations more engaging and memorable. The emphasis on visual communication contributes to creating visually appealing presentations in various professional contexts.

Additionally, the activity cultivates the ability to structure information coherently and captivate audiences through compelling visuals and narrative elements.

Overall, Photo Story is a versatile tool that improves presentation skills and promotes creativity and effective visual communication.

Activity 4: 30 Seconds Without Filler Words

The “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” activity is a great exercise designed to enhance public speaking skills by promoting clarity, coherence, and the elimination of filler words. Participants are challenged to speak on a random topic for 30 seconds without using common filler words such as “um,” “uh,” or “like.”

This activity aims to sharpen communication skills, encourage mindful expression, and minimise distractions to create a more impactful and engaging presentation style.

Elimination of Filler Words: The primary focus is on eliminating filler words that often diminish a presentation’s impact. Participants are encouraged to speak fluently and confidently, avoiding unnecessary pauses or distractions.

Mindful Communication: The activity cultivates mindful communication by prompting participants to recognise their speech patterns. This heightened awareness contributes to more intentional expression.

Pacing and Time Management: Participants must effectively manage their time within the 30-second limit, emphasising the importance of pacing in public speaking. This skill is transferable to various presentation scenarios where time constraints are a factor.

Enhanced Message Impact: Presenters create a more polished and professional impression for the whole room by eliminating filler words. The message becomes clearer, and the overall impact of the presentation is heightened, contributing to a more effective communication style.

Benefits of 30 Seconds Without Filler Words:

Engaging in this activity yields several benefits. It fosters an awareness of speech patterns, enabling participants to identify and eliminate filler words from their presentations. The emphasis on fluent and coherent expression enhances overall public speaking skills along with nonverbal communication, making presentations more impactful and engaging.

Moreover, the activity instils valuable lessons in time management and pacing, crucial elements in delivering concise and effective presentations. Ultimately, “30 Seconds Without Filler Words” is a targeted exercise that empowers participants to refine their communication style and deliver presentations with increased clarity and confidence.

The Power of Presentation Skills Training

Starting a presentation skills training course is like discovering a secret weapon for professional success. A skilled trainer can guide you through the intricacies of effective communication, helping you harness the true power of your voice.

Practice speaking under the guidance of experts allows you to refine your delivery, build confidence, and captivate your audience with every presentation.

Most people may underestimate the impact of a well-delivered presentation, but with the right training, you can elevate your skills to new heights.

In a presentation skills training course, you’ll discover the art of engaging an audience through various mediums. A seasoned trainer will train you on different types of presentations, teaching you to adapt your approach based on the context and audience.

Whether you write a speech, deliver a pitch, or participate in a video conference, the course equips you with the skills to excel and make your presentation successful.

A great trainer understands that effective communication goes beyond words. They emphasise the importance of non-verbal cues, teaching you to read and respond to your audience in the session. For example, when you actively listen, you can tailor your presentation to address the specific interests of your audience, ensuring they not only listen but also relate to your message.

Good presentation involves understanding these two truths: the significance of non-verbal communication and the importance of audience engagement.

In presentation skills training, every session is an opportunity to refine your abilities and unlock your full potential as a communicator.

So, if you’re interested in making a lasting impression and mastering the art of persuasive communication, a presentation skills training course is your pathway to success, offering opportunities for public speaking activities and discussion.

By Rishabh Bhandari

How to highlight presentation skills for resume, what is advanced presentation skills: exploring advanced presentation skills and steve jobs’ mastery, the significance of non verbal communication in presentation skills.

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How to Improve Communication Skills: 14 Best Worksheets

“Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness.”

But how do we put this strategy into action?

In this post, we’ll give you the tools to be a strategic and effective communicator, no matter your context, by walking you through a range of worksheets, digital activities, and resources to discover better communication.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching relationships.

This Article Contains:

How to improve communication skills, 3 examples of good communication skills, 3 most effective worksheets and tools, 3 games for developing communication skills, assessing your client’s skills: 3 questionnaires & scales, using digital tools to improve communication, how to use quenza: 5 benefits of digital platforms, communication resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Whether you’re delivering a presentation to a room full of conference attendees or hashing out a disagreement with your partner, many of the skills you need to achieve your goals in these different scenarios will be the same.

To improve your communication techniques, scholars recommend training in the following skills.

Perspective taking

Defined as a cognitive attempt to consider another’s viewpoint (Longmire & Harrison, 2018), perspective taking enables us to communicate in a way that is likely to resonate with others in the way we intended.

Perspective taking is often referred to as putting yourself in another’s shoes.

For instance, when preparing a presentation, we can take the perspective of our audience by considering their background knowledge on the subject of our talk. By doing so, we can communicate in a way that will match the listeners’ level of background knowledge, rather than leaving them in the dust.

Likewise, we can be intentional about trying to take our partner’s perspective during a disagreement by imagining how our actions might make them feel or by imagining how we would feel if the roles in the conflict were reversed.

Usually, this involves showing empathy to the person you are speaking to and creating space for their emotions.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness involves being able to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection . It requires you to separate your sense of identity from your thoughts and emotions.

But why is this important?

According to organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich (Workforce.com, 2020), we can only be as good at influence or collaboration (and a range of other skills) as we are at self-awareness. That is to say, if we work to develop our self-awareness, it can have a ripple effect on our ability to communicate, engage, and empathize with others.

In the example of delivering a conference presentation, self-awareness may help us recognize that we appear withdrawn when speaking to a crowd. This awareness then enables us to amend our behavior and style of communication.

Likewise, in the example of the disagreement with a partner, self-awareness might help us recognize our tendency to grow defensive to perceived criticism in a particular area. Self-awareness can counter this, allowing us to remain open minded and curious in such discussions.

In sum, good communication involves balancing our own perspective with that of others to convey a message successfully and accept feedback .

To empathize is to

“respond to another’s perceived emotional state by experiencing feelings of a similar sort.”

Chismar, 1988, p. 257

Showing empathy is another way to take the perspective of a conversation partner by acknowledging and validating their emotions in a situation.

No matter the situation, there’s usually a place for empathic communication. Let’s look at three scenarios. For each, see if you can identify the more empathic response out of the two response options.

A nasty bruise

• Scenario : You are having coffee with your sibling, and they hold out their arm to reveal a dark welt on their arm. “Check out this bruise from my fall down the stairs!” they say.

Which of the following is the more empathic response?

• Response A : You squint at the bruise. “That’s tiny,” you say. “Look at what I got when I was hit by a bike!”
• Response B : You wince. “Ouch! I can imagine that must have really hurt.”

Problems with Mom

• Scenario : You’re walking down the street in conversation with a friend. He’s been describing a recent conversation with his mother, in which he grew very frustrated. “When she shows up at my house without calling first, it’s stressful for me, but I can’t get her to listen to my point of view.”
• Response A : “I’m sure it’s just because she really wants to see you.”
• Response B : “I can imagine that must be really frustrating if you never know when she’s going to stop by.”

Missing money

• Scenario : You and your friend are at the counter at a coffee shop. As your friend goes to pay, her card gets declined. “I can’t understand where all my money goes after I get paid,” she laments.
• Response A : “I reckon you should make a budget.”
• Response B : “Yeah, it’s annoying when money disappears like that.”

In each of the above scenarios, Response B is the more empathic option. In these responses, the speaker validates the other person’s emotions and reflects them back to the other person.

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Let’s now look at three free worksheets and tools you can use to help develop your clients’ perspective taking, self-awareness, and empathy when communicating.

• Active Listening Reflection Worksheet This worksheet provides a useful summary of the techniques involved in active listening . Once the techniques have been reviewed, clients can practice them in pairs or groups or reflect on a recent conversation with someone in their life to apply their learning.
• Trading Places Worksheet The Trading Places worksheet takes your client through 10 steps to help them imagine a situation from another’s perspective. These steps can be especially useful when a client is struggling to move forward following a disagreement with someone in their life.
• How to Improve Communication in Relationships: 7 Essential Skills This simple leaflet details seven approaches and frameworks to better understand how we communicate and develop our skills in relating to others.

Check out these three games for both children and adults, designed to make strengthening communication with others fun:

• 500 Years Ago In this free worksheet , players attempt to describe modern-day phenomena to their partner, who pretends they have no knowledge of the modern world because they are from long in the past. In each round, the speaker must practice empathic communication and perspective taking by tailoring their language to their old-timey listener.
• Shuffle In this game , five children race to occupy four positions at the corners of a square marked on the floor. As kids play rounds of rock–paper–scissors to resolve disputes, the game will introduce them to the basic principles of conflict and negotiation .
• Where Should We Begin? A Game of Stories In this card game by leading psychotherapist Esther Perel, players take turns drawing cards to tell stories about themselves, their hopes, and their dreams. In doing so, participants can grow closer and share greater intimacy through the power of storytelling.

Communication skills – how to improve communication skills

Want to assess your client’s communication skills? Look at these three useful questionnaires and scales:

• Effective Communication Styles Inventory This test uses 15 forced-choice items to help individuals determine their preferred communication styles, including thinking, doing, collaborating, and creating.
• The Revised Self-Monitoring Scale This scale by Lennox and Wolfe (1984) is a 13-item adaptation of Snyder’s (1974) 25-item Self-Monitoring Scale. This reconfigured scale is a useful way to help clients assess two facets of their communication: their ability to modify their self-presentation and their sensitivity to the expressions of others.
• The Communication Effectiveness Profile This 84-item inventory provides a comprehensive assessment of seven factors contributing to good or bad communication, including empathizing and the ability to read nonverbal cues .

Thankfully, many new tools, games, and approaches are emerging to help facilitate communication training and skill development through virtual channels.

3 Games for your videoconferencing sessions

If you’re looking to improve communication with a small group or work team, here are some fun games and digital interventions you can use to have fun, break the ice, and encourage open communication via video conferencing.

• Synonym challenge Get everyone engaged, expand your vocabulary, and warm up your call participants with the synonym challenge.

Time: About one minute per round How to play : Determine a turn order for each participant in the call. Begin by having the first player say a word. Participants must then proceed in sequence, saying synonyms for that original word without repeating a word already said. The first player to take longer than five seconds to say a word is eliminated from the next round.

• Virtual escape rooms Emerging research has pointed to escape rooms as possible avenues for developing team capabilities and creative problem solving (Adams, Burger, Crawford, & Setter, 2018; Cohen et al., 2020). Why not try one out with your team?

Time: About one hour How to play : With virtual escape rooms, players must work in teams to watch videos, track clues, and cooperate, all to escape a virtual environment or race another team to complete a series of puzzles.

See The Escape Game for a popular virtual escape room provider and more information.

• Virtual murder mystery Break the ice and have fun with role-play at your next video call get-together by solving a quirky murder mystery.

Time: Typically one to two hours How to play : Each participant in a call is assigned a character or role with background information about their motivations and why they might be a suspect in a central murder mystery. Participants must then chat with one another in character to deduce information about the possible murderer (or point the finger at someone else if they are the murderer).

Check out the whodunnit app for a popular virtual murder mystery provider.

A look at Quenza software

If you’re a counselor, therapist, or social worker looking for tools to help your clients improve their communication, be sure to check out the growing library of pre-programmed tools available via the platform Quenza .

We designed this platform in collaboration with the positive psychology community to put leading science-backed worksheets and tools directly into the hands of helping practitioners and their clients.

To illustrate, here are just a couple of communication tools available through the platform, which you can access and try for yourself for just $1 :

• Learning to Say No Living in line with your values means you will sometimes need to make choices that disappoint others. This seven-part mini-lesson will give your clients guidelines and practical advice for respectfully saying no in the service of their personal values.
• Eight Steps to Forgiveness When communication mishaps occur, forgiving others is easier said than done. This essential eight-step lesson is based on the teachings of forgiveness expert Dr. Robert Enright and will help your clients release themselves from the distress of betrayal and hurt feelings.

If you’re curious about using digital interventions as part of your relationship counseling , coaching, or psychology practice, consider how these interventions might interact with other elements of your business.

In general, using digital platforms can streamline many aspects of your workflow while enabling clients to work within an organized digital environment, where all their information is in one place.

Benefits of using digital platforms to deliver care can include the following:

• Access to professional tools to develop digital activities, learning pathways, and lessons
• The ability to sort clients according to groups and initiate actions that affect all group members (e.g., sending homework materials)
• The creation of a centralized location to store clients’ contact information and documentation
• Access to modern security features (e.g., HIPAA/GDPR compliance)
• The ability to connect with other practitioners to share best practice learnings

Quenza offers all these benefits, and new features are always being added. Getting started with the platform takes only three steps:

• Sign up for a 30-day trial .
• View the brief quickstart video .
• Jump into the Activity Builder to begin preparing your first digital activity or browse the platform’s expansion library to select a pre-developed activity for your first client.

To learn more, take a look at the Quenza roadmap for a summary of existing and upcoming features.

17 Exercises for Positive, Fulfilling Relationships

Empower others with the skills to cultivate fulfilling, rewarding relationships and enhance their social wellbeing with these 17 Positive Relationships Exercises [PDF].

Created by experts. 100% Science-based.

Looking for more resources to teach communication skills? Here are some free materials you can use when conducting therapy, coaching, or counseling with groups:

• Listening Accurately Worksheet This handout presents five simple steps to facilitate accurate listening and can help establish some basics for training in effective communication.
• Communicating an Idea Effectively This handout lists three key features of a well-explained idea and strategies for building these into one’s communication.
• Making Eye Contact Exercise This exercise is a fun way to kick off a group training day by warming up people’s non-verbal communication skills.
• 17 Positive Relationships Exercises If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others build healthy relationships, this collection contains 17 validated positive relationships tools for practitioners. Use them to help others form healthier, more nurturing, and life-enriching relationships.
• Effective Communication in Therapy & Counseling: 17 Techniques This article about communication in therapy is a helpful guide for therapists as it provides a number of techniques that can be used to improve the therapeutic relationship.

Whether you’re the quietest person at a table or a smooth-talking socialite, the ability to put yourself in the shoes of those with whom you speak is key to effective communication.

Likewise, understanding yourself in terms of your strengths and potential biases when communicating can only serve you as you connect with others. Be sure to check out the resources throughout this post to help you or your clients develop these skills today for better relationships tomorrow.

We hope you’ve found this post and the listed resources useful. Let us know in the comments: What’s one technique or skill you’ve used to improve your communication?

We’d love to hear from you!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free .

• Adams, V., Burger, S., Crawford, K., & Setter, R. (2018). Can you escape? Creating an escape room to facilitate active learning. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development , 34 (2), E1–E5.
• Carnegie, D. (2019). How to win friends and influence people . Vermillion.
• Chismar, D. (1988). Empathy and sympathy: The important difference. The Journal of Value Inquiry , 22 (4), 257–266.
• Cohen, T. N., Griggs, A. C., Keebler, J. R., Lazzara, E. H., Doherty, S. M., Kanji, F. F., & Gewertz, B. L. (2020). Using escape rooms for conducting team research: Understanding development, considerations, and challenges. Simulation & Gaming , 51 (4), 443–460.
• Lennox, R. D., & Wolfe, R. N. (1984). Revision of the Self-Monitoring Scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 46 (6), 1349–1364.
• Longmire, N. H., & Harrison, D. A. (2018). Seeing their side versus feeling their pain: Differential consequences of perspective-taking and empathy at work. Journal of Applied Psychology , 103 (8), 894–915.
• Snyder, M. (1974). Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 30(4), 526-537.
• Workforce.com. (2020). Build self-awareness to develop influence [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/yQ7ZfODyafw

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Self-Assessment • 18 min read

How Good Are Your Presentation Skills?

Understanding your impact.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

How do you feel when you have to make a presentation? Are you well prepared and relaxed, confident that your performance will have the desired impact on your audience? new score

Or is the thought of standing on a podium, holding a microphone, enough to give you stage fright?

Enjoy it or not, presenting – in some form – is usually a part of business. Whether you get up in front of formal audiences on a regular basis, or you simply have to make your voice heard in a meeting, you're using presentation skills.

Many believe that good presenters are born, not made. This is simply not true . Sure, some people are more relaxed and comfortable speaking in front of others – but everyone can learn the skills and techniques they need to increase their level of confidence and performance when presenting.

From sales pitches to training lectures, good presentation and public speaking skills are key to many influential roles in today's business world. The good news about presenting is that you can improve with practice.

So do you have the skills you need to do a good job? And how effective are you when you have to "perform?" Take this short quiz to help you assess your skills.

Instructions

For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score in the "wrong direction." When you are finished, please click the "Calculate My Total" button at the bottom of the test.

Becoming a Better Presenter

Effective presentations are a mixture of a variety of elements. You have to know what your audience wants. You need to prepare good, interesting, engaging content. You must be confident in presenting the material, you have to know how to manage your environment successfully, and you need to make sure that your message has maximum impact.

Balancing all four elements is no easy task. And, when combined with the natural anxiety often felt before giving presentations, it's no wonder that many people struggle with this skill. In fact, fear of public speaking is extremely common.

However, you don't have to remain fearful and stressed by the thought of giving a presentation. With the right tools and material, along with planning and preparation, you can present with energy and confidence.

Let's now look in detail at those four key elements of effective presentations:

• Understanding your audience.
• Preparing your content.
• Delivering confidently.
• Controlling the environment.

Understanding Your Audience

(Questions 2, 5, 9)

The success of most presentations is generally judged on how the audience responds. You may think you did a great job, but unless your audience agrees with you, that may not be the case. Before you even begin putting your PowerPoint slides together, the first thing you need to do is understand what your audience wants. Try following these three steps:

Determine who the members of the audience are.

Find out what they want and expect from your presentation. What do they need to learn? Do they have entrenched attitudes or interests that you need to respect? And what do they already know that you don't have to repeat?

Create an outline for your presentation, and ask for advance feedback on your proposed content.

When what you say is what your audience wants or needs to hear, then you'll probably receive positive reinforcement throughout your presentation. If you see nods and smiles, or hear murmurs of agreement, for example, then this will motivate you to keep going and do a great job.

When your audience is satisfied, it doesn't matter if your delivery wasn't absolutely perfect. The primary goal of the people listening to your presentation is to get the information they need. When that happens, you've done a good job. Of course, you want to do a great job, not just a good job – and that's where the rest of the tips can help.

Preparing Your Content

(Questions 6, 11, 13, 14)

The only way to satisfy your audience's needs and expectations is to deliver the content they want. That means understanding what to present, and how to present it. Bear in mind that if you give the right information in the wrong sequence, this may leave the audience confused, frustrated, or bored.

If you provide the information in a well-structured format, and you include various techniques to keep the audience engaged and interested, then they'll probably remember what you said – and they'll remember you.

There are a variety of ways to structure your content, depending on the type of presentation you'll give. Here are some principles that you can apply:

Identify a few key points -  To help the audience retain the messages you're giving them, use the chunking principle to organize your information into five to seven key points.

Don't include every detail -  Good presentations inspire the audience to learn more, and ask further statements to maximize their understanding of the issue.

Use an outline -  At the beginning, tell your audience what you intend to cover, and let them know what to expect. This helps build anticipation and interest from the start.

Start and end strongly -  Capture people's interest as soon as you begin, and leave them with a message they won't forget. It's tempting to put all of your effort into the main body of the presentation. However, if you don't get people's attention at the start, they'll probably lose interest, and not really hear the rest anyway.

Use examples -  Where possible, use lots of examples to support your points. A lecture is often the least interesting and engaging form of presentation. Look for ways to liven things up by telling stories, talking about real-life examples, and using metaphors to engage your audience fully.

A special type of presentation is one that seeks to persuade. Monroe's Motivated Sequence , consisting of five steps, gives you a framework for developing content for this kind of presentation:

1. Get the attention of your audience - Use an interesting 'hook' or opening point, like a shocking statistic. Be provocative and stimulating, not boring or calm.

2. Create a need - Convince the audience there's a problem, explain how it affects them – and persuade them that things need to change.

3. Define your solution - Explain what you think needs to be done.

4. Describe a detailed picture of success (or failure) - Give the audience a vision; something they can see, hear, taste, and touch.

5. Ask the audience to do something right away - Get the audience involved right from the start. Then it's usually much easier to keep them engaged and active in your cause.

To brush up on your skills of persuasion, look at The Rhetorical Triangle . This tool asks you to consider your communication from three perspectives: those of the writer, the audience, and the context. It's a method that builds credibility and ensures that your arguments are logical.

Delivering Confidently

(Questions 1, 4, 7, 10)

Even the best content can be ineffective if your presentation style contradicts or detracts from your message. Many people are nervous when they present, so this will probably affect their delivery. But it's the major distractions that you want to avoid. As you build confidence, you can gradually eliminate the small and unconstructive habits you may have. These tips may help you:

Practice to build confidence – Some people think that if you practice too much, your speech will sound rehearsed and less genuine. Don't necessarily memorize your presentation, but be so familiar with the content that you're able to speak fluently and comfortably, and adjust as necessary.

Be flexible – This is easier to do if you're comfortable with the material. Don't attempt to present something you just learned the previous night. You want to know your material well enough to answer statements. And, if you don't know something, just admit it, and commit to finding the answer.

Welcome statements from the audience – This is a sign that a presenter knows what he or she is talking about. It builds audience confidence, and people are much more likely to trust what you say, and respect your message.

Use slides and other visual aids – These can help you deliver a confident presentation. The key point here is to learn how much visual information to give the audience, and yet not distract them from what you're saying.

Keep your visuals simple and brief – Don't use too many pictures, charts, or graphs. Your slides should summarize or draw attention to one or two items each. And don't try to fit your whole presentation onto your slides. If the slides cover every single detail, then you've probably put too much information on them. Slides should give the overall message, and then the audience should know where to look for supporting evidence. Manage your stress – Confidence has a lot to do with managing your stress levels. If you feel particularly nervous and anxious, then those emotions will probably show. They're such strong feelings that you can easily become overwhelmed, which can affect your ability to perform effectively. A little nervousness is useful because it can build energy. But that energy may quickly turn negative if nerves build to the point where you can't control them.

If you have anxiety before a presentation, try some of these stress management tools:

Use physical relaxation techniques , like deep breathing and visualization, to calm your body and ease your tension.

Use imagery to help keep calm, and visualize yourself delivering a successful presentation.

Learn strategies to build your self-confidence in general. The more assured you are about yourself and your abilities, the better you'll feel when you get up in front of people, and say what you want to say.

When you present with confidence and authority, your audience will likely pay attention and react to you as someone who's worth listening to. So "pretend" if you need to, by turning your nervousness into creative and enthusiastic energy.

For other tips on delivering confidently, see Delivering Great Presentations , Speaking to an Audience , Managing Presentation Nerves , and our Skillbook Even Better Presentations .

Controlling the Environment

(Questions 3, 4, 8, 12)

While much of the outside environment is beyond your control, there are still some things you can do to reduce potential risks to your presentation.

Practice in the presentation room – This forces you to become familiar with the room and the equipment. It will not only build your confidence, but also help you identify sources of risk. Do you have trouble accessing your PowerPoint file? Does the microphone reach the places you want to walk? Can you move the podium? Are there stairs that might cause you to trip? These are the sorts of issues you may discover and resolve by doing one or two practice presentations.

Do your own setup – Don't leave this to other people. Even though you probably want to focus on numerous other details, it's a good idea not to delegate too much of the preparation to others. You need the hands-on experience to make sure nothing disastrous happens at the real event. Test your timing – When you practice, you also improve your chances of keeping to time. You get a good idea how long each part of the presentation will actually take, and this helps you plan how much time you'll have for statements and other audience interactions.

Members of the audience want you to respect their time. If you end your presentation on time or early, this can make a huge, positive impression on them. When speakers go over their allowed time, they may disrupt the whole schedule of the event and/or cause the audience unnecessary inconvenience. Be considerate, and stick to your agenda as closely as possible.

Presenting doesn't have to be scary, or something you seek to avoid. Find opportunities to practice the tips and techniques discussed above, and become more confident in your ability to present your ideas to an audience. We all have something important to say, and sometimes it takes more than a memo or report to communicate it. You owe it to yourself, and your organization, to develop the skills you need to present your ideas clearly, purposefully, engagingly, and confidently.

This assessment has not been validated and is intended for illustrative purposes only. It is just one of many that help you evaluate your abilities in a wide range of important career skills.

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Trina Mattingly

Hello, This was really an excellent overview with concise instructions, using clear communication methods. I found the article to be captivating and poignant. Thank You

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8 Ways You Can Improve Your Communication Skills

Your guide to establishing better communication habits for success in the workplace.

Mary Sharp Emerson

A leader’s ability to communicate clearly and effectively with employees, within teams, and across the organization is one of the foundations of a successful business.

And in today’s complex and quickly evolving business environment, with hundreds of different communication tools, fully or partially remote teams, and even multicultural teams spanning multiple time zones, effective communication has never been more important — or more challenging.

Thus, the ability to communicate might be a manager’s most critical skill. 

The good news is that these skills can be learned and even mastered. 

These eight tips can help you maximize your communication skills for the success of your organization and your career.

1. Be clear and concise

Communication is primarily about word choice. And when it comes to word choice, less is more.

The key to powerful and persuasive communication — whether written or spoken — is clarity and, when possible, brevity. 

Before engaging in any form of communication, define your goals and your audience. 

Outlining carefully and explicitly what you want to convey and why will help ensure that you include all necessary information. It will also help you eliminate irrelevant details. 

Avoid unnecessary words and overly flowery language, which can distract from your message.

And while repetition may be necessary in some cases, be sure to use it carefully and sparingly. Repeating your message can ensure that your audience receives it, but too much repetition can cause them to tune you out entirely. 

2. Prepare ahead of time

Know what you are going to say and how you are going to say before you begin any type of communication.

However, being prepared means more than just practicing a presentation. 

Preparation also involves thinking about the entirety of the communication, from start to finish. Research the information you may need to support your message. Consider how you will respond to questions and criticisms. Try to anticipate the unexpected.

Before a performance review, for instance, prepare a list of concrete examples of your employee’s behavior to support your evaluation.

Before engaging in a salary or promotion negotiation, know exactly what you want. Be ready to discuss ranges and potential compromises; know what you are willing to accept and what you aren’t. And have on hand specific details to support your case, such as relevant salaries for your position and your location (but be sure that your research is based on publicly available information, not company gossip or anecdotal evidence). 

Before entering into any conversation, brainstorm potential questions, requests for additional information or clarification, and disagreements so you are ready to address them calmly and clearly.

3. Be mindful of nonverbal communication

Our facial expressions, gestures, and body language can, and often do, say more than our words. 

Nonverbal cues can have between 65 and 93 percent more impact than the spoken word. And we are more likely to believe the nonverbal signals over spoken words if the two are in disagreement. 

Leaders must be especially adept at reading nonverbal cues. 

Employees who may be unwilling to voice disagreements or concerns, for instance, may show their discomfort through crossed arms or an unwillingness to make eye contact. If you are aware of others’ body language, you may be able to adjust your communication tactics appropriately.

At the same time, leaders must also be able to control their own nonverbal communications. 

Your nonverbal cues must, at all times, support your message. At best, conflicting verbal and nonverbal communication can cause confusion. At worst, it can undermine your message and your team’s confidence in you, your organization, and even in themselves. 

4. Watch your tone

How you say something can be just as important as what you say. As with other nonverbal cues, your tone can add power and emphasis to your message, or it can undermine it entirely.

Tone can be an especially important factor in workplace disagreements and conflict. A well-chosen word with a positive connotation creates good will and trust. A poorly chosen word with unclear or negative connotations can quickly lead to misunderstanding. 

When speaking, tone includes volume, projection, and intonation as well as word choice. In real time, it can be challenging to control tone to ensure that it matches your intent. But being mindful of your tone will enable you to alter it appropriately if a communication seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Tone can be easier to control when writing. Be sure to read your communication once, even twice, while thinking about tone as well as message. You may even want to read it out loud or ask a trusted colleague to read it over, if doing so does not breach confidentiality. 

And when engaging in a heated dialogue over email or other written medium, don’t be too hasty in your replies. 

If at all possible, write out your response but then wait for a day or two to send it. In many cases, re-reading your message after your emotions have cooled allows you to moderate your tone in a way that is less likely to escalate the conflict.

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5. Practice active listening

Communication nearly always involves two or more individuals.

Therefore, listening is just as important as speaking when it comes to communicating successfully. But listening can be more challenging than we realize. 

In her blog post Mastering the Basics of Communication , communication expert Marjorie North notes that we only hear about half of what the other person says during any given conversation. 

The goal of active listening is to ensure that you hear not just the words the person is saying, but the entire message. Some tips for active listening include:

• Giving the speaker your full and undivided attention
• Clearing your mind of distractions, judgements, and counter-arguments. 
• Avoiding the temptation to interrupt with your own thoughts.
• Showing open, positive body language to keep your mind focused and to show the speaker that you are really listening
• Rephrase or paraphrase what you’ve heard when making your reply
• Ask open ended questions designed to elicit additional information

6. Build your emotional intelligence

Communication is built upon a foundation of emotional intelligence. Simply put, you cannot communicate effectively with others until you can assess and understand your own feelings. 

“If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors,” says Margaret Andrews in her post, How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence .

Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence will naturally find it easier to engage in active listening, maintain appropriate tone, and use positive body language, for example.  

Understanding and managing your own emotions is only part of emotional intelligence. The other part — equally important for effective communication — is empathy for others.

Empathizing with an employee can, for example, make a difficult conversation easier. 

You may still have to deliver bad news, but (actively) listening to their perspective and showing that you understand their feelings can go a long way toward smoothing hurt feelings or avoiding misunderstandings.

7. Develop a workplace communication strategy

Today’s workplace is a constant flow of information across a wide variety of formats. Every single communication must be understood in the context of that larger flow of information.

Even the most effective communicator may find it difficult to get their message across without a workplace communication strategy.

A communication strategy is the framework within which your business conveys and receives information. It can — and should — outline how and what you communicate to customers and clients, stakeholders, and managers and employees. 

Starting most broadly, your strategy should incorporate who gets what message and when. This ensures that everyone receives the correct information at the right time. 

It can be as detailed as how you communicate, including defining the type of tools you use for which information. For example, you may define when it’s appropriate to use a group chat for the entire team or organization or when a meeting should have been summarized in an email instead. 

Creating basic guidelines like this can streamline the flow of information. It will help ensure that everyone gets the details they need and that important knowledge isn’t overwhelmed by extraneous minutia. 

8. Create a positive organizational culture

The corporate culture in which you are communicating also plays a vital role in effective communication. 

In a positive work environment — one founded on transparency, trust, empathy, and open dialogue — communication in general will be easier and more effective. 

Employees will be more receptive to hearing their manager’s message if they trust that manager. And managers will find it easier to create buy-in and even offer constructive criticism if they encourage their employees to speak up, offer suggestions, and even offer constructive criticisms of their own. 

“The most dangerous organization is a silent one,” says Lorne Rubis in a blog post, Six Tips for Building a Better Workplace Culture . Communication, in both directions, can only be effective in a culture that is built on trust and a foundation of psychological safety.

Authoritative managers who refuse to share information, aren’t open to suggestions, and refuse to admit mistakes and accept criticism are likely to find their suggestions and criticisms met with defensiveness or even ignored altogether. 

Without that foundation of trust and transparency, even the smallest communication can be misconstrued and lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Communicating with co-workers and employees is always going to present challenges. There will always be misunderstandings and miscommunications that must be resolved and unfortunately, corporate messages aren’t always what we want to hear, especially during difficult times.

But building and mastering effective communication skills will make your job easier as a leader, even during difficult conversations. Taking the time to build these skills will certainly be time well-spent. 

Want to build your skills? Find the program that’s right for you.

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About the Author

Digital Content Producer

Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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• Presentation Skills
• Skills & Tools

Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable an individual to: interact with the audience; transmit the messages with clarity; engage the audience in the presentation; and interpret and understand the mindsets of the listeners. These skills refine the way you put forward your messages and enhance your persuasive powers.

The present era places great emphasis on good presentation skills. This is because they play an important role in convincing the clients and customers. Internally, management with good presentation skills is better able to communicate the mission and vision of the organization to the employees.

Importance of Presentation Skills

Interaction with others is a routine job of businesses in today’s world. The importance of good presentation skills is established on the basis of following points:

• They help an individual in enhancing his own growth opportunities. In addition, it also grooms the personality of the presenter and elevates his levels of confidence.
• In case of striking deals and gaining clients, it is essential for the business professionals to understand the audience. Good presentation skills enable an individual to mold his message according to the traits of the audience. This increases the probability of successful transmission of messages.
• Lastly, business professionals have to arrange seminars and give presentations almost every day. Having good presentation skills not only increases an individual’s chances of success, but also enable him to add greatly to the organization.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

Development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work. To improve your presentation skills, you must:

• Research the Audience before Presenting: This will enable you to better understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be better understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical audience, you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.
• Structure your Presentation Effectively: The best way to do this is to start with telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this by presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.
• Do a lot of Practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation. Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the presentation day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and eliminate errors more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your presentation look mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.
• Take a Workshop: Most medium and large businesses allow their employees to take employee development courses and workshops, as well-trained employees are essential to the success of any company. You can use that opportunity to take a workshop on professional presentation skills such as those offered by Langevin Learning Services , which are useful for all business professionals, from employees to business trainers and managers.

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42 Communication Skills Self Evaluation Comments Examples

By Status.net Editorial Team on June 3, 2023 — 5 minutes to read

Communication is a critical aspect of our lives, and it is necessary to evaluate our communication skills regularly to identify areas that need improvement.

To evaluate your communication skills:

Assess your listening skills:

• How well do you listen to others?
• Do you interrupt them or allow them to finish their thoughts?
• Do you ask questions to clarify their message?

Next, evaluate your speaking skills:

• How well do you articulate your thoughts and ideas?
• Do you speak clearly and confidently?
• Do you use appropriate language and tone for different situations?

Another critical aspect of communication is nonverbal communication:

• How well do you use nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and eye contact to convey your message?
• Do you pay attention to other people’s nonverbal cues to understand their message better?

Finally, evaluate your writing skills:

• How well do you write emails, reports, or other documents?
• Do you use clear and concise language?
• Do you proofread your work before sending it out?

Examples of Communication Skills Self-Evaluation Comments

Examples of positive comments.

• I am an active listener and always make an effort to understand others’ perspectives.
• I am confident and articulate when speaking in public.
• I use appropriate language and tone for different situations.
• I am skilled at using nonverbal cues to convey my message effectively.
• I am a clear and concise writer, and my emails and reports are always well-written.
• I am patient and always allow others to finish speaking before responding.
• I am skilled at asking questions to clarify others’ messages.
• I am comfortable with public speaking and can deliver presentations with ease.
• I am an effective communicator in both one-on-one and group settings.
• I am skilled at adapting my communication style to different audiences.
• I am comfortable with conflict resolution and can communicate effectively in challenging situations.
• I am skilled at empathizing with others and showing understanding.
• I am a good listener and can provide emotional support to others.
• I am skilled at giving and receiving feedback constructively.
• I am comfortable with networking and can communicate effectively with a variety of people.
• I am skilled at using humor to diffuse tense situations.
• I am confident in my ability to negotiate and communicate effectively in business settings.
• I am skilled at using storytelling to convey complex ideas in an engaging way.
• I am a skilled presenter and can deliver persuasive arguments effectively.
• I am skilled at using visual aids to enhance my presentations.
• I am comfortable with public speaking and can deliver speeches with ease.
• I am skilled at using metaphors and analogies to make complex ideas more accessible.
• I am skilled at using active listening techniques to show others that I am engaged and present.
• I am comfortable with asking for clarification when I don’t understand something.
• I am skilled at using positive language to build rapport with others.
• I am confident in my ability to communicate effectively in multicultural settings.
• I am skilled at using persuasive language to influence others.
• I am skilled at using humor to make others feel at ease.
• I am skilled at using storytelling to make my messages more memorable.
• I am comfortable with public speaking and can deliver presentations with confidence and ease.

Examples of comments that indicate a need for improvement

• I tend to interrupt others when they are speaking, and I need to work on being a better listener.
• I often struggle to find the right words when speaking, and I need to work on improving my articulation.
• I sometimes use inappropriate language or tone, and I need to work on being more mindful of my communication style.
• I struggle to maintain eye contact during conversations, and I need to work on improving my nonverbal communication skills.
• I tend to ramble or go off-topic when speaking, and I need to work on being more concise and focused.
• I sometimes struggle to express my thoughts and ideas clearly in writing, and I need to work on improving my writing skills.
• I sometimes struggle to understand others’ perspectives, and I need to work on being more empathetic and understanding.
• I sometimes struggle to communicate effectively in group settings, and I need to work on improving my group communication skills.
• I sometimes struggle to give feedback constructively, and I need to work on improving my feedback skills.
• I sometimes struggle to communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds, and I need to work on improving my cross-cultural communication skills.

Example Paragraph (Positive)

“I am confident in my communication skills and believe that I am an effective communicator. I am an active listener and always make an effort to understand others’ perspectives. I am comfortable with public speaking and can deliver presentations with ease. I use appropriate language and tone for different situations, and I am skilled at adapting my communication style to different audiences. I am a clear and concise writer, and my emails and reports are always well-written. I am skilled at using nonverbal cues to convey my message effectively, and I am comfortable with conflict resolution and can communicate effectively in challenging situations. I believe that my communication skills are a strength, and I am always looking for ways to enhance and improve them further.”

Example Paragraph (Areas of Improvement)

“I believe that I am a good listener and I make an effort to understand others’ perspectives. However, I sometimes struggle to express my own ideas clearly and concisely when speaking. I tend to ramble or go off-topic, which can make it difficult for others to follow my train of thought. Also, I sometimes struggle to maintain eye contact during conversations, which can make it seem like I am not fully engaged. In terms of writing, I believe that I am a clear and concise writer, but I could benefit from improving my proofreading skills to catch any errors before sending out emails or reports. I believe that I have strong communication skills, but there is room for improvement in certain areas. I plan to work on being more concise and focused when speaking.”

Tips for Effective Communication Skills Self-Evaluation

• Be honest with yourself: Self-evaluation requires honesty and self-awareness. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses in communication.
• Use a structured approach: Use a structured approach to evaluate your communication skills, for example by breaking down your communication skills into different categories, such as listening, speaking, nonverbal communication, and writing.
• Seek feedback from others: Ask for feedback from others, such as friends, family, or colleagues, on your communication skills. This can help you identify blind spots and areas for improvement.
• Reflect on past communication experiences: Reflect on past communication experiences and think about what you did well and what you could have done better. This can help you identify patterns and areas for improvement.
• Set goals for improvement: Based on your self-evaluation, set specific and measurable goals for improving your communication skills. This could involve taking a communication course, practicing active listening, or seeking out opportunities to practice your communication skills. Related: 60 Self-Performance Review Goals Examples
• Monitor your progress: Regularly monitor your progress towards your communication goals. This can help you stay motivated and make adjustments as needed.
• 40 Competency Self-Evaluation Comments Examples
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• 40 Job Knowledge Self Evaluation Comments Examples

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10 Good Communication Skills In The Workplace (Guide 2024)

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Introduction

Effective communication skills are essential in the modern workplace, regardless of your job level or industry. The ability to communicate information clearly, concisely and with impact can make the difference between success and failure.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career. We’ll also discuss why communication skills are so important, the different types of communication, and how to highlight your communication abilities on your CV and in job interviews.

Why Communication Skills Are Important in the Workplace

Communication is one of the most sought-after skills by employers today. Strong communication abilities allow you to:

• Convey information, instructions and ideas effectively
• Build positive relationships with colleagues, managers and clients
• Collaborate productively on projects and solve problems efficiently
• Negotiate, persuade and influence others
• Provide excellent customer service
• Advance your career through effective self-promotion

When communication breaks down in the workplace, it can lead to misunderstandings, reduced productivity, low morale and even conflict. That’s why honing your communication skills is so crucial, no matter what your role or industry.

The 4 Types of Communication Skills

Effective communication is multi-faceted, involving a range of verbal, nonverbal, written and visual skills. The four main types of communication skills are:

Mastering each of these four communication skill types is essential for thriving in the modern workplace.

10 Good Communication Skills Examples for 2024

Here are 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career:

Developing these 10 communication skills takes time and practice, but the payoff can be significant for your career success. Regularly assess your communication strengths and weaknesses, and seek out opportunities to improve.

Which Jobs Require Strong Communication Skills?

Communication skills are crucial in virtually every job and industry. Some roles where excellent communication abilities are particularly important include:

• Customer service and sales positions
• Management and leadership roles
• Consultancy and advisory roles
• Public relations and marketing roles
• Teaching, training and coaching roles
• Creative roles like writing, journalism and public speaking

Even for highly technical or specialized jobs, the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and engaging way is invaluable. Strong communication skills can help you excel in your current role and open doors to new career opportunities.

Emphasizing Communication Skills on Your CV and in Interviews

When applying for jobs, it’s important to highlight your communication skills throughout your CV and in job interviews. Here are some tips:

On Your CV:

• Include communication-focused achievements and responsibilities in your work history
• Showcase written communication skills through well-structured, error-free writing
• List relevant communication-related skills and training (e.g. public speaking, negotiation, active listening)
• Provide examples of how you’ve used communication skills to benefit your employer

In Interviews:

• Prepare examples of times you’ve demonstrated strong communication abilities
• Use confident, clear and friendly body language and tone of voice
• Listen carefully to questions and respond concisely and directly
• Ask thoughtful questions that show your engagement and communication skills
• Emphasize your ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders

By emphasizing your communication prowess, you can demonstrate to employers that you have the essential skills to succeed in the role and contribute to the organization.

Effective communication skills are vital for career success in the modern workplace. By mastering the 10 communication skills outlined in this guide – including emotional intelligence, clarity, friendliness, confidence, empathy and more – you can set yourself up for professional advancement.

Remember that communication is a multi-faceted skill that can always be improved through regular practice and self-reflection. Consider taking a career test or psychometric test to better understand your communication strengths and development areas.

With commitment and the right strategies, you can become an exceptional communicator and unlock new opportunities for growth and success in your career.

• Presentation Skills

Effective Presentation Skills for Professionals

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In today's highly competitive professional landscape, effective presentation skills have become crucial for individuals across industries.

This article will discuss the importance of mastering the art of presentations and provide valuable insights into developing and enhancing practical presentation skills for professionals.

Whether delivering a compelling pitch, conducting an engaging training session, or presenting innovative ideas to colleagues and clients, the ability to deliver impactful presentations is a vital skill set. Alongside technical proficiency, connecting with the audience on a deeper level and delivering resonant presentations is essential.

Understanding the Power of Effective Communication

Effective presentation skills rely on the power to articulate with absolute clarity, unwavering confidence, and resounding impact.

Effective communication goes beyond words; it encompasses delivery, body language, and overall presentation style. Professionals must understand the importance of delivering clear messages, employing engaging storytelling techniques, and establishing an emotional connection with the audience. Through emotional intelligence training , professionals can understand and address the emotional needs of their audience. By honing their communication skills, professionals can ensure that their presentations leave a lasting impression.

Structuring the Presentation for Maximum Impact

An essential aspect of effective presentations is structuring the content logically and engagingly.

Professionals must learn how to organize their ideas , outline key points, and develop a cohesive flow that captures the audience's attention from beginning to end. Professionals can deliver presentations that resonate with their audience and leave a lasting impact by creating a clear structure with a compelling introduction, a well-organized body, and a powerful conclusion.

Mastering Visual Aids and Multimedia Tools

In today's digital age, visual aids and multimedia tools enhance presentations. Professionals should learn to effectively use visual aids , such as slides or graphics, to support their messages and engage the audience visually. Understanding how to create visually appealing and impactful presentations, utilizing multimedia tools effectively, and striking a balance between visuals and spoken content are key skills that professionals need to master.

Engaging the Audience through Delivery and Body Language

The delivery of a presentation and the effective use of body language greatly influence its impact. Professionals should focus on developing confident and engaging delivery styles that captivate the audience. This includes using appropriate gestures, maintaining eye contact, and employing vocal variety to convey emotions and emphasize key points. By harnessing the power of non-verbal communication, professionals can establish a solid connection with their audience and ensure that their message is received and understood.

Overcoming Nervousness and Building Confidence

Nervousness and stage fright are common challenges when it comes to presenting. Professionals must develop strategies to manage their nerves and build confidence in their presentation skills. Techniques such as thorough preparation, practicing in front of a mirror or with colleagues, and employing relaxation exercises can help professionals overcome anxiety and deliver presentations with poise and self-assurance.

Adapting to Different Audiences and Situations

Effective presenters understand the importance of adapting their style and content to different audiences and situations. Professionals should be able to tailor their presentations to suit their audience's needs, knowledge levels, and preferences. Whether presenting to a small group of colleagues or addressing a large conference, professionals must be flexible and adaptable in their approach, ensuring their message resonates with the specific audience they are addressing.

Enhancing Connection and Impact

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in effective presentations. Professionals who have undergone emotional intelligence training are better equipped to know and manage their own emotions and perceive and respond to the feelings of their audience. By recognizing and addressing their listeners' emotional needs and concerns, professionals can create a deeper connection, establish rapport, and deliver presentations that have a lasting impact on the audience.

Using Technology and Interactive Elements

In today's digital world, professionals can enhance their presentation skills by leveraging technology and incorporating interactive elements. This includes using presentation software with advanced features, such as interactive polls, quizzes, or multimedia integrations, to engage the audience actively. By embracing technological tools and interactive elements, professionals can create dynamic and immersive presentations that capture their audience's attention and promote active participation.

Storytelling for Impactful Presentations

Storytelling is a great tool that can elevate presentations to a new level of impact and memorability. Professionals can learn to weave compelling narratives into their presentations, using storytelling techniques to connect with their audience on an emotional level. By sharing genuine anecdotes, real-world case studies, or personal journeys, they can craft presentations that not only inform but also deeply resonate and inspire. Storytelling helps to create a narrative arc, build empathy, and effectively convey key messages, making the presentation more engaging and unique for the audience.

Harnessing Feedback for Continuous Improvement

One of the most effective ways to refine presentation skills is by actively seeking and using feedback . Post-presentation feedback from colleagues, peers, or audience members provides invaluable insights into areas of strength and potential improvement. By understanding the audience's perspective, professionals can identify gaps in their presentations, adjust their approach, and continuously refine their style. Constructive criticism can shed light on unnoticed habits or areas that might need more focus, such as pacing, clarity, or tone.

Another avenue for gathering feedback is self-assessment. Recording one's presentations and reviewing them can provide a personal perspective on areas of improvement. Watching oneself can reveal nuances in body language, tone, and content delivery that might go unnoticed in real-time.

Incorporating Diverse Presentation Formats

In a rapidly evolving professional landscape, the traditional PowerPoint presentation isn't the only way to convey information. Embracing diverse presentation formats, such as webinars, interactive workshops, panel discussions, or even podcast-style sessions, can help professionals cater to varied audiences and maintain engagement. Each format offers a unique way to interact with the audience, and by mastering multiple formats, professionals can ensure they are equipped to present in any situation.

Emphasis on Continuous Learning and Upgradation

The art of presenting, like any other skill, benefits from continuous learning. Attending workshops, reading relevant books, or enrolling in online courses can provide professionals with fresh perspectives, techniques, and tools to enhance their presentation skills. The world of communication is ever-evolving, and staying updated with the latest trends and methods ensures that professionals remain at the forefront of effective presentations.

The ability to convey ideas and information effectively through presentations is more important than ever in the current professional landscape. Beyond mastering the basic elements of presentation, professionals should emphasize feedback-driven improvement, diversify their presentation formats, and commit to continuous learning.

By embracing a holistic approach to presentation skills, professionals can ensure they remain effective, engaging, and impactful, irrespective of the setting or audience. Coupled with emotional intelligence and a deep understanding of content, this commitment to growth will pave the way for presentation excellence.

Continue to: Top Tips for Effective Presentations Self-Presentation in Presentations

See also: Key Presentation Skills and How Leaders Can Develop Them Upgrading Your Presentation Skills and How You Can Turn a No into a Yes 7 Tools to Improve Your Presentation Skills

5 Basic Mental Health Skills You Need for Everyday Living

I n the complex tapestry of life, maintaining good mental health is a fundamental aspect that significantly contributes to overall well-being. Navigating the challenges of daily living requires a set of essential mental health skills that empower individuals to cope with stress, build resilience, and foster positive relationships.

These skills not only enhance emotional well-being but also lay the foundation for a fulfilling and purposeful life. In this exploration, we delve into five basic mental health skills that are crucial for navigating the complexities of everyday existence. By cultivating these skills, individuals can proactively manage their mental health, fostering a resilient mindset and creating a solid foundation for a more satisfying and balanced life. Join us on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment as we uncover the fundamental mental health skills needed for everyday living.

1. Emotional Regulation

Nurturing Control Over Feelings

Emotional regulation is the cornerstone of good mental health, encompassing the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's emotions effectively. This skill involves acknowledging and accepting a range of emotions while avoiding impulsive reactions. By developing emotional regulation, individuals can respond to challenges with a balanced perspective, fostering resilience in the face of adversity.

2. Stress Management

Building Resilience in Turbulent Times

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but how individuals manage and respond to stressors significantly impacts their mental well-being. Developing stress management skills involves adopting healthy coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness, exercise, or seeking social support. These strategies empower individuals to navigate challenges with grace and build resilience in the face of life's inevitable storms.

3. Effective Communication

Strengthening Interpersonal Bonds

Healthy relationships are a vital component of mental well-being, and effective communication is the key to nurturing these connections. This skill involves expressing thoughts and emotions clearly, listening actively, and resolving conflicts constructively. By honing effective communication skills, individuals can build strong interpersonal bonds, fostering a supportive network that contributes to their mental health.

4. Self-Awareness

The Foundation of Personal Growth

Self-awareness is the foundation upon which personal growth and development thrive. This skill involves introspection, understanding one's strengths and weaknesses, and recognizing how thoughts and emotions influence behavior. By cultivating self-awareness, individuals gain insight into their values, goals, and motivations, paving the way for intentional and purposeful living.

5. Mindfulness

Embracing the Present Moment

Mindfulness, rooted in ancient contemplative practices, involves being fully present in the current moment without judgment. This mental health skill encourages individuals to cultivate awareness of their thoughts and feelings, promoting a sense of calm and clarity. Integrating mindfulness into daily life contributes to stress reduction, improved focus, and an enhanced overall sense of well-being.

In the intricate dance of everyday living, these five fundamental mental health skills serve as pillars of strength and resilience. By actively cultivating emotional regulation, stress management, effective communication, self-awareness, and mindfulness, individuals equip themselves with the tools needed to navigate life's challenges with grace and fortitude. Embracing these skills is not just a journey toward better mental health; it is a transformative expedition toward a more enriching and fulfilling life.

• Open access
• Published: 16 May 2024

Non-technical skills training for Nigerian interprofessional surgical teams: a cross-sectional survey

• Barnabas Tobi Alayande 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ,
• Callum Forbes 1 , 3 ,
• Paul Kingpriest 4 ,
• Adeyinka Adejumo 5 ,
• Wendy Williams 6 ,
• Felix Wina 7 ,
• Christian Agbo Agbo 8 ,
• Bamidele Omolabake 8 ,
• Abebe Bekele 1 ,
• Bashiru O Ismaila 2 ,
• Fiona Kerray 9 ,
• Augustine Sule 2 ,
• Egide Abahuje 10 , 11 ,
• Jamie M. Robertson 12 ,
• The Non-technical Skills for Surgery Nigeria Group ,
• Steven Yule 9   na1 ,
• Robert Riviello 1 , 3 , 6 , 12   na1 &
• Mercy Isichei 2 , 13   na1  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  547 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Introduction

Non-technical skills (NTS) including communication, teamwork, leadership, situational awareness, and decision making, are essential for enhancing surgical safety. Often perceived as tangential soft skills, NTS are many times not included in formal medical education curricula or continuing medical professional development. We aimed to explore exposure of interprofessional teams in North-Central Nigeria to NTS and ascertain perceived facilitators and barriers to interprofessional training in these skills to enhance surgical safety and inform design of a relevant contextualized curriculum.

Six health facilities characterised by high surgical volumes in Nigeria’s North-Central geopolitical zone were purposively identified. Federal, state, and private university teaching hospitals, non-teaching public and private hospitals, and a not-for-profit health facility were included. A nineteen-item, web-based, cross-sectional survey was distributed to 71 surgical providers, operating room nurses, and anaesthesia providers by snowball sampling through interprofessional surgical team leads from August to November 2021. Data were analysed using Fisher’s exact test, proportions, and constant comparative methods for free text responses.

Respondents included 17 anaesthesia providers, 21 perioperative nurses, and 29 surgeons and surgical trainees, with a 95.7% survey completion rate. Over 96% had never heard of any NTS for surgery framework useful for variable resource contexts and only 8% had ever received any form of NTS training. Interprofessional teams identified communication and teamwork as the most deficient personal skills (38, 57%), and as the most needed for surgical team improvement (45, 67%). There was a very high demand for NTS training by all surgical team members (64, 96%). The main motivations for training were expectations of resultant improved patient safety and improved interprofessional team dynamics. Week-long, hybrid training courses (with combined in-person and online components) were the preferred format for delivery of NTS education. Factors that would facilitate attendance included a desire for patient safety and self-improvement, while barriers to attendance were conflicts of time, and training costs.

Conclusions

Interprofessional surgical teams in the Nigerian context have a high degree of interest in NTS training, and believe it can improve team dynamics, personal performance, and ultimately patient safety. Implementation of NTS training programs should emphasize interprofessional communication and teamworking.

Peer Review reports

Non-technical skills (NTS) are defined as a constellation of cognitive and social skills, demonstrated by teams and individuals, needed to reduce error, and to improve human performance in complex systems [ 1 ]. Derived originally from high-risk industries like aviation, aerospace, nuclear, explosive, military, and high-speed sports, these skills are essential in surgical care [ 2 ]. These skills can enhance the way surgical teams carry out surgery [ 1 ].

Failure of NTS such as situation awareness, decision making, leadership, communication and teamwork has been shown to contribute to up to half of all intra-operative errors [ 3 ]. Often considered soft skills, these competencies are many times overlooked in both formal and informal clinical training - particularly in low resource contexts where emphasis is placed on technical skills [ 4 ]. However, published literature shows that failure of NTS is a significant cause of adverse events in over 50% of all fatal medical accidents [ 5 ]. The consequence of not teaching NTS is at the heart of errors, sentinel events and near misses compromising a patient safety culture [ 6 ].

In addressing the absence of reliable ways to teach NTS, the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, and the University of Aberdeen developed the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS) framework [ 1 ]. NOTSS refers to a behaviour rating tool grounded in a skills taxonomy that permits a valid and reliable observation and assessment of situation awareness, decision making, leadership, communication, and teamwork [ 7 ]. Considered by some as the gold standard for NTS, NOTSS has been extensively used across the world to prevent or mitigate surgical errors [ 8 ].

Even though up to 76 different published tools have been used to measure NTS in seven distinct areas of clinical practice, NTS training has been largely restricted to the high-income context [ 8 , 9 ]. Through a mixed methods approach involving Rwandan surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses, the NOTSS behaviour rating system was modified for use in a variable resource context [ 4 ]. Non-Technical Skills for Surgery in Variable Resource Context (NOTSS-VRC) is targeted to address variability in resources, staff, systems support, and language frequently encountered by surgical teams in low- and middle-income countries [ 10 ]. The key modifications in NOTSS-VRC have been in the inclusion of contextual indicative behaviours that address this variability [ 4 , 10 , 11 ]. Other NTS courses have been designed for low-resource settings such as the Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training (VAST) and SAFE Operating Room Course [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].

Although Nigeria and Rwanda are both sub-Saharan African countries and share some commonalities, they are different in regional location (West versus East Africa), working languages of healthcare teams, health system organization, specific kinds of resource variability, and availability of NTS training. Currently, there is no identified programme holistically offering training or continuing medical education using this framework for surgery, obstetrics, trauma, anaesthesia, or nursing in West Africa. This survey was designed to gather input from health professionals and trainees working in North-Central Nigeria on the need for NTS for surgery specific to surgeons, perioperative nurses, and anaesthetists.

Before modifying or implementing any NTS training program, it is important to assess the interest, preparedness, and training preferences of the local Nigerian workforce. A bespoke survey was developed to evaluate this by our multidisciplinary group of local researchers collaborating with the NOTSS global team consisting of clinical educators, surgeons, anaesthetists, a clinical psychologist, nurses, and surgical safety and human factors trainees [ 11 ]. A well-designed NTS program should be highly contextualized and meet the needs of the target healthcare workers [ 15 ]. The focus of the survey was to identify trained surgical providers’ current exposure to NTS and highlight the perceived needs and preferences of local surgical teams to guide the design of training modules on NTS for the Nigerian variable resource context.

The survey design adhered to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) [ 16 ]. It was primarily a quantitative survey with a section for qualitative written responses. The voluntary survey was designed by a local team of surgical providers with training in NOTSS-VRC from Rwanda. Mentorship for the design was provided by the multidisciplinary and trans-sectoral NOTSS Global team. The survey was targeted at the 133 surgical providers, anaesthesia providers, and perioperative nurses working within six purposively selected institutions in North-Central Nigeria, spanning a wide variety of facility type and governance. These facilities included a non-profit secondary facility with focus on HIV-related surgical care, a private tertiary health facility, a specialist hospital, a state government-owned teaching hospital, a non-teaching federal medical centre, and a federal government-owned teaching hospital. These facilities were selected for their high surgical volumes and the presence of a multidisciplinary and interprofessional surgical team. Using a 95% confidence interval and an 8% margin of error, a representative sample of 71 out of 133 was selected through a convenience, stratified snowball technique at each institution, starting from the head of surgery, the lead perioperative nurse, or the lead anaesthesia provider. We elected to use convenience sampling to select surgical team leads based on their accessibility and availability to the researchers. Rather than being drawn at random from a larger population, in this strategy, participants were picked because they are easily available to the research team and would be able to influence propagation of the survey as leaders. We then stratified these leaders by their speciality into nursing team leads, surgical heads of department, and anaesthesia heads of department so that all cadres within the operating room are represented. The rational for the stratified snowball method was that these leaders would be able to identify and connect us to their peers who worked in interprofessional teams at the selected hospitals more effectively.

Ethical clearance for the NTS study was obtained from the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria Institutional Review Board (JUTH/DCS/IREC/127/XXXI/2277). Informed consent was obtained from participants prior to taking the approximately 7-minute survey. Participants were informed of the purpose of the survey, introduced to the primary investigator, and told the approximate length of time needed to fill the survey prior to consent. The survey consisted of close-ended questions (for quantitative analysis) and a free text response component (for qualitative analysis). The role of the individual on the surgical team, previous knowledge about NTS for surgery and NOTSS-VRC, and details of any prior training were collected. Respondents’ perceptions of the importance of constructs of situation awareness, decision making, leadership, communication and teamwork in the Nigerian context, and their perception of the single most important NTS for personal and team improvement were identified. The survey also identified interest in formal training in NTS, the perceived benefits of NTS. In addition, the survey collected responses on the ideal duration and format for a NTS training program (in person versus online versus blended). A free text section collected hindrances and enabling factors for participating in NTS training.

Names, demographic information, and institutional affiliation were not collected. No personal information was collected or stored. Information was collected using a restricted Google form, and unauthorized access was prevented by limiting editing rights to three investigators. Respondents were able to review and change their answers using a back button. Access to collected data was only permitted on password-protected computer devices. The survey was developed through an iterative process, and the usability and technical functionality of the electronic questionnaire was pre-tested before dissemination. The open survey was not advertised online but was disseminated to surgical, obstetrics, anaesthesia, and perioperative nursing leads at target facilities. The survey was limited to clinically active participants. Initial contact with potential participants was made on WhatsApp, and the forms required web-based data entry. No cookies, IP address check, or automated log file analysis was performed; however, data were cleaned manually and examined for double entries and other inconsistencies including submissions with atypical timestamps.

Surveys were administered through an electronic, web-based, single-page Google form with 19 questionnaire items, and responses were automatically captured. No incentives were provided to any participants. Data were collected from August 9 to October 6, 2021. Items and questionnaires were not randomized or alternated. A post-submission completeness check was carried out, finding that 6 respondents had incomplete entries. The response rate was 95.7% ( n  = 68; N  = 71); and the completion rate (the number of people submitting the last questionnaire page, divided by the number of people who agreed to participate or submitted the first survey page) was also 95.7% ( n  = 68; N  = 71). Any questionnaires with less than 50% completion, or with missing demographics ( n  = 4) were excluded from analysis. Questionnaire items were not weighted, and propensity scores were not applied to adjust for any sample. Analysis was carried out in R software version 4.1.0 [ 17 ] using proportions and Fisher’s exact test. We analysed free text written responses to identify barriers and enhancers to NTS training in the context and generated themes using the qualitative constant comparative method as described by Glaser [ 18 ]. Responses were quantised by theme and presented by frequency and percentage alongside quotes of sample phrases. We used group open coding involving one investigator and a research assistant (BA and PK) and resolved disagreements by discussion. Qualitative analysis was carried out using a grounded theory qualitative approach and a constructivist research paradigm and a convergent (parallel) design [ 19 ]. The free text data were analysed using topic detection/categorisation technique which employs grouping or bucketing of similar themes relevant for the project [ 19 ]. No sub-categories were identified. Inductive qualitative analysis was carried out [ 18 ]. For the two open-ended questions from the survey, we categorized the text into a number of similar themes in an inductive manner [ 18 , 19 ].

There was a total of 67 respondents, which included 17 anaesthesia providers (25.4%), 21 perioperative nurses (31.3%), and 29 surgeons and surgeons-in-training (43.3%).

Overall, there was poor awareness of NTS across all specialties (Table  1 ), with only 32 of 67 (47.8%) having heard of NTS use in surgery. This shortfall in awareness was most evident amongst the anaesthesia providers with only 6 of 17 (35.3%) having previously heard of NTS, compared with 13 of 29 (44.8%) of surgical providers, and 13 of 21 (61.9%) of perioperative nursing staff. Similarly, awareness of NOTSS-VRC training was low with only 14 (21.2%) having previously heard of any NTS course adapted for variable resource contexts. This was particularly true of surgeons/surgeons-in-training relative to other professions ( p  = 0.022), as only 2 (6.9%) had prior knowledge of the course. Only 6 respondents (9.1%), none of whom were surgeons, had previously attended a NTS training program ( p  = 0.031). The NTS training courses that respondents specified that they had attended previously were not purely NTS training, as they were exclusively local hospital or university-based training sessions rather than internationally recognised training courses. One respondent identified a ‘handling and maintenance of minimally invasive instruments’ training course as containing NTS.

When asked to rate each of the components of NTS in terms of importance, all categories were rated predominantly as ‘very important’ (86.6–91.0%). None of the NTS categories were rated as ‘not important’ by any of the respondents. In ranking the four categories (Table  2 ), overall, most respondents (38, 56.7%) ranked ‘communication and teamwork’ as the one they would most personally like to learn about and ‘situational awareness’ as the least. This held true across specialties with no statistically significant difference between groups’ ranking of the categories. In addition, respondents perceived that ‘communication and teamwork’ were most needed for interprofessional team improvement in their context. Deviating from other surgeons and anaesthesia providers, nursing staff ranked decision making as less important than leadership; however, this was not statistically significant (Fisher’s exact p -value = 0.055).

There was an overwhelming positive interest in receiving NTS training in the future with 64 respondents (95.5%) expressing a desire to attend training. Their primary motivation was that NTS training would improve patient safety (66; 98.5%). Table  3 shows the preferred duration and format for NTS training.

The most common thematic barriers to respondents attending NTS training in the future included time conflicts (31, 46.3%), and cost barriers (14, 20.9%). Lack of access to training (10, 14.9%) and an unsupportive work environment (9, 13.4%) such as hierarchical dynamics and work-related psychological stress were also identified as key barriers (Table  4 ). Seventeen respondents (25.4%) identified no barriers to attending future NTS training. The most common enabling factor for attending future NTS training was the desire to improve patient safety (34, 50.7%). The desire for self-improvement (18, 26.9%) and the desire for an improved work environment (10, 14.9%) were also identified as key enabling factors. Five respondents (7.5%) could not highlight any factors which would motivate them to attend a future NTS training course.

Most respondents from operating room teams in North-Central Nigeria had never heard of any NTS for surgery framework useful for variable resource contexts and only 8% had ever received any form of NTS training. Interprofessional teams identified communication and teamwork as the most deficient personal skills (38, 57%), and as the most needed for surgical team improvement (45, 67%). There was a very high demand for NTS training by all surgical team members motivated by expectations of improved patient safety and improved interprofessional team dynamics. Week-long, hybrid training courses (with combined in-person and online components) were the preferred format for delivery of NTS education. Factors that would facilitate attendance included a desire for patient safety and self-improvement, while barriers to attendance were conflicts of time, and training costs. The way forward for NTS training in North-Central Nigerian context is interprofessional training in hybrid format which prioritizes communication and teamwork, emphasizes patient safety, and is delivered at low costs.

There is very limited exposure to surgical-team centred NTS frameworks and training in Nigeria, and across West Africa. This is in contrast with the United Kingdom, North America, East Africa, Australasia, Europe, Japan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, where NOTSS is taught regularly as an integral part of the surgical training programs and continuing medical education [ 20 ]. In the Nigerian context, there appears to be emphasis on technical skills over NTS. Over 2,500 Nigerian surgical specialists have been trained by the Nigeria Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) and the West African College of Surgeons (WACS), neither of which include structured NTS as a part of their curricula [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Nursing care training in the context also lacks emphasis on measurable, contextualized NTS [ 24 ]. Lack of exposure to these crucial interprofessional skills in regional medical education creates a significant gap in training and practice that needs to be addressed. While systems issues are a major challenge in this context, and much effort goes into handling surgical systems challenges like supply chain, human resources, surgical access, and surgical financing [ 25 ], this pragmatic emphasis can lead to a neglect of human factors and NTS. Our survey findings show that poor NTS have been identified as a challenge by interprofessional surgical teams, but training solutions have not yet been identified in the context.

Communication and teamwork were identified as the most important NTSs needed in the Nigerian surgical environment for personal development, team building, and improvement of patient care. The Nigerian health care scene has been a minefield of unhealthy interprofessional rivalry between cadres of health workers [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. This has been responsible for a lack of cooperation, a sense of unwholesome hierarchy, mistrust, and fear that often carries itself into the operating room [ 27 ]. These age-old challenges have led to recurrent industrial actions, and counter-industrial actions, organizational tensions [ 26 , 27 , 29 ]. Respondents suggest prioritizing training in communication and teamwork over training in other cognitive aspects of NTS (situation awareness and decision making) as the way forward in the Nigerian context. The Nigerian healthcare system can potentially be enhanced with interprofessional education (IPE) and collaboration [ 30 ]. Early, multidisciplinary NTS training is a potential approach to addressing these aspects of the Nigerian surgical, and larger, medical practice space.

Longer-term training was suggested as the ideal format for NTS training in Nigeria. Designing NTS training courses to last for one week, as opposed to a few hours or 2–3 days was strongly suggested by respondents. This might reflect the recognition of the magnitude of exposure necessary to fill the gaps in NTS that have been identified in the context [ 26 , 28 ]. Although financial incentives rank low as a facilitator, we cannot tell how much this might contribute to the desire for a longer training course. In this context where provider to patient ratio is significantly low [ 21 ], it will be challenging to ask clinical providers to leave their clinical duties for a one-week stretch for any type of training. Interval training of two to three days duration twice to thrice a year would be an acceptable compromise to meet provider expectations, while being sensitive to workload, and avoiding the fatigue of an extended course [ 31 ].

In-person training appears to have fallen out of favour with respondents as the majority (70.1%) preferred a hybrid approach. This is likely connected with lessons learned by the global community during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 32 ]. It is now accepted that high quality education and training can be carried out remotely, via online platforms. Strictly online courses introduce the challenge of wide internet bandwidth, high cost of internet data in Low- and Middle- Income Countries, and the challenges of online learning. The in-person component of blended courses will give the opportunity to include practical, non-didactic components like direct observation and evaluation of learners’ intraoperative NTS in a live operating space for a limited resource setting. Despite the availability of technology solutions including augmented reality, extended virtual reality, and machine learning, they are difficult to implement in a limited resource setting with poor quality internet [ 33 ]. Respondents see blended NTS courses as the way forward.

Highest priority barriers included the perioperative and institutional work environment (59.7%), and lack of funding to pay for NTS courses (20.9%). Other courses in Low- and Middle- Income Countries have identified similar barriers [ 34 ]. Surgical staff believed that NTS training would “clash with normal duties” or be limited by the “tight schedule of a residency training programme” or that they would not be released to attend trainings by their employers. This can be understood in the light of the low Surgeon Anaesthesia and Obstetrician specialist density in Nigeria (1.8 per 100,000), and the significant impact time away from work for development has on increasing the patient backlog [ 35 ]. Attending such courses can easily be seen as disruptions of patient care. Optimizing the work environment, and leadership buy-in are therefore key to preparing surgical staff for a NTS training in this context [ 36 ]. Setting up sponsored courses would also encourage engagement. Using mixed methods, Reis et al. found that lack of time, perception of overload at work, inadequate digital infrastructure or competence, and a variety of motivational and emotional elements were barriers to continuing medical education courses among primary care providers [ 37 ]. Our findings show that highest priority facilitators were essentially altruistic ideologies undergirding the motivation for NTS training. These include desire for improved patient safety, self-improvement, and improvements in work environment, as opposed to funding and financial incentives or the need for a certificate. Surgeons, anaesthesia providers, and perioperative nurses in the Nigerian context understand the priority of patient safety. Introduction of a multidisciplinary, interprofessional NTS curriculum that is sensitive to these felt needs is important for successful NOTSS-VRC training in this context. Preliminary results have been presented as an abstract at the American College of Surgeons Conference, 2022 [ 38 ].

Limitations

Although this work sampled surgical service providers at secondary and tertiary level facilities, some surgical services (circumcision, debridement, initial open fracture care, incision, and drainage of abscesses etc.), are also being provided at primary level in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa and were not included in this survey. In addition, this survey was purposively limited to North-Central Nigeria due to maximize resources and connections. It could have been distributed to a broader population for more representative national data. Further studies involving providers at this level may provide a more holistic understanding of motivations for NTS training. Secondly, challenges of internet access in an LMIC like Nigeria might bias results, as only surgical providers, anaesthesiologists, and nurses with internet access or internet enabled devices could have responded. The likelihood of exposure to NTS may be higher among those with internet enabled devices, considering the increase in online education following the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should consider hybrid online and interviewer-administered paper surveys to ensure a more representative sample.

Surgical teams in North-Central Nigeria are highly motivated for NTS training. Multi-disciplinary and inter professional teams consisting of perioperative nurses, anaesthesia providers, and surgeons believe that NTS skill development can improve patient safety, team dynamics, and personal performance. In the context of Nigeria, implementation should emphasize communication and teamwork to address the tensions and interprofessional rivalry noted in the local work culture. A hybrid, low-cost approach to training (combining online and in-person components) is preferred by respondents. Optimizing the work environment and ensuring that hospital and theatre leadership teams buy into the programs and champion NTS training are key to successful NOTSS-VRC training in this context. The way forward for NTS training in North-Central Nigeria is hybrid, low cost, inter professional training with an emphasis on teamwork and communication for improved patient outcomes and surgical safety.

Availability of data and materials

The dataset used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Interprofessional education

Non-technical skills

Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons

Non-Technical Skills for Surgery in Variable Resource Context

Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys

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Acknowledgements

Steven Yule, Robert Riviello, and Mercy Isichei are co-senior authors, with equivalent contributions.

The Non-technical Skills for Surgery Nigeria Group

Barnabas Tobi Alayande 1,2,3,4

Callum Forbes 1,3

Paul KingPriest 4

Adeyinka Adejumo 5

Felix Wina 7

Christian Agbo Agbo 8

Bamidele Omolabake 8

Bashiru O Ismaila 2

Augustine Sule 2

Egide Abahuje 10,11

Robert Riviello 1,3,6,12

Mercy Isichei 2,14

Tosin Abah 4

Akims Shattah 2

Linus Hapiyati Homoweto 4

John Onyeji 15

Joseph Okoko 16

Joshua Sule 16

1 Center for Equity in Global Surgery, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda

2 Department of Surgery, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

3 Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

4 Surgical Equity Research Hub, Jos, Nigeria

5 Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

6 Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

7 Department of Surgery, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

8 Department of Surgery, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Markudi, Nigeria

9 Department of Clinical Surgery, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

10 University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

11 Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America

12 Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

13 The Faith Alive Foundation, Jos, Nigeria

14 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

15 Garki Specialist Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria

16 Oasis Medical Center, Jos, Nigeria

Barnabas Alayande was funded for this research by the Association for Academic Surgery/Association for Academic Surgery Foundation Global Surgery Research Fellowship Award 2021. AAS had no direct involvement in the design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and in writing the manuscript.

Author information

Steven Yule, Robert Riviello and Mercy Isichei contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

Center for Equity in Global Surgery, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda

Barnabas Tobi Alayande, Callum Forbes, Abebe Bekele & Robert Riviello

Department of Surgery, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Barnabas Tobi Alayande, Bashiru O Ismaila, Augustine Sule & Mercy Isichei

Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America

Barnabas Tobi Alayande, Callum Forbes & Robert Riviello

Surgical Equity Research Hub, Jos, Nigeria

Barnabas Tobi Alayande & Paul Kingpriest

Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Adeyinka Adejumo

Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America

Wendy Williams & Robert Riviello

Department of Surgery, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Department of Surgery, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Markudi, Nigeria

Christian Agbo Agbo & Bamidele Omolabake

Department of Clinical Surgery, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Fiona Kerray & Steven Yule

University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

Egide Abahuje

Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ilinois, United States of America

Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America

Jamie M. Robertson & Robert Riviello

The Faith Alive Foundation, Jos, Nigeria

Mercy Isichei

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• Barnabas Tobi Alayande
• , Callum Forbes
• , Paul Kingpriest
• , Adeyinka Adejumo
• , Bamidele Omolabake
• , Bashiru O Ismaila
• , Augustine Sule
• , Egide Abahuje
• , Robert Riviello
• , Mercy Isichei
• , Tosin Abah
• , Akims Shattah
• , Linus Hapiyati Homoweto
• , John Onyeji
• , Joseph Okoko
•  & Joshua Sule

Contributions

B.T. made substantial contributions to study conceptualization, design of the survey, acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data, and contributed to drafting and reviewing the work. C.F., and P.K. contributed to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data contributed substantially to the original draft and substantively revised it. The Non-technical Skills for Surgery Nigeria Group was involved in the acquisition, interpretation of data, and substantively revising the work. A.A., S.F.W., C.A.A., B.O.I., B.O. acquired and interpreted data and substantially revised the draft. W.W., F.K., A.S., E.A., J.M.R. made substantial contributions to interpretation of data, and substantially revised the manuscript. A.B., S.Y., R.R., and M.I. made substantial contributions to survey conceptualization, design of the work, validation, supervising the survey and substantively revising the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barnabas Tobi Alayande .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Ethical clearance for the NTS study was obtained from the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria Institutional Review Board (JUTH/DCS/IREC/127/XXXI/2277). Informed consent was obtained from participants prior to taking the 7-minute survey. Participants were informed of the purpose of the survey, introduced to the primary investigator, and told the approximate length of time needed to fill the survey prior to consent. The study was performed in accordance with relevant local guidelines and regulations, and in accordance to the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Alayande, B.T., Forbes, C., Kingpriest, P. et al. Non-technical skills training for Nigerian interprofessional surgical teams: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Med Educ 24 , 547 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05550-8

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Received : 02 February 2023

Accepted : 10 May 2024

Published : 16 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05550-8

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