I’ve never read Dante’s book describing his vision of the nine circles of hell, but I’d be happy to take a punt that making a pitch hovers somewhere around level eight.
It’s not just the fear of saying the wrong thing and losing a potential contract, it’s also the stress of being on show – being scrutinised by others. Just what are they looking for?
In all honesty, the panel probably don’t even really know themselves. They will have clocked whether you look well presented and professional within the first couple of seconds. But after that most of their opinions about your character will come from tiny pieces of body language that we all react to but few can explain.
It’s very hard to cheat and fool people that you’re something you’re not. However, as 90% of all communication is non-verbal an understanding of how to present yourself can make all the difference in business situations, whether it’s a 30 minute pitch or a 30 second introduction.
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Team building is a great tool that accelerates organizations in taking the extra mile to reach goals. Although considered to be an extra arm in organization development, it is true that it is indispensable and only those who have a true passion for transforming and motivating individuals can handle this tool efficiently.
Generally, all organizations are composed of an assorted mix of ‘enthusiastic,’ ‘diligent,’ ‘Einstein-like,’ ‘Fun loving,’ ‘Sober, and ‘Hush-hush’ individuals. Bringing together people of such different caliber and getting them to focus on a single goal is quite a challenge. First, it needs the effort of every individual in a team to have an open mind. Secondly, one should respect the views and opinions of another. Thirdly, individuals should make their contributions from a team perspective to achieve the target. Easier said than done, isn’t it? Well, here are a few pointers, which I think are essential for team building:
1. Never be the boss!
Team is a collective word, and should always be considered so to earn the confidence of each team member. A representative of the team must always gel with the team and work “with” them rather than the rest working “for” him/her. Moving with team mates as one among them inspires and motivates, giving a desire to contribute one’s best to the team efforts.
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