Improve your presentation skills

During our mba classes, we had a great opportunity to participate in several class presentations. This was a practical way to learn and improve one's presentations. However, good presentation skills, beyond the powerpoint, takes practice.

Every time, I make a presentation, I try to evaluate myself on the following:

1. Eye contact,
2. Pacing,
3. Pause (there is power in a pause)
4. Interaction with the audience, and
5. My overall comfort level.

While these things may appear intuitive, you would be suprised how much time professional speakers have  taken to cultivate them.

Like it or not, any type of presentation you make is a kind of performance. By understanding exactly how performance artists master the skill of entertaining audience, you can start to deliver those electrifying corporate presentations.

Always endeavor to go beyond the software, and be the focus of the presentation. Your audience wants to hear from you, to see how you are connected with the material you are projecting.

On the other side, practice makes perfect. Treat each opportunity to make a public presentation as a learning experience. If you are able to make at least four presentations a year in audience exceeding 50 people, your confidence level will improve.

And to a manager, this can be one of your greatest strengths. So go and practice, and build your presentations skills, one presentation at a time.

How to become a better Negotiator

Whether or not you are into into business, negotiation is a critical skill you need to hone. Associate Professor at Havard Business School, Deeptak Malhotra offers several tips to improve your abilities in this lecture given at an emerging markets conference in 2007.



In many cases, knowledge of game theory can be very useful in negotiation.

Fast track your career-Putting your MBA knowledge to good use

Now that we have finished the business education, we are up for what they say: “do as I say but not as I do.”

Putting your mba knowledge to good use can be a hassle worse still in this strife ridden financial period! I don’t mean there aren’t any good places to put your newly acquired skills. But that you may have to do a bit more than conventional wisdom. Corporate structures can be so stiff, innovation-deprived, and some times suffocating those fresh energetic minds.

Whether you are like me who is exploring new grounds, or just moving on with your old path, it is important that you quickly get the insights about the working of your chosen corporation.

Unlike class room environment, corporate ambience can drastically challenge and change you. You have to know what makes it work, well before you even get to know what exactly you are doing. You have to stay flexible.

To jumpstart your career, you will need to show immediate relevance of your knowledge. Whether you are proposing a new process to streamline work or product lines, adapting innovative frameworks or taking on more daunting tasks like cost restructuring, your immediate boss wants to know how your MBA knowledge makes you tick.

I know many people who still believe an MBA is simply a way to get into the best position regarding the corporate offers ( read as c-offers or coffers). While many MBA's double their salaries within two years of graduation, I personally believe the main reason I value MBA education is to bring fresh idea to an organization.

Indeed, this can be a highly priced initiative. But 10years down, unless you are capable of keeping a fresh ambience on your career in terms of the way you conduct business, paycheck alone won’t be as much important.

Post MBA Careers- Why that change may not be for you

Considering a career change after an MBA can be a luring and also daunting experience. Many people, including managers receive it with mixed feelings. To many, it connotes that dreaded feeling of having to start all over again.

While you get briefed on so much as an MBA, career change is remains a sticky topic only few want to navigate. And though a career change may be attractive and infact provide new opportunities, and challenges, it is just not for everyone.

Most MBA graduates end up with much more skills than needed in previous careers. However, this alone should not warrant a complete switch. Understanding exactly what skills are relevant to the new profession beyond classroom simulations is not so obvious. That’s why a corporate internship or a management trainee program with a reputable firm may be a more prudent way to start.

Infact, before I came to business school, I was seriously considering my interests in investment banking. This is one such a hot area, especially with the rapid growth in venture capital and private equity start-ups. The desire to incubate innovative business ideas was inescapable.

But business isn’t as simplistic as putting down the idea. More is at play. For instance, the external structures, environment in one area may be more conducive for one kind of engagement than another. However, even with an opportunity of knowledge in Finance, I still couldn’t give it a pass the way I wanted.

You too may have to conduct similar diagnostics on your career prospects. Evaluate your most likely success areas and optimize your potential. Career planning during and after your MBA should never be a taboo. Careers, like many areas of life are constantly evolving.