It All Comes Down To ...

Self-discipline.

Even just a little bit of self-discipline can make a big difference in a meeting or presentation. Here's a 5-point checklist for you to consider while keeping yourself in check:

• You can't cover everything, so don't try. Be selective and prioritize.
• No one is as interested in what you have to say as you are ... unless, of course, it pertains directly to them! It's all about them.
• Observing the boundary of a time allotment shows respect, restraint, and command. Going over a time allotment shows the opposite.
• Winging it is not cool. Winging it is simply the intersection of avoidance and false hopes. You're better than that, so prepare.
• And above all, take a second to identify what it is that you want your audience to think or know or do at the end. If you're not solid with the takeaway, how can you expect them to be?

Child's Play

Ever wonder how to get a group of adults to pay attention and stay engaged? Have you ever tried toys, crayons or games? You should, it can totally change the dynamics in the room … in your favor!

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly I can transform a room of "hostages" – i.e. adult participants in a training they didn’t exactly beg to attend! – into a room of giddy "vacationers" just by engaging them in a game. Or by leaving crayons and paper on the table. Or by putting Slinkys, squishy balls, Rubik's Cubes and even candy in the middle of the table.

Talk about unspoken messages! Toys, games, and candy are the language of fun, of childhood, and they loosen people up. Studies have been conducted, showing that adults will be more open and even more honest when sitting in an environment that stimulates their inner child. Whether those studies are conclusive or not, I can tell you from my own anecdotal experience that adding elements of “child’s play” in a meeting, presentation, or group training sends the message that you expect your audience to have fun, to occupy their hands, to need stimuli, and that you’re okay with it.

Try it and see. You might just find a group of fully grown adults warming up to you a lot faster than you expected and a lot easier than usual!