Date:24/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/24/stories/2006022400860200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Being a good communicator

Special Correspondent

Team leaders should review projects and how the team is going to execute it
Business presentations should be punctuated with real-life examples

In Power Point presentations, the visuals should be uncluttered

Bangalore: Communication skills count as never before in today's corporate world. A team leader needs to communicate in clear terms with his staff, his boss and business associates. "Writing business reports and preparing presentations do not come naturally to most of us. But we can learn ways to do it and do it well," says former HR head and corporate trainer M.K. Rao.

Teams invariably have their own meetings, perhaps weekly or more often. The team leader needs to review an ongoing project or an upcoming one and how the team is going to execute it.

Presentations

Business presentations go down best when punctuated with real-life examples, perhaps from the market place the company operates in. "Remember to emphasise that the good times may not last and the team should retain its competitive edge," he says.

Even when making a Power Point presentation, the visuals should be uncluttered and direct and a pie chart is often preferable to a complicated graph. If there has been a downslide in sales, spell it out in words and ask for suggestions to contain the damage. This will also be the best time to circulate hard copies of the presentation so that people can refresh their memories.