1. Do not allow yourself to be internally overwhelmed – The first thing you should do is that you should not allow the many tasks on hand to overwhelm you.  The problem with most of us is that we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with all the tasks on hand work.  Thinking that you will never get to complete all the tasks.  This will create the first immediate mind block, telling you that you cannot complete ALL of them.  Now, you surely can complete SOME of them right at some point in time?
2. You can do it – The next thing you should tell yourself is that with all these work that you have, you still WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL OF THEM!  Give yourself a positive proposition that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Give yourself hope that you can finish all of the work on your plate.  When people start to think that they cannot do it, the subconscious mind will also trigger, reinforcing the behavior to act in a way that you will never see the light at the end of the tunnel!
3. There will be always new work coming no matter what – Yes, we must see the light at the end of the tunnel eventually.  That is for one task.  There will always be other new tasks popping into your schedule.  We’ve got to recognize it because we have to face it and not allowed ourselves to be demoralized when they enter into your schedule.  You’ve got to manage it!  Know which tasks you should be putting priority on.  Or you can stay focus on the current one and get it out of your to-do list first!
4. Put one thing at a time – This will allow you to focus on task at a time.  Sure, there will be hundreds and thousands of things to do, but you have to start at one point.  One point we repeat!  So put one task that you are comfortable touching it first.  Do not worry about the others; you will complete the current one eventually and this will get your gear going to complete the subsequent ones.
5. Recognize that you may not complete everything – However, if you can’t finish everything after how much focus you’ve put, it’s not the end of the world.  Recognize the fact that you cannot complete everything on time.  The good part is that you’ve got your engine started and worked on your best effort in completing tasks.  This will give you a morale booster in your subsequent tasks!

These mental blocks are inefficient and unproductive to an individual when they need to get work done.  It is definitely not procrastination, but sheer pressure that is built internally, creating these mental blocks, restricting you to complete your task.  The underlying principle is perseverance.  If you believed that you can reach the finishing line, you will do what it takes to get you to the finishing line.  Stay focus on the task.  Make belief that you can complete it.  Do not be affected by the new tasks that come along the way (there will be always).  Complete the task and eventually, you get your gear going for the subsequent ones.

You’ve got a couple of options to start with in influencing your colleagues.  Apply them in a balancing manner.  Do not overuse any one of it as they may either take advantage or end up developing resentment in the office.

1. Influence them positively using tangible benefits – This directly targets the concerns of your colleagues.  They can be salary-related, off-day related or bonus-related benefit.  Of course, at times it is not possible as you may not be the approving authority for giving out cash or time offs.  (That is where your influencing skills on your boss come in!)
2. Influence them positively using implicit benefits – Buy your colleagues favours such as gifts or cakes.  Treat them a meal or buy them some cappuccino to boost them up. This shows you care for your staff and will motivate them to work for you.  Allow free play of work in the office.  Your colleagues appreciate the freedom.  Also, implicit benefits may be allowing your colleagues to go off early if there are nothing major going on for the day.
3. Influence them positively that they will benefit from your proposal – This will target the WIFM (What’s in for Me?).  Although it may you’re your colleague some time to work on your proposal, but he knows that he can reap the benefit from it and will put in effort to it as well.  With something he can benefit from, he will willingly put his share of effort into your proposal.
4. Influence them negatively using negative consequences – The other end of using positive influence is the use of negative factors to make your colleagues work.  You can consider this as using threats.  You deprive them from the basic needs.  Example, “if you do not complete this work by today, you will not be allowed to take leave for the subsequent months”.  You influence those using negative consequences of their actions.

We highly recommend positive influences as this will motivate them to work harder for you in the long run.  This encourages appreciation and trust between your colleagues.  We do not recommend using negative influences as this will degrade their motivation and trust in you.  A prolonged negative influenced work culture that the management is thriving on, the bigger the desire for the employee to tender his resignation.

1. Let the audience and stakeholders know that you put a huge amount of work on the presentation but you are only putting a mere tiny fraction of all the research.
2. Smile and relax.  Be cool!
3. Always maintain the eye contact!  It can’t be truer than this.  Maintain the connection between the audience and you.
4. Be in control of all interruptions.  Override them when required.  Remember, you are the only one that should be doing the talking.
5. Practice and practice and practice!
6. We can’t be practicing all day and night long!  Go for the real thing once in a while to build up real experience!  Nothing beats real experience!
7. Observe how other presenters make presentation
8. Be a good actor when you are presenting.  That is, even if you are unsure or not confident about the matter.  It’s about how you present and the feeling you are giving to the audience!
9. Remember, a presentation will invite changes and resistance! Be prepared for any unpredictable situation.
10. Dress appropriate but don’t over dress.
11. Be early and earlier than your audience
12. Ensure all the presentation materials and assisting materials are working (e.g. audio and visual equipment)
13. You do not need a bunch of supporters. A couple of them will be good enough to get you through your presentation.  A bunch of them will look like a presenter versus audience confrontation!
14. You won’t be perfect all the time.  Accept it and move on.  There will be better days ahead where you have learn from your experiences.
15. Stay away from the jargons!  Keep your language simple and understandable to your audience, not you!

1. One point per slide – No more than that!  It gives clear and concise of what you intend to inform your audience.  Additional unrelated information will only confuse your audience.
2. Do not clutter your slide content – Do not dump everything on the small slide.  Also avoid putting charts and graphs into the slides.  The amount of content should be kept at minimal but delivers impact.
3. Add good quotes – Remember you are telling a story.  Good quotes help to reinforce stories.
4. Be sensitive to gender differences – Males and females have different understanding of subjects and some jokes or issues can be offensive.
5. Be sensitive to racial differences – Different races have different cultures.  Understand them and be sensitive to it.  DO NOT make fun of other race at the minimum!
6. Always prepare surprises – Just imagine the audience hearing the same thing over and over again.  Pretty exciting right?
7. Summarize your story from time to time – Always summarize your story to reinforce what you have initially proposed.
8. Include action items – If you are proposing actions, be decisive and inform your audiences that what will be immediately started and accomplished after this meeting.
9. Admit if you do not know something – Yes be frank! Honesty works better than you trying to avoid directly answering your audience doubts.
10. Remember you want to win their heart and mind! – Exert as much positive influence on your audience to your proposition as possible.
11. Be emotional even data is imperative! – Again, be sensitive to your audience.  Although you have tons of data and facts for your presentation, but you cannot ignore the feelings and emotions of your audiences.
12. Get support from the “customer” – Consider getting support from the audience.  The audience will feel closer to you if they have someone they have acquaintance with.  The closer the better!
13. Be precise on your schedule – All the schedule and deliverables stated must be clear and realistic!!
14. Compromise appropriately – Do not get into any argument with anyone in the presentation.  It’s more important to complete your presentation then a verbal brawling.
15. Keep up with recent events – This will give you more credibility on your experience in the field and makes your presentation more credible.

1. Total commitment to the problem/project/outcome – Do not present for the sake of presenting.  If you are, you might as well call it off or get somebody else to do it.
2. Create a compelling “Story line”/“Plot” – Make a strong and believable story in their context.  Remember, it’s in their context.
3. Sufficient data to drive message across – Do not bombard the stakeholders or audience with too much data.  They will not be able to absorb so much within the short time frame.  However, give them the key information they need and prepare a big list of answers to any questions they may have.
4. Memorize or familiarize the data – In this way, you can manipulate the data and present it in a different context on the spot.
5. Tell great stories or illustrations – This will bring vivid life to your presentation and the audience will be keen to hear more.
6. Be sensitive to the audiences – Look out for body languages and sense the response of the audiences.  Know when they are bored or attentive.  Switch your presentation style to grab their attention back!
7. Connect with audience – This will prevent them from falling asleep and being bored in your presentation.  Talk to them.  Ask questions!
8. Walk around the presentation – Especially to the audience area.  They will be made to stay alert throughout your presentation when they know you may walk to their “safe” area anytime.
9. Give a punch line or surprise at the beginning of the presentation – Surprise them and grab their attention!
10. Don’t be pushy once you “won” – No matter how good you are, once you’ve “won” it stay at there.  Let’s not hurt anyone’s dignity.
11. Be “in command” but not a “show-off” – The audience will decide if you are really good.
12. Be nice to everyone, even your detractors – That’s where the audience decides who the real jerks in the presentation are.
13. Pay attention to the senior stakeholder. However, you need not act like a suck-up to him – You do not want to be seen as a social suck up in front of everyone right.  Furthermore, the entire audience deserves your attention as well!
14. Let the audience arrive at the conclusion – They will find the conclusion more meaningful than you telling them you are right.
15. Just THREE key points! – Too many key points will not be understood by the general audience.

1. Set up a place that is purely for work.  It is something like an office cubicle that you may have in a typical office.  Put in the necessary equipment for you to get things done in there.  Refrain from putting anything distracting in this place.
2. Set a work schedule.  Work at the regular time like any other people at a typical office.  Be discipline towards working at a regular timing.  On the other hand, schedule breaks in between so that you won’t be overwhelmed.  One of the problems that home employees fall into is that they work too many hours then they should.  Remember you are no robot.  Separate yourself from the work when it’s time to do so.
3. Motivate yourself. Unlike in the office, you do not have a supervisor to watch over you and co-workers to support you to complete the work.  You’ve got only yourself to get things done which calls for the additional discipline and motivation.
4. Be professional (still) when you handle clients.  Be it in the email or the phone call, you may fall into the temptation of working too comfortably.  Yes, it’s true that you can wear shorts and bare your body in your home office.  But remember you are representing the company.  Therefore, remain professional when you are communicating with your clients.
5. Get a day care provider or domestic helper to keep up with the on-goings at home.  It is always difficult to attend to the needs of mischievous children or their consistent need for attention.  For this reason it may be worthwhile to have a day care provider take care of your child during your work hours.
6. Avoid engaging in too many activities at home.  Yes you are at home but you need to stay focus on getting work done.  Make it clear that you need to complete work in order for the pay check to come in and not obliged to running errands, picking up the kids from school or rushing to Wal-Mart for some groceries.

Now these tips are sufficient enough for you to be productive in the home office.  There may be some other tips and tricks that you personally find it useful.  The baseline is, remember, although you have the comfort of working from home, you need the additional discipline and motivation to get your work done.  Following the tips that we have provided will help you to become a lucrative and productive home based worker.

How do you get the most out of your meetings?  How do you make sure that you get your objective across in the meetings and all attendees walk out of the meeting room with a clear mind?  We’ve got a list for you to achieve this:

1. Call a meeting when it’s necessary.  Don’t call it just for the sake of calling.  Make sure—really sure—that the meeting is needed.
2. Invite only those people that will get something out of the meeting.  This applies to recurring meetings as well.  Let’s not waste time.  Get people that will contribute or get something out of the meeting!
3. Have a detailed agenda. A meeting that does not have an agenda does not call for a meeting.  Set the time limit to each item to keep people wandering off the topic.
4. Schedule your meetings at least a few days in advance.  This gives people ample time to prepare.  Hastily planned meetings are may not yield any output.
5. Cancel your meeting if you think it’s no longer required.  Never, have a meeting just for the sake of having it.
6. Start on time.  Forget about the late comers.
7. Set a time limit. Then think about cutting it in half. If you think you want an hour meeting, try a half-an-hour.  A longer meeting usually end up wasting time.  Isn’t it better to close things in a shorter time?  Sometimes half of that is just fine and it can force everyone to get down to business.
8. Have a leader. Every meeting should have a leader who can lead everyone to the discussion and keeping things on track.
9. Stick to the agenda. Put a chit-chat session in the agenda if you want it to be part of the meeting.
10. End your meeting on time. Resist the temptation to go over.

These tips apply to most of the meeting.  However, there will be exceptions to it.  At the bottom-line, meetings should be held when they are constructive and make good use of everyone’s time.  Everyone should be well prepared in advance to get the best use of their time.