This month Sustaining the Thinking Collaborative Journey is focusing on some of the micro-skills of presenting that are addressed in the Presenters Forum. The Forum is available to anyone wishing to become a more masterful presenter and to those wanting to become an Adaptive Schools or Cognitive CoachingSM trainer in association with Thinking Collaborative. This year’s Presenters Forum will be held in Lone Tree, Colorado, on September 18-21, 2017. Registration is available online at http://www.thinkingcollaborative.com/presenters-forum/.

Becoming more conscious about one’s gestures requires practice and attention. Hands that are held like they are hanging on to a basketball inside that box of your chest and abdomen exude confidence and being in control. If that is uncomfortable and you want to appear more relaxed, holding your hands in a relaxed pyramid is another option.

Mastering how you use your hands to express your message is important to effective presentations. As you gain greater consciousness of your own gesturing patterns, take time to observe others and notice what is effective and ineffective.

Source: Wezowski, K. Harvard Business Review. April 6, 2016.