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SHARPEN 

Sharpen Yourself • Sharpen Your Team • Sharpen Your Organisation 

ISSUE No. 16 

The Weekly Magazine For Trailblazing Leaders And Managers 

FROM INTERNATIONAL TRAINER NICHOLAS HILL 

 

THIS ISSUE: 

Five Solid Ways 

to Build Rapport 

Five Stress 

Management Myths 

Good And Bad 

Team Building Practices 

How Experts Weigh 

in on Self Confidence 

Project Management 

Mastery in Four Steps 

...AND MUCH MORE! 

The 

ALBERT 

EINSTEIN 

Issue 

by Nicholas C. Hill FBIPP FIC FinstLM 

Problem Solving Through 

Exploitation And Exploration

Contents 

THE 

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: 3 

Five Solid Ways to Build Rapport 4 

Five Stress Management Myths 7 

COVER STORY: 

Problem Solving Through Exploitation 

And Exploration12 

Good And Bad Team Building Practices 15 

How Experts Weigh in on Self Confidence 18 

Project Management Mastery in Four Steps 23 

Proper Breathing for Public Speaking27 

Self-Compassion in Lieu of Self Esteem 30 

The Required Preparations 

for Consultative Selling 33 

Two Practices For Sure-Fire 

Team Retention 36 

“Nicholas Hill’s SHARPEN Magazine, is a practical and essential resource for today’s leaders 

and managers. It is a great read and is packed with vital information. Best of all, it is FREE!” 

RICHARD DENNY, Multimillion International Bestselling Author of 

SELLING TO WIN and COMMUNICATE TO WIN 

“As Dr Stephen Covey so wisely pointed out, to be effective, we need to continue to sharpen 

the saw. Nicholas Hill’s SHARPEN MAGAZINE helps you do exactly that, to help you maintain 

your cutting edge in these challenging and changing times” 

Paul McGee, International Best Selling Author of 

SUMO and SELF CONFIDENCE 

“Nicholas Hill is a dynamic, profound and highly effective trainer who INFLUENCES PEOPLE 

TO TAKE POSITIVE ACTION IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES. I have absolutely no hesitation 

whatsoever in recommending his services.” 

CLIVE Thompson, Managing Director, Dale Carnegie* Training UK 

*Multimillion Best Selling Author of 

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE 

CONSULTANCY 

PUBLISHER 

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ABOUT SHARPEN 

Sharpen Magazine and Ezine is the 

weekly publication for trailblazing 

leaders and managers, who refuse 

mediocrity and are hungry for 

excellence. 

ABOUT THE HILL CONSULTANCY 

We will facilitate your rapid 

transformation into a highly productive 

manager and influential leader, 

through UK wide accredited training 

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performance, fortify human relations, 

and reach the top of your profession. 

COPYRIGHT 

All articles and designs copyright © 

The Hill Consultancy Ltd, UK, 2013. 

All rights reserved. Reproduction or 

resale in whole or in part by any means 

without written permission of the 

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DISCLAIMER 

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or associates are not liable for any third 

party advertised product or content. We 

have taken reasonable care to ensure 

that all information contained within 

this publication is accurate at the time 

of production. The reader accepts full 

responsibility for the practice of any 

advice contained within this publication 

and fully indemnifies the publisher 

against any direct loss or consequential 

loss resulting from adherence to any 

said advice.

Letter From the Author & Editor 

Nicholas C. Hill 

FBIPP FIC FinstLM 

Born in 1971, a modern thought 

leader and international Trainer of 

strategic leadership and management 

development, Nicholas Hill is the 

Managing Director and Principal 

Trainer for The Hill Consultancy Ltd. 

Nicholas is an INLPTA Licensed 

NLP Business Trainer and INLPTA 

Accredited Executive Master Coach 

having received over one thousand 

CPD training hours. 

Nicholas is also a qualified Fellow 

of the Institute of Leadership and 

Management and a Fellow of The 

Institute of Consulting, having 

trained thousands of delegates 

of corporations and SMEs at all 

management levels since 1996. 

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For more information please visit 

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Leadership is more than just a title. Leadership is a responsibility that covers 

a multitude of roles and functions. For you to be worthy of this responsibility, 

there is a need for genuine and unwavering commitment to personal growth 

and development. After all, while anyone can easily assume leadership, not 

everyone has what it takes to triumph on this challenging path. 

In the 16th issue of Sharpen Magazine, we once again provide informative 

articles replete with breakthrough insights for you to ponder on, and 

ideally, live by. 

Five Solid Ways to Build Rapport 

…is a straightforward account on how to translate concepts relating to 

rapport skills, into practical, observable, and goal-oriented actions. 

Five Stress Management Myths 

…debunks wrong notions regarding stress, its symptoms, and remedies. 

This article will aid readers to tackle this known detriment to productivity 

with informed choices and result-driven actions. 

Problem Solving Through Exploitation And Exploration 

…foregrounds two interesting problem-solving concepts: exploration and 

exploitation. It also presents anecdotes relating to the subject, which revolves 

around two of history’s greatest minds; Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. 

Good And Bad Team Building Practices 

…is a practical guide on how to carry out team building using tried and 

tested strategies, while Two Must-try Team Retention Practices offers 

helpful tips on how to ensure that quick employee turnover is avoided. 

How Experts Weigh in on Self Confidence 

…presents compelling insights on the relationship between selfconfidence 

and gender, from mavens in varying fields, such as academe. 

Project Management Mastery in Four Steps 

…presents a four-point project management process, which seeks to 

simplify what is, oftentimes, a complicated function, for the purpose of 

both efficacy and convenience. 

Proper Breathing for Public Speaking 

…lists down the many benefits of an oftentimes underrated subject; 

proper breathing. The seemingly simple practice of proper breathing may 

very well draw the line between an effective public speaker from one, who 

struggle mid-speech; hence, if you are normally prompted to take on the 

centre stage, this article is, indeed, a must-read. 

Self-Compassion in Lieu of Self Esteem 

…is an interesting study on what is arguably one of the core indicators of 

success in your career, and life in general. This account offers a novel and 

critical view on self-esteem, and presents a more constructive alternative. 

The Required Preparations for Consultative Selling 

…zeroes in on a sales paradigm, which is anchored on teamwork and is infused 

with team building dynamics. Unlike other approaches in sales development, 

consultative selling—the focal point of this article—is prompted by the need to 

move forward as a group as opposed to individual sales agents. 

Although the prospect of leading is a daunting task in itself, you can take 

comfort in the fact that with ample study and practice of key leadership 

paradigms, this role can be handled deftly. This issue can serve as a 

trusted source for success-driven leadership and management.

4 • SHARPEN 

Five Solid Ways 

To Build Rapport 

Rapport is the phenomenon, which creates trust, respect, and reveals a 

person’s value in the eyes of another person. Once rapport is established, 

specific ventures or activities, shared by two or more individuals, become 

more convenient and mutually beneficial. Rapport skills come in handy in 

many different situations. From customer care and satisfaction to team 

management, project presentation, to new workplace/colleagues integration, 

possessing rapport skills is indeed of high importance.

SHARPEN • 5 

In a broader sense or 

perspective, rapport building 

allows a person to gain a myriad 

of opportunities; all rooted in 

healthy and harmonious human 

relationships, so much so that it 

is now included in the syllabus 

of many good leadership, and 

management training courses. 

Here are five ways to translate rapport skills into 

observable practices. 

1. Establish similarities 

One interesting observable fact that we can all 

relate to, is how human beings easily gravitate 

to individuals, with whom, we share a common 

ground. May it be a birthplace, a zodiac sign, a 

favourite film, or the same surname regardless 

of actual blood relations, these inadvertent 

or fateful, as some would have it, similarities 

can trigger an instant connection. It is in our 

best interest, therefore, to identify these 

links, consciously, especially when we are in 

the process of establishing relationships — 

whether professional or personal. 

2. Be mindful of your 

appearance 

Looking slightly more spruced up than 

a prospective client, an interviewer, or 

a new colleague, is of the essence when 

trying to establish a good first impression. 

Especially during first time encounters, it is 

advantageous to put our best foot forward, in 

terms of physical appearance, for this sends 

the message that we consider the other 

person in high regards. Indeed, how we look 

tells a story, and such stories relate to our 

acquired rapport skills. 

3. Practice empathy skills 

Empathy is a person’s ability to deflect all 

personal biases, and prejudices for the 

sake of seeing, hearing and feeling from 

another person’s point of view. Empathy is a 

legitimate component of rapport skills, for it 

allows us to feel for all types of individuals, 

even those, with whom, we seem not to 

share any likeness. It is important to note 

that emotional intelligence plays a pivotal 

role in developing empathy skills; hence, it 

is our duty to nurture this competency if we 

want to master rapport. 

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6 • SHARPEN 

4. Apply the mirroring strategy 

Another highly practical exercise of rapport 

skills is mirroring. This is a far deeper topic than 

just a mere definition. However, to summarise, 

mirroring is the act of emulating another person’s 

non-verbal communication, choice of words, and 

language patterns, for building a sense of likeness 

to the person in question. Once this likeness is 

achieved, it becomes easier for individuals to 

deepen an awareness of trust and confidence, or 

to guide even the most fleeting correspondence. 

5. Use your communication skills 

Associated with leadership skills, rather than 

management skills, communication is an 

essential component in rapport building. 

Familiar strategies include both verbal and nonverbal 

communication. Such examples would 

include eye contact, handshaking, appropriate 

questioning, and smiling, among many others. 

Through constant and sincere practise, of these 

seemingly insubstantial actions, conveniently 

leads to rapport building. 

Develop your rapport skills today. To learn more CLICK HERE.

SHARPEN • 7 

Five Stress 

Management Myths 

Stress is a staple of life. As we go through our daily ventures, career-related 

or otherwise, we are met with a wide array of stressors, which, if not 

handled properly, may lead to a number of detriments, such as energy 

depletion and a compromised immune system, among others. This is why 

it is quite an advantage, to familiarise ourselves with stress management 

practices. Although we cannot entirely anticipate where and how stress 

presents itself next, we can, always, take control of how we respond to it.

8 • SHARPEN 

An integral step in 

stress management 

is the debunking 

of stress myths. 

Whilst leadership and 

management training 

courses might offer practical 

exercises, it is nevertheless 

important to address 

limiting beliefs that could 

affect the full development 

of your skills. These 

misconceptions hinder our 

full understanding of stress 

and limit the efficacy of our 

chosen stress management 

approaches. Here are six 

stress myths, which we 

finally have to set straight. 

Myth 1: 

Stress is a uniform phenomenon 

Although stress is universal, it happens to 

every human, being from CEOs to street 

vendors and it is never uniform. While 

some might consider public speaking as 

stressful, others tend to enjoy it to the 

fullest; the same way that, while there are 

people, who thrive in stressful situations 

and environments, some are more likely 

to bend and fold once thrown in the 

same circumstances. Therefore, stress 

management can be tailored fit to the 

specific needs of an individual. 

Myth 2: 

Stress is never useful 

There are individuals, who are able to 

thrive, or at the very least, function, 

during high-stress scenarios. This is 

mainly because this group of people 

are able to alleviate the effects of their 

identified stressors, due to adopting 

stress management philosophies and 

applying techniques. Indeed, there are 

instances, when just the right amount 

of stress handled efficiently, leads a 

person to optimum performance and 

unrivalled excellence. 

Myth 3: 

Stress management 

is an oxymoron 

Some would argue that since stress is 

omnipresent, there is no point trying 

to avoid its influence. Therefore, such 

concept as stress management is a 

paradox, which is both impractical 

and unreliable. This is a fallacy. There 

are strategies, such as goal setting and 

prioritisation, which are known to temper 

the effects of stress, especially those 

triggered by perceived problems. Stress 

may be everywhere and can strike anytime, 

but so long as we are guided by a clear list 

of present objectives and an unambiguous 

set of life goals in general, we can, always, 

respond to it readily and efficiently. 

THE 

CONSULTANCY 

“Manage your state in the 

morning and you will reap 

the reward in the afternoon” 

©Nicholas C. Hill 

Nicholas C. Hill

SHARPEN • 9 

Myth 4: 

There is only one-way 

to manage stress 

As we have already established, 

stress and its effects differ 

from one person to another. 

It then follows that there is 

no such thing as a one-for-all 

stress management approach, 

regardless of its popularity. 

The key is for us to personally 

identify our unique stressors, 

and discern ways that enable 

us to function at our optimum, 

despite their presence. Since 

flexibility is crucial in team 

development, by adopting a 

flexible approach to stress 

management, you will also 

influence the development of 

your leadership skills. 

Myth 5: 

Camouflage all stressrelated 

symptoms 

There are available 

medications that promise 

elimination of stress 

symptoms. In terms of natural 

stress management, these are 

discouraged, since they limit 

our capacity to identify our 

specific case in relation to what 

gives us stress and how we 

normally respond to it. When it 

comes to stress management, 

sans unnatural supplements 

or medications, the goal is to 

understand and learn how to 

live with it. 

Develop your stress 

management skills today. 

To learn more CLICK HERE.

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Problem solving is generally credited 

for continuous innovation. As we refuse to settle 

with observed mediocrities, or the status quo, 

we consequently exert the required efforts to 

transcend our current realities, en route, to a 

more enhanced and advanced being and doing. 

COVER STORY: 

by Nicholas C. Hill FBIPP FIC FinstLM 

Problem Solving Through 

Exploitation And Exploration

12 • SHARPEN 

It is through problem solving that we, human 

beings, were able to combat diseases that could 

have, otherwise, claimed the lives of many, 

counter international disputes that could have 

put human existence in absolute jeopardy, and 

deal with each crisis we have faced in the course 

of our collective evolution and history. Indeed, 

problem solving has allowed us to triumph 

amidst adversities, and at times, thrive amidst 

groundbreaking opportunities. 

There are two general approaches in problem 

solving, namely exploitation and exploration. 

Exploitation is employing current knowledge, 

concepts, or paradigms for achieving a workable 

solution for a specific problem. Exploration, on 

the other hand, is problem solving by employing 

certain approaches or sets of information, which 

are considered beyond the realm of the familiar. 

Exploitation exhausts what is known, whereas 

exploration maximises the possibilities, in order 

to optimise problem solving. Famous people, who 

have perfected these strategies include Thomas 

Edison through exploitation, and Albert Einstein 

through exploration. 

Thomas Edison, in his quest to 

invent the electric light bulb, 

adapted what he knew about 

tungsten wire and energy 

conduction, to succeed in his 

invention. Meanwhile, Albert 

Einstein refuted long held principles 

in physics, and science in general, 

to come up with his innovative 

theses, like the Theory of Relativity. 

Although differing in their chosen 

strategies in problem solving, with 

Edison more of an adaptor and 

Einstein an innovator, these two 

intellectual pioneers are equally 

admirable in terms of satiating 

their individual curiosities.


Based on these two 

problem-solving styles, 

here are two sub-categories 

worth taking note of: 

1. Exploitation/Exploration 

This problem solving approach is triggered 

by the onset of an unambiguous problem, 

whose solution is yet to be discovered or 

invented. For instance, poor customer 

satisfaction, as betrayed by declining sales, 

is obvious enough as an organisational 

concern or issue. In this situation, sales 

reports can easily be exploited to support 

the fact that there is a concern that needs 

to be addressed. Exploration, meanwhile, 

comes in the course of determining 

potential solutions, or strategies to alleviate 

the observed sales decline. 

2. Exploration/Exploitation 

This is the opposite of the aforementioned 

problem solving approach. Here, the 

solution is already present, but the 

problem remains vague or unidentified. For 

instance, organisations that are privileged 

with a wide array of technological 

resources, and are intent to maximise 

each of these available tools, would have 

to derive new needs or functions for them. 

The course of the problem solving process 

is then traced from exploration of possible 

needs to exploitation of current solutions. 

Problem solving all boils down to 

practicality. Whether it follows the 

mode of exploitation or exploration, 

the most crucial consideration should 

be that the outcome is one that serves 

a specific and clear purpose. 

Develop your problem solving skills today. 


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Good And Bad Team 

Building Practices 

Organisations are now more meticulous in terms of the level of 

pragmatism afforded by team building sessions and activities. 

Given that these require considerable amount of investment — in 

terms of both time and money — it is only understandable how top tier 

leaders and managers have become more wary, or curious at the very 

least, with regards to team building’s actual link to the achievement 

of business goals and objectives.

16 • SHARPEN 

Does it truly foster sales enhancement, 

customer care and satisfaction, 

office productivity, as well as other 

fitting and crucial barometers for 

organisational success? Of course, the answer 

is yes. Where it gets tricky, though, is when 

fastidious stakeholders from the higher 

ups demand exact numbers and figures 

presenting observable correlations between 

business and team building. 

Nevertheless, instead of delving deeper into 

the business aspects of team building, let 

us firstly discuss the basics. After all, this is 

normally where organisations commit the 

most crucial of missteps and judgment errors. 

Exemplary Team Building Practices 

Trying to correlate team building success with 

actual business results is an exercise in futility 

if, in the first place, team building goals and 

objectives are never plotted clearly enough 

before the actual sessions. Here are examples 

of clear and relevant team building objectives: 

To establish rapport and connectedness 

amongst teams scattered in different areas 

To improve marketing and sales practices 

To foster rapport amongst employees 

belonging to different departments 

and teams 

To discourage unnecessary and unhealthy 

competition among organisational clusters 

To enhance communication within the 

organisation 

To enhance team and individual decision 

making skills 

To improve the organisation’s decision 

making process in general 

To achieve utmost workplace productivity 

To improve project management practices 

To identify novel means to solve current 

business issues and concerns


Poor Team Building Practices 

Team building requires ample preparation. 

From determining the number of participants, 

to identifying the team building’s theme, 

there is a long list of details that need to be 

accounted for. Amidst all these responsibilities, 

it is typical for the person or team in-charge of 

the entire affair to lose track of certain aspects 

of what is an entirely demanding venture. By 

any means, avoid these usual blunders: 

Poor communication: the team building’s 

goal to prospective vendor or facilitator 

Poor scheduling: such as scheduling 

at the end of the day — this poses a 

challenge to participants in terms of 

maintaining focus and attention 

Poor time allocation: the team building’s 

timeframe should be congruent to the 

needs and abilities of the participants 

Poor resource allocation: make sure to 

fairly and conscientiously allocate funds 

to the key components of the event 

including the facilitator, facilities, food and 

accommodation 

Poor work-rest balance: Failure to allot 

time and resources for rest and recreation 

Poor prioritisation: failure to pre-frame 

all team building with a list of priorities or 

learning points 

Team building is an indispensable practice 

in running an organisation. Whether the 

organisation in question is profit-driven, or 

otherwise, the need for employees to share 

in an exercise aimed at collective growth and 

development is one, which should never be 

undermined by leaders and managers. 

Develop your team building skills today. To 

learn more CLICK HERE.


How Experts Weigh 

in on Self Confidence 

Self-confidence plays a crucial role in achieving success. 

From career-driven professionals to public servants, 

and from artists to full time parents; the importance of 

possessing an incomparable sense of self-assuredness 

can never be understated.


Let us examine the list of 

the Top 100 Power Women 

released by Forbes. This pool 

of achievers is comprised of 

diverse personalities including world 

leaders, CEOs, and even a race car 

driver, and each of these women 

boasts of unique attributes, from 

quick-wit, to steadfast inspiration, 

social skills to unrivalled physical 

aptitude. However, if there were 

one quality, which we can assume 

all these personalities possess, that 

would have to be self-confidence. 

Several experts have weighed in 

on this inquiry, and here are their 

invaluable thoughts on the matter. 

According to Utah State University’s resident 

sociologist, Christy Glass, women’s weight directly 

affects their eventual level of success in their 

chosen field or endeavour — a proposition, which 

sprouted from one of her conducted studies. She 

further claims that regardless of socioeconomic 

status and educational background, overweight 

women are less likely to experience utmost 

personal, or professional triumph as compared to 

their healthier counterparts. 

Although Glass recognizes the fact that this 

observation could be partly due to the fact that 

organisations — or human resource personnel 

to be specific — hold a certain bias against 

overweight women, both in relation to hiring 

and promotion, she, nonetheless, asserts a 

far stronger determining factor. She reasons 

that overweight women generally have a less 

constructive image of themselves, thus limiting 

the opportunities, which they tend to pursue, in 

contrast to women, who are more competitive 

and relatively thinner.


Such proposition only strengthens 

the long held correlation, between 

success and self-confidence. 

Another expert on this matter, 

Suzanne Roff, Ph.D. and Compass 

Point Consulting founder, argues that 

self-confidence is never stagnant. 

It shifts and varies, depending 

on the outcomes of our day-today 

undertakings, as well as our 

perception of our power, or influence 

over the world we live in. This means 

that met expectations boost selfconfidence 

as easily as our personal 

recognition that we are making a 

ripple, a splash, or a big wave in 

our society. Roff adds that while 

self-confidence can be faked, such 

resorts should never be encouraged. 

She says that there is a degree of 

transparency, when it comes to this 

competency, and whenever it is 

feigned it is quite easy for onlookers 

to spot what is “amiss”. 

Relating gender roles with selfconfidence, 

New Yorker cartoonist 

Liza Donnelly regards the exhibit 

of self-confidence as another 

offshoot of humankind’s evolution. 

According to her, how men and 

women manifest self-confidence 

can be traced back through 

history. In the earlier times, 

whereas men were expected 

to assert their territories and 

straightforwardly claim perceived 

opportunities, women were more 

or less driven to the background 

despite obvious potentials. 

Fortunately, this observation is 

becoming obsolete. 

Though these aforementioned 

experts view self-confidence 

through varying lenses, from 

sociological to historical, it is 

important to note that they echo 

the same stance; self-confidence 

remains a valuable commodity. 

Develop your self-confidence today. 


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Project 

Management 

Mastery 

in Four Steps 

Motivation is and will always be the fuel that keeps project 

management running smoothly, steadily, and successfully. From 

project planning to execution and all the way to its completion, 

leaders and managers can provide constant motivation to ensure 

that all people, involved in the venture, are equally engaged in 

the process. Perhaps, more importantly, present-day motivation 

can inspire team members, to sign up, without hesitation and 

ambivalence, to future related endeavours.


Project management, 

although considered 

a highly demanding 

function and the 

subject of many leadership 

and management courses, 

can be accomplished 

with relative ease and 

convenience. One way to 

ensure a practical project 

management strategy is 

by following these four 

basic steps. 

1. Goal Setting 

When it comes to goal setting, it is not 

sufficient, merely, to plot out a project’s 

set of objectives. One crucial matter, which 

each project management officer can keep 

in mind, is to be realistic. Now, how do we 

exactly ensure that goals are set under 

realistic terms? One way to do this, is 

through team consultation. It is imperative 

that all those, who will eventually 

participate in the venture, get to express 

their own recommendations, regarding the 

specifics of the project, and that the team, 

as a cohesive unit, agrees on these specifics 

before the project is set in motion. 

that comprise one’s team, it becomes 

easier to determine the right and practical 

distribution of tasks and responsibilities. 

Moreover, a team leader, who is familiar 

with his or her team is more adept in 

providing tailored sources of motivations to 

every member of the project unit. 

3. Performance Tracking 

One of the most common mistakes, 

committed by project management 

officers, is to let his or her team push 

through on their own, as soon as the 

project has launched, or has reached 

a specific peak. Even if one’s team 

is composed of the most skilled and 

knowledgeable of individuals, this should 

not be the case. Consistent performance 

tracking is crucial to ensure that the 

project stays on its proper track, and that 

the individual responsibilities of team 

members have the required support. 

4. Celebrating Triumph 

A post mortem is not to solely map out 

encountered concerns, or issues during the 

course of the project, and how these can 

be avoided in the future. Post mortem is 

2. Targeted Delegation 

Deciding who does what, before a 

project jumps into the implementation 

phase, is vital. With this in mind, project 

management officers should be familiar 

with their team members’ strengths and 

weaknesses. By knowing the individuals 

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an active demonstration of any manager’s 

leadership skills, and an integral step in 

project management. The activity gives 

the team a chance to celebrate successes 

— no matter how great or small. It is 

important to consider that future projects 

are in the pipeline and it is best for a 

team to remain inspired and motivated 

in between these projects. The point is, 

for project management officers, to show 

acknowledgement of team members’ pivotal 

contributions, and inspire these individuals 

to do even better next time. 

Develop your project management skills 

today. To learn more CLICK HERE.

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Proper 

Breathing 

For Public 

Speaking 

Public speaking is both an art, and science. As an art, this activity allows us 

to exhaust all the wonderful gifts and potentials of language, permitting 

us to employ poetry and performance at the same time. As science, public 

speaking prompts us to maximise specific strategies that have been found 

out to sufficiently contribute in the overall success, and efficacy of the 

practice. Proper breathing is one such strategy.


Breathing, within this context, does 

not merely refer to the act of taking 

in and letting out of air or oxygen. 

For breathing to optimise a person’s 

public speaking skills, it has to emanate 

from one’s belly — an exercise, also known 

as diaphragmatic breathing. Unlike shallow 

breathing which is observably hasty and, 

oftentimes, uneven, diaphragmatic or belly 

breathing enables our lungs to expand 

fully, thus creating a full storage of air. 

This rhythmic expansion of the lungs and 

abdomen then results to a number of 

advantages shown below. 

1. Decreased heart rate 

Public speaking can be a daunting and a 

nerve-wracking exercise as it is. With improper 

breathing, this activity becomes even more 

strained. With a proper breathing exercise 

though, we are able to regulate our heart rate, 

which consequently enables us to become 

considerably more relaxed. 

2. Improves oxygen circulation 

The importance of efficient oxygen circulation 

can never be undermined, when it comes 

to sustaining healthy bodily functions. Same 

principle can be applied to public speaking. 

The better the flow of oxygen is in our body, 

the more oxygen is able to reach our brain, 

thus facilitating improved cognitive and 

mental processes. Obviously, with activities 

like public speaking requiring utmost 

attention, focus, and mental clarity, among 

many others, optimum brain performance is 

of the essence. 

3. Enhances posture 

Public speaking is effective and affective, 

not only by the speech we wrote, or learned 

by heart. Another crucial contributor to the 

success or failure for that matter, of this 

endeavour is how we carry ourselves on the 

stage or behind the podium. Our physical 

stance is one of the most influential non-


verbal cues, which we can send 

across to our audience. It can, 

either say we know what we 

are saying and that we must be 

taken seriously, or we have been 

unwittingly thrown in the midst 

of a battle, which we could never 

win; proper breathing allows 

us to stand in such a way that 

communicates the former, as 

opposed to the latter. 

4. Affects authority 

When addressing an audience, 

whether one comprised of familiar 

faces or relative strangers, it 

all boils down to one’s sense of 

command and authority. Public 

speaking becomes a futile act, when 

the speaker never gets to claim his 

or her audience’s attention and 

interest. One way to ensure that 

one’s audiences listen voluntarily 

is to have a voice that says, “I am in 

charge”. You can achieve this goal, 

through propber breathing. 

5. Facilitates articulation 

Communication, after all, is at the 

core of public speaking. It should 

foster comprehension among 

one’s audience, and this can 

only be done through masterful 

articulation of words, phrases, and 

sentences. With proper breathing, 

we get to do this more effectively 

since our speech is guided by the 

exact rhythm of our breathing. 

Develop your presentation skills 



Self-esteem is always in the 

foreground of success studies. 

We have all been told and 

taught repeatedly, that in 

order to triumph over our 

day to day undertakings, we 

must possess a healthy level of 

self esteem — a sense of self 

assuredness and self-worth. 

We have all subscribed to this 

way of thinking. However, 

many of us have been 

oblivious to its drawbacks. 

Self-Compassion 

in Lieu of 

Self-Esteem


Natalia Partyka 

As ironic as it may sound, our 

constant and consistent drive to 

achieve a functional degree of 

self-esteem, has oftentimes led 

people to a series of disappointments, 

or worst, compromised self-image. The 

problem with this notion is that the 

pursuit of self-esteem has often been 

associated with personal achievement. 

This is a misnomer. Truth of the matter 

is, no matter how hard we strive to be 

our optimal selves — smarter, stronger, 

fitter, and so on — we will always come 

across another person, who can easily 

outdo our perceived personal and key 

achievements. Being cognisant to the 

fact that we will seldom be the best, 

whatever the word best equates to. 

The pursuit of becoming the best, at 

anything, can sometimes trigger an 

incessant desire to strain, stress, and 

pressure for the sake of becoming that 

better, bigger, brighter version. This 

mindset is far from being healthy. 

Opt for self-compassion 

instead 

Self-compassion, much like self-esteem, is a 

self-improvement paradigm. Unlike modern 

day concepts of self-esteem though, selfcompassion 

does not require us to be other 

than who we are, or be better than the person 

standing next to us. In simplest terms, selfcompassion 

is an act of giving ourselves a 

breather, a leeway, a chance to do away 

with all unnecessary stressors and baggage 

triggered by that desire to be perfect in a way 

that is consistent to our society’s standards 

for perfection. Self-compassion works under 

three core concepts. 

1. Kindness 

Instead of being too critical of our missteps 

or imperfections, we have to acknowledge 

that this life is an ongoing journey and it 

is never too late to learn and renew. By 

providing ourselves with enough kindness 

and understanding, we can remain


grounded, level headed, and 

open to novel and constructive 

insights. 

2. Humanity 

We are not alone. The humanity 

we have been gifted with 

is something we share to 

the rest of humankind. The 

happiness and fulfilment 

that our triumphs bring us 

are the same ones other 

people strive for, the same 

way that our defeats are the 

kinds that have already been 

encountered and experienced 

throughout history. This sense 

of connectedness allows us 

to realise that we should not 

blindly strive to outdo others 

but instead, aspire to be one 

with them. 

3. Mindfulness 

We feel pain because it exists. 

Nevertheless, just because it 

exists does not mean we should 

magnify it. On the other hand, 

it will not do us good to ignore 

or deny our pain. The key is to 

strike a balance between feeling 

and acceptance. 

Self-compassion is not 

concerned with fitting into 

specific ideals, or becoming 

unique, or above the status 

quo. It mainly focuses on selfacceptance 

without far-fetched 

conditions, or outlandish 

notions. Self-compassion is 

caring enough for ourselves to 

know we can, even if we remain 

our wonderfully flawed version. 

Earle Connor 

Develop your self-compassion 



Sales agents are not the 

only ones, who require 

expert sales skills. 

Professionals of all types, 

and from all known ranks 

and departments, at one 

point or another, will 

require a practical level 

of sales skills to succeed 

in specific functions or 

responsibilities. 

The Required 

Preparations 

for Consultative 

Selling


Take for instance an Account 

Executive in a PR firm, who is tasked 

to convince his or her colleagues to 

opt for a particular public relations 

strategy — one, which the team has not 

practised in the past. Although there is no 

product or service being sold, the Account 

Executive is still in the midst of selling — 

only in this scenario, he or she is trying to 

persuade the team to buy in on a new and 

untried concept or idea. 

It is crucial to point out that with a daunting 

responsibility, such as the one mentioned 

above, the person trying to actualise the 

pitch can be susceptible to the various 

pitfalls in sales, such as overselling or 

even aggression. With this said, one must, 

indeed, be wary. 

Consultative selling is a sales 

model, which can proactively 

deflect the risks stated 

above, and which even nonprofessional 

sales people can 

practise. This sales model 

requires more intuitive and 

organic sales skills, and is built 

upon existing or potential 

relationships between 

colleagues, or employees 

and customers. The 

core design of this sales 

model is based on the 

consultation process, 

which is a way to explore 

current needs and possible 

solutions. 

1. Determine 

the audience 

Do you need to zero in on an individual 

such as your immediate superior, or an 

existing and highly valuable client, or do 

you need to tap the support of various 

stakeholders in the organisation? 

2. Determine 

key motivators 

Sales skills, in relation to consultative 

selling, should translate to keenness 

toward what your audience or partner 

plans, or projects. Are you required to 

map out strategies in congruence to a goal 

driven by specific numbers or qualifiers? 

Here are the preparations and sales skills 

integral to consultative selling.


3. Speak your 

audiences’ language 

In consultative selling, it is crucial for all 

individuals involved to be on the same 

page. With this said, choice of language 

should be regarded with utmost 

import. For example, in consulting with 

a group of creatives, it is more fitting 

to avoid very specific jargons, like ones 

relating to finance or customer service. 

4. Speak with 

commendable 

knowledge 

Always be prepared in consultative 

meetings. It is crucial that you know 

what you are selling, whether it is a 

physical object or a concept, inside and 

out, and from many different angles. 

This knowledge is your arsenal against 

the potential barrage of ambivalence 

and refusals, which you might encounter 

along the way. 

5. Relate your 

offers to your 

audiences’ needs 

Just because what you have on the table 

boast of a multitude of advantages, 

as personally perceived by you, does 

not automatically mean that these 

advantages are exactly the kind, which 

your audiences deem relevant. It is then 

important for offered solutions to answer 

actual needs; this is consultative sales 

skills at its finest. 

Develop your consultative selling skills 



Establishing a team entails a considerable amount 

of investment. Sufficient funds should be allocated 

to team development. Sufficient time should be 

devoted to specific functions like executive coaching, 

mentoring and training. The cost inherent to building 

and maintaining a loyal team is nothing less than 

staggering. Practical employee integration and 

assimilation is only the start of the matter. 

Two Practices 

For Sure-Fire 

Team Retention


This is why team retention 

is a crucial component of 

sustaining the workings of an 

organisation. After all, the loss 

of team members easily equates to 

loss of both assets and profits. With 

this in mind, here are two strategies 

that I recommend to ensure smooth 

team retention. 

1. Teach team members 

invaluable competencies 

Allowing team members to progress in 

their career through generous supply of 

knowledge and skills makes them realise 

that they are in the right place. 

Leadership skills, for instance, are one of 

the most precious competencies, which 

team leaders and managers can impart to 

their subordinates. When employees are 

equipped with an unmatched leadership 

pedigree, chances are they will become more 

confident and motivated, when it comes 

to utilising their acquired knowledge and 

expertise, in ways that prove observable 

and measurable, therefore, commendable. 

Furthermore, leadership successes 

experienced by team members make them 

more self-assured, when it comes to their 

perceived place within the organisation. 

In other cases, when leadership skills are not 

of the essence, there are other specific skills 

or functions, which leaders and managers 

can benevolently provide for their employees; 

project management for instance. When 

it comes to team retention, it is integral 

to ensure that employees self worth and 

satisfaction are continually upheld. 

2. Foster a fun working 

environment 

The importance of a fun and engaging work 

environment can never be overstated. 

Especially in specific high-stress industries


or organisational clusters, such as sales, 

employees need to be continuously 

energised, inspired, and involved. This 

means that even official functions like 

training, brainstorming, and the likes, 

should not always be too formal or rigid. 

Here are ways to make meetings more 

imaginative, creative, compelling, and 

pleasurable. 

• Plan meetings with a specific theme 

From seasons to holidays, the possibilities 

for themes run the gamut. Keep in mind 

that team retention is made even more 

daunting once employees begin to feel 

stagnant. Therefore, it is crucial to “break 

the mould” from time to time, and let your 

employees in on a surprise. 

• Stage games 

Just because a specific meeting is sales 

driven, hence high stakes, does not 

mean it must be boring. Make the right 

impression with participants in trainings 

or meetings of grave importance. These 

events must not lean toward the soporific. 

Games can be reliable, teambuilding 

activities, and with ample creativity, 

these games can be linked to the actual 

objectives of a meeting. 

• Provide constant inspiration 

Is the meeting in deadlock? Perhaps it 

is about time to log in to youtube and 

watch creative and engaging videos, 

like infomercials or television ads from 

around the world. The idea is to tickle 

the imagination of employees and 

consequently refuel their mental drive 

and dynamism. 

Team retention should be a major priority 

of any organisation. For one matter, a 

fast turnover is one of the most basic 

determinants that something within the 

organisation is off kilter. 

Develop your team retention skills today. 



The 

BILL GATES 

Issue 

WATCH OUT FOR 

SHARPEN Issue No.17 

WHAT YOU WILL GET IN THE NEXT ISSUE: 

• Is Body Language Culture-Bound? 

• How to Spot Genuine Coaching Skills 

• The Man Behind Microsoft 

• Work Life Balance in an Unbalanced World 

• Paradoxical Time Management 

• Tenacity as a Way of Life 

• How to Become Highly Innovative 

• Solve Problems with Speed and Certainty 

• How You Create Your Own Belief Systems 

• Ethical Leadership in Unethical Times 

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