"This week on the Ask a Manager podcast, I talked to a guest who struggles with worries that she’s not good enough at her job — and it can affect the way she deals with coworkers.

"Can we hop on the phone?

"Say no to perfection and yes to communication.

"Do you feel exhausted after speaking in English?

"When the pressure is on, why do we sometimes fail to live up to our potential?

"No matter how much we try to work with others and get along, the time comes when we can’t agree.

"Many of us have had to battle the specter of arrogance at one time or another.

"Here are the top 9 visual communication mistakes that make you look stupid in your presentation .

"Author Vanessa Edwards and her team watched thousands of hours of TED Talks and noticed something surprising: The least popular TED Talkers used an average of 272 hand gestures during their 18-minute presentations, while the most popular used an average of 465 hand gestures in the same amount of time.

"Speak from the heart (and not a script) in order to engage your audience.

"If you want your audience to pay attention and stay interested, consider building curiosity into your presentation," writes Dave Mac (photo, left) in an article at his website, PresentationBlogger.

"It's the secret nobody talks about.

According to Diane DiResta (photo, left), "Just like the pattern of a total eclipse, it often happens gradually.

"Every presentation is an opportunity to make an impression.

"As presentation design expert Russell Anderson-Williams points out, 'In this busy world of countless communication channels, having the opportunity to interact with people in person should be something we relish, not squander.

"If you're planning to wrap up your presentation with a half-hearted call for "any questions?

"No matter how topical, relevant or pressing your content is, you're often fighting an uphill battle for the audience's attention.

Dave Mac gives his advice at PresentationBlogger.

"If you're looking to improve your small-talk skills, here's an expert take on the best tips for making conversation.

"Many people think persuasion is essentially “debating lite.

"You’re standing at the front of a room of people.

"In this clip Mark Powell provides best practice tips for opening and closing presentations.

"Preparation for a killer presentation is counterintuitive because it runs against everything business people naturally do when it comes to preparing their talks.

"It’s not about sleek graphics or the presentation software you use.

"Let’s talk about what we know about how rate of speech impacts credibility and persuasiveness.