Hi Reader,

Happy Brad Stulberg Day! That’s a thing I just made up in honor of our members-only fireside chat, happening today at 12PM ET. There’s still chance to join if you just had a meeting cancel, just head on over to our website:

Then I promise I’ll stop talking about it (maybe). If you can’t make it and you’re intrested in five fun facts from his book Master of Change, check out my LinkedIn profile, where I’ve been posting daily tidbits all week.

Enough about me and my bestie Brad—enjoy this week’s edition of The Murmuration!

Each week, we share an applied tip or did-you-know to help you build knowledge and hone essential skills that help you kick butt at work and in life.

Present Like a Pro

When was the last time you sat through a truly great presentation at work? I’ll wait.

Struggling to recall one? You're not alone. Let's face it, most presentations are about as exciting as watching paint dry. 'Death by PowerPoint' isn't just a clever phrase—it's a daily reality in offices worldwide (the apocryphal internet stat is that we create about 30 million PowerPoint presentations a day). Whatever the real number, presentations are unavoidable in our professional lives. So why not use them as an opportunity to stand out? Be the person who makes colleagues perk up instead of zone out. Let's turn you into the office presentation hero with my favorite tips for creating engaging, impactful presentations that people actually want to sit through.

Land the Intro

At a time when some studies suggest that the average attention span is about eight seconds (less than a goldfish), your introduction is incredibly important. Don’t meander on into things. Don’t start in the middle. Catch their attention, make it really clear why they should pay attention, and give them guidance on what to pay attention to.

• Hook Fast, Hook Hard: Start with a surprising fact, a provocative question, or a brief personal anecdote. Unexpected data can draw people in, but so can the human element. Make them sit up and take notice.
• Don't Bury the Lede: Otherwise known as BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front—a military communication tactic). I don’t know who your exact audience is, but I can tell you this: they are busy. Get to the point quickly. What's the most important thing you want them to know? Lead with it.
• Be Clear About Your Ask: It’s not enough to just start with the BLUF. Tell them why you are presenting to them and what you want from them at the end of your presentation. Is it approval? Feedback? Action? Tell them at the beginning so they have framing context for what to listen for.

Tell a Story

​​Humans are hardwired for stories. It's how we've passed down information for millennia. So why should your presentation be any different?

• Craft a Clear Arc: Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Structure your presentation the same way. Take your audience on a journey and build information in a logical order. I hate to tell you this (because it reminds me too much of being in school), but you really should start your presentation by creating an outline so that you have the plot points clear before diving in.
• Incorporate Human Elements: In a world that is data-obsessed, it’s easy to get lost in numbers and charts. If not that, then jargon-filled company goals and language. But remember that behind those facts and figures are real people. And that people care about people and their stories. Always ask yourself how you can bring them into the presentation.
• Create Emotional Connections: Emotions make information stick. Don't just present facts, evoke feelings. Tap into excitement for new projects or acknowledge concerns about challenges. Use evocative language like "imagine" or "what if" to engage your audience. People may forget what you said, but they'll remember how you made them feel. By creating these emotional touchpoints, you're not just informing your audience—you're inspiring them to care about your message.

Don’t Neglect Delivery

Even the best content can fall flat with poor delivery. Here's how to make sure that doesn't happen:

• Read the Room: Adapt to your audience's energy. If they are a group of fast talkers, you’ll drive them nuts by talking super slowly. If you’re getting confused looks, slow down and check in. This can take some practice, but it’s well worth working on.
• Keep It Concise: Respect your audience's time. If you can make your point in 15 minutes instead of 30, do it. More words can confuse the issue or dilute your main point. If you find yourself saying the same thing in different ways, cut yourself off. Practice can help here. And sometimes the self-awareness of a quick and light, “I’ll stop repeating myself,” can buy you forgiveness.
• Use Your Voice as a Tool: Friends…Zoom sucks. As an audience, we get so little from presenters. So, especially when presenting virtually, vary your tone and pace. Use pauses for emphasis. A well-timed silence can be more powerful than words.

A Final Thought

The business presentation is ubiquitous in almost every organization at every level, so it’s a skill worth working on. Being a great presenter can help you be more effective in your role and stand out from the crowd. So practice nailing your introduction, leveraging storytelling tactics, and mastering your delivery, and you'll be well on your way to making a splash.

Each week, we touch on an aspect of happiness and health at work, how to build it, and how to drive positive change in the workplace.

The Art of Saying No

In a work environment where everyone seems to have too much to do, saying "no'' can be tough. But mastering the art of declining requests can be crucial for maintaining your happiness and health (and sanity). So let's explore ways to say no effectively while preserving team relationships and avoiding guilt.

The Cost of Always Saying Yes

Constantly agreeing to every request can lead to overcommitment, decreased work quality, and increased stress. You might find yourself spread too thin, unable to meet deadlines or deliver your best work. It can also cause you to lose focus on your core responsibilities, ultimately affecting your overall performance and engagement. In short, being a “yes man” can really wear you down.

Knowing When to Say No

Before automatically agreeing to a new task, assess the ask to make sure you can make a good judgment. Then ask yourself:

• Does this align with agreed-upon organizational priorities?
• Does this align with my primary responsibilities?
• Will saying yes compromise my existing commitments?

Learning to recognize low-value tasks or requests that don't align with existing goals is key. Learning how to diplomatically push back on the requestor and remind them to stick to existing goals is, too.

Techniques for Effective Refusal

When declining a request, be clear and concise. Avoid over-explaining or making excuses, as this can weaken your position. Find ways to reframe the simple “no” by trying these approaches:

1. Offer alternatives: "I can't take on the full project, but I could help with the initial planning."
2. Use a "positive no": "I'm focusing on completing the quarterly report that aligns with our top priority as an organization, which means I can't take on new tasks this week."
3. Provide a timeframe: "My schedule is full until next month. Can we revisit this then?"

Saying no doesn't have to harm your relationships. In fact, setting clear boundaries can enhance respect and understanding among colleagues. Don’t forget to express appreciation for being considered for the task and collaborate on finding a solution.

Overcoming Guilt and Fear

Many of us struggle with people-pleasing tendencies or fear of missing out. Remember that saying no is often a service to your team and organization, allowing you to focus on your most important work. Start small and build confidence through practice. And, if you're consistently overwhelmed with requests, it may be time to involve your supervisor so that they can help protect your time and work at a higher level to shortcut unnecessary asks.

A Final Thought

Many new and long-time managers will hear their bosses say, “You’ve gotta learn to say no!” in their careers. But it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Sometimes you don’t want to say no, or you feel like you can’t, but mastering how to do it diplomatically and effectively is critical to helping you manage your productivity and wellbeing. Remember that saying “no” to the right things in the right way allows you to say “yes” to the things that are really important—and for that, my Starling, you will be rewarded.

Each week, we collect a few great reads from a variety of disciplines to help you forge new connections and gain fresh perspectives.

• ​Here are the 3 ways workers learn their most valuable skills (Fast Company). A great breakdown of how we learn by challenge, complexity, and connection.
• ​When Logic Beats Imagination (Nautilus). Sometimes picturing things in your mind is counterproductive.
• ​Hindsight (BigThink). A fun collection of resources about hindsight from many different angles—all connected by our knowledge of the past and our plans for the future.
• ​Why Nike’s Olympic Ad Gets Greatness Dead Wrong (The Growth Equation). Brad Stulberg counters Nike’s misguided ad linking greatness to being “deceptive,” “obsessive,” “selfish,” and more.
• ​Strength, Warmth, Kamala, and You (How to Show Up). Two of my faves (Samara Bay and Alison Fragale) teamed up for a fun Zoom conversation on topics we’ve talked a lot about in the community.

Each week, we highlight some of the great things going on across the Starling community. Members can click on any of the links below to explore further.

• On Tuesday, Starling co-founders Rachel and Jeff discussed their shared tendencies to be conflict-avoidant in a follow-up to a previous edition of The Murmuration.
• On Thursday, Clea hosted a Community Game Night, one of Starling's regularly scheduled social events!
• On Friday, Andrea discussed how failure works in the world of birds and, in particular, how they hunt! At Starling, come for a happier, healthier work relationship, but stay for the bird facts!

Given that you made it this far, we felt you ought to be rewarded with one of Jeff’s Famous Dad Jokes:

Rachel & The Starling Team