Should fun be work?

The biggest problem people seem to have with making their presentations or deliverables sparkle is they believe it will require a lot more work on their part. My cousin, who works for a large company on the east coast, recently told me "I need your help, I give presentations that I sleep through. And every time I think, next time I'll get on the stick and make it better. But I never have the energy to take it to the next level." And this really is why people often don't make their work fun. They already have enough to do, so why add on one more thing?! Not only do I have to do a presentation, now I have to make it "fun"!

Which is why we want to add a twist to your presentation. Fun doesn't require more work, it requires different thinking. You don't need to become the Martha Stewart of the business world (and look, I made all the paper for this presentation this morning to give it that special touch). In fact, fun is often less work because it's about taking what you are doing and making it yours. It's the opposite of the fast-food, cookie-cutter approach to business, where you bring your personality and you make it part of the work you are doing.

So when you are getting ready to put together your next business meeting, ask yourself, what would make this more fun for me? And then do that, I guarantee your presentation will be more effective, your audience will respond more favorably, and you will enjoy your work in a way you never knew you could.