Murphy’s Law

Murphy’s Law

Murphy’s Law is attributed to an air force captain who apparently created the now-famous phrase when a series of errors and problems kept occurring in a Californian air force base missile site. These are some of follow-up items to which most people can relate.

1. Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
2. Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
3. Nothing is as easy as it looks.
4. Everything takes longer than you think.
5. If there is the possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one.
6. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
7. It always costs more than first estimated.
8. It is easier to get involved in something than it is to get out of it.
9. Every solution breeds new problems.
10. If you try to please everybody, somebody will be disappointed.
11. It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so clever.
12. If you tinker with anything long enough, it will break.
13. By making things absolutely clear, people will become confused.
14. If there is a 50 per cent chance of success, that means there is a 75 per cent chance of failure.
15. Interchangeable parts won’t.
16. In any computation, the figure that is obviously correct will be the source of error.
17. Blame will never be placed if enough people are involved.
18. Nothing is lost until you begin looking for it.
19. If in the course of several months only three worthwhile social events take place, they will all fall on the same evening.
20. Murphy was an optimist!

Dealing with Nerves

1. Be at ease and relax. They want to listen to you.
2. Breathe deeply as you walk towards the venue.
3. Mentally rehearse the sequence of your presentation.
4. Use the self-fulfilling prophecy.
5. Arrive early so that you can settle in.
6. Dress the part and look professional.
7. Try to anticipate questions.
8. Check all of your support equipment beforehand.
9. Create a physical setting you feel comfortable with.
10. Use your prepared session notes.
11. Establish credibility at the beginning of your presentation.
12. Give your audience an outline of the events and topics.
13. Motivate the group to want to listen to you.
14. Use brainteasers as an opening.
15. Practise your session beforehand.
16. Use your tension to enhance your performance.
17. Move around.
18. Warm your voice up before starting.
19. Keep eye contact with all your audience.
20. Be comfortable with the arrangement of your resources.
21. Practise with your training aids.
22. Research and know your topic.
23. Use unobtrusive isometric exercises.
24. Attend appropriate presentation or public speaking courses.
25. Remember your audience’s attention span.
26. Use all of the principles of adult learning.
27. Find out in advance who your participants are.
28. Admit your mistakes, but only if you make them.
29. Always appear to be enthusiastic.
30. Use a video or tape recorder to evaluate your performance.
31. Develop your own style of presentation.
32. Get feedback from your audience.
33. Don’t read from the text.
34. Don’t have a heavy night before a day of presentations.