A workshop on “Communication and Presentation Skills” was conducted on Friday, 11^th April, 2025 at National Institute of Public Administration, (NIPA) Lahore, with an aim to enlighten the participants of 43^rd MCMC. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Jamal Yousaf.

The guest speaker emphasized that effective communication, presentation and public speaking skills are valuable life skills. It is often said about communication: nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.

The guest speaker conducted the session in three parts. He introduced the topic by emphasizing that communication is one of the most influential subjects known to mankind. It involves the speaker, the audience and the message. He gave interesting statistics, that in communication. 7% is comprised of diction (choice of words) while 55% is body language and 38% is the message received by the listener. Diction can be improved with a good word/sentence bank, knowledge and experience. Credible rhetoric, stable emotions and logic add force to communication and make it more effective. The guest speaker advised that fear must be avoided in communication as fear causes hesitation, which in return effects the communication negatively.

For public speaking, the guest speaker advised that one should know one’s audience and listen to one’s audience. If the audience is silent and attentive, then the speaker has succeeded in his public speaking. Guiding the participants, the guest speaker advised that to captivate one’s audience, one must avoid technical terms, mind one’s gestures, maintain eye contact, pleasant facial expressions and avoid podium. The guest speaker explained that for effective public speaking; appearance, context, clarity, coherence, pronunciation, pace, pitch, pauses and rapport with the audience are very important. In public speaking no reading, no cluttered slides, good contrast, time management, simplicity, and visibility are the keys to success. He explained that judging. complaining, negativity, whispering, excuses, lying and dogmatism are seven deadly sins of public speaking. The guest speaker emphasized that great speakers are not born but trained and everyone can become a great speaker as communication can be improved by 90% through preparation, planning and practice.

The speaker concluded the sessions by stating that effective communication starts great and ends greater and communication skill with a forceful message is a very powerful tool for change.