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Ashwini Dasgupta | Answer |Ask -Follow

Personality Development Expert, Career Coach - Answered on Sep 25, 2023

Ashwini Dasgupta is a personality development coach and a neuro-linguistic programming trainer.
She has 15 years of experience training corporate professionals and has worked at Amazon, JP Morgan, Nomura and Satyam among others.
As a career coach, Ashwini specialises in helping growth-minded IT corporate managers develop their self-worth and create the right mindset so that they can achieve their career goals.
Besides corporate training, she offers personal consultations as well.
Ashwini holds a master’s degree in human resources from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, and is a certified NLP trainer from the National Federation of NeuroLinguistic Programming, USA.
She has completed her soft skills training and image consultancy course from the Image Consulting Business Institute, Mumbai
Ashwini is also a PoSH trainer, certified by the Society for Human Resource Management.... more

Question by Balaji on Sep 19, 2023Hindi

Presently I am working as a General Manager Purchase and my age is 44, I find difficult in speaking without any agenda/specific question. Even in informal dinners or just casual talks I become blank. This is same in my personal life also. Like introvert type, but this is taking a toll on my professional as well as personal. I try very hard to be fluent with people but I am not able to do it. If somebody speaks 20 line and I convey the same in 1 line. But it is boring for others. How do I improve it.... like storytelling type.

Ans: Dear Balaji,

Thank you for writing in.

First of all, stop labelling yourself (like you have mentioned in the above question "I am an Introvert type"). As humans our brains are wired to believe what information we feed to ourselves.

Second, acceptance. Accepting the way, you are. That is your strength.

Certain steps that can be considered -
- Know the agenda you are entering into. This will help you prepare in advance on the conversations you need to engage in.
If there are no agendas then you can -
- Initiate small talks. For example- talk about current affairs in the industry (avoid talking about religion or politics) as this can get sensitive. Conversation should be general in nature. This will help you break the ice with the individual.
- Asking open ended questions- such questions help you encourage others to share more information. Instead of asking yes/no questions, ask questions that require a more detailed response, such as "What was that experience like for you?" or "Tell me more about..."
- Focus on your observation- Observe your surroundings and what's happening in the environment. You can use these observations as conversation starters. For example, if you're at a restaurant, you can comment on the decor, the food, or the atmosphere.
- Share Personal Stories- Personal anecdotes can make your conversations more relatable and engaging.
-Use Body Language- Your body language can enhance your communication. Maintain eye contact, use gestures to emphasize points, and smile when appropriate to convey warmth and engagement.
-Don’t hesitate to seek for professional help- If you feel that your difficulty in engaging in conversations is causing significant distress or impacting your personal and professional life, consider seeking professional help. This should help you navigate with the tips and tricks.

Hope this helps.

All the best

Ashwini Dasgupta
To your Success. Be You. Be Confident
Author of Confidence Decoded- Is it a Skill or Attitude?

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Question by R - Oct 06, 2020Hindi

Madam/Sir...I am finding it difficult while communicating in front of public gathering and while giving presentations in the meeting. Went through several books and videos but not able to overcome on the issue. Please suggest some simple techniques.

Ans: Dear R, I know this feeling. So many people feel like the crowd is going to swallow them. I have a few simple tricks for you.

1. First, watch videos of a person that you admire for their public speaking skills and one who is confident and sharp in front of an audience. Watch their every move, their rate of speech, their language, their body language.

2. Next, imagine yourself as a character on a stage/podium/meeting room in place of that person and as though you imitate his/her every move.

If you think, there is more that you want to add to feel more confident watching your character, like maybe pumping your fist in the air. Watch your character do that.

3. When you think that your character looks and feels confident, simply take a step forward and take on the character and face an imaginary crowd.

4. Now simply feel the elation as you have simply taken on the same role as the person that you admire and hence you feel the same air of confidence.

The key is to practice this many times over, till your mind supports you on this. Try this, it’s fun and it does work. Have a great confident self, be happy

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