browse our blog archive - start with a search:
When you watch a TV show, a play, or a movie, the set you see is carefully chosen. Let’s say the scene you’re watching takes place in a kitchen. The art director is going to select items that convey something she wants the viewer to know about whose kitchen it is, and the details are ... Continue Reading
My daughter Nora recently shared a situation she experienced with a committee she serves on at her university. The leadership of this committee needed to make a decision that would substantially affect the whole organization, and a heated debate ensued. As she described it, there were two sides to the issue, and each side was ... Continue Reading
A lot of conventional wisdom about public speaking advises the speaker to “know their audience.” That’s fine advice as far as it goes, but in practice, it’s hard to implement. Audiences are big, varied, and want different things. How can one speaker know them all? Instead of trying to know your audience, I suggest the ... Continue Reading
Typically, our coaching philosophy is what I would call inside-out. Start with the “why” of the communication, and that will influence the “how.” But sometimes outside-in works better. By standing up straighter, you can feel more confident. By making eye contact, you can generate connection. By slowing down, you can gain more control over your ... Continue Reading
If you wanted to increase your physical fitness, would you run two marathons per year and do nothing else in between? When we want to improve our communication skills but only think about them when we have to give a big speech or presentation, it’s the equivalent of lacing up our brand-new running shoes right ... Continue Reading
A few years ago, Ignite CSP was working with a company on their big annual event. Several of us were coaching their speakers, and one of my clients was the person tasked with speaking for a few minutes at the very beginning. I was excited—the kickoff speaker! Getting the opportunity to craft the first few ... Continue Reading
I saw a tweet recently in which the poster expressed concern that many of her students prefer communicating via text to speaking face to face. Many of the responses to her tweet said, in essence, “I am more comfortable texting, so that’s how I do it.” We all have preferences about all kinds of things. ... Continue Reading
The farther along you go in your career, the less feedback you get. This makes sense: who wants to give the big boss notes on their performance? But this dynamic makes it even more essential to seek out knowledgeable coaching and guidance for yourself. We all have areas of our own performance that we don’t ... Continue Reading
You’re comfortable in front of a crowd. You know you are engaging, maybe even charismatic. You seldom stumble over your words, and you just don’t get nervous. You might even get a few laughs here and there! This sounds awesome! Why would this be anything but terrific for the people lucky enough to describe themselves ... Continue Reading
When you write your presentation, you’re using your brain in a specific way, to convey messages in writing. But when you deliver that presentation out loud, you need to use the same information in a different way, to communicate with people verbally. Unless you’re very practiced at writing the way you speak, this shift from ... Continue Reading
© 2016 - 2024 IgniteCSP LLC | Site by TheFieryWell.com
