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This article in Inc. suggests that, when you come to a sticky point in a business conversation, you pause for ten seconds before you respond. The author’s strategy here is a cool one, I think. The pause allows you time to shift from your default intention into something that is more likely to support your ... Continue Reading
Last month I was working with a new client, an accomplished woman who has done a lot of public speaking. She is new in her role at her organization, and she wants to make sure she is compelling and engaging, as well as knowledgable. I introduced her to the idea of deliberate intention: making the ... Continue Reading
I write a lot (and think, and coach) about deliberate, productive intention. What is the outcome we seek from our communication, and what can we do on purpose to help bring that outcome about? It’s not enough to think about intention. We have to figure out how to activate it. After all, we understand other ... Continue Reading
One of my clients was recently asked to put together several events for her organization’s executive team. “We’ll have people in person!” they said. “Oh, and we’ll stream it!” they said. “It’ll be a hybrid. People can attend however they like!” In theory, this seems like a win-win. Anyone who would like to attend in ... Continue Reading
When you’re delivering a speech or presentation, what should you do first? Here’s my suggestion, and it may seem counterintuitive. Don’t start talking. Stay quiet. Take your place at the front of the room. Look around. Smile. Wait. Let everyone settle. See them looking back at you. Remember your intention: what are you here to ... Continue Reading
Once upon a time, about fifteen years ago, I completely flubbed a curtain speech I had to deliver before a play. I had given many curtain speeches as the co-founder and Producing Director of North Carolina Stage Company, but that night, something went wrong. The lights on my face were unusually bright, and I was ... Continue Reading
Groups of people who spend a lot of time together develop their own ways of speaking. They have inside jokes, acronyms, and jargon that distinguish their group from others. At its best, this special language helps connect the people in the group, and those bonds are important to establish safety and trust. Unique words can ... Continue Reading
We got to work with a small group of people last week who were all practicing short introductions. These were about a minute long and served the purpose of kicking off a “lunch and learn” type of event. One minute. Short enough to maybe not bother really preparing, but definitely long enough to set the ... Continue Reading
This is one of the most important things to know when you are preparing a speech or a presentation. Audiences are selfish. The fear many people have that the audience is judging them is misplaced. Most audiences are willing, and even excited, to see what you have to offer. But we’re not there for you. ... Continue Reading
As you might imagine from the title of this post, I’ve been watching the Olympics. The gymnasts’ skill and focus always blow me away, and I enjoy watching them compete. Of course, the phrase “stick the landing” comes from gymnastics competition. In order to really finish the routine with an exclamation mark and not ... Continue Reading
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