What are you honking at?

I was behind a couple of cars the other day on the two-lane road that leads out of my neighborhood. We were stopped at an unusual spot for the time of day, and it was hard to tell why we weren’t moving. I’d been sitting there about 15 seconds when someone behind me honked. Just ... Continue Reading

Standing with your back to the action

I was watching a basketball game recently, a big, high-stakes game. In one shot of the crowd, I saw a security guard standing directly behind the bench of one of the teams. He was wearing a bright blue jacket with SECURITY across the back, and he was stock still.   It was just a fleeting ... Continue Reading

What would happen if…

You could catch yourself before you make the thoughtless comment?   You had a way to avoid that one button you always seem to press in your partner or friend that leads to a misunderstanding?   You could show up with emotional availability instead of defensiveness?   You could rely on yourself to navigate a ... Continue Reading

In defense of small talk

Small talk gets a bad rap. The very phrase brings to mind standing around at an event you didn’t really want to go to, talking about nothing much, to people you don’t know . But I think small talk has a function. It helps us ease in, test the waters, determine whether there’s rapport and ... Continue Reading

If you have five minutes to give a report…

Don’t.   All over the world, people are giving reports to team meetings, staff meetings, meetings of boards of directors, and they’re charged with “bringing everyone up to speed.” Then they’re given five minutes on the agenda.   Everything is bad about this approach. Let’s start with the word “report.” “Report” connotes a person giving ... Continue Reading

Parenting with Intention

My good friend Catherine wrote to me with an story of intent in action from her own life.   Her grandson got in trouble at middle school. Here is how Catherine describes what happened–   Intent matters. When my grandson brought the pepper spray to middle school last week, it certainly wasn’t his intent to ... Continue Reading

You can use your voice to create change.

You have a message to share, connections to create, and relationships to build. Your voice, your own real, genuine voice, is your best tool to create the change you want to see. Our coaches at Ignite CSP help people make a fundamental shift in how they understand their own power to communicate. We do this ... Continue Reading

Do the important part first.

Often when we plan a talk or a presentation, we start developing our content at the beginning. Seems natural, right? Our blinking cursor is at the top of the blank screen, so our mind starts to churn over what it thinks should happen first, usually some kind of introduction.   Then what happens? “I don’t ... Continue Reading

What does a screen do?

A screen in the corner of a room shields a person changing clothes from others’ eyes.   A screen in your windows protects your house from the insects outside.   In basketball, a screen blocks a defender so that the person with the ball can get open to score.   What does your screen do? ... Continue Reading

Are you communicating if no one is listening?

It used to be that if you wanted to communicate with someone, you only had a few choices. You could talk to them in person, on the phone, or send them a letter. If you wanted the letter to get there faster, you could fax it.   This stone age state of affairs was how ... Continue Reading