There is no eye contact in video conferences. This is a major way that we establish trust and build relationships, so the lack of eye contact is a pretty big deal. So here’s a tip: Look in the camera. Well, first, make sure you know where your camera is! Then, when you’re presenting or when … Read more
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Sending your voice out over the nearest technology isn’t enough to make a connection. It isn’t enough to establish trust, or to share vulnerability. We can do that more naturally in person, and when we can’t be in person, we have to work harder to connect. We have to rise to the occasion, to … Read more
Why do we speak? What need are we fulfilling? It can be as simple as wanting the salt shaker to be moved closer to you, or as dire as needing to alert the people around you that your boat is sinking, but we always speak to fulfill a need. The need to connect, the desire … Read more
Hi to all extroverts! I’m glad to know you! Some of my favorite people are extroverts. This is a little note I’m slipping into your hand to tell you some truths about the people around you who aren’t like you—the introverts. There are some myths going around about introverts—that they’re shy, they don’t … Read more
Are you finding your energy waning as the day goes on? Need to inject some pep into your fifth Zoom call of the day? Ignite coach Neela Muñoz has a great tip!
The most important thing about talking is listening. Put less glibly, the most important aspect of communication is listening. How do we listen more fully, more actively? And right now, how can we make sure we’re listening to people when we aren’t in the same place and we all have a lot on … Read more
Sometimes we think that once we’ve started, we can’t start again. We can be quite linear, so we imagine that “Start” is in one place and we have to just keep going until we reach “End.” That’s rarely true. As always, we have to keep our objective in mind. Is the objective “to keep … Read more
When you go to a play or watch a TV show, the environment you’re seeing on stage or screen has been carefully selected. The music playing as you take your seat, the books on a bookshelf, the wallpaper, the collar of a shirt—it’s all in service of the story you’re being told. When you … Read more
Well, Shakespeare knew a lot of things. But the one I’m talking about today is this—Shakespeare knew that his audiences were busy. They had a lot going on, even while they were watching his plays. They were eating and chatting, and many of them were on their feet. When they were attending plays at the … Read more
I learned something very cool this week from Nick Morgan, a public speaking coach and the author of “Can You Hear Me?: How to Connect with People in a Virtual World.” (This book has never been more timely—I highly recommend it!) When someone is looking at you on a video call, their brain is … Read more
