My company coaches people to be more effective communicators. The primary approach we use is intention. Begin with the end in mind—what do I want my audience to feel, think, or do as a result of what I say? Now, what do I need to do to make that happen? How can I reach that … Read more
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Everybody likes to be right. Okay, maybe not everybody, but pretty much everybody I know. Being right makes us feel good. Our status as a-person-who-knows-things is secure again, at least for the moment, when we are right. But what happens when there is no measurable, provable “right”? What happens when there are … Read more
Remember the Staples “Easy” button? It was a symbol of how simple Staples makes it to get all of your office supplies needs met. It spoke to us because we’re always looking for that thing, that person, that tip that’s going to alleviate a little bit of the hassle of daily life and help us … Read more
I heard a great piece of advice I wanted to share with you. If you’re giving specific criticism, give specific compliments as well. This gem came from my daughter, Nora. She was describing an interaction with one of her bosses, who uses the “compliment sandwich” technique. You know, when you need to give … Read more
Years ago, when my daughter was in fourth grade, her class was performing a dance for the school’s winter concert. I remember her telling me that doing the dance made her feel self-conscious. She didn’t want anyone to see her doing these big exuberant movements that she thought were silly. I asked her to … Read more
I’ve been in the UK for the last four days. It’s not my first visit, and I consider myself a pretty seasoned traveler. But there were numerous times when I realized that the knowledge I take for granted, the way I navigate streets or airports or even grocery stores, is completely dependent on being somewhere … Read more
Ignite CSP coach Anne Thibault has some advice for those of us who might be…eager to get our own voices in the room. Learn more about our Conversational Agility workshop here!
When I’m nervous before I speak or give a presentation, I listen to my self-talk. What words are echoing through my mind on a loop? What am I saying to myself, and how is it going to affect me? What I usually hear is: Why did I say yes to this? I’m probably going … Read more
Hey! Happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful that you take a few minutes out of your day to check out what I’ve written. I hope it’s helpful and sparks a few thoughts. What are your favorite kinds of posts? What do you want more of? More videos? Longer posts? Shorter posts? Something … Read more
My good friend Catherine wrote me in response to the October 31 blog post, Sending signals. Catherine pointed out that, right when she was getting intrigued by what I was saying in the post, the writing kind of petered out. “What am I supposed to do with this information? How do I apply it to … Read more
