“Oh look at that shiny thing over there! Everyone’s talking about it! I’d much rather talk about that than our boring old messaging!” says the founder. “Please kill me now,” says the PR person (to herself only of course). Because the “boring old … [Read more...] about Politicians suck, but they are great repeaters
Watching is listening
You’re giving your presentation. You see arms folded, fidgeting, surreptitious phone checks. Oh no! You’re in the middle of explaining the third quarter data and all you can think about is whether your message or its length is off. Or, you get … [Read more...] about Watching is listening
Incremental action
We know that tiny, daily, incremental practice leads to real change. But it’s so tempting to think that doing just one big thing one time will embed a new skill into our brains. When I run a presentation skills or media training workshop, I … [Read more...] about Incremental action
Step by baby step
We’re two weeks into the new year. What are you seeing that you need to learn? What skills does your team need to develop? What’s working well? What’s broken? What’s hilarious? What’s horrible? If you can take an hour to think about foundational … [Read more...] about Step by baby step
Happy New Year!!
Welcome to the new year! I hope that your holiday break was restful and restorative, that your inbox and calendar are not overstuffed on re-entry, and that you feel refreshed and ready to tackle whatever 2024 has to offer. 2023 was the stuff of … [Read more...] about Happy New Year!!
One step at a time
Several years ago, I spent a week at The Ashram in Calabasas, California. It’s a simple place that will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. All twelve guests at the Ashram do yoga together as the sun rises before going out to hike for 5 - 6 … [Read more...] about One step at a time
Pessimistic optimist?
I’ve got a funny relationship with optimism and pessimism. After working in corporate PR for decades I’m pretty jaded about business and government leaders. When a CEO or anyone in government makes a stupid decision with painful consequences, I’m not … [Read more...] about Pessimistic optimist?
For real. Never do these things
In April I wrote a newsletter issue on things every leader/communicator should always do, and then another on things a communicator should never do. And then I had a great time writing Jones, the villain in the WidgetCo story who did all of the bad … [Read more...] about For real. Never do these things
Asking with elegance
None of us is capable of doing everything we need/want to do in the world alone. Part of being alive is about giving and receiving help. But asking for help can feel so awkward. So how can we do it with elegance? I think it’s about recognizing … [Read more...] about Asking with elegance
The customer is king
This year, the question I get more than any other is: “How do I deal with someone who is trying to derail my meeting?” We’ve addressed several internal meeting scenarios, but what if it’s a customer meeting? Well, that’s a whole different ball … [Read more...] about The customer is king
