Nancy Duarte is one of the great experts on creating and delivering persuasive presentations. Her HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations is essential reading whether you’re preparing a TED talk or a quarterly update presentation for your boss. She … [Read more...] about Learning from a master presenter
Creating safety on teams
Communication only occurs if both people in a conversation feel free to listen and to speak. It turns out this freedom is rarer than it should be. Barriers to speaking up cause communication problems, which quickly become business problems. So, what … [Read more...] about Creating safety on teams
Are we communicating?
George Bernard Shaw famously said: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Exactly! Last week’s theme was “Perception is reality.” This week it’s how do you actually connect with and persuade your … [Read more...] about Are we communicating?
Perception v Reality? It’s a sucker bet!
This week we’re taking a tried and true principle from political campaigning and applying it to internal communication at your company. . . yay! Nobody said it better than Lee Atwater: ‘’Perception is reality.” In politics this means that what … [Read more...] about Perception v Reality? It’s a sucker bet!
Simple and personal
I recently worked with a CEO to prep him for a broadcast media tour. Throughout the whole training, my sage colleague Peter Shaplen kept reinforcing two essential points: keep it simple and make it personal. TV audiences, who get maybe 1 – 3 … [Read more...] about Simple and personal
Sometimes a 1:1 is harder than a keynote!
Your head of sales isn’t happy and wants to meet at 3, your 16 year old said last night she wants to spend the summer in Asia alone, your largest customer just sent an ominously vague e-mail demanding a call immediately. Yikes!! Conversations like … [Read more...] about Sometimes a 1:1 is harder than a keynote!
Practice = confidence = fluency
Why is it worth actually practicing your communications skills? Why is it worth investing energy to learn techniques, to sharpen your messages, to spend time on the stage before the speech? If you aren’t prepared you can appear pre-occupied and … [Read more...] about Practice = confidence = fluency
Everything you do communicates with your customers
poseycorp’s position is that nothing will serve you and your vision better than developing exceptional communication skills. As Stephen Covey says “Communication is the most important skill in life.” I believe this strongly enough that I’ve built my … [Read more...] about Everything you do communicates with your customers
How you feel impacts how you communicate
The last three posts have not specifically been about communication, they’ve been about what it feels like to be in a leadership position – how people project ‘boss’ onto you and lose sight of who you really are, how the leadership mantle depletes … [Read more...] about How you feel impacts how you communicate
Circles, Arrows and Saatchi & Saatchi
On July 29, Saatchi & Saatchi Chairman Kevin Roberts, surmising about why women in his firm choose to opt out of becoming creative directors, said, “Their ambition is not a vertical ambition, it's this intrinsic, circular ambition to be happy.” … [Read more...] about Circles, Arrows and Saatchi & Saatchi
