The Question & Answer technique was my new hammer but – as tempting as it was – not every communication needed to be hit on the head with it. Read more
I don’t have to be word perfect every time
Some people love the activity of writing. They derive a positive pleasure from fine-tuning their words, honing their style and striving for a rhetorical flourish. I have been there, often. But writing doesn’t have to be like that. Sometimes the goal is nothing more than to get some words written down and sent to whoever needs to receive them. I have been there, too. Read more
Public speaking (Part 1): Engage
Many people are frightened of public speaking. Surveys suggest that people fear speaking in front of an audience more than they fear death! As the American comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, pointed out, it means that, for many people at a funeral, they would rather be in the coffin than giving a eulogy. Read more
Public speaking (Part 2): Inform
Once my opening remarks had succeeded in engaging the audience’s attention, the speech itself needed to meet the expectations I had created. Read more