Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Not my job
As a follow-up to my post last week102 on passing the buck and not taking responsibility for problems, had a similar experience yesterday. I recently changed cell phone companies, and since I have pretty basic needs, took the driod's recommendation on the phone to...
Watch others
Our local Toastmasters Club tried something a little different yesterday. We called a special, voluntary meeting to watch a video of a presenter (about 20 minutes) and then spent the rest of an hour discussing what worked and what didn't for that speaker. The...
How accessible are you?
Was helping some members of a large organization whose higher echelons call the shots pretty exclusively. One area manager remarked that other than some blanket directions, specific responses from the CEO were not a possibility, so his area had to assume, act, and...
Repeat after me
Went to a niece's softball game today and also watched a short part of the Little League World Series. A ball field is a funny place with regard to communication. I noticed long ago that just about everything that is said is repeated or stated in pairs. "Good job! ...
On their level
Accompanied The Boy to 'Meet the Teacher' day today. His first experience with public school. Realized just how far removed from Kindergarten I am. And I'm pretty sure I had nothing like what he'll experience.But a communications nugget was that everytime one of...
Say again?
In my training classes, I teach a lot of people whose native language is not English. Save for a few years of High School German (nur ein bisschen!), I only speak English, however. While I LOVE listening to the accents I am exposed to, it does pose a problem in...
Graciousness
People say crazy things. Some are just odd; some are marginally offensive. Especially if there is no reason to assume ill will, a pause and a gracious response is always in order. Helps to avoid those 'I wish I hand't said that' moments, since one of you is...
Content overload
Watched a marketing rah-rah session the other day. Of course, the ubiquitous PowerPoint was front and center, running the show. When it becomes obvious that the content will be driven entirely by what's on the screen, the presenter loses the ability to connect with...
A blank stare
Seen several speeches (the latest in Toastmasters today) where a previous speaker had PowerPoint slides that ended with the ubiquitous end/summary/any questions slide. No problems (well, only minor ones) with that. But the next speaker spoke without PowerPoint...
High hopes, high hopes, it’s off to speak we go…
Watched a mid-level manager open a speech to the troops the other day with an attempt at a related story which was clearly formulated as a grabber (no problems so far), followed with the requisite transition into business-ese (still no problem), followed by a posture...
A bird in the hand…
Would be better than a piece of paper. Watch a C-level executive today saunter on stage and announce he had taken notes during the division's meeting and had a few points to make. He accentuated the point by showing the piece of paper he had purportedly taken his...
Not our problem
Had a friend relate a customer service story I thought appropos.Seems his airline (who shall remain nameless, but let's just say that bankruptcy filings are not too far in their past history) lost his bags, left them on the ramp, they got rained on, ruined all the...
