Yup, that is one intimidating group you’re facing. Your colleagues. The communication skills workshop participant confessed, “I was pretty nervous up there. Can’t believe it, but I was.” This after completing an opening exercise where the subject was…them. “Them” was their colleagues in the company with whom they’re employed. THEM was their fellow emerging leaders. Read More
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It’s a place worth visiting, if you haven’t been there in a while….
It was confirmed by a group of emerging leaders in a recent workshop I led. They’re feeling tight on time. Their pre-workshop survey indicated such and during the workshop we agreed that the things we do to prepare our communications take valuable time. We also concurred that not taking time to prepare can mean double Read More
The key to Audience engagement (and getting stuff done!)
Your audience is ready to engage. Set the stage. Our bumper sticker from a recent comm skills workshop is simply, “EXPECTATIONS SET. EXPECTATIONS MET.” I created the phrase after working in many high stakes sales environments and in the theatre. Our resulting bumper stickers are short phrases that we returned to again and again as Read More
The Kid in your Audience – embrace or embattle?
Scrooge was having a great day. Until the costume change. At the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre* in, you know, Arrow Rock, Missouri, the boards were brightened over the 2014 end-of-year holiday season by the spirited cast of “A Christmas Carol” (the small theatre setting is magical, by the way, if you happen by). Scrooge was Read More
Your command performance is a just few pages away!
Get the Book! Available in paperback and Kindle editions via amazon.com Steal the secrets actors use to master your performance on the corporate stage! Based on an actual executive coaching session, “How to Act in Business” engages readers through a play-scripted dialogue between two spirited characters–Bob, a new leader, and his Coach as Bob strives Read More
Your Action? To Assure, of course!
She had to do something right now. Her management said so. A young, vibrant leadership candidate was getting feedback that she needed to show more “leadership presence” and watch being apologetic in front of customers. Sales were on the line. What to do? Digging in with her during our initial communication coaching session, I introduced the Read More
Your core as communicator – Playing Actions!
What actions are you playing today? If you’re thinking “take action” or “what’s on my ‘to do’ list” you’re on the right track as those are activities you want/need to get done. But how do you get them done when people are critical to your success? What do you do to those people as you accomplish Read More
Oh no! The Z’s are here! Relax….
You had your Audience all figured out. Sliced, diced, polled and processed. A mix of Traditionals, Gen X and these energized Millennials that are super-trended in conversation circles from popular posts to HR leadership “what-do-we-do-about-them” discussions. Then comes, and on my recent Baby BOOM birthday, The Z’s?!* Zippy? Zen-ergized? Zing-ly taking on the world?! What Read More
The answer to every question
We couldn’t escape it—it just kept on happening. At a workshop I facilitated last week with members of the Emerging Leaders Program of a strong midwest manufacturer, the phrase, “Depends on your Audience” was vocalized repeatedly. It happened so much that I proposed it should be a bumper sticker. But, with our customized workshop focus Read More
Your performance. Your role?
How’s your performance today? Do you look and sound the part? Do you appear strong and confident in your role? What is your role anyway? And what does your audience think of the story you’re telling and the way you tell it? Are you getting them what they want? What you want? Do you even know WHAT Read More
