A gathering of executive briefing center professionals in Boston last week had a ball. Well, they passed it (or took it!) as they improvised the handoffs that occur between customers and briefing program personnel at the start of an event. Having been in hundreds of live theatre performances I know the spots where we are Read More
Actor
The 3 Unbreakable Rules of Presenting
It’s amazing what people do to compromise their message. “If they only knew what they’re doing” I’m told time and again by frustrated and concerned observers. Most likely the challenged presenter is breaking one of the 3 Unbreakable Rules of the stage: Be Seen Be Heard Be Understood Distracting tendencies like pacing, fidgeting with fingers, fleeting eye Read More
Eye Time. How long does it take?
“The common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and the soul….” Mark Twain Eye contact is a critical element of a strong presenter’s persona. It’s connection communicates sincerity, openness and confidence. Some people wrestle with this and provide fleeting eye Read More
Where to Focus? Solving the Large Audience Dilemma
At a commercial shoot yesterday there were plenty of places to focus. Producer, director of photography, audio tech and three clients—yeah, the people who have to get it right and pay the bill. Add Mr. Adrenaline who messed with my breath and body while I worked to deliver my memorized lines. All these fine folks Read More
State of Discovery: Your place to be free
I’m thinking of making a move to a new state. For good. I’ve been blessed to live in California, Washington, spent considerable time in New York and grew up in good ol’ Iowa. I’ve visited 47 of our 50 states (Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine remain!). Though I love the midwest, Kansas City and now Read More
Faceless Freedom: The Legacy of Neutral
Going faceless can be risky. And revealing. The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls may be best known for their sometimes spoiler status in college basketball. Or perhaps as the place where future NFL Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner honed his quarterbacking skills. Though several years after I walked the graduation stage at UNI, Read More
The 4-A Way. Structuring the Action of Your Performance.
You’re preparing a critical message. How do you structure it? After watching hundreds of actors on theatrical and corporate stages, I realize that some of these performers could use a dose of structure. Why? Because something is amiss in the successful delivery of their message. Or, in admiring their performance, things are right on Read More
Presence Defined! Should you care?
AH-HA! There it is. The definition of Presence, short and simple. I love my Oxford English Dictionary. The compact hardcover edition that is, first purchased through a book club deal in grad school. Forty bucks was a significant amount for a tight college budget but a strongly suggested investment by the devil-of-a-Shakespeare-teacher at UC San Read More
To Listen. Is it on your Action list?
And there it was! Listening translated into Action! A recent customized keynote I delivered revealed a unique understanding of what it really means to listen. The prep for this feisty group of healthcare education workers included discussions with their leaders. Key to the customized content was the group’s Values, shared by their general manager. Values. A Read More
Vote of Confidence. Your Presence?
Action Workshop participants have confirmed it time and again: A person who has Presence demonstrates Confidence. So, that’s easy. Someone tells you to “be more confident” and there you go! Solved. The “Outside In” Actor (authentic communicator who stretches to take on new roles) stands stronger and puts on a slightly smiling, gleam-in-the eye face. Read More
