Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Gurus
Been giving a bit of thought and discussion lately to gurus. From Webster: a teacher and especially intellectual guide in matters of fundamental concern one who is an acknowledged leader or chief proponent a person with knowledge or expertise I think...
What can I learn?
I often have students -- usually experienced ones -- who take issue with a point I might make or a methodology I prescribe. Since I'm in the business of changing behavior, by very definition I am trying to get folks to do things differently. Some...
Two heads are better than one
I was teaching/coaching a group last week and they were hitting their head against the wall. We were discussing making things interesting with good openers, and the basic tenor in the class was "I don't think this topic (I) is (am) very interesting." I...
Experts
I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers book. He could write about cow dung and make it interesting. This one caught my eye because he asks what it takes to be really good -- no, GREAT -- at something. I'm facing that most with my kids. What should I encourage them to...
And then… be quiet
I watch a lot of speakers use rhetorical questions to get the audience's feedback, make them think, or try to engage them. I probably do it more than anyone I've ever watched. But it's not easy to do well.The hardest part about asking questions is..well...waiting.And...
Template for bigotry
"I love almost everything about X. X is wonderful. Reminds me of the dreams when I started out in life. X is just the culmination of all that is good. But I just can't overlook the fact that X is Y. That is unacceptable."Does that...
Debate-able person
Another thing that stuck out to me in last night's debate was the person with which the candidates talked about themselves. In almost every case, they used inherently first-person: "I", "me", "my". I suppose that's understandable given that we all will...
The point is…
Watched about 30 minutes -- and then the final 5 minutes -- of the Final President Debate tonight. Once again, it is amazing to me that with so much on the line (it's not even a remote stretch to say that the balance of power in the free world is at stake) we have...
Question the Mouse
Having just spent a week at Walt Disney World, I have to say their ability to answer questions is what sets them apart. In the times of this economic stress, I have to think they're a little scared -- family vacations are likely the first thing to get cut. But the...
The fourth F
Had a student suggest a fourth 'F' when we were discussing the question, "What do you do when something out of the ordinary or bad happens while you are speaking?" (see last post for the other three Fs answer).He responded, "Freak out!"Of course, I don't advocate that...
The three F’s
Got a bad haircut yesterday. It looks pretty weird. But in my world, the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is about 2 weeks. It'll be fine.But I hate it. It bothers me. I want so much to make sure everyone knows I hate it. That way I can make all the...
Just look at the notes
With the folks I coach, it seems that many believe looking at notes is a bad thing for a speaker to do. People try all sorts of sly ways to get around pausing to look at their notes: from furtive glances to drive bys to strategic placement of cue cards.I've found that...
