It is tough saying "No" when someone asks for your help or your commitment. We don't want to let down our colleagues, friends, or family. We don't want them to think we lack the capability. And we want to develop the reputation as someone who always steps up to the [More]
How do you get your network to really help? At a recent dinner I was taught a fascinating networking lesson, from a most unexpected source. At a certain point in time, the discussion turned to the subject of jobs, and how one of the people at the table should get [More]
In business school years ago, I learned an important lesson. It's not just what you say, but how you say it that can make a difference. Back then, we were asked to hand in two copies of each major assignment. One copy went to the professor who would mark us [More]
When you are speaking to a large group, who is more important - the audience or you? Picture this: there is an entire audience sitting on the edge of their chairs, listening to each and every one of your words. You may have been paid thousands to deliver your speech. [More]
Recently I had attended the Montreal Jazz Festival. Over the course of several days, dozens of bands of all styles - blues, big band, dixie, fusion, to name a few - played to thousands of spectators. For those not familiar with the genre, most jazz follows a similar story line: [More]
Have you ever been in a sales pitch, job interview, or other important meeting, and the person you are meeting asks you if there is anything else you would like to say, or ask? How should you approach this situation? Essentially, you have three choices: say nothing, say something new, or [More]
Formal presentations are critical to your professional success: they are used when you are pitching your ideas to colleagues or clients, when delivering a speech, and even during the job interview process. When we were taught how to make a speech back in grade school, we were given the rudiments: [More]
hru? lol, the uv tmi; gtg. Does reading this text feel like reading another language? You may recognize this gobbledegook as text or instant messaging shorthand, used almost as an artform by those "younger" than you. If you've figured it out, great, but don't count on your parent's (or grandparent's) [More]
As a communicator, I share my ideas by writing and by speaking. I project my ideas to others using nuance, idiom, tone of voice, and body language. I do it in business presentations, group meetings, in proposals, job interviews and resumes. But how do I know that the message is [More]
I once worked for a brilliant leader... whose mother tongue wasn't English. To my horror, I discovered that he didn't always understand every word that I spoke or wrote. With increased diversity and a more global business environment, expect this to happen more and more frequently. The challenge selling a [More]
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