The Misconceptions of Communication Skills Misconception #1: We consciously choose all we communicate. Who has not heard the aphorism ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ Or ‘Your actions speak louder than words?’ I would challenge that the messages we are sending are even more complicated than the words we choose and the things we choose to do. What is missing from the everyday understanding of communication is the unconscious or unknown. Consider that with every message you exchange with another...
Continue reading...Preparation and Discovery
Number 1 rule of presenting with impact.
When it comes to preparing for an important talk or presentation, our preferences land somewhere on a continuum between planned and impromptu. Regardless of the amount of preparation you typically need, there is one rule that doesn’t change: Design the experience, not the presentation. Let’s take a look at how Dan and Jane each approach their talks. Dan is a high energy, action oriented entrepreneur. When he walks into a room, excitement flows through the crowd like the wave in a...
Continue reading...I have nothing to say.
It happens to the best of us. We sit down to write an email, create our presentation, share on social media, write a page in our book and then…..nothing. We thought we were ready to share our idea, respond to that email, or craft the perfect story in our presentation but we find – not only is the page blank, but so is our mind! You find yourself thinking “I have nothing to say.” Sometimes it’s our own perfectionism. We expect...
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