Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Speaking skills”
In eighteen years of working her way to Senior Vice President of a bank, Stacy avoided invitations to speak. Comfortable leading board meetings, committees and speaking to clients, Stacy stayed in her safe zone. Stand and speak in front of 500 people? No thanks. An invitation to speak at a large community event landed on her desk. Terrified and uncertain, …
“Space is in fact, a living event. Space is potential” ~ Bruce A. Bergner, Set Designer Jackie is a lead engineer who also happens to be 5’2” and petite. I watch as she gives a presentation to her colleagues. Her goal: negotiate a procedural change between departments. She is doing a great job: engages her audience and listens to their ideas …
After 23 years teaching high school, I’m still not immune to disinterested and dissatisfied attendee’s expressions. As I begin a training for 15 company managers, Jerri’s expression says, “I don’t want to be here and I’m pissed that I am.” You’ve seen them, attending your meeting, speech or participating in your training: yawning, looking at their watch, checking text messages or slumped …
In the movie, The Big Short, Ryan Gosling’s character, Jared Vennett is standing at a table in front of 3 colleagues. Piece by piece, he slowly builds a Jenga wooden structure. At its highest point, he swings his hand, knocks it over and the wooden pieces scatter across the table. “What is that?” asks one of the men sitting at the table. Jared Vennett pauses, stares at the man asking, …
We’ve gone from square screens to shared spaces. Muting the audience and “no video” is no longer an option. You are seen & heard. During the height of the pandemic and through the lens of zoom, our non-verbal communication got a break. It was impossible to see your foot shaking or your arms crossed. Those subconsciously evident facial expressions were off-limits in your tiny …
