“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 …
How Saying Nothing Says “Confidence”
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, …
From Square Screens to Shared Spaces
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 …
Can One Improvement Make A Difference?
“You can improve your value by 50% just by learning communication skills – public speaking…” ~ Warren Buffet “Peyton, that’s the best speech you’ve given all semester.” If you sat in my UNCA public speaking class lately, you’d hear that statement numerous times. You’d see the students inhabiting their speeches where content, delivery, confidence and poise are aligned and united. The students …
A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible. ~Margaret Atwood All I said was, “hi” and my mom asked – “are you okay?” One word and she knew. Your vocal tone makes an immediate impression. If you are tired, feeling confident, believe in your message or feeling nervous, your audience will …