Music From The Heart

Ruth Sherman — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:12:57 -0400

I’ve been learning about “el sistema,” the Venezuelan music-training program that has been offered to over 300,000 impoverished Venezuelan children.The brainchild of Jose Antonio Abreu, a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering who received musical training while growing up, el sistema, or “the system” as it is known, has been such a force for good, it’s difficult to understand why something similar hasn’t caught on here the United States.

Manners Matter More Than Ever

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:57:45 -0400

With the world as competitive as it is, and the economy uncertain at best, it should come as no surprise that we should use any and all available advantages. Having impeccable manners and understanding the rules of etiquette are critical determinants of success and key to winning people over. I do not know a single highly successful person who does not have these skills down to a science. Unfortunately, the boundaries of propriety have been eroding steadily and accelerating over the past two or three decades. The following examples may ring a bell:

Gladwell on Talent Selection

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:46:26 -0400

I just got back from the American Society for Training & Development’s International Conference and Exhibition in San Diego where I was a speaker. This was a great conference – one of the best I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot of them both as an attendee and as a speaker – 8,000 professional development pros from all over the world. I learned a tremendous amount and met some wonderful new and interesting people and sold and signed a lot of my books.

"Sweetie" And Sibling Terms: Never OK In Business

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:17:22 -0400

The dust-up over Barack Obama’s calling a reporter “sweetie” seems to have died down. So it’s a good moment to discuss what it means when diminutive forms of address are used in business and professional contexts.

Don’t Get Caught Long -- Use SALES

Ruth Sherman — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:08:18 -0400

I was working with a team of technology professionals yesterday and turned them onto my tool, SALES. I designed SALES to help clients quickly organize their thoughts so if they found themselves having to report on something quickly, they could do it easily.

SALES stands for

State your main message (objective)

Add key points

List benefits

Examples, stories, metaphors, etc.

Jenna Bush Makes Parents Look Good

Ruth Sherman — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:39:44 -0400

Welcome Back, Comma.

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:41:12 -0400

I have noticed that the lowly comma is making a return to written communication. I have missed it terribly over the past several years and so it is good to see it back.

I had always wondered why it got lost. In asking friends and colleagues about it, people would almost brag about not using them, saying they cluttered things up or were old-fashioned. I would disagree vociferously, taking the position that commas make reading easier.

Obama's Leakage

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:24:31 -0400

Oh, boy, how quickly things can change. As a leading authority on political communication, it’s been fascinating to watch Barack Obama’s recent communication struggles. It didn’t seem possible just a short month or so ago [see Fast Company article The Brand Called Obama], but it’s starting to look like Obama has a “tin ear” when it comes to interpersonal communication.

Back From Dubai

Ruth Sherman — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:13:03 -0400

I returned recently from a business trip to Dubai where I worked on a communications project with a private equity company. This is a fascinating country – city-state, really – with many contradictions. Since it is so widely featured in the news, I thought I’d give you my take on it.

Style IS Substance: The Magic Of Obama

Ruth Sherman — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:22:24 -0500