Communication

Susan Boyle and the Two Captains: A Return To Simple Narratives

The singing sensation Susan Boyle who recently auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent, a Simon Cowell creation, has taken the world by storm. I first got wind of this phenomenon when a friend of mine sent me the link last week. If you ...READ»

Looking For A Job Or In Transition?

I was sitting next to my classmate, Chris, on Saturday morning. It was the last day of our fabulous 8-week FastTrac* Growth Venture course that is sponsored by a local non-profit, the Women’s Business Development Center. Just to be ...READ»

An All Or Nothing World

  We don't live in an all or nothing world, even though many of our choices are black or white. We do that often and we're not even aware that we're doing it. That came to light for me this morning when I was ...READ»

Hyper Island Grooms the Next Generation of Digital Media

Mattias Hansson helps train 1,300 students a year in digital media, interactive art direction, and digital business management in Stockholm and on a former prison island off the coast of Sweden. Graduates are hotly recruited by such firms as Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Ideo.READ»

• Entertainment Academy
• Startup School
• Degrees of Green

Our Obsession With Women's Looks Not Over Yet

Just when I was beginning to think our national obsession with women's looks was over, we have the ongoing discussion about Michelle Obama's arms. In Sunday's New York Times, Maureen Dowd told of discussions with her fellow columnist ...READ»

Does Gender Matter?

As we're heading into 2009 it appears that females leaders are finally becoming accepted--it's about time. Whether it's Hilary Clinton, Condoleeza Rice or Margaret Thatcher, it's clear that female leadership is here to stay. I’m ...READ»

On Not Getting It

I was with a client last week, the CEO of a public company. I have known and worked with this person for about 10 years. Although the company is on solid financial footing, the current business climate has forced him to make some ...READ»

(Too) Sweet Caroline

I watched the Caroline Kennedy fiasco with great interest. As a resident of the metro New York area, even though she wouldn’t have been my senator, she would’ve been looking out for New York City, which is practically a second ...READ»

The Power of Living in the NOW! by Robert Paisola

You know it as well as I do, that all motivional speakers are always talking about "Living in the Now" as opposed to the past or the future. I know what you are thinking...You’ve heard it a thousand times. You’ve read about it for years. Most everyone has been exposed to the concept of living only in the present, without giving thought to what has happened in the past or being concerned about what may happen in the future.READ»

Obama's Inaugural: An Archetype Of Leadership Communication

I am so excited to see Barack Obama’s inaugural speech that I can hardly think of anything else. I am not head-over-heels in love with the guy, either. I think of him as just another politician much like all the others, but with a ...READ»

Can You Hear Me Now?

So.  I’m driving along and the news bulletin is “man shoots other man in arm in movie for talking.”  It came out of my mouth before I could even stop the sound.  A loud “YES!”   I think I might have even done a fist ...READ»

Executive Temperament

Recently, an article was published in Time Magazine discussing the importance of temperament of the two presidential candidates http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1850921,00.html. I found the article intriguing in two ...READ»

Must Have Resolutions for 2009

There are currently a bazillion blogs and articles on what any business or entrepreneur can be doing right now to weather the economic crisis and job lay-offs.  Rean them all you want, but if you don’t get back to your bascis ...READ»

Leadership During Economic Turmoil: Q&A With Ram Charan

With top executives heavily criticized for their hand in the economic downturn, those still in leaderships positions are now charged with saving their companies. They even have to come out of this recession much stronger and more ...READ»

• 10 Rules of Effective Brainstorming
• 8 Skills of People Who Perform

2008 Communication Successes

2008 Communication SuccessesWelcome to my 3rd Annual Fast Company Expert Blog on Communication Successes.  As with the faux pas blog that went up last week, successes were dominated by politics. In fact, I couldn’t come up with any ...READ»

2008 Communication Faux Pas

Welcome to my 3rd annual blog on communication faux pas. This year, political communication dominated, showing some of the best and worst in human communication. Of course, business communicators wouldn't be left out and gave the ...READ»

2009 Communication Faux Pas

Welcome to my 3rd annual blog on communication faux pas. This year, political communication dominated, showing some of the best and worst in human communication. Of course, business communicators wouldn't be left out and gave the ...READ»

Send Me No Emailed Holiday Greetings

Thanksgiving has become an alternative greeting card holiday. I get this because we're so inundated at Christmas it makes sense to want to beat the rush. I used to get actual cards in the mail. This year, I received some some emailed ...READ»

Leadership Lessons from... Classic Toys

Associated Press staffer Mae Anderson wrote a very interesting article for TIME about the value of old-school toys in these tough economic days. In Hard Times, Nostalgic Toys Strike a Chord By AP / MAE ANDERSON (NEW YORK) — ...READ»

5 New Social Media Jobs You Will Fill In The Next 5 Years

Social media has already changed business profoundly. If yours hasn’t, you are already behind the curve. If you have customers, their expectations regarding how they interact with businesses has likely already shifted dramatically. So how will you deal with these changes in your business? They will surely impact marketing and legal, perhaps even I.T. But what else is on the horizon?READ»

The Rare But Vicious Attacks Of The Online Customer (And What To Do About It)

I thought I had a marketing death-match for you. I had it all plotted out: Mitch Joel versus Hobson & Holtz. Battle of the marketing giants!But, like so much that starts out grandiose in the mind, the premise quickly whimpered and ...READ»

Be Sure to Tip the Sound Guy

Last weekend I moderated an author event at the Texas Book Festival. The author I presented, Travis Nichols, is also a musician and said something that caught my attention. A simple phrase that went un-noticed until I brought it up at ...READ»

The Communicative Power of Barack Obama: How He Became President-Elect

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 will go down as a monumental day in American history, when America elected an African American to serve as its president. What enabled Senator Barack Obama to tear down traditional barriers of race and ...READ»

Barack Obama: Bridging the Racial Divide

In his column for the Washington Post published on Sunday, November 2, 2008, David Broder stated the following in the article he entitled, An Admirable Campaign Journey: “In what history may record as his singular ...READ»

Obama’s Fate: Can Effective Mobilization Override a Bradley Effect?

As we head into the election on November 4, 2008, many people are wondering whether we will see a “Bradley Effect.” Currently in national polls, Obama is leading McCain by a healthy margin. But will his race as an African ...READ»