Speech | Fast Company

We Need To Talk About Romney

BY Ruth ShermanWed Feb 8, 2012

Mitt Romney’s front-runner status has been thrown into question once again after his triple loss in state primaries. For professional communicators, the reason for his difficulties is obvious--he doesn’t connect, and connecting is all about communicating. And in presidential election after presidential election, however, the candidate who connects best, wins.READ»

STATE OF THE UNION | Comment

The State Of The Union Address Is The Ultimate Master Class In Public Speaking

BY Ruth ShermanWed Jan 25, 2012

Rhetorical devices and flourishes play a big role in increasing impact and helping us remember what's been said, and President Obama is a master at using them. Learn advanced--yet simple--speaking techniques likes anaphora, anapest, and chiasmus by breaking down last night's State of the Union address (don't worry, we'll explain). READ»

COMMUNICATION | Comment

The 7 Greatest Communication Successes Of 2011

BY Ruth ShermanFri Dec 30, 2011

Media darlings and mavens of masterful storytelling who took center stage with aplomb in 2011.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

The 7 Worst Communications Failures Of 2011

BY Ruth ShermanThu Dec 22, 2011

Want a good lesson in how to tarnish your public image, put off your fan base, torpedo your career, or lose the trust of your clients? There's plenty to pick from in our annual list of 2011’s communication losers. READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Preparation Is The Magic Bullet To Public Speaking Success

BY Ruth ShermanWed Oct 26, 2011

Preparation is where most people go wrong with public speaking. It is the biggest obstacle by far, and the most tedious and difficult part of the journey to becoming great at speaking and presenting. But it’s also the most necessary component of the process, so don’t ignore it.READ»

TECHNOLOGY | Comment

Why Google And Microsoft Are Bad-Mouthing Apple's Chatty Siri

BY Kit EatonThu Oct 20, 2011

Execs from Apple rivals Google and Microsoft have made a special effort to say bad things about Siri, Apple's new voice-controlled assistant app. They think they have reason to, because it's unsettled both firms.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Stage Fright Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of

BY Ruth ShermanTue Oct 18, 2011

Public speaking can shake the confidence of even the most experienced professional. Though it's natural to feel nervous, there are ways to frame your thinking that can help you manage stage fright. Here are three principles to keep in mind before your palms begin to sweat and your voice starts to quiver. READ»

APPLE | Comment

Steve Jobs Vs. Tim Cook: Words Of Wisdom

BY Kit EatonThu Aug 25, 2011

Words of wisdom from Steve Jobs and Tim Cook in university commencement speeches reveal differences and surprising similarities between Apple's two chiefs. READ»

SMARTPHONE WARS | Comment

Apple's Face Recognition Plans For iOS5 To Make Smartphones Even Smarter

BY Kit EatonTue Jul 26, 2011

Apple's building face recognition into its upcoming iOS5 update, and also enhanced personal assistant tech. If it gets the tech right, it could overtake Android's current lead in the smartphone race.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Tony Hsieh's HQ (Happiness Quotient)

BY Ruth ShermanTue Jun 7, 2011

At the World Innovation Forum, one of the presenters was Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos. He talked a lot about happiness, what makes Zappos one of the top workplaces and, I think, a great place to buy from.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Clayton Christensen And Disruption: Authentic Applications For Small Businesses

BY Ruth ShermanTue Jun 7, 2011

It's been an enlightening morning at the World Innovation Forum in New York, listening to Harvard's Clayton Christensen talk about his theory of "disruption."READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Recipient Of Anthony Weiner Tweet Shows Media Mastery

BY Ruth ShermanMon Jun 6, 2011

I've been very interested in the ham-handedness with which Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York has managed his Twitter fiasco. But even more interesting is the way the recipient of the tweet, Gennette Cordova, a college journalism student in Washington, has handled her sudden brush with the proverbial "15 minutes."READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

During NFL Lockout, No Deep-Sixing Of Ochocinco

BY Ruth ShermanTue May 31, 2011

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, Chad Johnson Ochocinco, hasn't let the labor dispute dilute his brand.READ»

PUBLIC SPEAKING | Comment

Schwarzenegger And The Fragility Of A Personal Brand

BY Ruth ShermanThu May 19, 2011

I'm never surprised when famous people behave badly. They're only human after all, and their behavior is usually not any different from the population at large. (Watch my video on this topic here.) What continues to amaze me, ...READ»

TECHNOLOGY | Comment

iPhone 5 Rumor Round-Up: Late November Arrival, But No NFC? [Updated]

BY Kit EatonMon May 16, 2011

Though the iPhone 5's arrival is still far away, leaks are getting out about a possible November 21 launch date, a hardware change that'll render your current case unusable, the screen size, and NFC. READ»

COMMUNICATION | Comment

A Sticky Situation

BY Ruth ShermanMon Apr 25, 2011

If you've ever had to react on the spot to a situation that was so sticky, so icky that it left you speechless, read on to see how a friend of mine handled a recent conflict.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Bieber Fever and Media Mastery

BY Ruth ShermanTue Feb 15, 2011

Bieber is 15! How good could he possibly be? Pretty good, it turns out. In watching him embrace his sudden fame, I've been very impressed. Not with his talent so much. Nope, I'm floored by his media savvy.READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Congressional "Dating" and the Power of Symbolism

BY Ruth ShermanWed Jan 26, 2011

Congress decided to "mix it up" for the State of the Union address, to sit together instead of opposite sides of the aisle. It was even referred to as "dating," and fraught with the same social complexity and awkwardness teenagers encounter. This seemed like an empty gesture, but I was quite surprised by the outcome.READ»

SOTU | Comment

State of the Union Address Word Cloud Shows Obama Thinking About "People"

BY Kit EatonWed Jan 26, 2011

The President is also keen on all things "new." Last night's SOTU speech prompted us to run his words through our text analysis process and dig into the text. What do his words reveal about our "future"? READ»

LEADERSHIP | Comment

Sticks and Stones? No. Words Matter.

BY Ruth ShermanSun Jan 9, 2011

In the wake of the horrific shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, I've been thinking a lot about how the words that we've been using in our political discourse may have impacted the situation.READ»