I've been busy celebrating Thanksgiving with my family but wanted to say "thanks" to everyone for reading my blog. I've met some terrific people through this blog and appreciate everyone who has commented and reached out to me.
My ...READ»
Several years ago, I was meeting with directors at an international investment bank the day after the stock market had taken a very serious plunge. The bank coincidentally had just finished rolling out a series of sales training ...READ»
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 ...READ»
'Tis the season to mingle. Office parties and other business/social events abound. Many of us find this kind of exercise excruciatingly painful. It's tough, especially if you're running a business, to carve out the time to go to the ...READ»
As part of my professional life, I serve on boards of associations and non-profits. All of them entail some responsibility. This is a wonderful way to give back to the community and make deep and lasting friendships. It's not bad for ...READ»
I've noticed a funny phenomenon when I type: My fingers sometimes type out words that are spelled similarly or may even be derived from the word I intended, but are not. I notice other people also do this. It seems to happen ...READ»
I've noticed a funny phenomenon when I type: My fingers sometimes type out words that are spelled similarly or may even be derived from the word I intended, but are not. I notice other people also do this. It seems to happen ...READ»
Ok, you've gotten an assignment to deliver that presentation and you're well into the preparation process. You understand that preparation is key (read my 1st installment in this series) and you also understand that stage fright goes ...READ»
Recently, I got a call from a long-time client who had moved to a new position. There was a project that she wanted to bring me in for. It was right up my alley and I was appreciative. I needed info and in particular, to share with ...READ»
Have you ever wondered how some people get ahead in life? I know that I have. These people succeed in careers that they seem to have marginal talent for. They exist in every business, every profession. So how do they do it? They are ...READ»
I've noticed a funny phenomenon when I type: My fingers sometimes type out words that are spelled similarly or may even be derived from the word I intended, but are not. I notice other people also do this. It seems to happen ...READ»
There is a lot of talk these days about education, what we should be teaching our children so they will be successful. A consensus seems to have arisen that math and science should be more rigorously taught and that the United States ...READ»
I cannot think of a better way to increase your status in your job, business or industry than becoming a skilled speaker. Standing (or sometimes sitting) in front of a group and presenting is a daunting prospect for people ranging ...READ»
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 ...READ»
A client was complaining to me about how he hated going to his company’s social events. He felt that nothing substantive was ever discussed, work was pressing, and his time seemed wasted on discussions that centered on sports, ...READ»
It is well-known fact among communication professionals and scholars that listening is the most important and the most neglected communication skill. Of 4 skills that we use to communicate – talking, writing, reading and listening ...READ»
Last week, I posted my Communication Faux Pas Hall of Fame. This week, it’s the successes that get the ink, profiling those who went the extra mile and communicated well. Unfortunately, to come up with my 11, I really had to look ...READ»
I was sitting in on a client's quarterly conference call. The call consisted of 3 members of this public company's top management team sitting at a conference table reading aloud into a speakerphone. The CFO went through the ...READ»
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.
I admit ...READ»
Since my topic is leadership, it is timely to comment on the goings on in the world of high finance. In addition, my base of operations is none other than Greenwich, CT, an epicenter of the disaster. Greenwich, as many know, is ...READ»
What are we to make of Hillary Clinton’s recent tendency to laugh loudly and fully when being peppered with questions by the media and Rudolph Giuliani’s acceptance of a cell phone call from his wife, Judith, in the middle of an ...READ»
I'm on a mission this year. A mission to expunge PowerPoint slides from all my clients' presentations. For a while, I thought it was getting better. People seemed to be using fewer slides, though they were as poorly designed as ever. ...READ»
Before I started my current career, I was a jingle-singer in New York. My job consisted of going to recording studios and singing commercials and doing voice-overs for advertisers. I sang for Coca-Cola, Ford, Clairol, Hasbro, ...READ»
This is the second in a series that discusses what it takes to become skilled in the art of presentation. As I touched on last time, landing an assignment to deliver a speech or presentation can shake the confidence of even the most ...READ»
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 ...READ»
