You’re in charge of the room.

When you’re presenting or leading a meeting, you’re in charge of the room. Maybe it goes back to our days as students in class, maybe it’s just part of how we understand authority, but when you’re the one at the front of the room, you’re in charge. That means you have responsibilities that go beyond …

The sneakiest habits…

…are the ones we don’t know we have. The good ones–drinking water throughout the day, taking the stairs, assuming others’ good intent—enliven and nourish our days. The not-so-good ones—slouching, mindless snacking, cynicism—erode our relationships and health.   We all have both kinds of sneaky habits. We need them–having routines and default modes is an important …

The law of the instrument.

When I lived in New York, ages ago, I took a self-defense class.   The big selling point of classes like these is the idea that you’ll be able to take care of yourself if you’re the victim of an attack. And that makes sense—no one wants to be at the mercy of a stranger …

The ole Q & A

Ah, the classic “Let me open the floor to any questions” at the end of a presentation or talk. What’s the formula for making this an effective use of everyone’s time?   1.) Keep your answers concise so that you can answer more questions. Very long answers stifle the group because they’re doing some mental …

“I don’t get nervous!”

People love to tell me that they are good public speakers, and maybe they are. But often the only evidence they give is this: “I don’t get nervous!” One of the great misunderstandings about public speaking is this: not being nervous doesn’t mean you are serving your audience well. And this works in both directions. …

I’m great at this.

When was the last time you unabashedly said, “Yep, this is my thing. Stand aside, I am really good at this”? It could have been anything—opening a jar, giving a speech, calming a crying baby. We shy away from letting people know what we’re good at because it feels like bragging, and nobody wants to …

Don’t let the light shine down on you.

If you are presenting with slides, keep a couple of things in mind: Don’t stand in front of the screen so that the projector is shining on your head. It’s distracting to the audience. If you’re standing in front of the screen, you’re not using the slide at that moment. Use the blackout key to …

Asking someone for something

“I’m hoping this person I kinda know, who has a bigger reach on social media than I do, will do me a big favor and post this idea to their two million followers.” OR “This cool idea made me think of you since it dovetails with a passion of yours.” What’s more likely to get …

Step forward.

One of my favorite theatre directors, a brilliant woman named Anne Bogart, talks about what she does in a situation familiar to anyone who feels all the eyes on them, and they don’t know what to do next.   For her, this moment comes during rehearsal. She is standing at the back of the theatre …

Yes!…and

The fundamental principle of improvisation is “yes, and.” No matter what your scene partner says or does, you accept it and build on it. If she says, “Glorious day to be on a boat,” you might say, “It sure is. I hope we make it to China before sundown!” Now we know we’re on a …

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