Ritual, Magic, and Theatre
Over the summer, the self-described queer fibre witch Ash Alberg invited me to be on their podcast, Snort & Cackle. I had a great time talking with Ash about theatre, communication, magic, and how we connect with one another. Tune in here:https://www.ashalberg.com/podcast-episodes/season-one-episode-nine
How Your Familiar Systems Are Tripping You Up
As my daughter Nora and I were making our way to Scotland to get her set up at school, we noticed something. On the US side of the trip, we were pros. We had all our paperwork in order, we rocked the security line like the seasoned travelers we are, and we definitely patted ourselves …
Autumn is a New Beginning; or,Three Things I Should Have Been Doing Already
I’ve been writing, thinking, and leading workshops about virtual communication for almost two years. In that time, I have been remarkably hit-or-miss in instituting some of my ideas with my own team. My explanations for this include some that our clients use: our team has worked together for a long time, we’re friends, we have …
It’s My Birthday, and I’ll Blog if I Want to…
As you probably know, my book Before You Say Anything: How to Have Better Conversations, Love Public Speaking, and Finally Know What to Do with Your Hands came out recently. Readers and clients have been emailing and texting, and here’s some of what I’ve heard: “I recommend this fantastic book for really just about everyone. …
Is Your Natural Humility Undermining Your Communication Style?
Many of our clients fit the following profile: super smart, accomplished, ambitious, and humble. They are dedicated to their work and to maximizing their skills. They are good leaders. So why are they getting coaching? One characteristic that comes up a lot with these brilliant folks is that their humility can actually get in the …
What Do You Say About the Elephant in the Room?
What do you do when there’s an elephant in the room? The project went badly. The leadership made a mistake. There’s a lawsuit the company is going to have to deal with. Do you address it yourself, or wait until a questioner brings up the lurking pachyderm? My advice, in most cases, is to go …
Competing Intentions: The Cage Match
On August 24, I wrote about some ways to handle competing intentions that might surface on your team. In that situation, you’re all working to be intentional communicators, but people have different priorities. Today, let’s think about what happens when you don’t have the luxury of a shared vocabulary around intention. For example, you’re preparing …
How Packing is Like a Speech
I have traveled for work for fifteen years. I also really like to travel, so I do it even when it’s not for work. In short, in non-pandemic times, I travel frequently. When I’m choosing what to pack for a business trip, it’s pretty simple. I have specific clothes that are for “work,” so it’s …
What we really need.
Today’s post was originally sent out in May of 2019. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to re-post it today. If you’d like to see Come From Away yourself, it starts airing today on Apple TV. Last week I got to see the musical “Come From Away” while …
Big Announcement! (It’s the book!)
I’m thrilled to announce that my book, Before You Say Anything: How to Have Better Conversations, Love Public Speaking, and Finally Know What to Do with Your Hands, is making its debut TODAY! If you’re a reader of this blog, the book’s big ideas will be familiar to you. What’s different is that the whole thing …