Moving Stuck Trucks, and What That Has to Do with Public Speaking
My husband Charlie and I have many of the same cultural interests. We like the same kinds of plays and movies, for example. But when left to our own (literal) devices, we often choose to watch different things. Recently Charlie said that he wanted to show me a video of this guy, Matt, whose YouTube …
What Do You Do When It’s Hard to “Yes And…”
A quick video today, talking about the power of “yes and” versus “yes but.” Where do you find the opportunity to say “yes” and invite collaboration? Hey! My book is out! Go here to order Before You Say Anything: How to Have Better Conversations, Love Public Speaking, and Finally Know What to Do with Your Hands! …
How Much Weight Should We Give Your Feedback?
Sometimes clients are referred to Ignite CSP because of negative feedback they received in a performance review, 360 survey, or client comment. The person hiring us passes this feedback along as if it is one of the Ten Commandments, carved into a stone tablet. “This negative thing happened! We need to go into immediate action!” …
What Impact Does Your Behavior Have (That You May Not Even Realize?)
Recently I was on a video call with a small team. Most of the people on the call were engaged, participating, and connected. One person, however, stood out. He sighed with frustration. He dropped his head into his hands. He covered his eyes, rubbing his face. What was going on? Nothing really negative was happening …
My Book Is…Chinese Pants?
Lately I’ve been indulging in the favorite pastime of a recently-published author—I’m checking out how the book is doing on various online platforms. When I hopped over to the UK version of Amazon, everything looked fine…at first. The eBook version of the book was there and available, just as I hoped. But when I clicked …
What’s Your Superpower?
Every person I have ever coached has a least one communication superpower. Even if they think they’re the worst speaker ever, they have something they do really well. One person has an incredible grasp of the details. Another person has an evocative and specific vocabulary. Yet another has a natural style that pulls people toward …
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. …
