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Have you ever looked out at the audience while you were speaking and seen someone whose expression looks like they’re thinking, “Why did I ever come here, and why is this person talking”? I have. I can be at the top of my game, getting nods, smiles, and laughs from the rest of the audience, …

It can be hard to say, “No, I’d rather not.” Or “Thank you for telling me about your offer, but I’m hiring someone else.” Or “You know, this is probably great for someone, but it’s not a fit for me.”  Since it feels bad, we often simply avoid the unpleasant task of telling someone “no …

“I’ll take care of that next time.” “I’ll work on it next time.” “I’ll make sure that happens next time.” When we do something and learn from it, knowing we can improve when we do it again, that’s a great use of “next time.” But when we already know we could do better and we …

When he and I were first dating, my husband Charlie worked at an outdoor sports equipment store in New York. He collected funny stories to tell me, and there were many. The one that has really taken hold in our family lore involves a man who came in one evening. He asked for Charlie to …

Clients often tell me the advice other people have given them about presentation skills. It’s almost always something that is prescriptive: either “do this” or “don’t do that.”  This advice is small, it’s too granular. It addresses a single behavior, and it does it in a vacuum. Do get rid of your filler words Do …

Have you ever sat down to join a video call and not been able to find the relevant link?  Or pulled up an email to respond to a friend’s invitation only to be flummoxed by the lack of a date or  time (that you could have sworn was there before?) How about this one: have …

Fifteen years ago I met a young actor named Nathan Crocker, who was in the cast of a play I was directing, Shakespeare’s R&J. A few years later, I got to work with Nathan again, when he played Belize in both parts of Angels in America. Typically when you work on a play, the company …

My daughter turns 19 today. Nora is smart, funny, empathetic, and beautiful. She’s also a planner, a questioner, and the only person in my house who is always on time. I can see myself in her, and I can see her dad. But mostly I see her remarkable, interesting self, the same person she has …

It’s been an interesting time to start something new. During the pandemic, many of us have felt pressure to “use the time” to develop a new skill when what we really want to do is is get through the day. Others of us have discovered a new reservoir of energy and curiosity, and have wanted …

You know that friend who tells it like it is? Who loves and supports you and also isn’t afriad to say, “This isn’t your strength, move on”? That friend whose intelligence and warmth and discernment are so remarkable you feel special that they like you? My good friend Songy Knox is like that. And her …