The magnifying power of intention
Let’s say you discover you’ve dropped the ball on something at work, and four of your team members are affected. It’s immediately clear to you that it’s your fault, and you feel bad. This is a prime opportunity for default intention to rear its head. You might want to defend yourself, to shift the blame, …
Cut to the chase.
In movies, this means “get to the part where the action happens.” Literally, “cut to the chase scene.” In your talks, stories, and presentations, the same principle applies. Get to the good stuff. Limit the exposition and explanation. Think: if the audience only hears one thing, what should it be? You have only seconds to …
Working from home–what are the boundaries?
“…remote working alone is not as problematic as the prospect of doing it for an indefinite time. We don’t know what it means for our general life plans and lifestyle, and we’re unable to make key logistical decisions, including where to live, what to expect for our long-term career prospects and employability, and how to …
“I’m bad at that.”
Last week, I was coaching a client, let’s call him Rob, who was preparing for a course he would be leading. The topic was time management, and as Rob began, he said, “I’m bad at time management! Some of the areas I struggle with are…” and he listed two or three specific challenges he faced. …
PSA: Cool new Zoom update!
My colleague Anne texted me late one night this week with some very exciting Zoom news! Drumroll, please… You can rearrange the gallery view of participants to suit your needs!! This is really helpful for facilitators, teachers, and instructors. Imagine, you want to be able to have people speak in a specific order, or to …
Create a new “container” for your virtual meeting space
Ignite CSP founder and senior coach Angie Flynn-McIver shares a few thoughts about what it means to create deliberate space for your virtual interactions:
Don’t start at the very beginning
In our coaching approach, we are really high on practice. My standard instruction is, “You should have your content complete at least a week before you are going to present, so that you don’t have to adjust at the last minute.” But let’s have some real talk. It’s rare that we’re working that far ahead. …
Coco Chanel and your presentation
“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Coco Chanel was talking about accessories, but the same idea can be applied to your presentation. Some of us have a tendency to want to cover everything we know about a topic when we’re asked to present. We feel like we’re …
Move from “practiced” to “present”
We have all seen people speak or perform when it’s apparent that they’ve done this same piece the same way dozens of times. The voice finds a certain cadence and they anticipate specific audience reactions. There is a filter between themselves and the audience. They are watching themselves perform. These folks are practiced. They get …
Your mother was right…
Did your mother ever tell you to sit up straight? My mom did, and I hear myself saying it to my own kids now. Here’s why– Sitting up straight is a movement that immediately changes other physical behaviors, too. Your eyes look up and out, your shoulders roll back, and your neck straightens. You’re ready …
