This post is the second of two parts. In the first part I noted how virtual communication channels take out human emotion, leading to increased isolation and loneliness. The posts are based on my forthcoming book, Can You Hear Me?, to be published by Harvard in October. How does this second source of emotional connection […]
The first of two posts adapted from my forthcoming book, Can You Hear Me? Recent studies show that on a typical conference call, over 60 percent of the supposed participants are doing email, other work, going to the bathroom, shopping, or exercising or eating—or even taking another call. And a huge swathe of the workforce […]
One of the fun things about my years spent toiling in the vineyards of public speaking, storytelling, body language and communications is that sometimes a story comes along that is both irresistible and immediately useful. Call it the reward of a life spent insatiably seeking the next nugget that could help public speakers everywhere. This […]
Recently I was reviewing some research on popular TED talks that found that the most successful speakers used more hand gestures, tonal variety, and smiling than the less successful ones. A lot more. More than twice as much, in fact. Those speakers were rated as more charismatic than the other speakers, and more popular. What’s […]
Fall is officially here and it’s time to put away the pails, shovels and sunscreen and get back to work. For speakers, it’s one of the busy seasons, and so your speech and delivery better be in tip-top shape, ready for those jaded audiences and their famously shrunken attention spans. I’ve had several questions lately […]
It’s the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth this year, this summer, last month, and so it seems like a good time to think about my favorite saying: the only reason to give a speech is to change the world. I remind my clients of this often when I don’t think we’re reaching high enough. Mandela […]
I’ve worked for many years with speakers on developing their unique personas. What’s the exact right mix of charisma, authenticity, perspicacity, authority, expertise, approachability, charm, humor, strength, and credibility that works for each individual? Of course, a few basic traits keep coming up – expertise and approachability are among the most often repeated desirable characteristics. […]
It’s almost fall, and fall is a great time to learn something new, or change up your routine, or establish a new (good) habit. So here’s a bit of pre-fall inspiration. Indeed, a wise relative of mine once told me that success in life was largely a matter of habits. When I asked him what […]
In our real, physical lives, we accept that people close to us change their minds and suffer bad moods—but in the virtual world, we’re much less likely to accept this kind of natural inconsistency. We hold others to rigid standards of behavior and are much less forgiving. In virtual space, this double standard is particularly […]
We are drowning in a tsunami of online communications. From Twitter to Facebook to Instagram to LinkedIn, and a host of other channels, all of us seem to be communicating with each other all the time. So much so that none of us has time to keep up with it all. Now, whenever we see […]
