If you want to position yourself as a high-status individual with the capacity to lead, consider this: Power comes from abstraction, not from facts. According to research in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, abstract thinkers feel less constrained by details… Read More »Presentation Tips: Think Forest, Not Trees
Loitering one day in my office I decided to look for words that denigrate styles of speech. I found 84 words that did just that. For example, “That guy is a blabber mouth.” The next day I looked for words… Read More »The Speech We Need Now
Unfortunately many people have had–and will have–occasion to write a letter of condolence to a friend, relative, colleague or acquaintance who has suffered the death of a loved one to Covid-19. It’s an uncomfortable task, but you shouldn’t put it… Read More »The Hardest Letter to Write
Let’s start with the idea that we need to introduce ourselves to our listeners. Even before social distancing, we couldn’t shake hands with them unless we went quickly, offering a nod or a grunt, like the Duke of Kent at… Read More »Keeping The Audience Happy
Use analogies and metaphors to your advantage. To remind you: an analogy uses the word “like,” as in “this drug is like a protective shield around the cells.” A metaphor links an idea to an unrelated object, as in, “Our… Read More »The Power of Analogies and Metaphors
Back to Basics Let’s get back to basics. Let’s get back to the Rule of Three. Ever been to London? Stop, look and listen should be paramount in your mind because the traffic goes the wrong way. Like spaghetti westerns?… Read More »Rule of Three