Engaging in a conversation from different viewpoints can promote healthy communication. As someone who has specialized and taught communication skills over the past decade, the One Small Step program piqued my interest. After hearing the StoryCorps founder’s interview, I signed up to participate in the One Small Step program. At this time in our country’s […]
effective connecting
How AI Tools Can Increase Our Productivity As Speakers
There are ways to leverage AI tools to help us be more effective with our written and verbal communication. With the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), we can learn to leverage this digital tool in several ways to enhance our work, improve our presentations, and engage our audiences more effectively. Here are ways where […]
5 Ways Pauses in Speech Create Impactful Presentations
Utilizing pauses in speech can create a deeper connection with your audience. At a recent speaking event, I was conversing with an audience member before I took the stage, and the concept of “ma” came up. What is “ma”? No, it’s not another word for your mom. It’s a Japanese concept that translates to “pause”, […]
How Vulnerability Can Make You a Better Speaker
Transform into a more compelling, relatable speaker by being vulnerable. I recently worked with a client on crafting a presentation for her organization’s internal conference. She had a compelling story she wanted to share, yet wondered how much detail she should share. The question that arose was how vulnerable is too vulnerable? When does sharing […]
5 Ways to Ensure Effective Cross-Cultural Communication
Become a more effective speaker by strengthening your cross-cultural communication skills. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to audiences in other countries (virtually) as well as coach professionals not from the United States who wanted to improve their presentation delivery to a US-based audience. Whether speaking to an audience from a country […]
How to Turn Negative Feedback from Speaking Engagements into Gratitude
Using this powerful tool when faced with perceived negative situations will help turn negative feedback into gratitude. According to neuroscientists, our brains are evolutionarily hard-wired to remember the negative rather than the positive. It’s one of our defense mechanisms to protect us against threats and keep us alive. It’s called our negativity bias. That is […]