All stats, no story
Before they can believe you, your audience has to like you.
Author: Emily Avila
A Guide for Virtual Meetings
WFH seems it will be with us for a while, and it may be a much longer period before we return to business travel. In fact, one CEO says that the days of “one meeting business trips” are over. That means online conferences and virtual meetings will continue for the foreseeable future. Here is a […]
The Myth of WIIFM
If you have taken a presentation skills workshop, even one by yours truly, you will be familiar with WIIFM — “What’s In It For Me?” The concept is based on that idea that a presentation or communication will fall flat unless you clearly outline how the audience benefits from the information. Your audience members will […]
Leading through Transitions
There is hardly a leader today that is not thinking about how s/he will lead her or his organization over the next few months or years. We are all trying plan for how to navigate our way to a new post-COVID-19 “normal.” It’s unlikely that our re-emergence will be a like a big global ribbon […]
Video Presentations: It’s Still About the Content
The mechanics of delivering a good presentation over video are easily fixed. It’s time focus on what really matters — the content.
EQ in Communication
Daniel Goleman, author, psychologist and expert in emotional intelligence, defines four domains of so-called EI (or, as others call it, emotional quotient, or EQ): self-awareness self-management social awareness relationship management Within these domains are 12 “crucial competencies” that distinguish successful leaders. When we work with leaders and emerging leaders to improve communication, we focus on […]
Communicating through VUCA
Yes, the term VUCA is overused and has become cliché in some circles. The talking heads and management consultants have been warning us that new leadership will need to navigate conditions that are volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. The term originated in the U.S. military, and has been described in countless management and leadership articles […]
Work At Home Tips from a Work at Home Veteran
Twenty years ago, when I founded Calypso Communications, I established my “office” at a desk in the corner of our bedroom. Eventually I moved into a spare room in our home and, for the past 18 years, ran the operation from there. While much of these last two decades I have been at client sites […]
5 Things You Can Do If You Are Self-Quarantined at Home
The news and warnings about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are getting more and more dire. Public health officials, medical history researchers and statistical analysts are mostly pointing to “flattening the curve” as a strategy to reduce the significant impact on health resources. Flattening the curve essentially means that we collectively take action to slow the […]
Communicating Risk during the Coronavirus Outbreak
Caught up in the wave of concern over the spread of coronavirus, many companies are quickly issuing corporate policies regarding business travel, conference attendance, work-from-home and other issues. Some of these policies are established after consulting with public health officials; others are seemingly based on whatever the news media seems to be shrilling. The edicts […]