Why does rhythm matter? We’ve all had experiences of being in front of a public speaker who had all the right words, and even had compelling ideas, but just couldn’t command our attention. (In the political arena, think of Al Gore, or Mitt Romney.) Why not? Probably because they didn’t have rhythm (or rather, they Read More
public speaking
How to Smile: A “25 x 25 in ’25” Public Speaking Exercise
Years ago, when I was a more-than-full-time corporate speechwriter, I was working at a large internal meeting when a crew member came up to me back stage and said, How do you do that? How do you smile and talk at the same time? Until that moment, I must have thought that everyone could calibrate Read More
Breathing: A Public Speaking Practice Exercise
I’ve struggled to breathe for most of my life. And yes, I know: Breathing is supposed to be a natural, unconscious function. Babies are born knowing how to do it. But most of our adult customs—from swallowing our feelings to sitting at our desks all day—work against the “natural” part and leave our brains and Read More
How to Give Effective Feedback
Feedback is a touchy subject for me. Even though I give it all day in my one-on-one speaker coaching sessions, I still find it hard to receive. Sometimes I can plug into my rational mind, hear the critique I’m getting, and make use of it. But often, I have to fight off thoughts that are angry Read More
Sneaky or Nasty Little Voice vs. Reality: The Bout in Your Brain
I spend a lot of time thinking about the “Nasty Little Voice” (NLV) that feeds self-judging throughts to my clients (and me). And recently, it occurred to me that: And… Before we talk about how to suit up Reality for this grudge match, let’s understand your Sneaky Little Voice: What Does a Sneaky Little Voice Read More