Last time I introduced the concept of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and went over some cognitive, or thought-related strategies for reducing nervousness. This time we’ll look at some behavioral or action-oriented solutions. For many of us, anticipating the event causes us anxiety but it dissipates once we get started. For very nervous speakers, the effect is… Read More »
According to a 2001 Gallup poll, 40% of adults have some degree of stage fright. Do you? Last time I announced that I am also offering psychotherapy as a service, and mentioned one way to address performance anxiety: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. “CBT” is a type of therapy that seeks to change unhelpful thinking and behaviors…. Read More »
I am writing this month to tell you about an exciting addition to my existing coaching practice. I am still coaching clients on presentation and communication skills. In addition, I am working as a psychotherapist in a group practice, having received my Masters of Social Work and become licensed as an LMSW. But why shake… Read More »
Well…it’s the time of year when people make resolutions. Rather than resolve to cut out all your favorite foods (virtually impossible to maintain), why not choose a couple of these attainable Communication Resolutions? 1. I will stop saying “just”. “I’m just thinking…”, “I am just writing to say…”, “I just want to mention….” The “just”… Read More »
How did we live before email became the communication mode of choice in the business world? It’s immediate, easy to produce, free, and you can easily include numerous people on a given communication. All good, right? Well, it depends on what you do with it. I work on a regular basis with an administrator who… Read More »
When clients are deciding what information to include in their presentation or speech, I always recommend a bullet-pointed/short-phrase “data dump”. I suggest putting each idea on a separate index card or sticky, which can later be organized into a cohesive narrative. Nevertheless, many clients instead start by writing out long narratives about their topic. Now everyone… Read More »
It has been said that, “God is in the detail.” A variation on that saying states, “The Devil is in the detail.” Translation: attention to small things can bring substantial rewards, yet beware the details: mistakes are usually made in the small details of a project. Whichever way you look at it, details matter. And… Read More »
You probably know the Jerry Seinfeld bit, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death… This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” But why is that? I see two, often overlapping paradigms. For many… Read More »
By now, pretty much everyone knows that it’s much more effective – for audience understanding and retention – to use images (such as graphs, charts and illustrations) rather than text. It’s especially important when presenting numbers or other types of technical data and when explaining processes. Clients will obligingly replace their text-only slide with an… Read More »
Have you ever made a toast at a wedding? Spoken at a memorial service? I’ve helped speakers prepare for all sorts of private events but now it seems to be a cottage industry! An article by Bruce Feiler in the New York Times describes how these specialists approach the task, say, of writing a toast… Read More »