You’re in a conversation with multiple colleagues or clients. You want to speak up, get assertive, and get your perspective heard. But the conversation is being dominated by a few loud and confident voices (usually those with the highest status in the group). And there’s a lot of quick comments being exchanged from multiple people. … Read more
Being Camera Shy is Quite Common With more people working from home, people are being asked to participate in video calls and video conferences over Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and other apps. While video conferencing can be great for productivity and team collaboration, many people are uncomfortable on camera and have camera shyness. … Read more
Many clients and students come to us with a common challenge: “I need to learn how to be assertive at work.” You might need to get more assertive to get your ideas heard, command more respect, or get team members to follow through on your guidance more consistently. How to Be Assertive at Work: Tips … Read more
In this video I cover 3 simple ways you can convey more assertiveness and leadership during remote meeting facilitation. Right now countless people are running meetings remotely over video conferencing like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts or other apps. How can you project competence, keep your meeting organized and focused, and avoid unnecessary interruptions or disruptions? … Read more
Assertiveness doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us. It can often bring about an uncomfortable feeling that we’re rocking the boat or disrupting the status quo. So many of us are inclined to try to “fit in”, whether that’s within our families, with colleagues or friends. Nevertheless, assertiveness is an important skill to master … Read more
Does remote work increase productivity? Many studies say yes, and others say no. So which is it? Well, it turns out, it depends on the type of work you’re doing. Jerry Useem wrote in The Atlantic: If it’s personal productivity—how many sales you close or customer complaints you handle—then the research, on balance, suggests that … Read more
Technical Presentations Here are three strategies that you can use to improve your skill at technical presentations and communication, especially when speaking to non-technical audiences. This is a frequent challenge I see with data scientists, BI analysts, financial experts, and others from a variety of different technical fields. Many of these individuals have to present … Read more
The Power of Speaking Speed When I start working with a new client, their speaking speed and pacing are two of the first things I look at. People speak very fast when they’re presenting because they’re nervous or they feel under pressure. They have an urge to just get information out as quickly as possible. … Read more
I recently had an interesting conversation with a very successful business man. We were talking about some work that we’re doing together. At one point while I was talking, he interrupted me and said “You’re using filler words! You’re a speaking speaking coach. Why are you using filler words?” And the topic of filler words … Read more
Presentation skills creative professionals Creatives often have to present their work to clients, senior decision-makers, or the general public. These are tactics that can apply to UX Designers presenting to non-design teams, Filmmakers and Visual Artists seeking funding, and others that have to speak with impact and influence a non-creative audience. Edited Transcript of the … Read more