Ah, vocal fry – that little edge to a voice that gets people (almost always women) accused of sounding like Kim Kardashian or whoever the vapid-starlet-du-jour may be. But what *is* it, precisely? Is it actually a problem, or is it just another way of policing someone’s (again, usually a woman’s) voice? This communication Q&A…
Widespread masking is something many of us are needing to deal with for the first time, and that piece of cloth really affects how we speak and communicate. Whether you are in an area that has mandatory masking or you are voluntarily masking for people’s health and safety, figuring out how to speak and present…
Thanks partially to my former professional life as a librarian, I have a bit soft spot for information literacy. And right now, information literacy is a very, very big deal. There’s a lot of health information out there, some of it good, a lot of it bad. If we’re going to argue over what study…
Ahh, the delight of being assigned to give a ready-made, communications-department-massaged, cororate-HQ-approved presentation…complete with a script and soulless slide deck… Dealing with pre-approved, canned corporate presentations is a reality for many, many employees. There’s lots of reasons why some companies don’t give their employees much (or any) say in their presentation slide decks or script.…
** Announcement: If you are a leader and you need to boost your presence and polish in your virtual meetings, be sure to check out my new video conference skills mini-course Making the Most of Video Conferences! Click here to learn more. ** Because we filmed this in the Before Times, it’s alternative…
Lots of us are moving to remote or work-from-home arrangements right now, and that means videoconferencing! Videoconferencing is an awesome tool, but you may be guilty of some basic flubs that are making your virtual meetings less enjoyable, less effective, and less polished / professional looking. Check out this short interview I did on Videoconferencing…
My heart goes out to everyone affected by the Coronavirus & COVID-19 outbreak. Business carries on, but if you are hosting a meeting or event right now, there’s a good chance that it isn’t “business as usual.” Travel disruptions and health concerns have resulted in many events and meetings needing to be postponed and speakers…
My heart goes out to everyone affected by coronavirus & COVID19. During times of crisis and uncertainty, it’s easy for anxiety about one area of work or life to affect our communication across the board. In this Communication Q&A, Robert wants some pointers for keeping conversation and communication in his workplace more positive and productive…
Do you find yourself getting slammed with jittery nervousness right before you get up to give a talk? Many people get a rush of public speaking jitters when they get up in front of their audience, even if they don’t feel nervous when preparing the presentation. And while that nervousness might go away a minute…
Have you ever felt that your voice was blocked, that you wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out? In today’s talk shop interview, join me and professional soprano and voice coach Rush Dorsett as we look into how your voice works, what can cause you to hold back, and how to overcome…
