Fill-in post: How to Listen

I started working on the next instalment on communicating intimately this weekend, and then got slammed with a nasty infection.  Needless to say, it has completely derailed my writing efforts.  Hopefully the antibiotics kick in soon (seriously – even the cartilage on my ears hurts). In the meantime, I would like to leave you with the following blog post…

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When tone is more important than content

I interrupt our series on communicating with intimacy to bring you a long overdue bit of Friday Silliness. In today’s lesson, Toby Turner – also known as the YouTube personality Tobuscus – demonstrates how tone can completely contradict content.  Alliteration aside, it is a useful lesson. Tobuscus: Dramatic Song   Does your chorus sound like Coldplay?

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Communicating Intimately #2: The Experience

The funny thing about establishing intimacy with an audience is that it doesn’t necessarily matter whether you, the speaker, feel that an intimate moment has been shared.  Like just about any desired emotion, what really matters is that your audience feels it.  They, quite frankly, don’t give a damn about what’s going on in your own…

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Communicating Intimately #1: introducing intimacy

A major goal that I assign to all my clients as well as to myself is that of creating intimacy with your audience.  I’ve had people react to this instruction with everything from nervous eagerness to fear and apprehension.  The difficulty with intimacy – aside from the fact that it increases our own vulnerability, which…

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The Joy of Euphemisms

Layered meaning makes conversation so much more interesting.  While plain-speak is generally the best way to conduct most business – after all, one’s goal should never be to stymie your clients or colleagues – there are opportunities where you can have some fun in a conversation and imply the Things that Cannot Be Said Aloud.  Euphemisms and…

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The bandwagon of uncertainty

You know, like, totally whatever? That aggravating upwards lilt of the voice makes you sound like an non-confident teen girl.  I will be merciless when it comes to stripping you of that most wretches of speaking habits! I will also make you watch Taylor Mali’s brilliant freestyle poetry on that very topic. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAMd-tT6fQ&w=420&h=315] Y’know.

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Death by email

The Unclutterer had an excellent post a few days ago regarding uncluttered email communication. It’s funny how a system that supposedly increases productivity and streamlines communication needs strategies for dealing with communication pile-ups.  Heavens knows I’ve fallen prey to email clutter; my inboxes are horrid messes filled with emails that will never be read more than…

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Monday’s lesson is short and sweet

Today’s post is much shorter than usual. When engaging in business, in communication, or in anything else, please remember the following: Shortcuts rarely are.   Terrible grammar aside, the above is very, very true.  Shortcuts rarely save you time.  They rarely save you money.  They rarely spare you any work. In fact, saving any of…

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The Perfect Guide to Holiday Etiquette

For my American friends,  here is a guide to holiday dinner etiquette.  Note the hilarity that can be created by using technically correct words in an unexpected context.   Or just have fun with the sheer puerile nature of this offering.  Don’t show it to your kids.   [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFzz6EZmkq8&w=560&h=315]

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Interaction hang-ups

During a presentation I was delivering last week, one of the attendees asked what to do about communication methods that we dislike.  Specifically, he was wondering about how to handle modes of transmission that make us uncomfortable – things like email, texting, telephone, and the like. The multiplicity of communication methods we have available at…

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