Blog bites: -ly adverbs weaken your speech Replace ‘absolutely’ with ‘yes’ Cut -ly adverbs from your language Bestselling author Stephen King writes in On Writing that far too many writers overuse -ly adverbs. You might see them used as adjectival support for sentences like: “I didn’t mean that!” she said angrily.“Why would you say that?” he said …
Blog bites: Get clear on your intention Remember, they’re human too Bring value Be compassionate At some point in your career, you will probably present to a challenging group. Perhaps it’s to a team of senior executives or board members, or external stakeholders. The thought of facilitating a tough or negative group may fill you …
Blog bites: Be clear about your intention Choose the right vocal role Remember everyone is unique How do you know if your pitch or presentation really made a mark? The only way to know for sure is to get feedback from the group. But how should you ask for feedback? And if you’re a participant, …
Blog bites: Avoid jargon and cluttered language Use fresh, lively language Speak simply and succinctly Recently, Colin and Erica had a meeting with a large finance firm. One of the senior people opened the discussion with: “What I thought I would do is give you a bit of a lay of the land, so that …
Blog bites: Know the point of the story Be a brief storyteller Build a bridge to meaning Human beings have been telling stories since the dawn of time. It’s the glue that holds tribes, communities, cultures and people together. So how can we develop the skills of business storytelling to ensure we are effective communicators? …
