Communicating purpose is powerful. The previous two blogs explored why in terms of speaking and meetings. Although broad, I want to touch on its importance in other situations too. Understanding the purpose of an organisation – its reason for being – is vital for all activities being undertaken. It should be the very essence […]
In the first article of this series, we looked at the power of purpose in speaking – essentially communication. The fundamental reason for meetings is to facilitate communication. Often, meetings are viewed as an inconvenience. This could be because the person calling the meeting hasn’t properly thought about the purpose of the meeting. Or hasn’t […]
Purpose can be defined as the reason for which something is done or created; its aim or intention; essentially its why. If you haven’t watched Simon Sinek’s TedX talk on Golden Circles, I highly recommend it. It is one of the most famous speeches of its kind, because it eloquently explains the power of starting […]
We pose and answer questions every day. From a simple “how are you?” to the questions like “why are you a good fit for this job?” which could influence our future. These high pressure questions may come in job or promotion interviews, professional exams or pitching for business, funding or to promote a new initiative. […]
Does the question “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” send shivers down your spine? In interview and networking situations, selling yourself is important. You need to be able to communicate your skills and expertise clearly. You may not get this exact question, but articulating how your particular skillset will add value is likely to come […]
Recently in feedback on a speech, an evaluator likened vocal variety to horse riding. How changes in speed can be thought of as galloping, cantering, trotting. I appreciated the analogy as a way of making a concept more lifelike and understandable. It made me think about vocal variety further throughout my daily activities. I don’t […]
One of the questions most frequently asked about public speaking is how to overcome nervousness. A quote I really connect with I read in a book by Paul McGee, The SUMO Guy, a favourite speaker and author of mine. It goes “you can’t get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them to fly […]
It’s been great to see that a lot of people have been thinking about International Women’s Day this year. It has triggered some really interesting conversations. So much of the problem with inequality between men and women is not conscious, not intentional. It is ingrained in society. That’s why it is important to talk about […]
Following on from my previous blog about audience interaction and engagement, I want to highlight just how influential an MC can be. They have the power to set the tone, engage the audience and facilitate the smooth running of the event. Many of these insights come from the larger scale events I’ve attended – conferences […]
We attend events for a variety of reasons – to learn something, to be entertained, to meet people. Often it’s a combination of these things. If you are bringing people together for anything other than a purely information conveying webinar, your participants are likely to want to be able to interact with the speakers and […]
