Recently, we coached an executive delivering an introduction to a keynote speaker; a financial advisor who had 60 seconds to say why her firm was sponsoring an event; and a sales rep in manufacturing who wanted an elevator speech or self-introduction. The common thread was...
We were listening to a WebEx presentation and were unsettled by the speaker’s vocal tic. At the end of almost every sentence, she said “right?” It was irritating and displayed a lack of self-awareness. It became so off-putting that we tuned out.Unfortunately, many speakers have...
We recently watched CBS Sunday Morning and were struck by the hand gestures of host Jane Pauley. She joined her hands in what we call “steeple on its side” or “inverted steeple.” Pauley’s gestures drew focus and seemed contrived...
Rain has two speeds in the high desert of New Mexico. One comes off the mountains in an explosion of lightning, thunder and water blowing sideways. Our back-acreage floods and the water cascades off the roof. The local Native Americans call this Father Rain. The...
Walt Gonske paints the rich landscapes of the Southwest, and more recently, still- lifes. He is one of the "Taos Six", a group of painters who revitalized the Taos art market. Recently, we visited Walt at his studio and asked why he thought his work...
In 2007, Chip and Dan Heath published Made to Stick-- Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. They explained why ideas are remembered, including having simplicity, concreteness, and the unexpected. The book’s entire introduction is about the “stickiness” of urban myths, proverbs and defeating obstacles;...
The idea for this week’s tip came via a polymath colleague, Asher Dahan, Chief Technology Officer of Block Ransomware. He forwarded an article written by Jeff Haden for Inc which identifies five common words that make emails sound indecisive and wishy-washy.Asher sent it to us...
Independence Day celebrates our nation’s identity. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared that the 13 colonies of the United States were no longer subordinate to King George III of Britain. We were now united, independent and free states. This union gave us the...
Recently we were watching one of our favorite television series: Billions. Bobby Axelrod, a hedge fund manager included his employee Spyros in an important pitch. Spyros wore an air of self-importance and a jaunty hat. He blew the pitch by using pedantic, self-conscious language.A pedant...
Rose Marcario is stepping down as CEO of Patagonia. After many years in private equity, Marcario made the decision to make her work more meaningful. She joined Patagonia because it embraced environmental proactivity and profitability. She was the company’s CFO for six years and then...