Surprise! I hate surprises. Yes, there is such a thing as “pleasant surprises,” like discovering my kids cleaned their room without being told (that WOULD be a surprise!). But in general, I do NOT like surprises. And I don’t just mean the jump-out-of-a-box...
Claiming vs. Violating Space One key ingredient for personal presence, as well as excellent public speaking skills, is the ability to claim space. When you claim space, you expand your awareness beyond your own personal space bubble, fill the area around you with your...
Can You Be Too Authentic? I am a huge proponent of authenticity: Know yourself. Present the truth about yourself to others. Allow the real you to be seen. In fact, earlier this week I posted these very sentiments on social media. But here’s the caveat: Not...
Be Silent. Be Still. Do you want or need to get people’s attention? You can get it with volume and movement: yelling and screaming and waving your arms. It’s hard to resist looking, when you hear a sudden squawk from a baby or voices raised in an argument,...
Communicate Confidence in a Job Interview: Lisa’s Story Lisa* had just graduated with a nursing degree when she came for a coaching session with me. “I’m getting discouraged,” she said. “I love nursing and I’m excited to get my career going, but I’m having a...
FAST, NOT FURIOUS By the time I got through security at the airport earlier this week, my flight was already boarding. I walked quickly down the corridor, as fast as I could without actually breaking into a trot. Meanwhile, a tall man to my right ambled along...
