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...
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...
To Recover from Embarrassing Moments, Practice These Three Things One time, during a presentation, I asked an audience member a question. Instead of getting the type of answer I expected, I got one that left me feeling flustered and embarrassed. I wished I could crawl...
3 Ways to Overcome Performance Anxiety You present yourself to others all the time. Every day, you say hello, answer questions, and tell stories. Most of the time, you do this without batting an eye. “Good morning. How is your day going? Can you believe this...
Have you ever worried about making a good impression? We all hope to make a good impression when we’re meeting people for the first time, especially when the stakes are high. Worrying about it will backfire, though. Instead, prepare in advance so that...