He’s Too Manly To Use the Mike – What Can You Do?

May 23, 2011

“I don’t need to use the mike for my presentation,” bellows our baritone speaker. “I have a strong voice.” “Yes, of course you do,” I soothe him. “But please don’t be afraid to use our microphone.” Photo Credit: Jim Bahn Fear. Many times, fear is the reason why seemingly polished presenters balk when we request [...]

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How much meat is too much meat?

May 17, 2011

I like meat. Grilled, stewed, roasted — properly prepared, good cuts of meat are delicious. But when it comes to presentation, how much meat is too much meat? I was enjoying a friendly discussion with another meat-loving chum. We agreed that while the meat prices are very good at a local grocery store, we seldom [...]

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This is social media on drugs…

April 1, 2011

We often talk about online social media channels as they are some kind of inebriate or illicit drug. “Are you ‘on’ LinkedIn?” “She’s addicted to Facebook.” “I’m a heavy Twitter user.” I wonder if it’s because we sense that our online social media behaviors aren’t exactly healthy or moderate. After all, we seldom admit an addiction to leafy green vegetables [...]

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Finding Hell in the Audience Poll

March 23, 2011

“Hell is other people” is a phrase from one of my favorite plays, Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. A classic existential line, I like to think that it means that other people make you self-conscious. Self-examination can be brutal. Hellish. When it comes to our own transgressions, we don’t like to acknowledge them privately. And we [...]

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Audience or Message: Which Do You Love More?

March 18, 2011

“The real leader serves truth, not people.”  -J.B. Yeats The truth, of course, does not depend upon a consensus of opinion. Speaking to an audience that does not like what you have to say can be a leadership challenge. It can lead to unpopularity. Boos. Hisses. Photo credit: Michael Case You risk alienating the audience [...]

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How to stop a boorish Q&A Hog in 3 easy steps

March 9, 2011

I recently attended a terrific, high-powered panel presentation that unfortunately became hijacked by what I’ll call “a Q&A hog.” You’ve probably witnessed a Q&A hog in action at a conference or presentation. Q&A Hog, defined: an annoying creature that rambles incoherently during the Question and Answer period of a presentation. The hog typically takes up [...]

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Your final words: how NOT to close a presentation

January 31, 2011

I asked folks on Twitter: “What’s the worst way to end a presentation?” My own personal pet peeve is ending with “Are there any questions?”  Q & A is such a weak & wimpy close. Regrettably, I hear it far too often. However, within 12 minutes of my Twitter query, I received even more brilliant [...]

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My Guiltiest Twitter Pleasure: Favstar.fm

November 29, 2010

OK, I’ll admit it. Very few days go by where I don’t check into favstar.fm. Why? Because I like a good grin. And I like to find humor in offbeat and unusual places. Favstar is like an underground Twitter subculture of frustrated writers and wanna-be comics. A Twitter companion site, you can simply go to [...]

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Who Else is Sick of Facebook Messages Already?

November 22, 2010

Last week, Facebook announced that it wants to revolutionize email with FaceBook Messages. In the same week, I inadvertently ignored two important emails that I received in my current Facebook Messages inbox. Interesting coincidence. I’ve already learned to ignore most of my Facebook messages. I scan my Facebook feeds, comment on them — but I [...]

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You might be a dilettante if…

October 4, 2010

By Oldmaison You might be a social media dilettante if… 1) …you raise money for obesity research on your blog one week, then post pictures of yourself on FaceBook overeating hot dogs in the town square the next…to help feed the hungry. 2) …you join a FaceBook group to save the Asian carp… without investigating [...]

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