A friend recently asked me to listen to the father-of-the-bride speech he had written for his daughter’s wedding. It was a good speech. Thoughtful, polished and full of pride. But as he read it, I realised something was missing. It sounded a little like a CV. There were all her school achievements, the things she […]
Embarrassment has a surprisingly short shelf life when everyone is laughing with you. Yesterday, I was Toastmaster at my club meeting, and the theme was “Game for a Laugh.” There were bad jokes, terrible puns and playful introductions, but some of the biggest laughs came from the things that went wrong. Yes, I stumbled over […]
Clear advice isn’t about what you said. It’s about what they understood. Yes, you know what the problem is. Yes, you know the solution. And yes, you’ve explained it to the client. But have they understood you? “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” is a famous quote […]
Some Sunday afternoons, it’s far too hot to venture out, so you make yourself a nice cup of tea, veg out on the sofa and settle into a delicious romcom on Netflix. Nothing that requires any deep thought. Just a heavy dose of romance and a light sprinkling of comedy. Just what I needed for […]
I received a notification today for a meeting of the board of a voluntary organisation. Saturday. 9.00 am. All good. Except for two fairly important details. 9.00 am in which time zone? And what time will the meeting finish? Those are not minor details. Not when people are joining from several time zones and giving […]
Friday’s performance was billed as “pure, traditional blues.” I pictured something raw and unplugged. A lone guitar bending notes that pull at your emotions. Your feet tapping instinctively. You locked into the swaying rhythm. If you know traditional blues, you know it’s slow and deliberate, the silence between the notes lingering in the air. I […]
A friend told me a story recently that made me feel incredibly proud. Irene cares for an elderly woman and last week, she explained to Mrs C that she would no longer attend at night because Mrs C’s children had varied the contract. Mrs C heard something entirely different. She heard that her children had […]
As the cars lined up on the starting grid at the Barcelona Grand Prix recently – 20 drivers, all masters of their craft – I was struck by the parallels between Formula 1 drivers and successful communicators. Both are masters of their craft, exhibiting precision, control, and creativity under intense pressure. ➡️ Preparation is Key: […]
I once gave a talk to a group of senior lawyers. I showed up with my best “speaker face”: confident and well-rehearsed. They smiled politely. Clapped politely. But I felt it a distance. I knew I wasn’t connecting. Like I am hopefully connecting here with you. I even tried humour, but oh no, never do […]
I remember having to give tough feedback to someone I was mentoring at work. He was under-performing and holding the team back. The conversation couldn’t wait. My first instinct? Be crisp and clear so there’s no mistaking my message. But before I spoke, I paused and asked myself: “Would I want to hear this in […]
