24 Mar Zoom, the Pope, and a Lesson Learned

I read an interesting article in The Atlantic based on a recent speech by the Pope. He reflected on the importance of face-to-face communication in a world that has gone online.  He said: 

“Text mediums deprive us of cues like facial expressions, posture, and vocal inflections. As a result, they are especially ill-suited to figuring out what people who aren’t adept at writing believe or intend to express….To interact with people in person is to see how complicated most of us are.” 

While the article’s author analyzes this through the lens of what makes a good journalist, the lesson is important for all of us who are on Zoom a lot. 

Read the article here. 

8 Nov Managing Body Language in Difficult Communication Settings

It is important to observe your listeners’ body language as a first step. Whether in the room with you or on video conference, your listeners may exhibit signs of stress because of a lack of clarity or contentious information. What does this look like? The listeners may engage in side conversations. There may be a rumbling in the audience.  This tells you, the speaker, that you’ve done something to trigger this reaction and produce negative reactions. (more…)

6 Jul Paraprosdokians

We love paraprosdokians, figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected.

1. Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
5. War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
6. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
7. They begin the evening news with ‘Good Evening,’ then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.
8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
9. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out, I just wanted pay checks.
10. In filling out an application, where it says, ‘In case of emergency, notify:’ I put “DOCTOR.”
11. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
12. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street…with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
13. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
14. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
15. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
16. Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
17. There’s a fine line between cuddling and…holding someone down so they can’t get away.
18. I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure.
19. You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
20. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
21. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
22. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
23. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
24. I’m supposed to respect my elders, but now it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one.

11 May The Rudest Things You Can Do During A Work Zoom Meeting 

I don’t consider myself a rude person, and I make great efforts at being polite, self-aware, and apolitical at work. But after reading this article, “The Rudest Things You Can Do During a Work Zoom Meeting,” you may realize, like I did, you’re a bit of a boor online. Fortunately I work with a bunch of great speech coaches here at The Speech Improvement Company, so there’s hope! Now that I’m enlightened, I’m reaching out to all those I’ve offended during my countless and often endless Zoom meetings: I plead ignorance and ask you to give me one more chance.

The Rudest Things You Can Do During A Work Zoom Meeting 

Caroline Bologna, HuffPost Work/Life 

Etiquette experts share faux pas to avoid in virtual meetings.  At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve likely used Zoom, Google Hangouts, and other video communications platforms a fair amount. This technology has been particularly prevalent in professional settings as many of us continue to work from home.  

But despite all the Zoom experience we’ve gained over the past year, it’s still not uncommon to witness unprofessional or just plain rude behavior in video meetings. From gossiping in chat to appearing in PJs from bed, there’s a lot of room for improvement in the etiquette department. 

 <Read full article> 

30 Mar Free Webinar: Controlling Nervousness Before Speaking – April 14, 2021

10 Mar Dr. Dennis Becker @ World Speech Day

Dr. Dennis Becker, founder of The Speech Improvement Company, was chosen to represent North America at World Speech Day scheduled for March 15, 2021. The honor  was given to him in recognition of his stature as a worldwide expert in human communication.

World Speech Day is a day to celebrate speeches and speechmaking that change the world – socially, politically, in the arts, business, and religion. This is their sixth year and feature a Master Class of speakers from 100+ countries delivering speeches and taking questions from viewers and listeners.

Dennis’ planned, 15-minute live-streamed speech is entitled “What has a Worldwide Pandemic Done to Public Speaking?” His comfortable and “shirtsleeve” English style will benefit viewers and listeners across the globe.