19 Nov When Insults Had Class
Time for some wordplay and levity…
“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” – Winston Churchill
“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” – Moses Hadas
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” – Abraham Lincoln
“I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play, bring a friend… if you have one.” – George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill (more…)
14 Feb Hate Speech in the Workplace: A Manager’s Guide
Hate speech can hurt your employees… and your bottom line.
It’s an almost sure bet that people in your organization, and maybe on your team, are hearing, reading, and actively discussing the issues both in and outside of the workplace. And, unfortunately, some may be engaging in it. (more…)
18 Jan Americans vote on the most annoying word
The most annoying word or phrase in America is…
Not one speech coach could guess it. And we can’t tell you just yet. But the results are in on this year’s closely-watched Marist Poll. If you’re not familiar with it, their website states “The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of The Marist Poll, is a survey research center at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York which regularly measures public opinion at the local, state, and national level.” (more…)
27 Oct Beta Testing
An article this week on StatNews.com, a sister site of BostonGlobe.com, reported on a California startup’s plan to broadly market the medication propranolol as a quality-of-life aid, including to reduce nervousness associated with public speaking.
Companies looking to innovate and disrupt will continue to explore new solutions to old problems, and vice versa. But this particular idea causes me concern as a speech professional. (more…)
2 Jul How To Be Heard In Meetings
Ever notice that sometimes in meetings or conversation other professionals do not seem to take you seriously? You are trying to make a point but your listeners roll their eyes, look bored, or act fidgety. Do they wish they were someplace else or just want you to get on with it or…
For whatever reason, they are not giving your words and thoughts the weight they deserve. This can be very frustrating because you frequently have no idea why it is happening or what you can or should do about it. (more…)
22 Jun Homonyms, Homophones, and Other Similar Words
We had a lot of fun compiling this list of commonly misunderstood, misused, and misspelled English words. You may find some that are interesting, some surprising, and hopefully, some that are educational. Enjoy!
– a –
abjure To renounce
adjure To command, as under oath
accept To receive with consent
except To exclude; to object (take exception to)
acclamation Loud expression of approval, praise, or assent
acclimation Acclimatization, especially under controlled (as laboratory) conditions
adherence Act of adhering
adherents Followers
affect To have an influence on
effect To make; to bring about
aid Help
aide Assistant
all ready Set to go
already Previously