Watching Don Lemon on CNN…
I’m not much of a TV watcher and … I’m not usually up on popular dramas, the latest sit-coms, or even news broadcasters (and the trouble they get themselves into)… But I was walking past the TV the other day while my husband was watching CNN and I stopped… Fascinated...
Why I Hate Presentations
The most common term or catchall word for what people do when they stand up in front of a group is "giving a presentation". Oh how I hate the word presentation… Why? Because using it sabotages what, in most circumstances, should be an engaging interactive...
This Will Improve Your Next Talk or Workshop By A Long Shot
When your talk, workshop, or retreat session is over, what do you typically do? Pack up your stuff, kiss the organizer goodbye, and rush off to the next thing on your agenda? Most do -- except maybe the kissing part… Fast-forward to the next time you sit down to...
She Had Never Heard Anyone Talk About This
I recently had a conversation with a prospective student, who loves presenting workshops on the topic of wellness. After she finished describing some of her biggest challenges, fears, and frustrations around doing talks and workshops… I explained how using adult...
How to Engage Your Audience During a Talk or Workshop
Here's a scenario you've probably experienced many times as an audience member... The presenter at the front of the room is carrying out the entire “show” – lecturing, spraying you with information, and delivering what he or she thinks is great value. You're sitting...
8 Reasons You Must Add Interaction to Your Talks and Workshops
If you've been reading some of the other articles in this blog, it will come as no surprise to you when I say that interaction is essential to the learning process – whether you're doing a 10-minute talk at a networking meeting, a 1-hour breakout session at a...
Do You Suffer From This Curse?
As presenters and seminar leaders we have expertise in a particular topic, and as experts we face a challenge when trying to teach or communicate with those who don't know what we know. We suffer from the Curse of Knowledge. We know things that others don't and we...
How is Your Workshop or Talk Like a Pot of Spaghetti?
Imagine this scenario for a moment. You've just cooked a big pot of spaghetti noodles. Then you do something really crazy with it... You pick up the pot and toss all the spaghetti against the wall -- splat! How much do you think will stick? Probably not much. After...
Stop Working So Hard
At the end of one of my workshops, Derek, a trainer and coach at a telecom company exclaimed, "I've been reborn. I'm a whole new presenter now!" What had triggered this "aha" moment? Derek had gained some new perspectives that had impacted the way he saw himself at...
What Do the Acoustics in an Ancient Greek Theater Have to Do With Your Workshops?
On a recent vacation in Greece, I visited the outdoor theater at Epidavros. It's a designated UNESCO world heritage site built in the fourth century BC and still in use today. The acoustics in this circular auditorium are so excellent that no theater in the world has...