December 1, 2021

Communication Skills Lessons from the Open Road

Here we are, almost two years into a global pandemic, and we continue to operate in a limited and limiting space, fitting our personal and professional communication skills into small virtual spaces. We were already well on our way to communicating virtually pre-pandemic: a text or an email instead of a phone call; hopping on Microsoft Teams for a company check-in instead of an in-person meeting; unending conference calls.
October 18, 2021

Carl Sagan: The Great Science Communicator

“We are a way for the Universe to know itself.” With one profound, brief sentence, Carl Sagan could enlighten the deepest of mysteries. This quote is just one example of thousands. Carl Sagan was a brilliant scientist, professor, author, and educational TV show host. Born in Brooklyn in 1934, he lived a remarkable life, gone before his time in 1996 at the age of 62. If you’re not familiar with Carl Sagan, I hope this serves as an entry into his life and work.
September 10, 2021

5 Top Business Podcasts for 2022

Podcasts. Everyone seems to have one these days. Whatever your passion, there’s a podcast out there for you. In 2021 there were over 850,000 podcasts in existence. This is no surprise, as podcasts are a great tool for continuing education, motivation, or just plain fun. The best part about podcasts, and perhaps part of why they are so popular, is that they save you time: you can listen on your commute, while you’re at the gym, cooking, cleaning, the sky’s the limit.
July 23, 2021

How to Make Sure Breakouts Don’t Break Down

You’ve decided to use breakout groups to make sure your session doesn't just feature a talking head…just talking and talking. How do you make sure the breakouts don't break down? Here are three quick tips to make breakouts so successful that participants will consistently rate them as the best part of your programs.
June 23, 2021

To Breakout or Not to Breakout

The advantages of giving folks a chance to connect in smaller groups are obvious. At the same time, nothing is worse than an amorphous, awkward breakout that leads people confused and less likely to participate the next time a breakout is on the schedule. In this blog post, we offer three quick ways to decide if you should have break outs for a training session.
June 17, 2021

The Importance of Being Earnestly Warmed-up

You’re kicking off a phone or Zoom call with a client or prospect. Should you bring up the coronavirus? Or will it kill the positive vibes you’re trying to create? And if you are going to talk COVID-19, what’s the best way to do so?
October 29, 2020

Ten Rules to Keep Facebook Fights Fair

You’re kicking off a phone or Zoom call with a client or prospect. Should you bring up the coronavirus? Or will it kill the positive vibes you’re trying to create? And if you are going to talk COVID-19, what’s the best way to do so?
May 26, 2020

Should You Bring Up COVID-19 On Business Calls?

You’re kicking off a phone or Zoom call with a client or prospect. Should you bring up the coronavirus? Or will it kill the positive vibes you’re trying to create? And if you are going to talk COVID-19, what’s the best way to do so?
May 10, 2020

Videoconferencing Apps Worth Knowing

Many of our clients have been asking us about our preferences in video conferencing platforms. Since we’ve been sharing our perspective with so many of you, we thought it would be useful to give this to our entire community, especially with how much of the time we’re all on video of late.