Students and executives arrive in my classes and workshops with a desire to improve their communication skills. Without exception everyone wants to get bette...

When I was in college I read a book titled, “Write It Down, Make It Happen.” The book prompted me to begin writing down my goals, and I have maintained this ...

One of the primary reasons so many people fear public speaking is they are uncertain about how the audience will respond to their message. This uncertainty l...

During my early childhood I learned the value of offering hospitality to others. When we hosted family from out of town, I helped prepare for “company” by cl...

When given the opportunity to present our ideas, we all want to perform well, and most of us have heard public speaking advice that suggests we ask our audie...

About ten years ago I recall meeting a student of mine for lunch on campus. He was standing outside the dining hall and looking at his phone when I arrived. ...

When Edwin Budding patented his idea for the lawnmower in 1830, he never imagined his invention would serve as a defining moment for the sports industry. The...

Young people have a sea of college advice available from friends, family, websites, and “expert” coaches. But conventional advice seems to drown out some imp...

When I meet someone for the first time and they find out I teach management communication courses, one of the most frequent comments I hear is, “I should tak...

In the last few years more students than ever have asked me some version of the following question: “How do I ask good questions?” They want to know how to a...

Managing email is a source of frustration for most business leaders. According to a McKinsey report, the average professional spends 28% of their day reading...

The people and ideas we surround ourselves with have implications for everyone at all stages of our personal and professional lives.

What do parents and hostage negotiators have in common? It turns out they both use many of the same communication strategies. That was my conclusion after re...

At the beginning of every semester I tend to have a few students who are so nervous when they present that they make me feel nervous. Twice in the last week ...

I took up golf in my early twenties. My step-father purchased a set of clubs for me, took me to his favorite course, and gave me a few pointers. Like most pe...

Leaders motivate the actions of others. Parenting isn’t much different. In both roles we want to give those looking to us for guidance the tools to make effe...

When I was a kid I liked eating out at restaurants that included a placemat I could draw on while we waited for our food. My favorite placemat activity was t...

Most of us don’t enjoy receiving negative feedback; it can threaten our identity. We all have stories we tell ourselves about who we are. When we receive inf...

When I was a freshman in college, I remember reading in my introductory communication textbook that 93% of all meaning is communicated nonverbally. Then, dur...

Learning to write well and speak well requires learning a process - sometimes a process very different than the process we currently employ. When helping my ...