Conventional wisdom about slide decks leads many professionals to think they should design minimalist slides, like the ones we see in TED Talks. Slides from Matt Cutts’s TED Talk, “Try Something New for 30 Days.” But slides like these rarely make sense in workplace settings where detailed information is necessary to make and support an argument. Left to their own devices, many professionals swing to the opposite extreme: slides overloaded with text and graphics. In short, man

AI tools can generate slides instantly, but that doesn’t mean they’re effective. This post explores what AI can and can’t do when it comes to building a clear, compelling slide deck. If you're using AI in your presentation workflow or thinking about it, this piece will help you understand how to get the most out of the tools without giving up control.

This post explores how bracketed subject lines can save time, reduce confusion, and make internal communication more efficient.

Some people become more confident and decisive when they step into leadership roles. Others become louder, less receptive, and harder to reach. Over time, I’ve noticed how power can subtly reshape how people lead and not always for the better.

Strong relationships grow from small daily interactions. Recognizing and responding to bids strengthens trust, engagement, and leadership.

A hotel general manager gathers their team to address a pressing issue—a sudden drop in guest satisfaction scores. The GM sets the stage,...

Whether I’m working with new leaders or those who have decades of experience, I’ve noticed one challenge that comes up again and again:...

From the sidelines of a weekend soccer game, you can often hear the “joysticking” parent or coach—calling out a continuous stream of instructions to the players on the field. “Pass it! Stay wide! Shoot! Get back!” The player glances over nervously. Instead of reacting to the game, they freeze, unsure of their next move because every decision is being dictated. Their goal shifts from playing the game to avoiding mistakes. In the process, they become passive, waiting for instru

You’ve been preparing for an important presentation. You’ve written out your remarks and rehearsed them over and over. By the time the big day arrives, you feel confident—after all, you’ve said the same thing a dozen times already. Then, something unexpected happens. Maybe the technology falters, or the audience asks a question that throws off your timing. Suddenly, the steady flow of your presentation gets disrupted, and you find yourself scrambling to get back on track. You

Between my professional experience as a hiring manager and academic experience teaching business writing at the university-level, I’ve...

Not too long ago I was at a Cornell event listening to a speaker open his presentation. In an attempt to build his credibility, he shared his title and the name of his employer. Then, before getting to the main point of his talk, he shared a long list of personal accomplishments. Somewhere between his fourth and seventh achievement, my impression of him changed from being somewhat impressed to being somewhat underwhelmed.  What happened? The presenter, hoping to impress, had

An agreement is communication that establishes expectations between two or more parties. Most agreements share foundational principles...

During my years of helping highly-motivated students begin and advance their careers, I’ve observed a common pattern as they develop...

During my junior year of college, I wanted to explore a possible career in the wealth management field. When I was offered an internship at the first place I applied, I quickly accepted the position without giving the details of the role much thought. However, within the first few days, I realized I had made a poor decision. I thought I would be learning about investment strategies and sitting in on client meetings, but I spent almost all of my time leading the effort to move

When I was young, I learned that when we were planning for guests to visit, we needed to clean the house. I had to tidy my stuffed animals and put my Legos away. The living room needed vacuuming and the countertops needed to be clear. That’s how I understood hospitality at the time. A little later, I began to notice another version of hospitality when we visited my grandparents. My grandmother was usually in the kitchen, preparing food. She focused on what she was making, how

Imagine two professionals on the same team. Both are smart. Both care about doing good work. The first is highly competent. Their work is accurate, efficient, and technically strong. They meet expectations consistently, but spend little time building relationships beyond what is required to get tasks done. The second is also competent. Not exceptional at everything, but solid and reliable. In addition to doing the work, this individual invests time in relationships. They prio

In all my years of reading about, working with, listening to, and interviewing business leaders, it won’t come as a surprise that not one has ever suggested they chose their line of work because they love email. However, almost all of them acknowledge email is a big part of how work gets done in their organization and sending/receiving email accounts for a significant portion of their work day. Since email continues to be how work gets done in most organizations, we all need

Think about someone you’ve met and admired but you have lost touch with. You may have shared a common interest with the person, they may have been there for you during an important moment, or you may have only had a brief conversation with them, but that conversation impacted you in a special way. These are often people we want to maintain relationships with, but for a variety of reasons we don’t. The good news is that it only takes a little effort on our part to reconnect. T

Chances are you have sent an email to a coworker, customer, or potential employer and then wondered why you didn’t get a response. You are not alone. With professionals receiving, on average, over 100 emails each day, many messages go unread and unanswered. So, what should you do if you don’t get a response to your email? Consider whether email is the best channel. Too often we choose email because it’s the communication channel that works best for us, but consider what might

A job interview is a bit like a first date. Prior to most first dates, you often have some communication. For example, if you met online, you’ve seen a photo of the person, read a little about them, and perhaps exchanged some information via text or email. Now, imagine two different first dates. Date A : This person makes a connection between something you shared in your profile and something relevant to your conversation. They ask you a question related to something they saw