Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
Clean, clear writing is an important communication skill.  However, writing is difficult for a lot of people.  A clean sheet of paper or a blank computer screen can be very intimidating.
Nick Usborne is a professional writer.  He has been a freelance copywriter for 30 years, yet he says that he “still has productivity problems from time to time.”  To beat these productivity problems, he has created “five writing rituals to help you write faster and smarter.”  These rituals are available for download. 
I bought and downloaded …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
I mentioned Women’s Edge Magazine in yesterday’s post (www.womensedgemagazine.com).  It is a great print mag.  I found several articles in the January issue that I really liked.  One article listed tips for speaking with authority.  Since presentation skills are a critical component of communication skills, I’ve decided to list a few of them here, along with the names of the women who provided them.
Tips for Speaking With Authority

“Relax.  If you know your subject, it should come naturally.”  Cindy Anderson, CPA
“Take lot’s of deep breaths before you …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
Effective communicators are great conversationalists.  However, I have found that many people who are good conversationalists don’t take the time to have one type of conversation that can have a huge impact on their life and career – regular one on one conversations with their boss.
Good leaders will take the initiative and schedule regular one on ones with the people they lead.  John Kelly, a friend and client, is more diligent about this than anyone I know.  Interestingly, the people he leads tend to be high …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
All successful people have mastered three basic communication skills: conversation skills, writing skills and presentation skills.  The other day I was on a plane listening to my iPod.  Stage Fright by The Band came on.   If you’re not familiar with The Band, they were a 60s band that did a lot of studio work for Bob Dylan.  They also toured a lot on their own. 
Stage Fright is one of my favorite songs of theirs.  It goes “See the man with stage fright; just standing up …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on conversation skills.
My friend, Pamela Culpepper, gave me an interesting book last week, Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope for the Future.  Margaret Wheatley is the author.  Dr. Wheatley is an alumna of one of my alma maters – the Harvard Graduate School of Education (we both did our doctoral work there) and the author of one the most innovative leadership books I’ve ever read, Leadership and the New Science.  If you haven’t read it, I suggest that you check it out.
In Turning to One …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
All successful people have well developed communication skills in three areas.  They are excellent conversationalists.  They write clearly and succinctly.  They present well — to groups of two or 200.
Today, I’d like to provide some tips on how to become an excellent conversationalist.  It’s not that difficult.

Use people’s names.  Everybody loves to hear their own name.  Good conversationalists take the time to learn people’s names and then they use them.  I’m always impressed when I’m in conversation with people and they say things like “Bud…”, or …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
Clear, concise writing is one of three important communication skills.  Here are four enemies of clear, concise writing.

Too many words.
Too many polysyllabic (big) words.
Passive voice.
Cliches.

In this post, I’d like to focus on the first and third of these problems.
Too Many Words
I write in a pretty straightforward, clear manner.  However, when I reread my writing, I usually find that I need to cut, rather than add words.  Here are some sentences that I’ve picked out of some of the business correspondence I’ve received lately.  All of them …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills; more specifically, presentation skills
Interacting with your audience is a great way to make your presentations come alive.  I always advise my presentation skills coaching clients to move away from the podium and their laptop when they are giving a presentation. Stand up and move around.  They say, “I can’t do that. I have to be near my computer so I can advance my slides.”
My answer: spend a few bucks and buy yourself an RF (radio frequency) remote device. This type of device will let …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
As you know, successful people have well developed communication skills in three areas.

Conversation skills
Writing skills
Presentation skills

As I was thinking about what to post today, I went to my library and pulled out a great book form Georgia Kosmoski and Dennis Pollack.  It’s called Managing Difficult, Frustrating and Hostile Conversations.  I want to spend a little time with this subject today.  No matter how interpersonally competent you are, you will find yourself in difficult conversations occasionally.  Ms Kosmoski and Mr. Pollack have some interesting things to say …

Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the US.
Today, in addition to too many things too numerous to mention here, I am thankful for an article called Five Effective Ways to Improve Your Writing that I received from Barbara McNichol.  Barbara has most graciously allowed me to post her article here.  Barbara writes and edits articles, books, and book proposals for authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs. You can get in touch with her by logging on to her website: www.Barbara.McNichol.com or via e mail at editor@barbaramcnichol.com.
Five …