You have probably already heard about Scott – you know, the name tag guy. I admit being behind the curve – I am after all, of that “special age” that has a hard time keeping up with all the latest and greatest trends. That’s OK with me. I’m a firm believer that you get what you need when you need it because that’s when you’ll grasp it and appreciate it. Anyway, this guy is a hoot – and talk about prolific. Oh my. Going to his website means making a decision. Either you dive in the deep, deep well of the content he has available, or cut your losses and just start trying to keep up today. I jumped into the hole and...
Read MoreConveying a message clearly – and projecting an image of competence – takes time and effort. It’s been said that there really isn’t any great writing – but great re-writing. From experience, I can tell you that smacks of truth just like water is wet. Re-reading, proofreading, rewriting, editing – whatever you call it – is the lifeblood of good communication. Once bitten by typos, spelling errors or unclear statements, you realize how much better your message could have been said if only … By then, it’s too late. It’s like tripping with the wedding cake – your misstep is splattered all over the floor for...
Read MoreOne of the things I like about Dan Rockwell’s Leadership Freak blog is that he is just so darn positive – and that he encourages others to be positive with words and his actions. He put forth a challenge called the 4 to 1 Challenge. He explains that for every one negative, four positives should be given as well. Whether you accept that philosphy or the bucket theory (How Full is Your Bucket?) or any other ideology for personal and professional interactions, I don’t think it really matters. We all KNOW that it feels better to hear positives than negatives and we spend a great deal of time and energy listening for them. When heard, we get a good feeling,...
Read MoreBeing of a “certain age,” I receive the monthly AARP magazine. And being a bit of a word-aholic and information junkie, I read it – all. In the section where readers get the publication to resolve financial complaints, Ron Burley wrote this about company they were investigating: Shoddy presentations “The handouts were full of misspellings,” she remembers, and she sent us the proof. The firm’s website also has careless errors. The obvious connotation was that the company was unprofessional and schlocky – and careless. Hmm. All that from the words offered to potential clients and every onlooker that accesses its website. As a young person growing up in a...
Read MoreLoretta LaRoche’s book, Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal, has truly been fodder for thought. It was so funny – and so real – that I even read long portions to my husband as we lay in bed at night. I just had to share it with him. Not so much to enlighten him, but to share evidence that someone else thinks like he does! Yes, he’s wonderful and smart and funny – but don’t tell him that, OK? I wanted to just let him know, “Hey, now I get some of what you’ve been saying.” So much of what she covers has to do with communication. She comically weaves around it but when she’s done with the basket – it holds all the communication issues between genders,...
Read MoreDoes content really matter? I just finished Loretta Laroche’s 2001 book, Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal. She takes a humorous look at the absurdity of life in America at 2001 – and how it relates to the stress levels we feel. (Guess why I picked this book up off the library shelves …) In between all the Duh! and giggles is a nugget of truth – which is where the humor comes from, sadly. One topic she splits wide open is conversation – and it’s messy and sticky like a cracked and bleeding watermelon. There it is – splayed wide open with tempting juicy fruit and we’re afraid to eat it because it’s a mess – just like the state of conversation today. She...
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