3 Times to Shut Your Mouth In many situations, the wisest response is to keep your mouth shut. As the Dalai Lama said, “Silence is sometimes the best answer.” But that’s not what I’m talking about. When I say “shut your mouth,” I actually mean “keep it closed.”...
When & How to Interrupt In general… don’t interrupt. In one-on-one conversations and group settings, listen attentively and take turns talking. Don’t monopolize conversations, speak over others, or impatiently finish their sentences. Sometimes, though, you...
Drop These 5 Nonverbal Habits What are your nonverbal habits? Do you know? Often with habits, you don’t even realize you’re doing them. They’re automatic and almost involuntary. You do them unconsciously because they make you feel better. Sometimes that’s good,...
What to do when someone is freaking out Emotions are a normal part of daily experience and work takes up a big chunk of your life, so… you’ll probably face some intense emotions occasionally during your work day. And since 2020 has been a year of upheaval (and...
How to Recover When You Stumble I’ve had my share of communication mess-ups. As a speaker, I get plenty of opportunities to embarrass myself in front of people. I sometimes misspeak, stumble over my words (or my feet), forget to advance slides, or find some...
The Power of the Pause My five-year-old burst through the door one day, calling out, “Guess what, Mama! GUESS WHAT we found in the backyard!!!!” “What?” I asked. But she refused to say. “What is it?” Again, she didn’t answer. She covered her mouth and ran back...
