In the best presentations, you and the audience don’t notice at all that you’re presenting.  Like breathing, it can either be something you pay too much attention to or seems very natural and imperceptible. Don’t hold your breath, but get ready to take in a different, refreshing perspective on quality presentations.

The post Ep. 317 – Presenting is like breathing appeared first on Just Saying.

After you write something, it might look good. It might look amazing even. But how does it sound to the reader? Is it stiff, clunky, and off key? Or does it flow? In this week’s episode, I share a perspective to improve your writing by focusing more on how it sounds when you read it aloud or to yourself.

The post Ep. 316 – The sound of good writing appeared first on Just Saying.

In this second part, I take a cue from a comedian who shares some surprising insights about why some of his best humor tanked several nights at a comedy club. Even if he thought it was hilarious, his audience couldn’t wait forever and needed him to get to the point quickly and convincingly – and not take any shortcuts. In getting your great idea approved, you need to do most of the heavy lifting (not your audience).

The post Ep. 315 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 2) appeared first on Just Saying.

It would be naïve to think that the best ideas always win. In reality, many sub-par ideas get approved while the brilliant ones get buried and left behind. In this week’s episode, I gain some opening-line inspiration from Charles Dickens and dive into how to determine if something is actually a great idea and the irony of who gets to say so (whether we think it’s fair or not).

The post Ep. 314 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 1) appeared first on Just Saying.

As we close out another year (and start a new one), I share three different perspectives to get you ready. First, I highlight a short list of noteworthy personal milestones. Second, I list my top 10 podcast episodes over the past 12 months. And finally, I provide a brief reflection on what’s need to improve your skills as a clear and concise communicator.

The post Ep. 313 – Chit-Chat Cheer (and a Happy New Year!) appeared first on Just Saying.

We cut people off more often than we may realize. Though we may feel it’s warranted, the instant impulse may hurt us in more ways than we care to admit.  In this week’s podcast, I share five different impacts when we do this to others and a few practical ways we can be more self-aware to address it.

The post Ep. 312 – 5 Costs of Interrupting Someone appeared first on Just Saying.

With so much competing for our attention during the day, it may be easy to blame the people, digital devices, and demands of the world on our divided minds. We also must be much more aware of how we distract ourselves and have no one else to blame. In this week’s podcast, I share five different costs when we let that happen to ourselves.

The post Ep. 311 – 5 Costs of Interrupting Yourself appeared first on Just Saying.

What do you do when people habitually approach you with complaints, criticism, and unconstructive comments? Most of don’t like it, yet we play along and communicate with little hope the conversation will end up being beneficial. This week, I make a few suggestions of what you can say to stop these exchanges before they start.

The post Ep. 310 – Setting Boundaries When Criticism Comes Calling appeared first on Just Saying.

Analogies can be a gift worth giving, or a dull ax on hard wood. Effective and efficient communicators know how to use them (not abuse them). In this episode, I share some thoughts about how to make them work for you so you’re rock solid, and avoiding some of the pitfalls when you venture on thin ice.

The post Ep. 309 – The Pros and Cons of Analogies appeared first on Just Saying.

Many of the meetings we attend or lead simply need to be completely blown up and rebuilt entirely. Maybe the original intent has been altered, or we have fallen into a rhythm and routine and lowered the bar too low. Sometimes, we just might need to have a meeting to design all the ones that don’t work.

The post Call back Episode – Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefined appeared first on Just Saying.