What drains your time every day? For many professionals, it is long meetings, useless e-mails, and endless conversations. During these moments, we feel helpless and frustrated. In this episode, I share some practical advice that will help you confidently manage the noise, not carelessly succumb to it.

The post Ep. 328 – Getting Out of Time Sucks appeared first on Just Saying.

Great leaders learn to earn people’s attention. Others fall far short by assuming they have it and treat people like a captive audience. I recall two different leaders and explain how one bombed –and didn’t know it the entire time – while another shined – and didn’t bask too long in the bright lights.

The post Ep. 327 – Can you command attention? appeared first on Just Saying.

After seeing an interview with comedian John Mulaney, I became even more convinced of the close connection between clear communication and stand-up comedy. During the interview, he shares a painful experience that turned into a defining moment. In this episode, I break down his insightful answer and will help you embrace what he discovered to be the most valuable thing.

The post Ep. 326 – Clarity and Comedy are Related appeared first on Just Saying.

Every professional will face challenging circumstances, tasks, and decisions. With all our busy schedules, however, many of us will not set aside enough time alone to reflect on them, accept them and address them. We all need to embrace quiet time to create a mindset to embrace what is objectively tough (versus ignoring or running away from it) then talking about it and doing it.

The post Ep. 325 – Doing what’s difficult appeared first on Just Saying.

Are we taking advantage of the known pockets of downtime in our day or week to plan for quiet time alone? After a recent conversation with a former client and friend, I realized that his suggestion to take Friday off could be a potential way to wind down from others without taking the day off.

The post Ep. 324 – Taking Fridays off (for quiet) appeared first on Just Saying.

We might be dominating conversations and not even notice it. In our daily exchanges, it’s likely that someone is doing all the talking. In this week’s episode, I provide different ways to notice this more, whether it’s you doing it or someone else.

The post Ep. 323 – Letting other people speak appeared first on Just Saying.

Most meeting start weak and never gain momentum. It’s up to the designated meeting leader to start every meeting with clarity, organization, conviction, and purpose. As a seasoned meeting facilitator, I will share simple ways to start strong, set the tone and get every participant ready for a meaningful exchange.

The post Ep. 322 – The Meeting Kickoff Sets the Tone appeared first on Just Saying.

We choose where we invest our attention, and headlines are powerful tools to get that done. Recently, I inadvertently defaulted to a lame opening and paid the price. In this week’s episode, I will have you consider ways to be more deliberate and decisive when you grab people’s attention by using headlining as a better version of BLUF (bottom line up front).

The post Ep. 321 – Good isn’t a headline (nice isn’t either!) appeared first on Just Saying.

One of the most important roles of any successful professional is to lead a program (or project) to completion. Throughout the entire process, from start to finish, many different stakeholders need to hear a clean overview that conveys the right level of detail and connects with their motivations and interests. Getting the executive summary wrong at any time might mean losing support, funding, clarity, and confidence.

The post Call Back Episode – Ep 254 – How to frame a solid program overview appeared first on Just Saying.

In moments of inspiration, frustration, or even desperation, we need to deliberately choose our communication outlets. Getting that wrong might create conflict, build burdens, and produce unintended consequences. In this episode, I discuss how to be much more intentional when assembling and selecting from a list of different people that serve the right role for us at diverse times and circumstances.

The post Ep. 320 – Talk to Someone Else appeared first on Just Saying.