Just Saying - The BRIEF Lab

A BRIEF Map is a powerful communication tool. The acronym spells it out clearly: background; relevance; information; ending; follow-up. In this episode, I give you the “permission” to modify the R to mean risk. By highlighting related risks, you can help your audience understand quickly why they need to make a decision vs sitting on the fence. The post Ep. 398 – Changing the “R” in a BRIEF Map app...

There’s a strong, hidden connection between comedy and clarity. When communicating, there’s a fundamental difference between your point (the “what”) and the payoff (the “so what”). The intentional structure and sequence of clarity needs to take a critical cue from joke telling: start strong, and always end with a laugh. The post Ep. 397 – The Point isn’t the Punchline appeared first on Just Saying...

The best presentation is always a conversation. It should never fall flat because of a lame format or feel like a performance where people clap at the end. In this episode, I provide six different ways to mix up your approach without fearing you will mess it up. With more options, you will confidently handle presentations, so they always have power and a point. The post Ep. 396 – Six PowerPoint Pr...

Imagine being in a conversation that is clearly one-sided and you feel the irresistible inclination to interrupt them so you can say something. Though this may even be justifiable, it hurts people when we cut them off mid-sentence. In this week’s episode, I give some practical advice to handle these tempting moments with patience and presence. The post Ep. 395 – Let people talk (stop finishing the...

It’s easy for people to talk badly about others when they aren’t there. Though nobody likes a gossip, many of us like to gossip. In this episode, I propose doing the opposite and speaking well of people that aren’t present to counter this negative urge. The post Ep. 394 – Be a gossip for good appeared first on Just Saying .

If AI does the hard work for us, will it kill the development of our professional identity? A recent article in Harvard Business Review (“AI is changing how we learn at work”) got me thinking that there are some real risks to keep in mind. The post Ep. 393 – Is your identity at risk with AI? appeared first on Just Saying .

It’s tough to be direct. Being a clear and concise communicator hinges on your ability to start strong and never bury your lead. Speaking in headlines, can ensure that your bottom line up front (BLUF) never sinks to the bottom line at the bottom (BLAB). The post Ep. 392 – Say the most important thing first appeared first on Just Saying .

We all face moments where we need to teach, brief, or explain topics that are dry, technical, tedious or simply boring. In this episode, I lay out several simple tactics to breathe life into a dying subject to be sure something always gets through. The post Ep. 391 – How to make a boring topic interesting appeared first on Just Saying .

Stop trying to convince people they have issues, challenges and problems. It doesn’t work. What’s more effective is a principle of quiet influence based on gaining their permission to discuss and illuminate areas for improvement. They can then make what I call “the admission” by willingly and deliberately admitting what needs to be fixed. The post Ep. 390 – Getting people to admit they have a prob...

There’s a tendency for communicators to bury listeners in a mound of context. By spending too much time setting up the story, an audience can get lost before the storyline even starts. Though background information can be essential, we can never grow too fond of context that they lose interest. The post Ep. 389 – Why you need to avoid context camping appeared first on Just Saying .

What’s your method to prepare before you speak? Most people don’t have one and are left thinking while they’re talking. We feel the pain as they struggle to get to the point. In this episode, I propose a five-step approach called S.P.E.A.R. which may help you sharpen the point you want to make way before you try to make it. The post Ep. 388 – SPEAR: a new verbal method to sharpen your point appear...

Getting away as a team is often critical, but that time is often squandered. In this episode, I provide six different considerations to help you get more out of your time away. It’s more than picking a fancy destination, but planning the duration, desired outcome and agenda for maximum effect. The post Ep. 387 – Reimagining your next offsite appeared first on Just Saying .

In marketing, word-of-mouth testimonials are among of the most effective ways to promote a product or service. For professionals, having people on your side is always valuable. In this episode, I encourage you to take the first step by doing something positive for someone else. Perhaps, down the road many of these people will reciprocate and come to your aid as your personal advocate. The post Ep....

The most interesting people have a unique ability to be much more interested in those around them. In this episode, I explore the possibility of making the choice to be more curious and focus on those around you. By not making it about you, ironically you stand apart. The world needs more interesting people like that. The post Ep. 385 – It’s better to be interested than interesting appeared first...

While watching a sports interview with a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback, I learned a powerful lesson: loneliness leads to mastery. It takes dedicated time alone to achieve greatness. And hard work on the field with others means taking time in solitude to get ready to perform at a high level. The post Ep. 384 – The Loneliness of Excellence appeared first on Just Saying .

You can’t create the next big idea in a sea of chaotic collaboration. Innovation can be deliberately accelerated by giving small teams time together to brainstorm and sufficient time alone to think, plan and prepare. In this episode, I provide a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to host a one-day team experience as a catalyst for innovation. The post Ep. 383 – Jumpstarting Innovation in a Single Day a...

Have you ever been stuck in a conversation that was going nowhere? Feeling helpless, what could you do to avoid the dead-end direction? Unfortunately, this happens frequently to us both inside and outside work. This week, I outline three “U-turn” tactics to get the conversation back on course. The post Ep. 382 – Pulling a U-turn in a Conversation appeared first on Just Saying .

In meetings, it’s easy to run out of time. Participants rarely allocate sufficient time to summarize what’s been discussed and assign action items with any time to spare. In this episode, I provide a few practical ways for meeting leaders to think and act with the ending in mind.   The post Ep. 381 – Having the meeting end(ing) in mind appeared first on Just Saying .

When Amazon infamously ditched PowerPoints in meetings and opted to use a six-page written narrative format, many professionals took notice of their bold move. However, very few followed their lead. After reading a book on Amazon’s leadership philosophy (“Working Backwards”), I decided to experiment with a new meeting format. In this podcast, I provide a detailed overview of the BRIEF Executive Su...

What happens when managers have too many people and priorities to handle? A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted a growing concern when organizations are trying to get much more from a thinning front line of leaders. One of the results is that bosses are running out of time to spend with their extended teams. In this episode, I propose six ways to adjust to this challenging, demanding re...

Polished leaders all master these three areas. They can frame their role powerfully, share courses of action convincingly, and summarize complexity consistently. In this episode, I provide very practical ways to improve in each area to rise above the rest. The post Ep. 378 – Roles, recommendations, and re-caps appeared first on Just Saying .

We can speak very different languages, from finance, tech and science to logistics, legal and engineering. What are some simple ways to increase your awareness and avoid common tendencies to talk past people and lose them along the way? In this podcast, I share a clip from a 1960’s show “Flipper” and provide some common-sense tips to achieve simplicity and clarity. The post Ep. 377 – You’re speaki...

What’s the return on investment (ROI) if your organization is filled with clear communicators? In a recent conversation with a business consultant, I was challenged to measure it mainly in time savings. In my experience, however, that’s the easy answer. The deeper one is calculating the hidden impact when you cause chaos and confusion? The post Ep. 376 – What’s the cost of confusion? appeared firs...

As new leaders step into new roles, many of them fail to help their subordinates understand the best way to communicate with them. Rather, they let vague assertions, false assumptions and ongoing trial-and-error observations shape the way they get and give information. In this episode, I provide a simple two-step process to gain clarity about ways to share what works for you and what doesn’t. &nbs...

If you want to become a clear and concise communicator, getting your extended team to commit would go a long way. After more than a decade of teaching our BRIEF system, we have introduced an annual subscription service that is designed to drive accountability and predictable outcomes. In this podcast, I shed some light on a series of service elements that can really help your team create sustainab...