Talk About Talk - Communication Skills Training

HOW TO ASK FOR HELP? Consider the 3Ms: Mindset, Motivations and Metaphors. Researcher Gretchen Barton of OZA shares her expertise, including insights from a recent Gates Foundation project on “Understanding Perceptions of Poverty” in America. Asking for help- be it expertise, time or money – isn’t easy, but you can learn to seek help with […] The post #57 HOW TO ASK FOR HELP with researcher Gretch...

Learn how to choose a brand name. Are you naming a new product? A start-up? A new podcast? Dr. Andrea Wojnicki takes you through the 5 steps, from strategy to name generation, to evaluation, to searching availability and trademarking, to launching the brand! See the shownotes for a useful printable summary.   RESOURCES Brand Naming […] The post #56 HOW TO CHOOSE A BRAND NAME appeared first on Talk...

Female pop stars: there’s the good girl, the temptress, the diva, the hot mess, the survivor… Professor Kristin Lieb shares her research on how pop stars influence and are influenced by culture, how a female pop star’s body is her core brand asset, and how female pop stars evolve through various archetypes over their lifecycle […] The post #55 ARCHETYPES & FEMALE POP STARS with Professor Krist...

ARCHETYPES are shared, universal patterns that help us understand characters and stories.  We employ archetypes in both our consumption (of stories, movies, music) and our communication – of ourselves, our experiences and our brands. Learn about the stages in the hero’s journey and 12 common archetypes, one of which may describe you and/or your brand. […] The post #54 ARCHETYPES with Dr. Andrea Wo...

Are you leading a virtual team? Learn how to lead a virtual team and excel in a crisis. During a crisis, everything is magnified, including leadership skills.  Executive coach Heather Stark shares her “5C’s of creating a virtual culture” framework to help leaders navigate and excel in the new normal. (This is part 2 of […] The post #53 CRISIS LEADERSHIP & VIRTUAL TEAMS with Heather Stark appea...

Effective leaders are effective communicators.  Executive coach Heather Stark shares how to improve our communication skills and why leaders need to be good listeners, authentic, proactive, inclusive, intentional and mindful.   REFERENCES & LINKS Heather Stark & Stark Coaching Email – heather@heatherstarkcoaching.com LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherestark/ Recommendations Ber...

Competition, or rivalry over resources, encourages us to strive and excel.  Meet open source strategy expert Dr. Mekki MacAulay, who encourages us to create value by adopting an inclusive, transparent, open source mindset. According to Mekki: “90% of the equation is collaboration, helping, and communicating effectively.” The post #51 COMPETITION with open source strategy expert Mekki MacAulay appe...

Managing our emotional expressions is critical to effective communication. Emotions researcher Tatiana Astray helps us optimize our relationships and negotiation outcomes by taking responsibility for our emotional expressions. Learn about the difference between feelings and emotions, why we should express enthusiasm, how to manage negative emotions, and all about the positivity ratio. REFERENCES &...

Learning strategist & parenting coach Kimberley Acres helps us in this time of physical distancing and online schooling with parenting philosophies and online learning tactics, including optimizing our children’s workspace, setting boundaries, and celebrating!   REFERENCES & LINKS Kimberley Acres LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberley-acres-1793a0104/ Email – kjacoaching@gmail.co...

On presenting with confidence. Learn how to create a compelling presentation, then present it with confidence. Tips for your body language (posture, feet, hands), remembering to pause, projecting strength, warmth, authenticity and passion, and sticking to your one key message.   REFERENCES & LINKS Andrew Musselman LinkedIn– https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-musselman-06595316a/ Fluency – http...

Do you know how to prepare and deliver a compelling presentation? Guest expert Andrew Musselman shares presenters’ most common mistakes, what to do if you think you’re losing your audience, and how to successfully incorporate video clips, humour, and storytelling into your talk.   REFERENCES & LINKS  (Note this is episode 1of2 on COMPELLING PRESENTATIONS.  […] The post #47 HOW TO DELIVER A COM...

How about some biohacking tips to boost your immunity and to fight off viruses like Covid-19? Biohacker Oksana Andreiuk (M.Biotech) shares her advice on boosting your immunity through specific biohacks associated with sleep, nutrition and supplements, exercise, stress management, taking a cold shower, and intermittent fasting. Biohacking is modifying your internal and external environments to […]...

Are you good at networking? Executive recruiter Sharon Mah-Gin shares her advice on how to be a better networker, including why it’s critical to attend events, how to thrive at small talk, how to leverage LinkedIn, and the ideal networking mindset.   References & Links Sharon Mah-Gin  LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmahgin/ Executive Search Alliance – http://www.execsearchalliance...

Do you know how to conduct an interview? It could be a job interview, an information-seeking interview, a journalistic interview, or perhaps for entertainment purposes – like an interview that’s presented as a written article, a live interview onstage, or – a podcast interview! Improviser and podcast host David Shore shares his advice, including how […] The post #44 HOW TO CONDUCT AN INTERVIEW wit...

Proper posture and breathing can make us better communicators! Dr. Nadine Kelly (YogiMD) shares breathing and posture tips, relaxation techniques (deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing,  combining breathe with a mantra), differences between the parasympathetic (rest & digest) versus the sympathetic (fight or flight) phase, and why nasal breathing is healthier than mouth breathing.   Refe...

Do you know how to tell your story effectively? The story you tell could be at work in conversation with your boss, in a job interview, or perhaps you seek to write a novel? Best-selling author and legal veteran Norman Bacal shares how stories are impactful because they connect us through our emotions and life […] The post #42 TELLING YOUR STORY with best selling author & legal veteran Norman...

Listen, as Norman Bacal, author, consultant, and 35 year legal veteran, shares his insights and stories about how active listening can help you not only learn, but also improve your relationships with co-workers, clients, family, and friends.  You will learn strategies for active listening, including the ideal mindset for listening, what to project, how narcissists are […] The post #41 LISTENING w...

An efficient summary of the 19 Communication Skills from 2019, including the words we say, types of implicit communication, tips for specific people & contexts, & important meta learnings.   THANKS for listening – and READING! Let’s TALK! Web: https://talkabouttalk.com/ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2512948625658629/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/TalkingAboutTalk/ LinkedIn: http...

Working with difficult or negative people can be stressful. Learn reasons why people act so negatively and what you can do about it. Human Resources expert Tamara Finlay suggests diagnosing the issue using the SCARF model, then shares specific Do’s and Do-Not’s, depending on whether it is your peer, your subordinate or your boss.   […] The post #39 Communicating with NEGATIVE PEOPLE – with HR expe...

Gift-giving is a highly symbolic form of communication. Are you a good gift giver? In this podcast you will learn how to think about gift-giving more rationally, with research-based tips about what matters and what doesn’t. Here’s a hint: We should worry less about how much money we spend. It’s typically the “low substance, high […] The post #38 GIFT-GIVING appeared first on Talk About Talk .

Do you know when to use the phone or email?  What about text, social media, and face-to-face meetings? How do you feel when you hear the phone ring?  In this podcast episode, HR expert Tamara Finlay shares advice and frameworks to help you choose the ideal communication media or platform to optimize your communication.   […] The post #37 COMMUNICATION MEDIA: Phone or Email – with HR expert Tamara...

Youth mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression are common. Nicole German, founder of The Maddie Project, shares her experience and thoughtful advice to parents, family members, coaches, teachers, anyone who interacts with youth.  We need to step-it-up with awareness, empathy, and advocacy. “Anything we can do is goodness.” Doing little things and doing […] The post #36 Talking YOUTH M...

Why is it so difficult to talk about money? Does your family have a budget? Do you have an updated will?  What about a power of attorney?  Listen and learn as experience strategist Kelly Harper shares strategies for talking to your partner, your parents, your children and your friends about money.  PODCAST: https://talkabouttalk.com/35-money References & Links  […] The post #35 LET’S TALK ABOU...

Lessons from the Improv comedy stage can help us improve our communication skills! Comedians Sandy Marshall and Sandy Jobin-Bevans share their expertise – and a few laughs – including playing the scene you’re in, the beauty of mistakes, knowing your audience, testing your audience, “YES-AND,” burning a suggestion, and more! Whether you’re pitching for business, […] The post #34 LESSONS FROM THE IM...

Authenticity is important for both people and for brands. But what does it really mean to “be authentic”?  Ana Serrano (CFC chief digital officer) shares her expertise on authenticity, including how the digital realm has amplified the performative nature of authenticity and how inauthentic “green-washing,” “art-washing” and “social impact washing” on behalf of brands can backfire. References &...