The Boys On the Red Bike

I’ll cut right to the chase: I was sad. In January 2007, my big brother died, the person with whom I had shared so much. Before he passed, I wrote to Peter about a dream I had. I think the imagery had come from something I’d read. In the dream we were still little kids,…

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Why The Divide: a Documentary Film

I’ve been researching work on a documentary film I hope to produce: Why The Divide. We will look at the science behind why some people become conservative while others become liberal. If you have any thoughts or points you think should be covered, please let me know. For more information about Why The Divide go…

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Must See Bad TV: World Series Wilde Moment

So a major corporation decides to “raise its profile” by giving a sports award to an athlete on live, national television. You would think they’d give the presenter adequate training to protect their image and brand. Apparently, Chevrolet didn’t think it was worth the time and money. There’s the old saying, “Any publicity is good…

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What story will you tell?

In the age of connectedness the question for business leaders, entrepreneurs and even freelancers is this: What story will you tell to get people talking? You can tell a story of success; of someone coming to realize the essential “tipping point” that made them successful. You can use or not use metaphors and analogies or…

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Bullet Points: Don’t Go There!

Once again, the marketing genius, Set Godin, has hit bullet points on the head with a hammer. The link to his post is below and I’ve copied it here: Most presentations aren’t bullet proof * Bullets do not save time. Memos save time. Presentations aren’t about the most concise exposition of facts, they are about…

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Lesson Learned

I often coach people that we need to tell stories to make a point rather than creating an endless and forgettable list of Bullet Points. Storytelling is what we’re “wired” to remember. So that I might be someone who practices what he preaches, I joined an on-line group that teaches storytelling. The following essay is…
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My brush with Don Zimmer’s greatness

It’s my hope to start using my blog to post more stories — some of them personal — that relate to communications. On the news of the passing of one of the most beloved people in baseball, Don Zimmer, here’s a story of my brush with what made him a great and memorable person. In…

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Media Urban Myth Debunked

Remember the woman who was burned by McDonald’s coffee and then sued and won? Nearly 20 years ago and the myth lives on; a good example of why media training and specific goals are needed to control messages before the media takes erroneous reports and makes them legend. If you watch for about a minute…

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GM Chief To Address Congress. Trained? You Bet!

Early today, NPR reporters were skeptical about how well Mary Barra, the “new” GM CEO, would fare in speaking before Congress. Stories posted later by NPR make me think that she approached this critical appearance with much more than a little training and foresight (as you’ll see in the story below). One more interesting point:…

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via NPR: Obama Showed A Deft Hand With Speech

Whether you like the President’s policies or not, his approach on last night’s State of The Union was interesting. He took a very positive approach and showed leadership while side-stepping some issues. Overall, he was impressive; not unlike the card player that NPR used for as an analogy. Obama Showed A Deft Hand With Speech.…

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Don’t fill your allotted presentation time just to fill it!

Often, presenters feel compelled to fill a “time slot” they’ve been given just out of courtesy. What you want to do is tell the best story — educate, energize and motivate people — in less time than you’ve been given. This takes practice. Check out Seth Godin’s Blog: On going over your time Seth’s Blog:…

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Harvey Apologizes for Awkward Interview

The New York Mets’ young pitching phenom, Matt Harvey, recently had an embarrassing interview on The Dan Patrick Show. What the story tell us, is that if you’re planning on making a “pitch” (no pun intended) during an interview, you and your media advisor(s) had better discuss it with the interviewer — and/or his or…

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The Lasting Power of Dr. King’s Dream Speech

On this day, the 50th anniversary of Doctor King’s immortal speech, the following article asks, “Why does Dr. King’s “Dream” speech exert such a potent hold on people around the world and across the generations?” In reading the article, what was striking to me is the work and preparation that allowed him to “riff” in…

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NYTimes Video: 5 Questions for Mayoral Candidates

All 7 candidates for Mayor of New York City were asked 4 questions starting with an easy one, “Which NY team do you root for: Mets or Yankees?” Take a look at the second question: “What makes you angriest about New York?”. All the candidates knew enough — probably through coaching — to not actually…

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The TV Tease

The next time you’re planning to be recorded on-camera, remember to apply the same rules for a good presentation to your video appearance. Whether you are speaking to a live audience or straight to camera, open your presentation with the “Headline” or — in TV parlance — “Tease” your audience. Give them a reason to…

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Chris Anderson @ TED

Much of what Chris Anderson says about what makes a great talk great, reflects the concepts that The Gotham Group teaches. Check this out: Chris Anderson on what makes a great talk … great | TED Blog.

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How to Listen – NYTimes.com

I’ve written before about the skill of listening and how important it is for interviewers. Here’s a terrific article that takes a deeper look at other aspects of this over-looked skill. How to Listen – NYTimes.com.

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The Impact of Story

I’ve been reading a fascinating and well-written corporate “self-help” book, “Lead With A Story” by Paul Smith. For anyone who wants to reach employees, managers and top executives with messages that resonate, inspire and “stick”, I suggest you pick up a copy (see amazon link below). Storytelling is embraced by several Fortune 500 companies because…

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Plan & Rehearse Ahead

A couple of months back I directed a young, up-and-coming, executive at a Fortune 100 company’s studio. There had been some mention of my providing media training in advance of the shoot but it never materialized. When he arrived in the studio, he was indeed an impressive young man; confident and affable. What followed was…

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Always Keep Your Cool

A recent Republican debate spotlighted one of the “No-Nos” of public speaking and interviews. Never lose your cool! In this particular instance, Newt Gingrich took exception to a question from CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer. It became the lead story for several news outlets. Watch the CNN replay (below) and imagine how much better Gingrich would…

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Prep Like A Pro

I recently directed a live, external webcast for New York Life out of its’ Madison Avenue offices. In a de-brief with the executive producer, I was told that his client — a high-profile employee — had said that she was so pleased with the show because I had taken the time to go over her…

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Being Embarrassed May Help Your Presentations

UC-Berkeley research shows that when you’re embarrassed you appear more trustworthy, according to a story in Discovery News. Remember this the next time you have a “flub” during a speech or presentation. Roger Ailes tells a great story about an overweight man on the old Mike Douglas TV show; the man fell out of his…

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The Rise of Coaching

In a recent New Yorker article, a highly-successful surgeon, Atul Gawande, writes about his own improvement in the operating room through the help of a coach. He shows evidence that coaching can be beneficial in just about any discipline. If you’re thinking about improving your skills in presentations or interaction with the media, now might…

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Steve Jobs’ Terrific Address at Stanford University

Through a post on LinkedIn, I recently came across a terrific speech by Steve Jobs; his 2005 commencement address to Stanford University graduates. The reason the speech is so good? He used just three personal stories to relate “lessons learned”. If nothing else, this tactic makes it easier for people to relate to and –…

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The Importance of Story

Drew Westen recently had a op-ed piece in the NY Times that stresses the importance of telling a story, a narrative that people can easily follow and remember. To me, as a communications facilitator, this is one of the best stories about the Obama Administration. Check it out.

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The Forgotten Skill of Listening

This week on TED talks, Julian Treasure gives an 8-minute presentation about the skill of listening. His claim: We are losing our ability to listen. Is he right? One observation I have is that many interviewers don’t listen to the people they’re interviewing. In their rush to impress the viewing audience (and their producer/boss), interviewers…

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A Natural On-Camera

Recently, 16-year old Missy Franklin had a breakout world-class swimming performance that will be talked about for years to come as she won 2 Gold, 1 Silver & 1 Bronze medals at the FINA World Championship games in Shanghai. For anyone interested in communications and the performance of non-professionals On Camera, Miss Missy was equally…

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