The Blog / Archive

It’s more fun to already be good at it, whatever it is.  Riding a bike, playing the guitar, sound editing…we want to be able to do it like we’ve seen others do it, effortlessly, gracefully, efficiently.  But getting there is hard work, most of it behind the scenes. And that hard work isn’t always fun. In fact, it’s usually a combination of sacrifice, failure, and wondering whether it’s worth it. What happens when we look toward our wished-for outcome through the tough days of practice? What if we work on changing our mindset to appreciating the labor of the practice, … Read more

Recently I asked a client to list for me all the ways he communicates at work.  Here is what he said: “I update the CEO, I have recorded some videos and a podcast…sometimes I send emails…” What’s missing? Any mention of the regular, mundane interactions we all have with our colleagues on a daily basis. An impromptu check-in on that project? Touching base on how the new person is settling in? Logistics for who’s handling what on next week’s client presentation? That’s all communication. What I thought was most interesting about this omission is that it reveals a certain bias: … Read more

Last week, I shared six steps to create a presentation that you will know without having to memorize. If you missed it, here’s a recap: 1) Jot down the basic outline of your presentation on index cards, one per idea or topic. 2) Compose your speech out loud. Don’t write it down first. As you find elements that work for you, you can make a note on an index card. 3) Practice in small chunks. In the shower, in the car, while you’re waiting in line.  4) Whenever you are worried or anxious about the presentation, stop what you’re doing … Read more

You know those actors you really love? The ones who make you cry. Who inhabit their characters so completely it’s hard for you to believe they’re real people. Who make you laugh with recognition and delight. The actors you seek out because they bring insight and thoughtfulness and humanity to whatever play, movie, or show they’re in. Those actors speak lines someone else wrote, standing in front of cameras or on open-faced sets. Sometimes they’re not even acting with whoever is in the scene with them; they’re looking at a stand-in, or a green screen. They create truth right in … Read more

It’s college basketball season, aka the Most wonderful Time of the Year. And last week, I was listening to an interview with a player on my favorite team (go Heels!) Puff Johnson is a sophomore, and as of the time of the interview, he had just begun playing again after being plagued with injuries that kept him off the court for 30 consecutive games (the last 15 of last season and the first 15 of this one). In his first game back, Puff showed remarkable energy and spark, contributing even in limited minutes. The interviewer asked him, “It’s got to be … Read more

I was watching a college basketball game the other night, and the team I was rooting for played well for 38 out of 40 minutes. Then in the last 2 minutes, everything they had been doing right seemed to abandon them. They made wild passes, took bad shots, and generally fell apart. When it came down to the wire, they reverted back to old habits and patterns that didn’t serve them or the team well. I’ve been noticing that tendency in other places, too. In a tough competition, form and technique that an athlete has been working on for years … Read more

The doing is the practice. When we’re coaching, we teach clients the best ways to practice for a presentation or a speech. But the real truth is—every day is a chance to practice.  Every conversation is a chance to practice intention. How am I hoping to affect the person I’m talking to? Am I being honest with myself about my intention? If I know my default intention is to defend, or to prove I’m right, how can I shift that to a deliberate and productive intention that is more likely to have a good outcome? Every conversation is a chance to … Read more

Most of us don’t coach high-performing sports teams. In fact, I don’t know a single head coach. But I do know that coaches need starters, and they also need players who can come in off the bench to play when the starters need to rest, are injured, or don’t have the right skillset for the circumstances. Makes sense, right? But here’s the tricky part: as the coach, do you focus on getting the starters as much playing time as possible, so they get really really good? Or do you make sure your bench players get time too, so they’re ready … Read more