Words alone don’t cause people to do heinous things, however we are all responsible for the impact our words have on others and on our collective consciousness.  Do my words inspire, support, encourage, praise, give joy or are they critical, demeaning, antagonistic, negative, or dehumanizing?  If we each can start thinking about what we say before we say it maybe we can change the very toxic environment of our public discourse.  To paraphrase…speak to others the way in which you would like to be spoken.

For most people public speaking is a challenge and the obstacles often seem insurmountable.  And the work gets very close to the bone for those who decide they want to improve. To coach someone in that situation is an honor and a big responsibility.  It requires building trust and creating a safe place for people to move outside their comfort zone. And it requires imagination and a bit of courage to find just the right strategy that will work with each specific individual.  It also helps if you can have a little fun along the way.

The King’s speech coach did all of these things brilliantly and in the end the audience appreciates what the King did to find his voice become the leader he was destined to be. It was also great to see the transformation of a human being meeting a most difficult and very public personal challenge.

See it…you’ll be inspired on many levels!  And if you are struggling with your speaking skills, take a page from the King and get a coach who can help you!

Paraphrasing a line from one of my all time favorite TV shows, “Sports Night” a wonderful short-lived comedy from Aaron Sorkin, “I’m going to show up and see what happens.”   The “showing up” part means paying attention, paying attention to what my clients and prospects are saying, paying attention to trends and what the marketplace is doing, and paying attention to what spins my jets.

And “seeing what happens” means letting up on all the second guessing and worry about what the next business move should be.  Instead of pressing or pushing through difficult situations, I’ve decided to step back a bit, relax as much as I can, and watch for opportunities.  When my nose is to the grindstone, I may not see greater possibilities.

In the meantime, I think this is a great time to get back to basics, reposition, and recharge.  The fundamentals of effective communications have not changed, the means and the platforms are completely transformed, but the basics principles apply.  So through my blog, I’ll be providing on-going tips and tools for people who want to expand and strengthen their communication skills.

For now, I will simply say Thank you! Thank you to all my clients, colleagues, and fans.  I appreciate your trust and your support.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great holiday season!

With the explosive growth in on-line marketing and social networking, it has often seemed overwhelming to me to create something that would attract people.  I know I spend a lot of my time deleting all the on-line pitches that come in every day. And frankly, I didn’t want to contribute to all the noise out there, didn’t want to create e-junk that people delete or put in the spam folder!

So last week when I had coffee with Kristen Schuerlein, partner and co-founder of Design Duo, a Seattle graphic design/branding firm, I was immediately intrigued by her idea.  She’s getting back to basics and using 19th century technology:  the telephone!

Kristen has been reconnecting with colleagues, business friends, and clients, people who already know her and/or have done business with her in the past.  And here’s the fun part, she’s not pitching them on anything.  She’s checking in, finding out how they are, and whenever possible and appropriate, offering ideas or referrals.  That’s it!  She’s been having fun with it and her phone is starting to ring again and business is coming back.

So I’ve taken the plunge and so far, so good.  People who I haven’t talked to in a while are genuinely glad to hear from me. Sometimes the communication involves e-mail, but generally it’s old fashioned phone calls.  And if nothing else, it’s fun. It takes a little time and some discipline.  And I have found that when I’m taking a step, taking action, I no longer feel stuck, and everything starts to move again.  So you may be hearing from me soon, I’m looking forward to talking with you.

So thank you, Kristen!  I’m glad you reconnected with me. And I hope by sharing your good ideas, people will remember us both when they need excellent graphic design/branding services or a excellent speech coach.

My question is was it really necessary to put those words up on the screen?  Did having those sentiments written out on slides help Jobs make his case?  Seems to me it was a classic misuse of Keynote, Apples equivalent of PowerPoint!  And I think it diminished his credibility.

When you have something important to say, you want the communication to be between you and your audience, not between the slides and your audience.  Just because you have all the bells and whistles, it doesn’t mean that’s the best way to deliver your mea culpa!  Get real, stay connected to the people who are important to your company.  Don’t do a “dog and pony show” when you are addressing problems. You risk insulting your audience at a time when they are not happy with you in the first place.  Resist the temptation to let your slides do your talking.

Jobs has a great reputation as a speaker. He’s cool under pressure, never uses notes, and connects extremely well with his audiences.  But you really get a clear picture of a person’s true personality and sensibilities when they are responding to negative press.  If Apple has a few more public difficulties and Jobs continues to react defensively, he could join the pantheon of superstars who fall hard because they lost touch with the integrity that attracted followers, customers, and all the accolades.

Also coming soon is the second edition of my book. It has a new chapter on the elevator speech and personal branding and some new tips in the media section on new web and social media.

It’s already available as an e-book on my site. We’ll have the actual books available by the end of July.

The same is true for Helen Thomas.  I met her in the mid-1990′s when she was covering the Clinton administration.  She was a great guest on our morning news show when we broadcast from the White House lawn. I had the pleasure of talking with her before and after her interview.  She was knowledgeable, feisty, and never afraid to ask the tough questions.  She was a trailblazer who made it possible for many more women journalists to move beyond covering the society pages.  But maybe she stayed just a little too long.

How do we know when it’s time to hang ‘em up?  It may be a bit easier for athletes to know, because the body often gives out before the heart gives up.  For the rest of us, I don’t know.  Hopefully we’ll learn something from Helen Thomas, not the least of which is not to say dumb and offensive things in public!